Napoleonic Marines

 A few more things rolling off the workbench - Marines in two flavours!

Royal Marines

British Royal Marines. These are actually really, REALLY old, long out-of-production Rafm Jack Tar figures. Some I've had since the late 80s - and have stripped to repaint - and others I aquired with some box of miniature from... somewhere...? 

I dug them out to paint up for use in The Silver Bayonet as a shore party from some Royal Navy ship. Perhaps it's a ship dedicated to seeking out maritime supernatural creatures. 

Once I'd located them, I realized I had a dozen of them - which I definitely do not need for The Silver Bayonet... but a dozen DOES make a unit for Rebels and Patriots! (and possibly other bigger battle games?) so I thought I'd do them all at once. 

I do have a few Royal Navy officers to lead the unit for The Silver Bayonet and a handful of sailors to flesh out the landing party, they're almost done and I'll be posting pics of those in the next few days. 

French Marines? 

I'm not sure the French navy really had marines - in the same sense that the British did...? I know in earlier times (during the Seven Years War) there was the Compagnies Franches de la Marine or Troupes de la Marine, but I'm pretty sure they were more colonial troops for garrisoning colonial possessions, which, I think, were the purview of the French Navy, rather than infantry soldiers that fought aboard ships and formed landing parties...? I'm also not sure if they even still existed in the times of Napoleon. 

I am pretty sure these minis came in a pack that labelled them as "French Marines", though. I did, at some point, find some reference and a pictures of some napoleonic Guard troops that served at sea and looked a little like these guys...? But I don't really know if that was really a thing or how prevelant they were aboard French vessels of the time. I'm calling them French Marines for games of The Silver Bayonet. Like the Royal Marines above, they will be part of a Special Unit representing a shore party from a French Vessel and will also be joined by some French Naval officers (commanding the Special Unit) and some French Sailors. 

If anyone reading this actually KNOWS anything about French Marines or any other sort of infantry that served aboard French Naval vessels, I'd be happy to know about them! 

Finnegan and I played a game of Kill Team on Monday evening. I should have a report of that up, soon-ish.