Tuesday 26 April 2016

Napoleonic Russian Imperial Guard Infantry

The 5th Army Corps at the Battle of Borodino contained the Russian Guard infantry, much of the Guard heavy cavalry and a division of combined grenadiers.  I decided to forgo the grenadiers and bulk up on the guard infantry (same morale strength in the rules so no advantage) which allowed me to create four of the guard regiments.  The guard regimental uniforms are similar but for the colour of the collars and, in one case, the addition of red lapels. Very cool those but marred to some degree with the right-arm-crossed-over-the-chest-to-hold-the-musket pose of all the Warlord infantry plastics.
Speaking of which, these Warlord Russians have a more goose-stepping marching poses than that of the Perrys. As the two are not that compatible together (see my previous review: link  )  I chose the Warlords to be the separate Guard elements.

The Russian Imperial Guard using the older flags carried during Borodino. In 1813 they were issued new individual regimental colours which most war-gamers associate with them

This stand I call the "But for the grace of God go I" as the lone Russian seems to contemplate the body of a fallen French soldier.   Somehow I miscounted and ended up painting one extra figure of guardsman. So I picked the one with an odd downward head position - it probably sagged before the glue hardened - and placed him, and a Perry plastic casualty type previously painted, onto a round stand ( a cut out from a door lock instillation of all things! )  merely as decoration on the table but the vignette seemed to indicate a telling story.