"All the Tactical Finess of a Sledgehammer..."

I got my 28mm 1870 French Foreign Legion infantry brigade done this morning.  All that is left is to flock the bases and put on the regimental standards when they finally arrive in the mail.  My 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry brigade should also arrive this morning from Eureka Miniatures USA out of Boston, MA.  I've seen some of the Eureka 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry.  Those figures will be by themselves and not mixed with my other Wargames Foundry infantry.  The only Foundry I'll have with the Eureka figures are mounted Prussian infantry command. 

My next project is 28mm 1870 French Cuirassier.  And they are the subject of the quote I stole from an Osprey booklet on the French Army in 1914.  French heavy cavalry commanders didn't learn their lesson in 1870, either.  Battlefield cavalry was useless by this period.  The only real cavalry battle of the War happened at Mars La Tour.  And that end in a stalemate.  I went with heavy cavalry for both 1870 French and 1870 Prussians.  They do have a use in Chassepot and Needlegun.   You hold your cavalry back and wait for spent units to run over like withdrawing infantry or limbered artillery.  Anything else, and your cavalry will get destroyed.  That doesn't appeal to wargamers, who love to launch suicidal cavalry charges.

I waited until Wargames Foundry had 30% off sale at Christmas last years.  I bought my regiments of 1870 French and Prussian cuirassiers then.  It was still expensive.  I want another regiment of 1870 French cavalry to go with my French cuirassier.  I'm thinking about Chasseurs d'Afrique.  I can purchase a regiment from Askari Miniatures when I get the rest of my Armee d'Afrique in September 2012.  Still, I'm surprised how fast the 28mm 1870 French Foreign Legion infantry brigade painted up.  I expected it would take longer.  What will take longer is the basing and painting of my 28mm 1870 Prussian infantry brigade because of the size of the individual units involved. 

The only good thing is that I could possible run a small Chassepot and Needlegun game here in St. Louis, MO come October 2012...