"28mm British Troops Suggestions" Topic

My son has been wanting to start gaming in the Napoleonic era. Currently we game F & I with the Musket and Tomahawks rule set.

We plan on using Black Powder rules to start. My son is almost complete with his French Army and I would like some help in creating a British army.

I know I need 3 types of troops, Center and 2 flank companies, Cavalry unit and Artillery.

My son wants to play the 100 day campaign time frame, he was telling me that would limit some types of troops I could use.

What I would like is three British Regiments that fought during that time, and what Cavalry regiment should I also paint.

Finally what type of artillery, and how many guns should I get for a 28mm army to fight those nasty frogs!

Thanks for any help.

This site is very impressive, giving details of every unit involved with good uniform plates and even I can cope with it being in French:

link

This is a very good site. Uniform plates and organisation.

link

For variety I would suggest one Highland Regiment, one Line Regiment and one Light Regiment.

Cavalry you can choose between Heavy Dragoons, Scots Greys, Light Dragoons or Hussars.

I don't know how many guns you need, but it should be less than the French. You can choose 6pdr or 9pdr batteries.

I have ignored Guard units and allied units (which mde up half Wellingtons army).

@John Armatys you beat me by 1 minute

If I were you, looking for three regiments, I would choose one "normal" line regiment", one light infantry regiment, and one Highland regiment. At Waterloo there were 11 "normal" line regiments in combat (others had various uniform quirks), 3 light infantry regiments (not including the Rifles), and 3 Highland regiments.

I'd paint the "normal" regiment with blue facings – not only does it look nice, in my opinion, but it also means you could use these figs for a) any of the 4 guards battalions at Waterloo, b) the 1st Foot (Royal Scots) and c) the 4th Foot (King's Own)

For the Light Infantry regiment you could have buff facings (the crack 52nd Foot) or green (51st Foot).

For the Highland regiment, I'd choose the Black Watch as their tartan will drive you slightly less crazy than trying to paint the other two (Gordons and Camerons)

For cavalry get some light dragoons – Perry do a fantastic plastic box. You could get Hussars too, but they're much trickier to paint.
And some heavy dragoons – only available in metal at the moment.

For artillery you can choose between Foot artillery or Horse artillery, both were heavily engaged at Waterloo – or get both!

Lord Hill +1

Thank you,

This is what I am going to create, Please let me know if this is a respectable army?

I Corp
2nd Battalion, 1st Regiment of Foot Guards
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Askew

2nd Battalion, Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards
Lieutenant-Colonel James Macdonnell

2nd Brigade, King's German Legion
Brevet Colonel Baron Christian Freiherr von Ompteda

As for Artillery
Lloyd's Battery RA 9 pounders
Major William Lloyd

Cavalry
2nd (Royal North British) Dragoons (Scots Greys)
Lieutenant-Colonel James Inglis Hamilton

These troops are all from the I corp, the 42nd Highlanders were held in reserve with the Duke.

The trick is to not pack your army with elite units.

The Duke would have prayed for an army, like this, very "respectable", made up of Guards and KGL. He would actually have been far better with the 95th, 52nd and an intact kilted regt (ie pre Quatre Bras) if only three are allowed.

He was very short of heavy cavalry, such as RNBD, and it showed, after d'Erlon's attack and their decimation. Guards and Union Brigade remnants, plus the Netherlands Carabiniers. The various Dragoons and Hussar regts are nearer reality…if less exotic.

Are you sure you want British only and no representatives from Prussia, Netherlands, Hanover, Brunswick, Nassau etc? That is half the challenge for the Duke after all….

The Victrix British artillery set is the most fun I had in Napoleonics unit building. You get 3 guns and 3 limbers (alas, no horses) and 15 (I think) crew. You also get 4 barrels for each gun! The howitzer, a short 6 pdr, a long 6 pdr and a 9 pdr. If you forgo the limbers and use the wheels as a basis for scratch-built linbers, you have 3 more guns. Or if you build carefully, you could swap out the barrels as needed.
A great set.

If you're playing 100 days, how about starting with Kempt's Brigade from Picton's Division?

1/28th
1/32nd
1/79th
1/95th
Roger's battery RA

You could always swap out the 1/79th for the Black Watch, for variety. If you used Perry miniatures, you get 12 riflemen for the 95th in three infantry boxes. They also do a Brigade deal that gives you some artillery and mounted officers, I think.

To this I would add Light Dragoons, and if you wanted an ahistorical but interesting addition, one regt of heavy dragoons.

Then you just need two Brigade command stands, infantry and cavalry, and Picton as your Division commander.

Later on you could add some Dutch Belgians under Perponcher, and Perry make some lovely Nassau troops. If you wanted a mixed force of allies, look also at the Bruswick Corp: two regts if cavalry, line and light infantry and organic guns.

If I were doing three British infantry units, I'd go for three different facing (collar and cuffs) colours. All your first choices, Guards and KGL, have blue, which could make for some very dull painting sessions.

What Footslogger said. I'd go for the wackier colours you don't often see: white, orange, red.

This site has a great orbat:
link

Notice that the Guard battalions were something like twice the strenght of Line battalions.
I especially like the suggestion by Dartagnan2016, and add the Light Dragoons (perhaps after reading about Matthew Harvey, created by Allan Mallinson ? ;-)).

Thanks fellas,

We have a small gaming club, and I selected the British, another member has the allies, and another member has the Russians.

That is why I can only select British troops.

Thanks Footslogger, thats why I love this site, I can tell you the British uniforms in the French and Indian War, but pretty clueless for Napoleonic's.

I'd like to add that, although I like the look of 36 man battalions in 28mm, you could start with 18 man units so that you can start playing more quickly, then add additional stands as painting time allows. I base 6 models on 45x40mm bases that come with the Perry sets. You could also look at buying Perry command sprues (6 models for £5.00 GBP) and add the troops using Warlord games sprues, which are on sale right now at 50% off, so £2.00 GBP for 5 models. That would allow you to make three line battalions, marching, for £51.00 GBP You could do a highlander battalion in plastic using Victrix highlanders (and get free flags in the box) for £22.00 GBP or less depending where you buy. A Perry Light Dragoons box is £18.00 GBP-20 and for BP you probably only need a couple of guns for your artillery support. Of the three manufacturers, I prefer Perry, which make for a good looking firing line. I like the Victrix, but they are the most work to put together. I have ordered some Warlord, but dont think the sculpts look quite as good as the other two. Of course, there are plenty of other good companies making metal 28mm Napoleonic era figures, but that will increase your spending, eg a Perry 36 man bn in metal is £39.00 GBP

Good luck with your project….Ive been ploughing away at forces for Quatre Bras for several years now, with long pauses. Your aspirations look like a good, manageable project.