Saturday 17 October 2009

Cover picture Wargamer's Newsletter No 152 November 1974



Those voltiguers in Colpacks fighting 95th Rifles somewhere in the Peninsula?
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3 comments:

lewisgunner said...

Wasn't that figure wierd. Why did Hinton make an elite light infantryman and not make a carabinier or chasseur?? What figure was supposed to be used for light infantry? If the ordinary line inbfantry are used (have some so used) then it looks odd to have the elite in different trousers and gaiters. If one uses the Hessian infantry then that has a sabre briquet, but wrong helmet plate and they are in over trousers too. Its So problematic.
Minifigs made a suitable figure for the centre companies and I have a couple of battalions of them. I ponder whether a middle gfuard chasseur might do, but wrong helmet plate and wrong badge on the cartridge case again, but at least right leg wear.

Its a problem, because the light infantry regts were extensively used in the field and most divisions have one.

Of course the Colpack is not particularly typical either.
Its also odd. This chap has an extra position (kneeling) and obviously some trouble went into making him. I just wonder why?

Best
Roy

20 October 2009 at 09:09
Vintage Wargaming said...

Roy, isn't the kneling guy FN 85? It's the kneeling rifleman that was more of a surprise to me - I don't remember seeing one, though the reference photograph of one elsewhere here suggests I have at least one of them - maybe just not lots.

Its always funny though what people choose to make and how this is often reflected across loads of ranges - the fact that British infantry are almost always in Belgics, not Stovepipes (giving you 3 years use instead of 12 or so), light dragoons are in shakos not Tarletons, and dragoons in helmets not bicornes. Even when there were these figures (all had Hinton Hunt figures) yoou very rarely if ever come across them, instead you are swamped with Old Guard Grenadiers, riflemen (even pre-Sharpe), and Scots Greys.

Clive

20 October 2009 at 09:39
lewisgunner said...

I think the original ranges were for for Waterloo and may even have been inspired by the Pericoli film with Steiger as Napoleon and Plummer as the Duke. I think that explains the period of the one piece castings which came first. After that it was the Leipzig armies, Russians and Austrians to fight the French and then the peninsula which is why Tarleton Light Dragoons and bicorne heavies are separate rider figures as are the KGL Hussars. Hinton began remaking figures as separate riders so there are two types of French cuirassier, Brit light dragioon in shako, heavy dragoons in helmet etc. I suspect that Marcus H responded to suggestions from his 'chums' so we got sailors and marines and French in bicornes and Brits in Stovepipe. The bicorne/ stovepipes are probably for Maida in 1805 as the Brits have pigtails and breeches/ gaiters and so are really wrong for the peninsula in 1809-12. But hey who's picky!!

Roy

20 October 2009 at 23:13

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