Friday, May 17, 2013

Bring out yer dead... Napoleonic casualty figure fun (not)

 This 'retirement' lark is a bit different from expected.  Rather than more blogging time as you'd reasonably expect, on average its less - heaps less - as there seems to be long periods when I don't have a hope of getting to the blog.  I try and make up for it with similar intense periods of figure painting - although they too tend to be infrequent.  Still, shouldn't grumble as I pull a pension and get to sit on my arse painting and blogging, blogging and painting - on occasion - which is better than many can boast I'd imagine.

The painting list is a very long one and I've actually leapfrogged between one period and another - all over the place - as my fancy takes me.  It tends to be dictated by available time and things I am actually enthused about, rather than others I ought to do.  In this regard as lately I've been getting into Napoleonics again after a long absence, I have started with re-organising my armies on a Black Powder basis which means much bigger units. I've utilizing some of the non-standard figures that I've obtained recently or had hanging around for ages looking for a home and making up the dozens of casualty markers you need for a good old bloody BP stoush!  I've been helped here by using some of the new Perry's casualty figures from their rapidly expanding Nap figure lines.  I've also combined them with some old Foundry figures I've acquired.  Breaking with convention, I've used them to construct a few stands of figures as well as casualty markers.  Not unhappy with the results!


French infantry advance into a hail of lead!
The nearest two are Perry's, the two between them and the command stand are old Foundry. I love the Perry officer-being-hit figure.
I like the range of new Perry casualty figures, particularly the one of the grenadier carrying his unconscious comrade.  There is another with the the figure seated on the ground holding his musket in one hand and (wounded) leg in the other which is also a nice figure but the photo of him didn't turn out unfortunately. Actually having some problems with the photos I edit in Microsoft - they flip around the wrong orientation or distort sometimes - but only notice after you post on Blogger. Stupid bloody thing - never had the issue when doing them in CorelDraw - or Photoshop.

Unlucky Pierre and mate leaving the battlefield - makes a great marker!

The boys from the back - nicely designed figure - I remember the old Airfix box of Froggies had one just like it too!

I also did a range of others, particularly the Austrians which come in a range of interesting poses including the unique running man.  I feel the Perry's are giving the poor old Austrians some stick here as just about everyone did quite a bit of running away at some point (and some, like the Neapolitan's didn't do much else!) so I reckon they'll now have to do the same pose for each of their other Napoleonic armies. 
One Austrian running man

Two running Austrians!

Above, two Foundry versions

I am rapidly getting fed up with Blogger at the moment because it is screwing around with my images and making it a very long job to post them so I might just cut this post short and try again later.  I still have plenty to post on my Victrix Austrian Landwehr but I may try and short out the photo posting issues first.  Frankly anything that is more complicated than it need be or should be I just couldn't be bothered with - including @#%ing Blogger!!!


7 comments:

  1. Hi Doc, these look great. I hope to also make some casualty markers, but as you say, time is flying by.

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  2. Excellent, I love casualty figures but just for fun!

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  3. The figures look great -I like the Perry casualty ranges and have you seen their new "Retreat from Moscow" stuff - wow

    Please let me know how you're fairing with the whole "retirement thing". I really struggled until I decided to go back to work. One has to always "do" something.

    Best of luck
    Miles

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    1. Thanks Miles. The retirement is actually working out - always something to do (and frequently too damn much!) - but it was always based on a return to work of my choosing at some stage. In fact I just negotiated my new contract for a return for four days a week next month. That shouldn't interfere with the hobby too much!

      Mighty tempted by the Perry's Retreat from Moscow stuff but I have my own considerable body-weight in metal to paint and I would never get Ministerial approval to obtain more!

      Cheers,
      Doc

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  4. Great job! Love the poses, and your beautiful work on the faces!!
    Phil.

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  5. lovely stuff, Doc. The Perries do make excellent casualty figures.

    Best wishes

    Giles

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  6. Fun stuff. Well done. It's great to see some animation in units.

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