Wooden Wars: New Spring Fashions

 “If you don't know where you're going,any road will take you there.”
- Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)

While the laser-inator is still down (sigh) I’m channeling my energies into painting up armies which are rewards for my Kickstarter backers in the “royalty” range.  These particular patrons get to work with me in picking out color schemes for uniforms.  

While consulting with one of the kings, I was commissioned to come up with a Napoleonic army which would appeal to his niece. “She likes colors like pink…” I was told.  

I love a good challenge. (See laser issues in previous blogs.) 

So, staring at my book shelf, I start thinking back - "where did I see that uniform..." - then Osprey and the venerable Mr. Haythornthwaite came to the rescue!  

Behold! a French 1811 uniform. Pretty cool! Reading up, there seems to be a discrepancy in historical data about the whys and wherefores of the White French uniforms,  but the skinny seems to be that the pre-revolutionary army had white coats, and then they went to blue after the revolution. 

Napoleon tried to reintroduce the white coats in 1806, but their return aroused little enthusiasm, and showed a lot of dirt and blood, so they reverted back. Be that as it may, for my Wooden Wars purposes, this fancy ensemble hits the right notes - garishly cute- yet martial.

Berg Cavalry! 

For the cavalry, I have based the uniform on the Berg light cavalry, in particular the dress uniform which was a light buff jacket with rose red lapels and a rose red shako. These fellows I believe were to become the body guard of Murat, which means that they had more uniform changes throughout their careers than most other units. 

 I've kept more to the "pinker" side of rose to go with the infantry, but I may adopt a more red or madder color. I have to admit these guys are going to be quite striking on the battlefield.