"Organizing your French Troops" Topic

This is mostly directed for the French Ligne and Legere Infantry due to the uniqueness of the French uniform during the period of Napoleon and the lack of distinction( uniform and to some degree the regimental flags) that can be seen from the table top by the gamer/commander.
It can apply to other armies such as Austrian, British, Prussian or Russian line/light units, as well.
The assumption is; all the figures you need-Qty/unit, at the specific poses, and style for tactical level play rules systems ( GdB, BP, C&G NaW etc…).
a) Qty is… enough to organize the size of the unit, whether it is 18, 24, 36 or 48 has no restriction ( IE. you can build to your idea/ wish list size).
b) Poses are 3 groups… "M" march attack/march vs "A" advance/charge vs "S"skirmish order/firing
c) Style is 2 groups … "FD" full dress vs "CD" campaign dress vs "X" mix

SO with the above, how would you organize your troops?:
IE…By unit/battalion… to make unique
By regiment… to make easier to identify
By Brigade to make easier to identify
By other to make easier to identify

thanks for your ideas/suggestions

MG

I organize mine by brigade

Indeed, by brigade.

Brigade for me, either French or Allied (I only do 1815 currently).

My group plays Empire V, so this is how I organize French:

> 12 figures per battalion, including volts and grens, organized in brigades and divisions

I think this is a tricky question. It gets simpler if you only play one set of rules. However the perfect set of Napoleonic rules is still lurking in the back of my head somewhere and until it leaks out I would play any set.

For infantry I am creating mini bases of 2 figures side by side with strong magnets that can be used with different sized sabots to create different organizations

This means that really only a single pose works (march or advance) if you expect to run different unit sizes in different games

The 2 figure bases can be used as skirmishers as is or you could create skirmish bases – I use a larger base (same width) that allows a bit of diorama, prone firing or dead figures etc. to make the skirmish line more dramatic, but that may not fit your rules

I paint each battalion as 24 figures with consistent style. Different battalions will have different style (varied trousers, full dress etc. or just got better at painting) as that is more fun to me. If you expect your standard unit to be 32 or 48 or whatever figures, do them in that way

So if I wanted a 32 figure unit there would be some mixing of figures. In reality on the battle field, there would be a mix of clothing so it doesn't really matter

For units with different facing colours, we could always claim they were temporary amalgamated units because of casualties – that might satisfy the button counters

We have been using the sticky page marker notes on command bases to identify units – they are not obtrusive

John

LFS but at 1:33. 18 figure battalions. 6 x3 figure companies. No permanent regiment or brigade structure, all just generic Line or Legere battalions to be assembled into divisions as needed. Grenadiers can be pulled out to make converged elite battalions if needed.

The above reference is to figures you purchase and how they are organized- if that was to be used as specifics organization for building your collection and reason you did them that way.

example:
By regiment- all battalions in one pose, all in full dress or in campaign dress… 3 Poses ( M, A,S) by 3 styles ( FD, CD, X = 9 different regiment distinctions to work with…. then organize each brigade as….1 M regiment + 1 A regiment with… as S

MG

We play different systems in which the basic infantry maneuver unit is a battalion, a brigade or a division (i.e. tactical, grand tactical, super-grand-tactical – depends on the size of the battle being reconstructed or the scenario developed).

I paint my French units as 36-figure groups, plus a labeled command stand. The actual tactical unit size depends on the scenario and the play system, but bottom line: either 18-figure or 36-figure groups, with a labeled command stand. And yes, I have extra command stands. I organize the basing so that the center-company pom-poms are the correct color whether 18- or 36-figure base.

Having said all that, sometimes we strictly reflect the actual numbers which modifies the number of figures per tactical unit. Other times, we simply assume for purpose of play that the tactical units were all of roughly equal size.

I use 28mm for Blucher, with only 12 figures to a stand. All the fusiliers on a stand will have the same pompon colour. I've tried hard to make the command figures different for each unit to help tell them apart. And some units have an eagle, some a fanion, and others, no standard at all. All are in campaign dress. 60% of units are in jackets, the rest in greatcoats.

It's just enough to keep track of which is which on the tabletop, but I may also add a code number underneath.

Let's open the can of worms. First it depends on whether you are playing a rule set that either requires figure removal or a set figure ratio. Then there are rule sets that require base removal (in which it is not as important as to how many figures you have per base) or no figure/base removal. Are you talking about pre or post 1808 organization? See what I mean. Bruce Quarrie's "Napoleon's Campaigns in Miniature" contains a lot information as well as suggestions for basing by company for all nations.

