"French SYW Cavalry Question" Topic

I have a 15/18mm French SYW army. I am ok with the infantry but was never all that happy with the cavalry. When Eureka came out with French SYW, I bought enough to do the Carabiniers for KK (16 figs each in the new list).

First of of all they are enormous. True 18s. They dwarf the OG. Very large horses (one piece castings). Ok, I won't mix the two ranges , all or nothing.

After I started to paint up a few samples, I noticed that the cavalry (its a line heavy cavalry trooper), doesn't have turnbacks. Checking all my sources, Pehgel and Hurt, Osprey, Mollo, etc., it seems that they should have turnbacks for the SYW period. If fact the figures look more Marlburian than SYW.

I know the French infantry could use no turnbacks, half turnbacks and full turnbacks for the SYW period depending on your source. But the sources indicate that for SYW only some units of the Maison de Roi would not have turnbacks. I know the officers and musicians would not have them.

I am bummed. The figures are very nice. But I am not sure the uniforms are correct for SYW. Any insight from SYW experts?

I just did a random dip into the Sene Years' War project site link

It would appear that Gendarmerie lacked turnbacks, heavy cavalry had them.

BTW, whenever started that site deserves wargamer sainthood. It's fantastic.

For more years than I care to remember this has been an issue with 7YW in this scale. The group I game with all decide to build 15mm armies. We started with Freikorps and Minifigs. Although the Infantry figures appeared to work well together the cavalry was all over the place in size. Over the past 20 years none of us have completed their army (all lacking cavalry). A few of us changed scales going with the 28mm.
For as popular as the period appears to be, you would think that there would be more complete ranges available.

I agree with the lack of complete ranges for 7YW 15's.

I gamed with AICUSV "back in the day," using 15mm Freikorps; Minifig; and ?essex?. I did about 1,000 French, and used the Friekorps cavalry – really brittle! I found the ?Essex? French fusilier, and Austrian Musketeer (painted as Hanoverians) to be excellent figures, but the horses are just too fat! Minifigs in their way are the most accurate, with correct width and bulk to the rump! I did these as "samples," using Freikorps French fusiliers as the bulk of the infantry.

More recently, since moving to Texas, I have gone into Old Glory 15's for French, Austrian and Prussian units. The French cavalry selection is a bit odd. The heavy cavalry figure has "cuffs" as for breastplates at the shoulder, wears a tricorn, and has turnbacks. You need to scrape away the breatplate "cuffs", and in 15's it's just an annoyance. They are otherwise a very good figure. I intend to use some of them for Saxon light horse.

There are dragoons with fatigue cap (never worn in battle – except my battles!), with carbine instead of musketoon; and one in tricorn with musketoon. One could use the tricorn dragoon for the huge Carabinier regiment. The Cuirassiers du Roi – the only regiment in French service to wear both back and breastplate – carry a musketoon (wrong). All these have coat turnbacks, even officers and standard bearers.

Old Glory horses are considered poor by most of us who have them, and some gamers have bought separate horses from other manufacturers. I have no Eureka horses, but bought 48 Austrian musketeers; 48 Prussian musketeers; and not enough fusiliers/too many grenadiers to do sample units. They look fine with Old Glory 15's in their own units. The Essex figures also work well enough.

GdeP

Personally I really like the size of the Eureka horses but their SYW ranges lack variety in their mounted command. Nic at Eureka has or is about to do moulds for horses only so that you can place the excellent OG Generals on Eureka horses. The problem at the moment is the sheer cost of buying from Australia as their dollar is so strong.

The best compromise, in my view, is OG Infantry and Artillery and OG cavalry mounted on Eureka horses or just Eureka cavalry.

As for the question of turnbacks, I think this is an area
of fudging – will people really notice? In the case of the French SYW Eureka range (shortly to be released)I think the question of turnbacks should have been addressed between the first samples and final release – but I'm not 100% certain.
Nigel

I seem to recall that there is a supplier here in the USA who handles Eureka, but also has the horses that others use to re-mount the Old Glory 15's. Could they be "AB" horses?

I bought a sampling of Eureka Prussian and Austrian guns and gunners years ago, and they are excellent as well.

GdeP

Eureka USA is selling the eureka syw French now.
The French cavalry are one piece castings.
I could use them in separate units but they are really big and just dwarf the og cavalry (IMHO).
Eureka aren't cheap so remounting all my og cab on eureka horses is not an option.
Yes I will be painting the eureka figures and I paint well enough that it is noticeable.
The figures are nice, no complaints there. It just seems to be a bad choice on the uniform.
My loss is someone's gain as I will sell them here on tmp.
I will try to post a pic later today.
The generals and adcs are great.

Here is a picture of the figures in question:

Thank you Lannes for the pictures

I also have a similiar issue with the new "25mm" (28mm", 30mm") figures

You are welcome. I suppose you could swap out the OG horses with some bigger ones as the trooper figure appears to be about the same size. The eureka would be great for the gendarmes and some of the maison.

I was initially unimpressed with the Eureka cavalry. But after purchasing some Eureka SYW Russian Generals & doing some measurements of photos of men standing beside & mounted on their steeds, it became obvious to me that after so many years of painting Old Glory & later AB minis that their cavalry horses are way too small. Particularly OG. When presented with a realistic scale miniature that mini looks wrong.
It seems like many things through life. We get used to a mock up or artificial product & when presented with the real thing the real product seems just wrong.

Although I really enjoy OG cavalry, I intend to use Eureka cavalry for my SYW Austrians.

On the subject of coat turnbacks. WAS/King George's War – no turnbacks.
SYW – with turnbacks.
I think we as wargamers tend to take things a little too literally.
As far as the SYW turnbacks , with or without both would have been used on campaign. A coat without turnbacks would cover the thighs during inclement weather. A coat with turnbacks would allow more air flow when on the march or during warm weather.
I'll be using both.