French Battalion 1809+ in 15mm

[vtsaogames]

Trotted out some old 15mm figures and arranged them in battalion formations https://corlearshookfencibles.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-french-battalion-1809-in-15mm.html


I believe posting my own images is kosher.

[MaleGriffin]

Incredible! Very Impressive! Seeing a 1 to 1 ratio brings a whole new perspective! I've always thought 24-man battalions looked wrong, so I built my units with 36 to 48-figures. Compared to yours, they still look too small!

[vtsaogames]

This is just a display. I usually use 12 figure battalions.  And that's when they aren't standing in for brigades or higher.

The only 1-1 photos are the company in line at the start of the post. All the other photos, including the battalion in line seen above, each figure represents 3 actual soldiers.

I did have set of rules called Chef de Battalion. For a battalion with 90 strong companies (as above), it would use 3 stands (9 15mm figures) per company, so 18 stands (54 figures) per battalion. Actual drill procedures are followed to change formation. 1995 rules, complex, never played. I never tried it on the Fencibles, fearing an uprising with torches and pitchforks. I would join the uprising.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Years (and years!) ago, somebody did a Young Guard battalion at 1:1 in various formations, all with the correct scale distances between sub-units.  It looked so awesome that nobody noticed the slightly shoddy painting (or we were all too polite to comment!).  I think it might even have been part of the inspiration for the Chef de Bataillon rules set.....

It does rather put the "scale" of our miniature table top battlefields into perspective.

[Jemima Fawr]

Brilliant!

Many years ago, we had a 1:1 French battalion to sit on the top of the AB Figures trade stand, complete with all the NCOs, supernumerary officers, drummers, etc.  That project was the reason that Tony Barton added NCOs, porte-fannions and a drum-major to the AB range.  It might be that one the Baron is thinking of, as I'm fairly sure we used to talk across it on occasion, though it was a line infantry battalion, not Young Guard.

[vtsaogames]

I know the Young Guard battalion the Baron is speaking of. A guy posted it online. It had 4 companies (proper for Young Guards) and was deployed in column of companies at half and full interval, column of attack (divisions), etc. Can't find them now.

Not so sure how well my guys are painted. An artist did it, back when he was a teenager and needed cash. These days he's an American expat living in Italy and doing well with his paintings. I recently retouched their shako covers.

[Baron von Wreckedoften]

Many years ago, we had a 1:1 French battalion to sit on the top of the AB Figures trade stand, complete with all the NCOs, supernumerary officers, drummers, etc.  That project was the reason that Tony Barton added NCOs, porte-fannions and a drum-major to the AB range.  It might be that one the Baron is thinking of, as I'm fairly sure we used to talk across it on occasion, though it was a line infantry battalion, not Young Guard.

I do recall the one you mean, but this was a different one - I think it was mainly OG figures, and as Vincent says, definitely Young Guard.  Such units were all the rage at the time, as I'm fairly sure that one of the 6mm manufacturers (I'm tempted to say Baccus/Pete Berry) had a French line battalion in his show display in order to extol the virtues of "small is beautiful".  (Answer: not if your eyesight's crap and you end up treading on them, it isn't.....)

[Battle Brush Sigur]

That is a great blog post; highlighting the usefulness of blogs (= something that sticks around and can be found later on for reference). Especially with the little notes on the photos. Thanks for your work. This is one to bookmark.