"Suggestions for Bavarian Guard Grenadiers" Topic

Hi everyone I am toying with painting a unit of Bavarian Guard and wondered which miniatures are best suited for the job. The Connoisseur range doesn't thrill me greatly so are there any other options out there?

Why bother. They didn't receive their new uniforms until the late summer or fall of 1815, when everything was all over.

The Connoisseur Bavarians are quite nice. I have them mixed with Front Rank bavarians and in the same unit you can barely tell them apart at table top distance. I have not see the the guard figures but I suspect they would be similar.

Don't listen to rmaker!

Half the joy of Napoleonics is seeking out the "maybe wore" or "ought to have worn" uniforms. When I want to paint a bunch of dirty gray and brown overcoats, I'll paint WWII.

Have you considered that if you paint the Bavarian Guard Grenadiers, then you really should remove all the grenadier companies from the line regiments? That is because the Guard Grenadiers were created by amalgamating the existing line grenadiers to create the new unit.

This is from the site devoted to the drawings of Cantler, reckoned to be the most authentic depictions of Bavarian troops of this era, along with the battle paintings of Kobel.

link

In full dress, the Guard Grenadiers wore standard Bavarian infantry uniform with a bearskin cap with a plate. However, it is thought that in the field they wore a single-breasted tunic (ie without the coloured plastron), long trousers of the same blue colour, and the raupenhelm. Cantler has depicted both uniforms. By this time, all the Bavarian line infantry were wearing the same red facings.

So, if you want "campaign" figures, I would suggest going with the Perry line infantry (post-1811 version with the gorget and no sash), then file off the two rows of buttons on the outer part of the chest and simply paint the tunics as single-breasted. If you want "parade" figures, then you're a bit stuck, as the nearest would be French Guard Grenadiers, but these are in the habite, which is completely wrong; you would also have to remove the epaulettes (and other "French" emblems, eg the eagle on the cartridge box) and reduce the gaiters to the "below the knee" version. A lot of work for a unit that never saw active service.

Speaking of Bavarians, are there some cool ways to make Bavarian chevauleger for 1812 out of the various plastics available right now? I like the look with the helmets, and I'm looking at getting some allies for my French invasion while keeping mainly with plastics for my cavalry if possible.

Hi Bavarian Guard Grenadiers – bearskins were parade dress. On campaign, looked like Bavarian line grenadiers in raupenhelm will do & I only know of one Grenadier battalion but 14? line regiments with somewhere between 1-3 battalions. Ps French Grenadiers á Pied share many features with the Bavarian Guard, if you include the bearskin. Otherwise I'd just stick to Bavarian line Grenadiers in raupenhelm as the basic uniform. One can find images on the internet to help with the two decisions. If I remember correctly Baden & Bavarian Guard Grenadiers had some black facing colours. Certainly black lapels, maybe red cuffs and epaulettes. They might both have had some lace on the chest in white? Silver for officers. I gotta go. Happy hunting. There was a website showing 1814-1815 uniform plates. I never bookmarked it or lost bookmark. Can someone help the origins poster? Pictures will help them decide over which form to take, helmet or bearskin. I chose bearskin for mine. Seems odd now looking back at the army I did.

Thank you for the detailed information gents, I appreciate it. It's given me plenty to think about.

Speaking of Bavarians, are there some cool ways to make Bavarian chevauleger for 1812 out of the various plastics available right now?

HaT makes them.