Austrian Army

[rizzo]

Hi,

I am new to all this and was hoping you educated gentlemen could offer me some guidance. Im very keen to create a napoleonic austrian brigade or two..

Now, im not sure wether to go for the earlier or later era of the conflicts? is there a more popular era? and finally, would this be achievable as I havent really seen any complete austrian boxsets around yet.

Thanks everyone

[Comte Michel]

Well, the early period arguably has the more interesting uniforms, with the crested helmets. But the poor Austrians spent most of this time being soundly thrashed by the French, and had diabolically bad leadership, so bad in fact that they dragged the Russians down with them.

In the later period they had decent enough leadership, and you also have the option to include some Landwehr battalions. Plus in my opinion the later Austrian shako looks quite good.

Victrix do some nice boxed sets to get you started.

http://store.warlordgames.com/austrians-514-c.asp

[rizzo]

Comte Michel, thankyou sir! very helpful.

Later period austrians it is then. Do you know if the later period austrian cavalry retained their crested helmets? or did they also adopt the shako? I cant see any evidence flicking through Osprey.

[Invisible officer]

Heavy cavalry kept the helmets like the heavies in all other armies of the time did.

[gorgarrak]

I;m not sure how the organization of Austrian battalions or uniforms changed from early to late, but given the No. of heads included in Victrix boxes, would it be possible to buy equal Qtys. of both and magnetize the heads.
Are there double the amount of heads needed on each sprue, i have thought about this for British with the different shako types before and at Waterloo, Eg:- magnetized heads and whole Officers to change the length of the coat tales, even mounting the flag and finial onto a metal tube so they slide onto the flagpole.

maybe i am a miser but i want the majority of my painted minis to serve for as long as possible.

Mike

[gorgarrak]

Nope, just found the sprue pics, 6 bodies, 6 heads

Mike

[grant]

maybe i am a miser but i want the majority of my painted minis to serve for as long as possible.

Mike

Not miserly at all, excellent idea; too bad about the limited number of heads!

[Comte Michel]

Magnetising heads and turning the figures into swoppets (remember those?!), with all the attendant wear and tear on paint etc strikes me as being overkill compared with the time-honoured, 'Well, this regiment didn't make it to the depot for new uniforms yet' excuse.

Doesn't help if you just have the new pattern uniforms of course.....