28mm Napoleonic Cavalry and Infantry

[Beano Boy]

The horses being correct for Napoleonics I bought quite a lot of 28`s mainly plastic because I`m into conversions and where better to start then Cavalry? I will try to paint a few this year.

I do have lots of Napoleonics in my collection,but I like the boxed sets sitting on the shelves.
It`s a toy shop room,come railway although it`s a bit dusty.



A sprue of French Cuirassiers



A couple of boxes.



A couple of boxes of The Blues and Royals.





Blackpowder Warlord Games 3 sprues of French Chasseurs




Two boxes



2 Boxes



2 Boxes

The Union Brigade



2 Boxes



British Hussars two boxes.


Lots of regiments can be made by using the spare parts.



2 Boxes


" That`s an awful lot of Calver`ry ta kick up the dust !"
All cavalry to be sure. BB

[Kekso]

That's very nice collection Paul. I have box of Perry's French Heavy Cavalry and currently painting British Union Brigade (as Scots Greys).

[Beano Boy]

Hello guys, wherever you might be.
Thanks Dalibor, lots of these 28`s are double regimental boxed sets.
I look forward to seeing your Scots Greys.

As I review what`s in the box my little dislikes I will point out. So please bare with me.
I think it the correct English word to use ,but others often use bear,of which I always feel awkward using. Having once been scared sh...less by a rather large one



These arrived Monday.



Things are looking good. Love the helmets.



A bright possibility of 4 horse poses I guess ?



There are six identical plastic sprues.
I`m aiming for uniformity in ranks so I`m OK with that.



Also included the complete metal Officer, another Officers head, and arm with trumpet .
Thease are for the conversion of a figure or two. Good.

They are the British Household Cavalry : The Blues & Royals and are two regiments that were part of the UNION BRIGADE . Being Scots and English.



Nice examples shown.



But not down to my basic level of painting.

As I looked at the sprues checking them over before washing them,i noticed something I`m not to keen on.I wonder if you can spot what I do not like about this boxed set?



So lets take a closer look.



You might like them as they will stand up,however I`m a tradisionalist and like proper platforms on my figures because i do not wish to use those plastic gaming plates. I like freedom of movement with my individual figures like the tried and tested toy soldiers I like to collect. BB

[Peter]

Looking forward to some of these painted! Great BTW!

[Beano Boy]

I am looking forward to putting the horses together Peter, perhaps during the weekend.

I have realised in order to mount the metal Officer one has to pinch one of the horses thus leaving some poor downtrodden fellow without his Nag!

If one was planning massed formations this would be a heck of a problem with mountains of mounting up un-horsed cavalry men void of their rightful steeds.

I will look into buying loose sprues of horses later when I have more time.

I must just briefly mention that anyone at top level concerned with good quality service,and production on expensive items with a brain in their head would have insisted another horse should have been included. BB

[Beano Boy]

As each bright day arrives so do my cavalry. They all trot in with the mailman who is highly skilled at dropping elastic bands. So once again it was wash day plunking these little soldiers in soapy warm water. After which they were rinsed in fresh water and gently tapped onto the edge of the plastic bowl. Now the water taking quite an exception to this treatment always leave quite suddenly. I let all the sprues finish drying naturally from then on. This is my way with treating lots of boxes of figures. No fuss no bother the gentle tapping does the trick every time. The metal figures I`ll soak in vinegar, well if it cleans gold rings it will these white metal things.
"So that's another top tip."___ "please do not use it on your chips afterwards."




https://www.perry-miniatures.com/images ... Horses.jpg

Perry, have horse sprues___ so the metal Officers now have their own good mounts.
"and standing on platforms." The little button often helps out with comments.

I bought a couple of loose sprues giving me 6 spares, "Sounds a bit like changing tires!"

OK IT`s TALK ABOUT CONVERSIONS NOW






Two choices in a box leave spare heads. And so starts the Leap Frog System of head swopping.
Yes one robs Peter to handle a sticky head onto Paul.



Spare head conversion of French Dragoons.



Into Dutch Carabiniers Good job these boys were decked out in French uniforms. Some of these will be dismounted as many had their horses shot from under them during the bloody business of battling or when on picket duty.

Just a little work on the front of the helmets will make e`m pop!
There will be lots of conversions later no doubt after I become familiar with what spare parts are in what box.

HERE COME THE BIG GUNS AND MARCHING FRENCH INFANTRY



I bought two boxes which = Six 12 Pounders. So there will be two Officers and 30 crew members manning these hefty blighters. Back in the day of reality they would have had more than double that number to man handle these heavy guns. So I`ll mix some Old Guard in with them to give a hand.

