French Revolutionary Wargames 1789-1802: Raising Light troops, Damas and Lowenstein Chasseurs

Wargame Rules, Ratios, etc

RAISING MINIATURE ARMIES FOR THE LATE 18TH CENTURY

I am very keen to keep my wargame rules as simple as possible, yet capture the character of the 1790s. Morale dominates the games as the opposing sides are very different. Most of the French troops are 'levee' battalions, which I have chosen to base in column as their ability to change formation on a battlefield must have been limited, nor do I believe their volley fire had any great value. Of better quality, able to change formation, will be white-coated regular and blue-coated volunteer battalions, aided by a fair number of skirmishers. The British, Austrian, Dutch and German armies are often outnumbered, but they maintain the discipline and order of typical 18th century armed forces. Interestingly, French revolutionary cavalry have little in common with their later Napoleonic counterparts, the former are few in number, often poorly mounted, and no match for those in the service of the Allies. All figures are 28mm in scale, using a 1=25 ratio.

Tuesday, 11 November 2014

Raising Light troops, Damas and Lowenstein Chasseurs

I've noticed a generation of wargamers, inspired by Featherstone, Gilder, Asquith, Grant and others, are looking back fondly on those 28mm manufacturers of the 1970s. I still remember using pocket money on visits to Harrow Model Shop in 1979 to purchase Hinchliffe and Garrison figures. Now, for my part, I have just ordered a batch of Hinchliffe NA10 Austrian Napoleonic Jaeger. With very little converting I think they will paint up nicely as Damas, and Lowenstein chasseurs, in their distinctive sky-blue jackets with respectively black and green facings. Armed with rifled-carbines they will add a new weapon to my Anglo-Dutch-Émigré army.