Sunday, March 4, 2012

Even Snappier Nappies

Last night I painted up more of my HaT 20mm 1/72 French Fusiliers.  While not completely historically accurate, I think they look OK.  I'm not totally happy with them but they are for gaming, not for winning any contests!

I have a dilemma as far as basing them is concerned due to their size.  I'm not sure the Age of Eagles basing convention was ever supposed to support 20mm figures or larger.  I invoked what the French would call "licence poétique" and I upgraded the bases...

These are 1 1/2" bases and I think they look very nice when all of the figures are glued on them.  I had previously had them on 1" square bases but they were too crowded.  THEN i put them only 2 to a base and the line looked too skimpy for a period when the levee en masse was in effect.

So the reader is left with this - a base that is large enough to accommodate 6 figures and still small enough to form an Age of Eagles brigade.  I will give them one thing - when I have a brigade of 6 to 8 stands, it's going to look super impressive on the tabletop.  Unfortunately this doubled my painting time.  Instead of 3 troopers per stand, it's now 6, and these pesky French already took me weeks to finish.
I think I hear the pas de charge!

Marching towards the lines at Talavera

Command stand is incomplete.  I still need to finish the musician and the color bearer.

The officer turned out nicely.  I wonder what his decoration is for?  

The Brits should be easier with less Soldiers - the Russians harder with triple the amount.  Either way, look like I won't be playing an Age of Eagles game for about 15 years!

And as an interesting side note, I only have to make 3 of these bases to form a Shako Battalion, and can fit 1 base on a sabot to make a Volley & Bayonet Brigade.  So that's not too bad.  Back to painting for me.  Huzzah!

6 comments:

  1. Very nice painting. Napoleonics are my favourite! (I think the decoration is for Meritorious Conduct... in either the kitchen or M'lady's chamber. I suppose it depends on the colour of the medal.)

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  2. Thanks John - I love Nappies and the HaT figs are perfect in terms of price, aesthetics, and detail.

    That could be about the decoration - I thought it might have been for turning in the most neighbors to the "Committee of Public Safety" :)

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    1. Steven, That is possible, I suppose. "Committee of Public Safety" sounds like the National Safety Council. I always liked Ray Bradbury's "Office of Moral Climates." Has a self-righteous, nanny-state ring to it.

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    2. True John! Tune in tomorrow sometime - I will post the completed unit. The glue on the bases is drying now and I'll be flocking them tomorrow!

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  3. @ Rodger - thanks very much! I think they turned out ok. These damned cameras pick up all of the mistakes now though :/ Thanks for commenting and stop back often. I should finish the Battalion this evening!

    Steve

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