Napoleonic Dutch Infantry Company

I have decided to get back to some basic's, aka Napoleonics, for Sharps Practice. I decided to just use the lists out of the book, so peninsula war it is. I was not as keen on doing up French at this point, but we needed some "enemies" for the British, Portuguese and Spanish players, so French it was ... well kind of.

I would create up the list using the French stats, but paint the figures up as French Allies from Level's "German" division. This division was comprised of infantry from  Baden, Nassau, Dutch, Hessen-Darmstadt and the Confederation of the Rhine. After some consideration I settled on a company from the 2nd battalion, 4th Dutch Regiment.

Next I looked at the French list in SP2 and came up with this force as my starting point:

Capt. Reynst (Lvl III)
Sgt. Goossen (Lvl I)
  "French" Line Infantry (8 figures)
  "French" Line Infantry (8 figures)
  "French" Grenadiers (8 figures)
  "French" Voltigeurs Skirmishing (6 figures)

Lt. Houtman (Lvl II)
  "French" Line Infantry (8 figures)
  "French" Line Infantry (8 figures)
  "French" Voltigeurs Skirmishing (6 figures)

Lt. Trocke (Lvl I)
  "French" Lancers (8 figures) - from a Westphalian Chevau-léger Regiment

An interesting feature of the dutch uniform is that while it is basically a French uniform, the plume/tuft was on the side of the shako, instead of the front. I could not find a manufacturer who does a 28mm Dutch infantry figure. So I was left with using a proxy figure or relocating the plume/tuft of a French figure. I went the proxy direction and am using Elite Miniatures early French Legere figures which have side plumes on the shako.

The main "problem" with these figures is that they all have plumes. Which means they will work very well for the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs (I'll just square off the cuffs when painting them up). But I'm not sure if it is worth (or easy enough) to cut down the plume to a tuft for the Line infantry. Either way I am going to use the Elite figures, so I went ahead and ordered them now, as my main supplier does not keep stock of the early french and would have to order them from the UK.

He was able to send out the command pack that I am going to use for some leaders. So I decided to paint them up as the "test" figures. As the Dutch had white uniforms, I went with a grey primer then a highlight of white primer from above. Then used my large brush and applied an overbrush of white to each figure.

Capt. Reynst leading his fifty plus men through the perilous combat on the Iberian peninsula.

The 4th Regiment had rose/pink facings (2nd Regiment was blue), which I next applied to the collar, cuffs, turnbacks as well as all the plumes (tufts). Next was two and half tones of flesh, followed by the boots, scabbards and shako in black (well really dark grey).

Sgt. Goossen, the Captains right hand man.
He is a standard bearer normally, but I am thinking of adding a halbeard instead

Finally I painted on the few details on each figure and let them dry overnight. The next day I washed the whole figure with some thinned down Army Painter soft tone and called them done. I may go back and touched up some of the details.

Lt. Houtman ... with his broken sword!
The sword was broken in the package. I tried glueing the other piece to the end, but the first stress on it and it popped off. I am thinking now if I can get a right handed pistol "hand" I could chop the hand off and attach a new hand w/ pistol. 

I used my normal basing steps, but I think the basing turned out a little to "green" for Spain, so I am thinking of yellowing up the grass/bushes somewhat. Though as the games will be played on green table cloths not going to lighten it to much.

Right now I don't have a drummer in my force but if I decide to add one, he is already to go.
Hard to see but the drum rim is in the red, white blue of the dutch.

This was a simple paint scheme so I should be able to knock out the infantrymen in one fell swoop. So I am just waiting on the fifty plus figures to arrive ... then walla a SP force ready for actions sans the cavalry!