"Crimean War Zouaves/Tirailleurs for 1914?" Topic

I recently purchased a bunch of 10mm 1914 French and Germans from Magister Militum. I'm tempted to add some French colonial troops but the WW1 range has none. The MM Crimean range (which is similar in sculpting style to the WW1 range) has Zouaves and Tirailleurs. How different was the uniform between the 1850s and 1914? Thanks!

My current painting project (Great Northern War Saxons) is almost at an end, so now I'm looking toward my next army. Being in an early 18th century kind of mood, I've decided to paint up a War of Spanish Succession army, in particular French. After all, the aggressive tactical doctrine of the French fits my play style quite well.

Anyway, our current rules set of choice breaks native French infantry units down into "Old Regiments" and "Line Infantry", indicating that the former were long standing veteran formations and gives them a higher combat rating. Fair enough. The army list also requires a one for one ratio of Old Regiments to Line units, which means I will be fielding a mix of both.

So what would be some ways to pick out the veteran "Old Regiments" on the table? As previously noted, they have game stats that are different than other French infantry units, but (unlike some of the foreign units such as Swiss etc) presumably wear the same grey uniform. Ideally I could just learn to pick out the veteran units by their flags. That's easy enough for me, but not a reasonable solution for opponents I might be playing. Alternatively, I could just color code the bases in order to pick out the two types of units. But I think that might detract from the look of the units.

What are some other ideas that might help to distinguish between the veteran units and the more recently raised battalions?

My understanding is the "old regiments" were a particular set of units:

link

•Regiment Picardie with 3 battalions (e. 1569)
•Regiment Piemont with 3 battalions (e. 1569)
•Regiment Navarre with 3 battalions (e. 1569)
•Regiment Champagne with 3 battalions (e. 1569)
•Regiment Normandie with 3 battalions (e. 1591)
•Regiment de la Marine with 3 battalions (e. 26 Sep 1635)

There's WAY more info at that link.

Ed

Well each battalion would have the same flag and would be stationed in the line together. It's the other guy's problem to keep 'em straight.

As to identifying them on the table, perhaps you could position the flags differently? For example, if you have two ranks of figures, put the flags from the old regiments in the front rank, and the flags of other regiments in the second rank.

Another option might be an object on the command stand base, such as a captured drum or flag, but only on the veterans.

I agree that the identifier should be obvious enough if you are looking but not detract from the appearance of the unit.

Mounted officer on the base of old regiments, foot on the line.

Though my preference is let them find out when they tangle with them.

2 questions : Are you going to have one unit per regiment? And,will you be giving the units one colour?

If the answer to both those questions is yes, you could distinguish the old regiments by giving them the white colonel's colour,instead of,or in addition to, the regimental colour.

If you pick the oldest regiments from the set of 'vielles bandes' (sp?) you get just a plain colour with a white cross on the flags.

Picardie – Red : Champagne – Green : Piemont – Black : La Marine – Yellow
Navarre is a plain brown field with a white cross with designs on it.

No other French flags have that simple layout so they can be spotted even by a newcomer once it is explained to them.