Prussian Reserve 1813-1815: Painting and Basing Guide
By Wargames Atlantic | Published: 2026-10-31
Category: How-to Guides
Paint and base Prussian Reserve infantry from the 1813-1815 Befreiungskriege with a focused, step-by-step process that keeps 28mm Napoleonic units consistent and tabletop-ready.
Quick answer
Paint Prussian Reserve infantry in small batches: assemble and prime, block in the dark blue coat and grey trousers, add facings and equipment, then wash, highlight, and base with a simple earth-and-static-grass finish. Keep the palette limited to three or four core colors so the unit reads as a cohesive reserve battalion.
Why Reserve battalions reward a limited palette
Prussian Reserve infantry raised during the Befreiungskriege were often equipped quickly, so uniforms could vary more than in regular line regiments. For painting, that is an advantage: you can use a restrained palette of dark blue, grey, black, and a single facing color, then vary small details like canteens or blanket rolls between figures without breaking unit cohesion.
If you are painting a larger force, decide on one facing color for the whole battalion before you start. Reserve units are easier to identify on the table when the coat, trousers, and facings stay consistent, even if individual equipment differs.
When to simplify and when to add detail
For tabletop play at 28mm, detail that reads at arm's length matters more than hidden accuracy. Focus on the coat, trousers, crossbelts, musket, and headgear. Leave buttons, cartridge box stamps, and sock color simple unless you are painting a display piece or a command stand.
A common exception is the command group: standard bearers and officers benefit from a little extra contrast on sashes, plumes, or the standard itself, because those figures draw the eye and help identify the unit.
Basing choices that survive handling
Reserve infantry fought in line, column, and skirmish order, so a flat, durable base with a neutral earth finish works across scenarios. Avoid tall grass tufts on every figure; they catch on foam trays and break during transport. A mix of fine grit, one or two tufts, and a painted base rim gives a clean look without fragile parts.
If you plan to use movement trays, check that base edges are flush and that any texture paste stays below the top edge of the base. That keeps figures sitting level and prevents chipped paint along the sides.
Step-by-step painting and basing process
- Assemble and clean before priming: Remove mold lines and flash from coats, muskets, and headgear, then glue figures to temporary painting bases. Check that muskets and bayonets sit straight before priming. A missed mold line across a coat will show through every later layer.
- Prime in a thin, even coat: Use a light grey or white primer so the dark blue coat and grey trousers stay readable. Spray in short passes and rotate the figure rather than flooding the detail. If primer pools in the musket lock or face, strip and re-prime rather than painting over it.
- Block in the core uniform colors: Paint the coat dark blue, trousers grey, crossbelts and equipment black or white as appropriate, and the facing color on cuffs and collars. Keep each color thin and let it dry before the next. Decide the facing color for the whole battalion before starting the first figure.
- Paint flesh, headgear, and musket: Add flesh tones, then the shako or cap, then the musket wood and metal. Use a brown for the stock and a dark metal for the barrel and bayonet. Paint the eyes last and keep them simple; overworked eyes are the most common face mistake.
- Apply a controlled wash: Wash the coat, trousers, and equipment with a dark brown or black-brown wash, then tidy any pooling on flat areas with a clean damp brush. A wash that pools on the coat looks like dirt, not shading; wick it away before it dries.
- Highlight only the main shapes: Drybrush or edge-highlight the coat, trousers, and crossbelts with slightly lighter versions of the base colors. Skip tiny straps and buttons unless you are painting a command figure. Stop highlighting when the figure reads clearly at arm's length.
- Base with earth texture and static grass: Spread texture paste over the base, press figures in firmly, then paint the texture earth brown and drybrush a lighter tone. Add static grass and one or two tufts, then paint the base rim a consistent color. Keep texture below the top edge of the base so the figure sits flat in movement trays.
Product facts
- Prussian Reserve (1813-1815): Prussian Reserve (1813-1815) covers the Befreiungskriege period, when over 40 reserve battalions were formed from the Krümper System. That historical scope means the box is suited to building a reserve battalion with a consistent mid-war appearance rather than a single parade-ground uniform.
Prussian Reserve (1813-1815)