Now to answer your question, "How do I organize my French?"
I use three bases per battalion for all nationalities. For the French it use nine figures per base 3X3, gives 27 men per battalion. The first rank on one base is voltiguers knelling and firing with a row of fusiliers standing and firing behind them and the last rank on another base is grenadiers marching or at attention. One base is a command base with a senior officer, drummer and bugler in the first row followed by a sapper, sergeant and stand bearer in the second row then a row of fusiliers marching. I prefer what might be called parade attire (what you call FD) for all my troops.

The rules I usually use (Carnage & Glory or Shako II) are not figure driven but to make the proportions look right or work with ratio driven rules, here is how I base other nationalities:
Russian – the same as the French 3X3, 27 figures
English – 4X2, 24 figures
Austrian – 4X3, 36 figures

All Cav are usually 3 base units with three figures per base. I do allow for some 4 base or 2 base cav units. Artillery is two bases, in line for deployed and column for limbered.

I also have separate skirmish bases for battalions with skirmish capability.

Greg,
If I understand your question correctly, in my collections, if a brigade has three or four battalions – then I'll tend to use the same pose for all the battalions. I prefer march attack, over advancing and firing line. I also prefer to use the same manufacturer to represent each of those battalions. So one brigade might be Perry's, but the next could be Warlord, or Foundry or whatever.
Whereas, if a regiment has two or three battalions, or more [and the subsequent brigade has five, six or more battalions] – then I'll tend to use the same pose for the individual regiments within the brigade, and use the same manufacturer. The result is that the brigade may have a mix of manufacturers, or even poses. But as I prefer march attack, the poses will tend to be similar.

I represent skirmishers on separate stands, and use firing poses for those figures. Some nations light troops, that tended to fight in open order, also tend to be represented by firing line poses.

My thirty-six strong French line and light battalions are organised by regiment, i.e. each regiment is from the same manufacturer and in a similar pose, type of dress etc.

All foot less skirmishers are either MA or A.

I prefer smart casual for my normal troops, i.e. campaign dress scrubbed up for battle with plumes fitted, pipe-clayed webbing etc. If I ever do any guard regiments then they will be more formally dressed.

I call my units "regiments", and organized them into "Divisions" of 5 units – 1 Legere and 4 Ligne, all with the same manufacturer and general pose.

I use the Pom Pom colors for the companies for the individual Ligne "regiments", i,e,, 1 st regt Light Blue pom poms for the Fusilier companies, 2nd Aurore, 3rd Green, 4th Violet. I happen to organize my "Regiments" with 6 stands each, 1 Grenadier, 1 Voltigeur, and 4 Fusilier; one of the Fusilier stands is the "command" stand with drummer/hornist, officer, and Standard bearer. Note that if you wanted to shuffle them back to have one company of each pom pom color among the Fusiliers this would be easy.

You could also use the colors of the pants by unit for differentiation, i.e. 1st unit white, 2nd tan, third grey, 4th brown.

Thus my First Division is all Foundry Advancing, 2nd Foundry March-Attack, 3rd Old Glory Receiving, 4th Sash and Saber Marching, and so forth.

Thanks Gentlemen!

Lots of food for thought here for remounting plans.

MG

I will describe the system I have moved to, from which you may or may not be able to draw ideas!

I play mainly at the grand tactical level, but I paint figures at a lower level and assemble my brigades and divisions from the raw material.

I mount my figures on 1in square bases with 6 figures (15mm) each (two rows of 3). I am painting "regiments" of six bases, each representing a company. So one base of grenadiers, one of voltigeurs, etc. Each of the fusilier companies has a pompom of the standard colour (even on pre 1812 units). The eagle is on the right corner of the 3rd company, with an escort on the left corner of the second, so they work as a pair.

Mostly I use MA pose, but a few units have A. I also make up skirmish bases of pairs of figures in S pose. One base to every pair of ordinary bases (but painted as voligeurs).

How do I tell the regiments apart? I have tried uniform variations. So white (summer) gaiters or black. Figures are in parade dress though – I don't favour campaign dress. I have put one regiment in the white 1807 uniform. But this is a struggle. I also have two slightly different shades of blue for the euniform coat. Different greatcoat colours (rolled on top of pack) is another idea.

I do like the bases to look the same, but one thought is paint the back edges in different colours to distinguish units, though not using bright colours.

madness lurks in this discussion……

My infantry are based by Brigades. The line regiments in march (M) and my light troops advancing (A) to recognise them by pose.

6-8 figures per battalion in 1/72, stands measure 2 x 1.5 inches. 2.5 inch hexagons from flat to flat, table 6x6 feet