Grenadiers a pied first battalion Imperial Guard Napoleonic 40

 To go with my Guard cavalry for the game in December I also got the foot Guard up to a minimum standard.  This is the first unit , purchased from ebay of an unknown make, I wanted the first battalion of the Grenadiers of the Guard in full dress, or at least not in trousers or even greatcoats, which would have been the sensible and economical option( eg plastic).  I rather like these figures, whoever sculpted them,when bought there was an excess of drummers, not too bad for a Guard unit although some have been drafted into the chasseurs to make up the numbers and some of the rank and file are actually chasseurs but in full dress whereas my chasseurs to follow are mostly in a form of campaign dress. I've bought another battalions worth of grenadiers of the Guard in metal from Perry's but haven't even cleaned them up let alone primed them whereas the two chasseurs battalions are up to the minimum  game standard and will be along relatively shortly. 

It was fun painting these chaps, chunky detail but easy to pick up on. I have given them black gaiters as a form of campaign dress, kosher  I think up until 1809 anyway, their comrades in both battalions of the chasseurs and the second unit of grenadiers will be in trousers. I have been forced to paint the first battalions flag in spite of purchasing the correct GMB flag but as the flag bearer has a cast flag I had little choice! It's a little impressionistic but I think its alright.  I've finally finished Digby Smith's Leipzig 1813 which was alright but could really have done with decent maps and am most of the way through The anatomy of glory a history of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, somewhat biased but if you accept that it's a great read.

I realise looking back that I accumulated rather a lot of Napoleonic books last year, I might cover that in a future post?

Next up? More Napoleonics, more terrain or additional light guns for the war of three Kingdoms/ ECW? Perhaps a French Napoleonic review, I realise I haven't done that yet and it would be good to have a look at everything, although there are flags that need finishing off!

All the best 

Iain