Recently I decided to begin working on my Warlord Games "French Line Infantry". This box contains 28 multi-part plastic infantry (comprising seven plastic sprues)and 4 metal command group (2 Officers, 1 Drummer and 1 Standard Bearer-seems to be an NCO)making a total of 32 figures, a rather odd number for the French in most Napoleonic wargaming rules, which usually require 24 or 36, (with the exception, to my knowledge, of General de Brigade, which allows for 6 companies of 5 figures each for a total of 30 figures). Due to the fact that you only get 7 sprues you also get 7 elites! Again, an odd number. The box also includes a two-sided gloss sheet showing examples of painted figures and six flags (9th & 27th legere regts.and 8th, 24th, 51st & 96th ligne regts., although all the flags are mis-labeled as legere!).

I was surprised that they did not include a painting guide and possibly a reference to their Vallejo French Napoleonic paint set! Somebody at WG marketing is dropping the ball...

The photo above shows one of the plastic sprues, they each contain 4 bodies (3 fusiliers, 1 elite)with arms and muskets molded unto the bodies. They also have five backpack-giberne combo and eight different head options, including one with the French-type pokalem, a covered shako (these last two don't make sense to me, since the figures are dressed in a full dress uniform, but to each his own), one with a bearskin and two elite shakos with plumes.

I've opted for a 24 figure battalion, with the spare officer as a Grenadier officer. Warlord sells the sprues separately http://www.warlordgames.com/us-store/black-powder/napoleonic-wars-1789-1815/napoleonic-war-french-line-infantry-sprue.html but at $6.50, they're priced a tad high to get to make 36 figures. I believe that WG needs to re-think their box content, raising the price accordingly, and provide the 36 figure box with the correct number of elites.

The figures take very little to clean up, have no flash and only the ubiquitious mold lines we've come to expect on plastic figures. Removing the bodies takes a little care, but nowhere near as much as the shako/heads! This is the other point of contention that I have with this fine product; they designed the shako position on the sprue with the bottom of the figure at the front of the collar (no problem there) and the top of the shako on the pom-pom (for the fusilier shakos), which makes for a disaster waiting to happen! I had quite a few of these pom-poms break loose from either the top of the shako or the sprue and shako, just from shipping them!

I use a heated blade to cut through the sprue to cut off the shako with the pom-poms. The elite plume is sturdy enough to cut off with sprue cutters.

Needless to say, assembly is a breeze! I use MEK to assemble plastic figures, rarely using CA. The photos below show my figures assembled and primed. The gray primed figures are for the Italian 3rd Line Infantry Regiment. I'm using the Napitalia site for my reerence: http://napitalia.org.uk/eng/line3.shtml

The black primed figures are the extras and will be for a French skirmish unit (Regiment number to be determined) for Ganesha's Song of Drums and Shakos.

Drummer

Back-pack-giberne combos

Grenadier Officer

Battalion Commander

Stand bearer (NCO)

 

 

The last two Grenadiers were created with fusilier bodies, cutting the bayonet scabbards and using Green Stuff for epaulettes and the extra cross belt. Let me clarify something: This is the first time I've used Green Stuff and the first time I actually sculpted (HA!) anything. I think I did pretty good, except the cross belt aren't as smooth as they should be. I'm investing in some sculpting tools, I'm gonna need 'em!

In conclusion, nice set, good sculpts, bad box configuration and sprue planning, pokalem or covered shakos unnecessary. Will I buy these again: YEP!

I hope to paint the fusiliers for the Italians this week sometime and I'll post them on here.

Thanks for dropping in!