The metal gun with crew cost around £10.00 UK Stirling. So I am pleased that Victrix produced these.



I like this boxed set produced by the Perry brothers because half are in coats the others are not. I bought two boxes which = 80 French infantry on the move. Victrix do large boxed sets containing 60 French fellows, but they are all in great coats. Now I will be buying some of the middle guard later which all have coats which I can balance out for a better contrast with those I just bought.

OK that`s it for now. Next time more Reviews as we see what`s in the boxes. BB

[MABO]

Thanks, Paul, for taking us with you in the next model making crazyness.
I am collecting the Perry Brothers plastic boxes, as I have posted already. But everytime when I see the dashing Black Powder Boxes from Warlord Games I hardly can stay away from buying them. But I have to, but I have to, but I have to.... Maybe I ca ask Mr. Andrea to treat me.
He can stay away from spending money... We will test it.... I hope.

No, no just kidding. I will not expand my 28mm Collection. But I will follow your project like I always do. My next figs are Perry Prussian Infantry. Soon in this theater.

[Beano Boy]

Good to hear about your Prussians Jan.
I am collecting bargain priced kits only. If I can save a Penny I will.

As for me I forgot to mention to change the French Dragoons into Dutch Carabiniers you can use the spare heads from Perry miniature box shown below.





.................. The bottom helmet directly above this i.




Very busy today.... but I did manage to sort through the sprues and re-box them correctly.

Anyway now more bad news. Yes it keeps pilling up. I don`t mean to be A Kill Joy and I realise some of you might prefer to read bad news in your daily newspaper? However here it comes.
"BB, can`t afford e`m!"
"because he`s busy buying mistakes." mentioned the little button who never said such a truer word..

Lets review all the saddle sore troopers shall we?






You might find this interesting or perhaps of no concern.
The Sprues contained in both boxed sets are the same being that of French Line Lancers. There are no epaulettes even though the box art shows them wearing them.



That`s ok they can be centre company fellows.



So if you want epaulettes on elite companies ya just have to do your own thing.



Above is a sprue and metal figures.



Above the two you get with the Line Lancers. This time a metal horse is included.
HOO-RAH!!!!



Those above with horse included "HOO-RAH!"
Are in the Polish Line Light Horse Lancers box. ( French Polish Lancers! )
So you guys not wishing to do head conversions better think again.
However more bad news ,the horses seem to be all wrong?
If this is true do you think this a disastrous blunder?

ITALERI Light Cavalry 1/72 crazy large dancing nags might do.

Lets shine some sunshine upon this matter. If you were wanting French Line Lancers and there were no boxes available,just buy the Polish Lancers if they are on the shelf or on line.
" this info might one day help whom ever." _ And as a bonus you get a metal Polish Lancer, a bewildered red faced Officer looking for all his men. " Deserters one and all."





The Polish Lancers were attached to The Red Lancers a squadron in The Guard Cavalry.
I have hundreds of ITALERI Monster horses that might well do to mount up The Polish and Dutch Lancers!

However if you want correctness I cannot recommend you buy these from WARLORD GAMES. Black Powder. Save your money or buy from Perry Miniatures. BB

[Beano Boy]

It is a Sunday and I move forward to another review.
"At the trot BB."__ " Now the canter!"
" forward in the fruitage of the spirit bb."



These have a lovely box cover art applied to them. To stir the emotions well.



Another upon the back of the box.



These are the metal figures with the Officers horse. The other has no horse.



The sprue front and back. A good addition of head choice .

This set seems on the face of it to be quite correct,but I guess only you guys into painting them will know if they are easy or hard work to make these pop!

I hope you guys drop in again on this ongoing open ended topic. BB

[Peter]

Thanks for sharing Paul! Now we all can see what is in these kind of boxes!

[MABO]

I hope you guys drop in again on this ongoing open ended topic. BB

I will do so...

[Beano Boy]

Hi guys,it`s time for another review from yours truly, and things are getting better all the time.
So knowing that you are all busy I`ll crack on at the gallop. " Ya-Hoooo!"

The Union Brigade





As you can hopefully see, there`s plenty of heads to do lots of regiments if you want to. So I`m quite happy with this kit so far. I kid you not I have waited since I was a mere child to put all these riders together. What a wonderful toy soldier age we all live in. So the long awaited for cavalry charge is now possible and in this case they can be viewed below.




The 1st: The Royal Regiment of Dragoons.



2nd Royal Regiment: Scots Greys Dragoons



The 6th Inniskilling Dragoons.

