My first exposure to Napoleonic Wargaming was when I read a book my Bruce Quarrie, Napoleonic Campaigns in Miniature. It was what inspired me to start gaming and collecting Napoleonic figures. Within the book Bruce talks about building up an army from the base upwards, a Line Infantry Battalion, a Squadron of Cavalry a Gun or a battery. He recomended not to go straight in trying to paint the Guard, as after a few years your Line infantry will look better than your Guard. I have always remembered this nugget of advice when constructing my armies, hence it is only in the last year that I have started to build up some Guard units to go with the Infantry and Cavalry Corps of the line that I have.
On my last entry I mentioned finally completing a Battalion of Young Guard infantry. They were not the first unit of the Guard I have painted first up were two Squadrons of Guard Chasseur a’ Cheval painted for the Essling game.
Second was a Battalion of Middle Guard, Fusilier-Grenadiers, also for the Essling Game. The remaining units of the Guard were provided by DDWG club members. Following the process outlined above the next element of the Guard to be worked on is Artillery, but more of that in the future.
