Plastic on the left, metal on the right
Metal on the left, plastic on the rightWell, I have started work on my first French unit (100th Line) and have actually completed two figures this weekend, which is not bad as I had to go around a possible school for my little boy and attended the Barry Gray 100th anniversary concert at the Festival Hall.
I did two figures in greatcoats so I could get them done quickly. A few observations. The plastic figures have better faces, more inscale rifles and bayonets but less fur detail on their packs (I had to paint a fur effect rather than dry brushing). There is only one small bit on the left coat turnback where the figure is indistinct because of the moulding process (not visible on the greatcoat figure). The detail on the rifle is not as crisp as the metal figure but then it doesn't bend either!
The main difference is that the plastics have the round pom poms of the first battalion whereas the metals have the flat discs of the subsequent battalions. This only applies to fusiliers, of course, the flank companies had the same shako plumes.
100th Line so far. One of the first two units to engage the Dutch 27th Jaegers at Quatre BrasThis has an effect on my first unit. The 100th Line had 3 battalions at Quatre Bras and at 1/33 the regiment comes out as 3 battalions of 12. I think a 36 man unit should be fine for the Charles Grant rules. I need another drummer and a mounted Colonel for this unit so will send off an order to the Perries next week. I also need a flag so will look at GMB for that.
With my left over plastics and metals I have started to base some figures for the 4th light, the other regiment in Jamin's 2nd Brigade of Foy's 6th Division. This will be a bigger unit with 48 figures (he says casually).
The next three French are under way along with a couple more Dutch Jaegers and a cuirassier. I can't believe I am painting Napoleonics again!
Excellent figures the plastics are definitly showing the way now for unit production, will purchases some Perrys and the new Vitrix British Peninsula figs next week and might even update the blog!!
ReplyDeleteSo what will you do re the pompoms? Mix them up or keep plastics for the first battalions and metals for the 2nd/3rd battalions? I think I'll just not worry about it and mix them up in the 2nd/3rd, having the 1st battalions exclusively in plastics.
ReplyDeleteI have decided that I actually prefer the plastics, largely because of the faces and the fact that the relative lack of detail makes them much quicker to paint. They are also more anatomically in proportion I think - the metals look (to me anyway) slightly compressed, so they are too narrow across the body. This is particularly noticeable if you put an NCO next to any of the rank and file figures - the NCOs for some reason are more square-chested, in line with the plastics.
I posted some thought here yesterday morning: http://wdlovesme.19.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=4578
ps I had a spray primer diasaster with my first batch of Naps - I sprayed them too heavily and the black primer obliterated much of the detail. So at the moment I'm having to largely guess where the belts and webbing should be!