THE FINAL STAND
by BB

The British heavy cavalry had bore the brunt of each attack throughout that afternoon at Waterloo,11 charges against French cavalry and massed infantry had reduced their combined number down to less than a hundred men by 5.30 pm as they gradually drifted in to reform again for another. It must have been a pitiful sight to see the remains of five heavy cavalry regiments so cut down. The Blues and Royals and all those listed here were mixed up and combined together. Uxbridge and Wellington agreed that they were a spent force and would a little later order them to the rare of the Allied Army.



Below where Wellington stood the French were about to capture the farmhouse of La Haye Sainte. The defenders out of ammo were throwing roofing tiles down upon the heads of the French as they milled about surrounding the place. The French had scaled the outside stable walls and were firing from the roof top.The air was full of drifting smoke ,and hot embers flew upon the wind. The barn roof was now again burning. _The French foot artillery was moving up to pound out a thrashing to the allied army and finally the French burst in through the main gate in such a furious assault. Others bashed their way through the bullet ridden gate on the stable side of the farm.

Surprisingly some of the German Legion,along with Nassau and British troops managed their escape through the passage way running through the house into the back garden. Once there they scrambled through the thicket of the Hawthorn hedgerow,and up the muddy sloop beyound for all their worth to the safety of the high ground where the Allied army would make its stand.
Those found in the farm complex still alive were put to the bayonet,or butted to death with the muskets, but one fellow hid and lived to tell his tale.

I do not know what happened to the wounded in the make shift infirmary that was set up in the back garden outbuilding. I suppose they too were not spared.

By six pm the 95th-Riflemen in the sand pit just above the farm were picking off the French gun crews so thankfully their rate of fire de-creased greatly then stopped with all the gunners dead beside their guns. However the fight was still ongoing in spite of the Prussians turning Napoleons left flank. One could say the writing was upon the wall, but by 7 pm with the ground littered in heaps of dead,The Old Guard,were advancing and were able to attack the Allies on the Brussels side of the ridge. It was one heck of a fight and not over in short quick time. However a little after 8 pm The Old Guard broke _________ The farm was recaptured around 9pm ,and the rest is asigned to history that the victors sat down, agreed upon and then wrote. BB

[Susofrick]

Very interesting to see! Huge thanks!

[Beano Boy]

You are most welcome Gunnar. I wish that I could paint as fast as I can write reviews, then there would be something extra to show,but confusingly to my mind at least I cannot.
" and on the other hand even bb has to find time to sleep."
" Even the night owl has to wax and wane his eyes and fall eventually into slumberland zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz sleep.

Today awaiting elastic bands,the mailman and a few more loose sprues I bought from Perry Miniatures.

https://www.perry-miniatures.com/index. ... mi4jotm224

They did not arrive,so no elastic bands either. I`mmm. So today I`ll open up a box that has stood a standing and a leaning beside others of its kind upon a high up shelf in the Honey Well room . Of course it had to be the box of British Napoleonic Line Infantry ,that was quite well guarded by a huge spider that sat in the corner. A spider although motionless that was eying me, as indeed I was eyeballing it. Mrs B, kindly scooped it up in her cupped hands and put it out of the window. I watched it absail down until it was out of sight and lost in the gardens collage of evergreen colours.





The riflemen I`d ordered come from this set of boxed figures. The box a bit worse for ware but the contents are just right for this rambling review.



The bundle of sprues soon slipped out from the box onto my little table. A something quite wonderful because I know they`ll be an absolute pain trying to shuffle them back into it after this photo shoot.

"Ain`t that the truth?"



The largest sprue The Command with its plastic poles awaiting the Union Flag and The Kings Colours.
Beside it the riflemen that come on two sprues.



Those above come in the form of three sprues,and beside the Officers they`ll total up to 40 foot slogging grunts of the British,or Allied German troops.



The Riflemen are destined to man La Haye Sainte,and the sandpit along with others of their kind. Mention Richard Sharp and the chosen men, and near enough anyone can visually recall them to mind.



Easy construction coupled with ones dreams are highly likely. I love the blank faces left upon the back of this box because it reminds me just how highly skilled I paint the faces on my advancing troops.






A couple of close ups.



Well that`s it for now folks.it`s time to watch the news on tv and have my tea.
Bye for now. BB

" Hi Pard`s,more French Cavalry coming soon."
" and bb did struggle so, trying to get them back into their box. " Eh?" grunted Mr Wing Knut!"

[Beano Boy]

Yes they are sprues of mounted troops slipped out of the box rather than Brutish infantry.
I think only I can get photographs mixed up so. BB

[Beano Boy]

BONEY would have loved to have seen this birds eye view of the battle positions at a place he had no intelligence upon. It would become a bloody muddy quagmire end of his gambling spree.



