receives a gift from his wife…
Eureka Miniatures have released another major addition to our 18mm Seven Years War range – the French! Sculpted by Mike Broadbent, the new range contains over 40 product codes, covering all the different infantry, cavalry and support arms you will need to recruit a mid-18th Century French army.
Of the member states of the alliance against Frederick the Great of Prussia during the Seven Years War (1756-63), it is perhaps France who came off the worst. At the start of the wars, France maintained the biggest peacetime army in Europe, backed by a large domestic population and the resources of a global colonial empire. As such, she appeared to represent a powerful threat to Frederick in her own right, irrespective of the contributions made to the alliance by the Austrian and Russian armies. Yet most of the French forays across the Rhine into central Germany to threaten Frederick from the west invariably ended in setback and failure (battles such as Minden and Wilhelmstal), or outright catastrophe (Rossbach); while at sea, the British navy destroyed French naval power fatally, undermining France's hold on her colonial empire. By the end of the war, France had gained nothing in continental Europe for all her excursions, and overseas most of her colonial possessions had been lost.
However, these historical disappointments will not deter the gamer and collector of 18th Century miniature armies. The French army of the Seven Years War is an attractive proposition to model (the cavalry regiments are especially colorful), and it will (of course) fight just as well as any other army when lead by a skilled tabletop general (rather than some fop who took the fancy of Madame de Pompadour!)
Our figures are intended principally for French armies operating in the main European theater of the Seven Years War, but they can also be used to represent French units fighting in North America, the West Indies, and 'European' French regiments operating in India. (A reminder, if one was needed, that the Seven Years War was very much a global conflict throwing up all sorts of interesting possibilities for the wargamer.)
The range includes a limited selection of artillery that is specifically French (a light battalion gun and some large field/siege pieces), but for generic Seven Years War medium caliber guns, we would recommend using any of the 6pdr guns from the existing Austrian and Prussian ranges. For limbers and wagons, use those listed in the Russian range.
As will be inferred from this last statement, our Seven Years War range already includes comprehensive lists of models covering the Prussian, Austrian and Russian armies. With the release of the French, we are now moving on to the British.
Here are the catalog details for the new figures in the current release –
New 18mm Seven Years War French
Sculpted by Mike Broadbent
300SYW400 - French musketeer, no turnbacks, marching (4)
300SYW401 - French musketeer, turnbacks, marching (4)
300SYW402 French drummer (2)
300SYW403 - French officer (2)
300SYW404 - French standard bearer (2)
300SYW405 - French NCO (2)
300SYW406 - Grenadier de France, marching (4)
300SYW407 - Grenadier de France drummer (1)
300SYW408 - Grenadier de France officer (1)
300SYW409 - Grenadier de France standard bearer (1)
300SYW410 - Grenadier de France NCO (1)
300SYW411 - Mounted officer (1)
300SYW412 - Mounted officer in cuirasse (1)
300SYW415 - Hussar, in mirliton (3)
300SYW416 - Hussar officer (1)
300SYW417 - Hussar standard bearer (1)
300SYW418 - Hussar trumpeter (1)
300SYW420 - Chevau leger, in tricorn (3)
300SYW421 - Chevau leger officer in tricorn (1)
300SYW422 - Chevau leger standard bearer in tricorn (1)
300SYW423 - Chevau leger trumpeter in tricorn (1)
300SYW424 - Chevau leger kettle drummer in tricorn (1)
300SYW425 - Chevau leger, in bearskin (3)
300SYW426 - Chevau leger officer in bearskin (1)
300SYW427 - Chevau leger standard bearer in bearskin (1)
300SYW428 - Chevau leger trumpeter in bearskin (1)
300SYW429 - Chevau leger kettle drummer in bearskin (1)
300SYW430 - Dragoon, in tricorn (3)
300SYW431 - Dragoon, in pokalem (3)
300SYW432 - Dragoon officer in tricorn (1)
300SYW433 - Dragoon standard bearer in tricorn (1)
300SYW434 - Dragoon drummer in tricorn (1)
300SYW435 - Dragoon musician in tricorn (1)
300SYW436 - Cuirassier du Roi (3)
300SYW437 - Cuirassier du Roi officer (1)
300SYW438 - Cuirassier du Roi standard bearer (1)
300SYW439 - Cuirassier du Roi trumpeter (1)
300SYW440 - Mounted general staff (2)
300SYW441 - Dismounted general staff (2)
300SYW442 - ADC mounted and on foot – two-figure set
300SYW450 - 4pdr cannon – two-gun set
300SYW451 - 12pdr cannon
300SYW452 - 24pdr siege cannon
300SYW453 - Artillery officer (1)
300SYW454 - Artillery crewman (8)
Figures are sold individually unless a set is indicated. The number in parentheses denotes the number of available variants for that product code. Variants are supplied randomly, but Eureka Miniatures will always endeavor to supply a representative sample.
Customers in the U.S.A. or the U.K. can choose to order our figures from our representatives Eureka Miniatures U.S.A. or Fighting 15s respectively, as well as directly from us.