"F&IW ? Corps de Cavaallerie in Wargaming" Topic

I just read
The French and Indian War Deciding the Fate of North America
and
Empires Collide The French and Indian War 1754-63

There was a reference to Mounted Provinicials IIRC with Forbes,
and in Empires Collide on pg 209 is a sketch of a trooper of the Corps de Cavallerie 1759-60.

Know I know cavalry wasn't usefully in the woodlands as a fighting force in North America,

But I've noticed RAFM makes a 25mm French Cavalry in Bearskin in their F&IW line.

Redoubt in their F&IW line have a spot stating French Cavalry coming soon.

So my question is since manufactures are or plan on making French Cavalry for the F&IW, how would they be utilized in wargaming the F&IW.

AFAIK the french cavalry were used as messengers, escorts and skirmishers. i've always thought of them as mounted infantry – true dragoons if you like. i can't remember any reference to them fighting on horseback.

I think that it must be emphasized that the mere fact that a figure is produced, there is no guarantee of it being actually representative of anything that actualy existed, nor that it is useful if it did.

They were mainly used as messengers, scouts, etc. "Habitants and Highlanders" gives you the option to deploy up to 6 in the St Foy scenario, with the admonition that they were such a small force that they will have no effect on the battle, and you are silly for even thiking of using them.

So, I did, and they are right. The unit is too small.

However, the RAFM figures are relly beautiful castings, in a "true 25mm" scale, so a bit smaller than the 28mm and taller giants out there now. Its uniform is also pleasing, a blue coat with red facings and a Kewl bearskin. All the Cool Kids wear bearskins.
Officers, by the way, came from infantry regiments, and retained their regimental uniform.

I have also used them as dragoons in skirmish games, harrassing poor exiled Jacobite Scotsman who want nothing more than to get the uisgebeath back home, on which they have paid no duties.

Their most realistic use is as scouts, messengers, convoy escorts, that kind of thing that 18th C light cavalry were used for.
Battle cavaley? No.

I am not aware of any instance in the FIW where there was cavalry used in ANY battle. As others have said, these fellows are strictly messengers. Plus there were not enough of them to make up a viable unit for battle.

There was provincial cavalry with Braddock, but no account of them exists during the battle – and they were used as scouts, though they had Indians for that too. I seem to recall Braddock saying how poor their swords were at some point too.

The French cavaly you speak of is certainly documented but as OFM said, had no battle value on a large scale. Skirmish scale? Who knows? I suspect they were well dressed couriers.

I have several European theatre light cavalry units painted up of the RAFM Canadian Cavalry figures.

@ Donald Cameron:
"European theatre light cavalry units painted up of the RAFM Canadian Cavalry figures": *fictitious* uniform, thus?

"several": did you create one or several Imagi-Nations?

Blog, blog, blog?

Please tell us more!
Jean-Louis