MOVING ON

The Perry Infantry and Victrix foot artillery were delivered today. So I shuffled them out of the cardboard box and thought to myself I`ll use the card on a few rooftops. A something I have not done for many a year.



There`s little sense in having armies at each other without rooftops and the odd quirky building to hold them up. Both strike a balance. One saves lots of money by scratch-building and the other, the other brings the balance up at a level I can afford. So the two work together just fine enough for little o`ll me.





Showing the back




Now showing the front.




These could be painted to represent the Young Guard,
that marched to protect Napoleons right flank against the advancing Prussian.



" That`s right you guessed it?"



" Yes.yes it`s the other way up."

There`s 10 heads per sprue for conversions. Not just on this set but others too.



Set these out right and they will be massed infantry in rows,
and all blissfully in step.


Victrix 6 Pounders



Easier to move and load then thrash out a good pasting to the enemy.











Three sprues of each in a plastic sleeve so no box which to those like myself who like colourful boxes this set provides little attraction to buy, but hey Guns are guns. So if they are needed for the table top one has to acquire them in quick fire order before the enemy realise your weakness, and advance gleaming sharp bayonets to their front.

There are 15 to crew the 6 Pounders that`s including Officers of course .

It seems there is a lacking of 12 Pounders in 28mm scale.I will have to up-gun a few to represent 12 Pounders.BB

[Beano Boy]

Above the Red Lancers with the long ornate saddle cloth.



The Polish Lancers also with the long saddle cloth. Often the pointed ends were lifted and sown up to protect the ornate embroidery.



135 Mamelouks made up this Guard Squdron with those two above.

FRENCH HUSSARS
Perhaps the clear favourite of many.



Here Perry Miniatures come into view. Excellent figures for lots of periods of interest. The box a bit worn is a Set I`ve had for ages. I have new sets galloping in any day now,but wanted to push a head with the French cavalry.





4 of the smaller sprue numbers 12 horses. Below another 4 sprues hold the Hussar parts,and there are plenty to chose from providing heads to form lots of Hussar regiments of interest.



The larger sprue gives the command section with the other 2 figures.












Time for shoving them back in the boxes now.


A Tough Fight Lay Ahead For The Prussians



For close quarter fighting yes clubbing most certainly,but many carried choppers. Axes!



BB

[Beano Boy]

THE PRUSSIANS ARE ON THE MOVE
and so am I three posts in one day. "EH?"

Inspite of being thrashed by the French time and time again they remained a fighting force and an army to be reckoned with. Napoleon knew this, but he would make a big mistake splitting his forces robbing himself of over 32.000 men that would have served him well with the final onslaught against the forces available to Wellington ,Uxbridge and The Prince of Orange at Waterloo.
To provide a military wedge between the Prussians and their allies it had to be towards their front not a dawdling behind at the rear.





THE POST MILL



The torn canvas sails on the windmill, a place that so inspired my own scratch-building programme. It would be the first of many to come and all documented.

PLANCENOIT












More of my Prussians are on the move too. To compare HAT with other 28`s will be interesting and will serve hopefully to add spice to this minu. Having some already I kind of like them,and if they can beef up a wider panoramic scene for the better and above all the cheaper then it makes sense to use them. Providing a balance to building up armies.WE will therefore see. " Good thinking Pards." BB

[Beano Boy]

viewtopic.php?t=15707&p=175706#p175706






My old toy farm of cardboard and plastic drinking straws
La Haye Sainte has been captured. " o,no!"____ " Yes its in this Book."



The Old Guard Advances



To compliment my French 6 to 8 Pounders
The Heavy 12 Pounder Guns of The Imperial Guard
By gum,these sure got stuck fast into the Mud at Waterloo
So if you want 12 Pounder Guns the set above is the best way of getting them.




The Middle and Young Guard



Getting hard to find these days the box set above.
Sprues sell between £5 to £8.00 each. So the 60 set boxes were the sure fired way to go into building up this larger sized Collection.

With the Victrix Guard Cavalry being a let down, i have never the less bought their larger Infantry style boxes before Sellers on E Bay push their prices up nearing £30.00 a box.
Blooming Pirates ! Should be hung from the nearest tree.
Eye, Me-Harty`s !

What is Next?__ A new set of shelves. "and a new wall."

Thank`s for looking in guys. BB

[Susofrick]

I like it a lot! Cool! But! There's a hole in the roof, dear Paul, dear Paul! Actually two!