Interesting set, with many useful figures. Thank you. I will certainly be buying this set.

I like the musketeer poses and the second officer. I particularly like the pose of the marching grenadier (dragoon?), and indeed all the grenadiers in caps are capable of 'conversion' to dismounted dragoons with a little work on their legs and a suitable paint job.

I too note the lack of a drummer, the sabre-wielding grenadier being a bit 'out of place' (a pirate pressed into the service of Louis XIV perhaps??), and the awkward pose and impracticality of the flag bearer. No matter, these have conversion potential in my book.

For those interested, the NCO with polearm is in a very good pose for conversion to a drummer. He requires a scratch-built drum on his left hip, obviously removal of his primary weapon beforehand, and a broad strap (paper or folded tinfoil strip) over his shoulder to suspend the drum. A little fiddly, but easy enough if you have a little experience of conversion and the right tools. I scratch-build drums from a short length of suitable gauge wooden dowel (rod), with paper rims top and bottom, detail (including cords) painted on. Drum sticks are short lengths of bristle from a kitchen washing up brush, inserted into small drilled holes in the figure's hands.

A set of mounted and dismounted dragoons would now be particularly welcome! The mounted figures would ideally be on standing or walking horses with suitably-posed riders ie: not charging or waving swords around. An appropriate number of dismounted dragoons skirmishing + a horse holder would be great. Perhaps 8 mounted and 8-10 dismounted in the set, plus a command sprue.

Good conversion notes, there, as I tend to find I have an over-abundance of NCOs from these sets.

Likewise, the Set 234 conversions you and Paint Dog discussed will prompt me to try.

I also agree with what you say about dragoon poses, for the French.

This made me consider cavalry poses more generally, and my thoughts were:

- There may be little merit in dismounted British Dragoons

- French Horse could and should have poses firing from the saddle. The British should not.

This reflects that, at this time, the two armies appear to have followed different doctrine.

Reading descriptions of the French cavalry at Blenheim, their tactical doctrine appears to have been:

(i) advance (ii) fire (iii) charge (iv) run away

This seems in practice sometimes to have been abbreviated to (i) advance (ii) fire (iii) run away


The British version seems to have been: (i) advance (ii) charge (repeat if necessary)

"Reading descriptions of the French cavalry at Blenheim, their tactical doctrine appears to have been:

(i) advance (ii) fire (iii) charge (iv) run away

This seems in practice sometimes to have been abbreviated to (i) advance (ii) fire (iii) run away"

CPN

This has nothing to do with "panicking". Actually, Edwardian should have said "feigned flight" (or "turn-around") instead of "run away" (honi soit qui mal y pense :relaxed: ). This tactics was called "Volte-face", was mainly used when facing infantry, and has been well described e.g. in Manesson-Mallet's "Les Travaux de Mars", tome 3, p.120.

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k10431291/f140.image.r=les%20travaux%20de%20mars%20tome%203

Facing cavalry, similar tactics like "Caracol" and "Conversion" were used (ibid., pp.116ff.)

But of course you knew that. :wink:

Indeed, I indulged myself in Pythonesque language when attempting to describe the French tactics of the day, with tongue firmly in cheek, I hope I can be forgiven!

Not sure that the honour of Les Mousquetiers or Gens D'Armes of the Maison du Roi would be so ready to forgive, Edwardian...but yes, for the mass of French cavalry the tactical doctrines of the period should ideally be reflected in forthcoming cavalry sets. Far too many mounted sets in our hobby portray troops in a frantic charge, and for the most part this is desperately unrealistic.

Let us also not get drawn into some impression that English cavalrymen of the period were somehow greatly superior on account of their use of 'cold steel'. The Swedish cavalry of Charles XII were justly famous and renowned in the early C18th for their employment par excellence of this tactic.

So yes, some great figures in this range with horses at a trot and with firearms in hand and sabres sheathed would be most welcome.....