Here's my latest batch of Napoleonic figures. They may be wearing black coats, but they're not Brusnwickers.


So who are they? Well, you know I have certain dislikes on the table. Kneeling figures pre-1900, extensively terrain infected bases and, of course, anything on the table that isn't a figure or a piece of terrain. Thus, the fashion for units to cart small dice along with them do not find favour with me (it is only with the greatest of reluctance that I added labels to my 1:3000 ships) and before my Napoleonic frenzy of 2021/22 I could manage to keep track of units on a whiteboard or paper.

My original intent was to have a number of figures with flags or different coloured coats to represent morale levels. I did this with the Bavarians, but it added quite a few figures to the job, and frankly Bavarian infantry in red coats didn't look right.

So I pondered deep into the night and the result is the black horsemen. Each one is a rider in a black coat on a black horse. They wear pale blue sashes but are otherwise marked by red, yellow or green facings.

A visit from Lt Green is an indication that the unit is 1 level adrift. Dr Gold means 2 levels adrift and Captain Scarlet means 3 levels down.

These dark riders may be attached to a unit (battalion) or a regimental officer, Brigadier, or theoretically a divisional general.


Here, the first battalion has taken a bit of a hit and is being accompanied by Dr Gold. The following unit has suffered less and is playing host to Lt Green.

Granted, it's more effort than using dice, but I find the black riders more visually satisfying than other methods of tracking.

Nobby's Napoleonic uses morale status 1-5. 1 is a raw, nervy unit up to 5 being the Grenadiers of the Guard via 2 Neapolitans, 3 most line units, 4 being 95th Rifles, Chasseurs of the Guard etc.

Yes, the Dark Riders are named in honour of our noble Sable Lord.

Lovely idea!   

Good idea, well executed    

really clever idea fsn, your horseman markers fit in well with all the other troops on the table but are easily distingishable at the same time 

Thank you all. 

Very impressive sir Nobby