Tuesday 29 December 2020

A Bit of a Distraction

A couple of weeks ago an email appeared in my inbox from the Perrys announcing that they have released the first nine codes of a new Prussian 1806 range. That period of the Napoleonic Wars has always appealed to me and I know that to my inner magpie inner magpie this is going to prove irresistible. But the issue for me is the opposition, because no one in our group has 1805-1807 French. Then I remembered that Victrix have an infantry set in plastic and there us a local supplier (albeit at a significantly higher price that ordering from Caliver Books). Since the lead/plastic pile had been flattened and more stock not expected for at least another two or three weeks, on the spur of the moment an order. 

Then to my annoyance I noticed that the Perrys make a few sets in metal and they also make replacement heads for their 1807-1812 plastic sets. How did I miss that? I would have preferred the Perry figures because their real advantage is that most of them are in the march attack pose which tend to damage less by handling, whereas the Victrix figures have a high proportion of figures in more fragile poses. But the Victrix box was here within a day so I was able to at least start the project. Surprisingly I was able to create this first battalion all in march attack. 




Over the holiday break I continued Civil War rebasing project continued and another nine regiments were completed: eight Union regiments (three shown below) and one more Confederate. This leaves another five Union and six Confederate units to go.






17 comments:

  1. Excellent looking Frenchmen, Mark! A new project? Hard to believe. Looking forward to seeing 1806 Prussians soon.

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    1. It will become a new project, but there are a few others to work on first...maybe towards the middle of 2021.

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  2. A lovely job on the Napoleons - I like you basing system and have used similar for some 28's Austrians.

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    1. Thanks Norm. Loved your end of year epistle, by the way.

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  3. Great work on the French Mark and the mix of poses gives nice animation to the unit. The ACW re-basing seesm to be coming along well.

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    1. Thanks Steve. Some of the Victrix figures are over animated and that can be a problem when it comes to basing them. I will The ACW re-basing has inspired me to finish off the dismounted versions of the cavalry, and that will form the basis of my next order I think.

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  4. Nice work Mark - I actually have one box worth of these Victrix French too - as they appeared on Trade Me three or four years ago for $20 or something similar....

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    1. I had also forgotten just how many parts there are to a Victrix figure...if the project develops I will use the Perry plastics to limit assembly time.

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    2. Yes I understand that completely - Victrix are like doing Tamiya but in 28mm, which is pretty fiddly for old eyes and fingers like ours!

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    3. I must admit I am pleased to be back working on the Paraguayan figures again where the only assembly is with the standard bearer.

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  5. Brilliant good idea with Victrix (pain to build though!), and looking forward to seeing your early Prussians!

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    1. Thanks Mark. The Prussians will be a little way off.

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  6. Wow!... Quick work Mark.

    And with the very multi part Victrix figures....
    The new Prussians are very nice aren’t they...
    And yes of course I am tempted 😂

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly. These French and the Prussians (and Saxons) will be slotted in between other projects, but it will happen.

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  7. These look great Mark, and the French look terrific. I saw those 1806 Prussians and they are very hard to resist but, like you, I'd have to paint up the French as well and I still have too many later Napoleonics to paint. One of our group has early Prussians in 15mm and we played Saalfeld, and I was struck how different a feeling and how much more linear the game was.

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    1. I too have French Napoleonic projects in the wings. I am keen to do a few battalions in the post-1807 uniform for use in Spain and in 1812 since the Bardin uniform was not widely distributed until 1813. That of course means some 1809 Russians...its is real rabbit hole.

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  8. 'A bit of a distraction'; these are bloody marvellous!
    Regards, James

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