"FAVORITE Napoleonic French Cavalry?" Topic

Yesterday I queried as to your favorite amongst Napoleons Marshals.
Today I am curious as to your favorite among Napoleons cavalry -- we will leave the Old Guard off of this because --- well -- it just would not be fair? How can you not love those guys ???
I will give the choices:
1. Cuirassiers
2. Carabiniers -- early
3. Carabiniers--late
4. Dragoons
5. Hussars
6. Chaussers
7. Lancers -- helmet
8. Lancers -- czapka

I have always favored the Dragoons and Chaussers as they were not as flamboyant, never got all the praise and just seemed to be the "working class" boys that got down and dirty and got er done? I REALLY like them with the green blanket roll wrapped around!!

Your choice and why -- and leave my spelling alone because I don't really care?

Regards
Russ Dunaway

Late Carabiniers.
White, Red, Gold, Sky Blue. Beautiful Classics.

Dead favourite are the Grenadiers à Cheval de la Garde Impériale – "Haut la tête, messieurs, la mitraille ce n'est pas de la merde!" by Lepic at Eylau is one of my favourite Napoleonic quotes ever – but, let's be honest, the senior heavy cav regiment of the Guard was not committed all that often (as Old Glory says, not "working class") – so I would say the cuirassiers; when there's trouble, send in the Big Brothers!

The Dragoons. All but 7 regiments served in the Peninsular War. 6 of their number were converted to the chevauleger Lanciers.

Interesting variety of trumpeter uniforms to add color to your units: 15th in sky blue faced yellow! This was a rose regiment. Trumpet major of the 11th with white colpak, saddle cloth edged in crimson.

Their uniform originated with one regiment in the 7YW.

GdeP

Royal Allemand Cavalerie

If we're talking French, then line Chaussers because they're the over looked work horse (pardon pun) of the army and they're underrepresented by wargamers.

Fredrick, I love "the Gods" also -- but I excluded them for that very reason, my 2nd choice would be the chaussers of the guard if they were included.

Russ

I tend to favor the foreign units – Husards Croates, Legion Hannoverienne, Legion Portugaise, etc.

Black Musketeers of Louis XVIII's Maison du Roi.

Ever since that scene in Waterloo (1970), when I thought "Who the heck are those guys in that extraordinary rig?" Then I saw the mannikin in La Musee de l'Armee. Hooked ever since.

Not fair to exclude La Garde. I second Frederick's choice. No one does them to a high standard en parade, full dress in all their glory…not in 28mm anyway. AB are just beautiful in 18mm

Late period line Chasseurs a Cheval – preferably the elite company of a regiment with lemon yellow facings.

Cuirassiers. That should also answer the 'why'.

Early Carabiniers.

Always have trouble pronouncing, but I like the cuiassiers. A throw back to the days of armored knights. Not sure how effective the breast plate really was against guns.

Late Carabiniers. Love the uniform.

Dragoons, always seem to the workhorse of French cavalry.

Rus, I know but chausser means put on shoes.. chasseurs.

From childhood my prefered were dragoons.

von Winterfeldt, I suppose you were not following on previous post…
they came from Schomberg dragons. on from 1763;)

Lanciers helmet are also beautiful.

Cuirassiers.

@USAFpilot

Cuirassiers. Not sure how effective the breast plate really was against guns.

I was in the Royal Armouries in Leeds yesterday afternoon. They had some eye-witness quotes on the walls next to the Siborne model of Waterloo:

"As the musket balls penetrated the cuirasses they made a sound like hail on glass"

I would imagine the cuirasses were to protect from other cavalry sabers?

Cuirasses: from close range maybe not so much, though they are not flat but angles deflecting rounds. saw some in Russia with non-penetrating rounds. Imagine it depends a lot on the distance. And it is explained in some of the cavalry period books how efficient against sabres, with reference to the ill balance for single-sided protection (Austrians), and the famous story about Eckmühl.

Lancers. Specifically the Vistula Legion Lancers, so I guess that means #8.

Hussars love the look hate to paint them

#8 but specifically the Berg Lancers. I love that Pink and White parade uniform. Even the pink and green service uniform was attractive, but for sheer elegance, the Pink/White parade dress was phenomenal!!!

I like all of them! Impossible to choose.

Great answer!

4 dragoon's , the grafters of the French army

Empress dragoons

Line Dragoons. Uniforms, uses and service record all add up to the top spot for me.

Line Dragoons what else?

Hard to choose – it is like saying one part of a finely woven carpet appeals when the work of are is the whole thing…

But if I had to from the list supplied for sheer elegance it would be the Polish Lancers, followed by the Cuirassiers, and off list the Berg uber-dandies.

11th Hussars

All of them but … if you force me to choose then its late Cuirassiers by a hair over Hussars!

Late Carabiniers for the uniforms

Dragoons for their versatility.

Revolutionary Heavy Cavalry

Cuirassiers. "Les Gros Talons."

Basic Cuirassiers. There is something scary and imposing about big men, on big horses wielding swords.

French Chasseurs and Dragoons. Workaday soldiers – nothing flashy.

Early Carabiniers, I just wish Tony (AB) would sculpt them in a charging pose, Oh sorry Russ!

Guard Lancers
Line Dragoons

later carabiniers
Oooh and the Berg Lancers

Personal favourite regiment 7th hussar.
But by type Chassuers followed by the real carabiners, before they dawned their cowards armor.

Gendarmerie d'Elite.

Country plods on tour.

7th Hussars for me too . Not easy to paint though

The Gendarmerie of Spain, including the Lanciers Gendarmes.

Cuirassiers!

Hussars.

Tom

Love my Chasseurs but my favorites are Line Dragoons, the true workhorses of the French Cavalry.

Chasseurs then Dragoons!

Cuirassiers