The 1/28e Légère: "Souham's Landsknechts"

Finally, a completely finished unit!  This one was only seven years in the making.  

The 1/28e Légère advances towards the foe.

We had another Black Powder game on the 23rd, which saw the 1/28e Légère make its debut as a full six-company battalion.  

The weeks prior to the game were a mad rush that saw me having to deal with a number of short-notice projects at work, a nasty flu-like viral infection, and almost all the housework as my wife has been working major overtime almost every night as accounting deadlines need to be met.  

On top of that, I was putting in marathon painting sessions that almost had me breaking the paintbrushes in frustration at slower-than-expected progress and stupid, medication-induced mistakes. 

But I managed to get a lot done despite everything.  I made major inroads on a light cavalry regiment, another artillery piece is well on the way to completion, and I was able to finish and completely base a six pdr. gun and of course the 1/28e Légère.

The voltigeur company rallies against circling Cossacks.  The fellow shooting wearing the colpack was a conversion, and the headgear was made of epoxy putty.  Of course, just after I did this Front Rank released proper light infantry voltigeurs wearing colpacks!  Ah well, at least it's unique.

The battalion in line.  

The 1/28e in column, proceeded by voltigeurs and supported by a 6 pdr. gun as Général Bouillon-Cantinat looks on.

I learned a number of lessons after painting these.  First, a black undercoat really speeds things up.  Secondly, paint the crossbelts first, and block in the colours around them carefully to save time and unnecessary painting.

Next time I'm going to tone down the contrasts a bit, and use a less varied palette for each battalion.  

When I started out painting the 1/28e I decided that it would be multicoloured as a result of campaigning and supply shortages- not to mention flagrant disregard for regulations by its proud and eccentric colonel, Col. H-P Debroullier.   All well and good, but using fewer colours will not only mean faster painting, it will also be less of a kaleidoscope to the eye.  For my next unit of infantry I want to work more on varying tones rather than varying colour.

Thus for good reason, the 1/28e will be given the nickname of "Souham's Landsknechts" by the other, more soberly dressed regiments in the 8e Division!