2nd Division Progress - 39th Foot

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A long time between posts! Real life has been a bugger lately and there's not been much time for hobby-related stuff, or, indeed, blogging.

I've been chipping away at my British Peninsular War project, this time painting up the 39th Foot using the long-awaited, finally released Emhar British Infantry set. And a corker they are, too! The detail is a lot finer than what I'm used to with HaT, more reminiscent of Italeri. Although there isn't the loss of detail Italeri is prone to suffer in more animaterd poses. Speaking of animation, these figures are rather "athletic" in some of their poses, but not ridiculously so as Esci and Italeri are prone to. The detail is very difficult to follow if you don't pay close attention, but the results certainly pay off if you do.

My one gripe is that there are no elite figures represented in the set. I had to make a couple of paint conversions to create the shoulder wings on a grenadier and light-bob figure each.

I added the flag bearers from the HaT British Infantry Command set to add the requisite vexillogical colour. It's so much easier and more convenient to have purpose-made figures than to faff around converting or using metals which aren't really that compatible. These ones have finials and even cords! Very swish! I still have to tidy up the edges of the flags which are still a little ragged. As always, I've used the generic British infantry flags form Warflag. I haven't had the time or inclination to try to add the proper numbering, but one day I might update all my British flags.

Next (and last!) is the 'Die-Hards', the fighting 57th Foot!

Box image courtesy PSR

Regiment in line

...and in column

Gallant officer

Firing and advancing figures

HaT flag bearers

Cords flying and flags flapping!

Animated reloading figures. The figure ramming the charge comes with a separate arm, which neatly solves the problem of moulding an intricate pose. The figure on the right looks like he's pulling the pin on a grenade with his teeth!

PS. The 39th followed their Napoleonic service with a stint in the Antipodes from 1825, serving in New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land and the Swan River Colony, after which they headed for India in 1832.

Figure Review - FranzNap Miniatures

I've been in awe of Francesco Messori's ability to convert and sculpt figures for a while now, so when he announced he was going to start producing his own figures, I waited impatiently for the day when his figures would be available for purchase. The day finally came and recently I was very pleased to purchase some his French Cheavaux-Leger Lancers.

They're the first resin figures I've bought though I will probably wait to buy more in metal when he starts production in that medium, but as an introductory offer to subscribers to his newsletter, I couldn't go past the 10% discount offer. They may not last as wargaming figures, especially the delicate lances, but we'll see.

As to the look, Francesco achieves a very realistic look to his figures, reminiscent of Italeri at its finest. He tends to go for the poses neglected by most manufacturers; that is less active, more relaxed, stationery poses that lend themselves well to dioramas in particular.

They come in very professional looking plastic packaging, padded with cotton wool. All figures arrived here in Australia safely from the Netherlands with no breakages or other damage from the trip.

At €37 ($AU 46.50) for the 2 packs, including postage (then another €5 after a postage miscalculation!), they aren't exactly cheap, but I didn't let that stop me just to get my hands on these lovely figures. I would have to think hard again as to whether I needed any more before I bought more. I hope that he can eventually bring down the price, but I understand he's running a business and needs to cover his costs. The sculpting and production values are such that I reckon you're paying for what you get, ie. a very high quality figure. Once he starts production of his metal versions, I think it will be even harder to say no! 

He is also producing ranges that aren't catered for by other 1/72nd manufacturers, like Neapolitan troops, Sailors of the French Guard, Austrian hussars etc. He is also planning on bringing out heads for conversions, which I always like, so I'm sure I'll buy some of those, too.

If, like me, you're a 1/72nd Napoleonic figure wargamer/collector, you could do a lot worse than get yourself some of these figures. Don't be put off by the cost, because once you get them I'm sure you'll be impressed and believe that every penny spent is well worth it!

See more at his website http://www.franznap.com/

Command set

Command figures with alternative saddles and arms

Troopers set

Figures and separate arms for alternative poses.

Schilling Zinnfiguren - review

I haven't done a figure review before because I'm fairly limited in choice due to my preferred scale of 1/72. Besides the odd metal figure or unit by SHQ/Kennington for figures I can't find in plastic, or for which I wouldn't waste money buying in plastic (Think Airfix and some of the weirdly posed early Italeri and Esci productions), most of my figures come from the stables of HaT, Italeri and the limited, but beautiful, Zvezda collection.

I indulge in conversions (usually head-swaps) to produce figures that can't be found in general production, but often I'm resigned to not having figures in my collection which I'd really like to have (read British Peninsular War cavalry; what prejudices do manufacturers have against tarletons and bicornes, I ask you?!).

It comes as a welcome surprise to find a new manufacturer of my chosen scale whose product is so enticing online that I had to get my mitts on some!

The company is German based with a German language website which, with my schoolboy German and help from Google Translate, I was able to find my way around. I sent an initial email query, again in my pidgin German, and was answered quite promptly in English. Jorg's English is about as good as my German, but Ulrike's English is fluent, so there were no problems there. The ordering and payment system went smoothly with the transaction conducted via PayPal. After the order was dispatched, the Schillings kept in touch, wanting to know how the package survived its international trip and if there were any problems. As my figures were securely packaged in a box filled with shredded paper, they were snug as a bug in a rug from Germany to Australia and arrived in perfect condition. The only thing was that I timed the order to coincide with the Easter long weekend, so I didn't get them as quickly as I could have; Damn those public holidays, I say!

So, to the figures.

They are very well sculpted and exquisitely cast with no signs of flash or mould lines to speak of. The range is very comprehensive from action poses like firing, loading etc., as well as march attack, advancing at the charge and standing to attention. My favourite are the casualty figures (yes, I am a morbid chap, I know!) including a figure sculpted in the act of falling, dramatically flinging his musket as he falls.

Compared to the more anatomically proportioned plastic figures, these figures are a little boof-headed, but not in a way that detracts from the otherwise excellent proportions. As fans of 28mm figures know,  anatomical features are often exaggerated (thinking of Front Rank, Foundry etc.). Compared with the lumpen sculpting of my SHQ/Kennington figures, these are sylph-like!

My one gripe is that the range doesn't stretch to elite company figures. Yet. I notice that they make Grenadiers of the Guard and Black Brunswickers, too, so they are obviously aiming at the Waterloo period. The Napoleonic Wars are not defined by Waterloo, so I'm a little ambivalent about the range catering to that battle AGAIN, but I suppose they think that's a selling point.

Two of several marching figures

The casualty figure (focus problems, sorry!)

Eagle bearer with attached wire; too long IMHO, but I'll trim it to match  my figures. The figure also has eagle and  ribbons!

Loading figure, biting cartridge

Charged bayonet figure

Firing figure. Very dynamic, as he leans in against the recoil.

One of the other wounded figures. Knocked over on his a*se, he asks "Did anyone catch the number of the bus that hit me?"

 Comparison shot with HaT Chasseur NCO

All things considered, these are wonderful figures. I hope they make more, including the elite companies, but other than that, I give them 4/5 cockades!