Tuesday, 21 November 2023

Chasseurs a pied first battalion Imperial Guard Napoleonic 44

 Next unit of old guard infantry, unknown second hand metal figures from Ian Hind, with a colour guard from the same make as the grenadiers and a Victrix plastic ensign promoted from the line! Nice figures, even if they are all in the same pose and in trousers  not breeches. 









The second battalion is well on it's way to completion, I've since found these chaps on Foundry's casting room site, they're bigger than my other Foundry  Napoleonic figures I think I've made a bit of a mistake with them but that will become apparent when you see them! 

All the best

 Iain 

35 comments:

  1. Great looking unit Iain, hard to see the difference in the models used, but I put that down to your excellent painting.

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    1. Thanks very much Dave, they all work together nicely I think?
      Best Iain

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  2. An inspirational post for someone like me who are eyeing their own unit of Foundry grenadiers, Iain. Personally, I like the same pose - provided its one I can tackle quickly LOL - and I really like the blue you've used. I think them all being in trousers helps make them stand out a bit more too.

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    1. Thanks Simon, I'm happy with the same pose, it certainly makes painting easier!
      Best Iain

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  3. Nice job, I think for napoleonics, having the same pose in a unit is my preference. I have some Warlord Guards (unpainted) and they are big - but I think the Guards units in general drew from men over a certain height ….. against a background that the population in general were shorter than we are today.

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    1. Yes indeed Norm - I am pretty certain I read grenadiers in the British Napoleonic Army had to be a minimum of 5' 6" - because the average recruit was 5' 3"! Thats what 200 years of access to cheap dairy products has done for us!

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    2. Thanks Norm, yes the warlord guard artillery figures I've painted are much bigger than normal and so is their gun! The minimum height for the grenadiers of the Guard was 5'8" in British inches, I say that because Napoleon was 5'2" in French inches, which as French inches were bigger than British inches meant he was 5'6" so tall enough to be a British guardsman! Interestingly enough Keith the average height for the end of the 18th century was 5'6" , from the 17th century the average height went down from the medieval period when it was close to our height, the rise of capitalism? It only really went up following government initiatives because of the poor quality of working class recruits to the army!
      Best Iain

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  4. These guardsmen look good! Good eye to pinpoint these as Casting Room Miniatures. The pose and sculpting remind me of Connoisseur figures.

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    1. Thanks Jonathan, a good eye or too much time spent browsing the Foundry site? Discuss!
      Best Iain

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  5. Nicely done Iain and a prompt that I have some units of guard to paint 👍

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    1. Thanks Matt, you're steaming through, well everything at the moment!
      Best Iain

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  6. Nice job there Iain:). I used to baulk at the idea of figures all in the same pose, but as I've got older I no longer mind it and in fact quite like the look!

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    1. Thanks Steve, yes I'm happy for a variety of poses in the line but quite like the same pose for the guard, which is good as I've got the other battalion to finish off and all bar the command are in the same pose!
      Best Iain

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  7. Mistake? Nah they look mighty fine to me.

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    1. Thanks Mark, no I wasn't clear , I think I've made a mistake in the next battalion!
      Best Iain

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  8. Great looking Chasseurs, Iain. I like that pose for Napoleonic infantry formations better than shouldered muskets or firing, etc. They also look like they size up well with the Victrix ensign. As for Casting Room figures, I have some SYW/F&IW French foot that were originally listed at the main Foundry site, but now on the Casting Room site. They are a lot chunkier and bigger overall than most other Foundry ranges. I actually picked up the French when I visited Foundry back in 2013; the packs were hanging on their walls there. :)

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    1. Thanks Dean, yes they match up well with the Victrix ensign I think? I have some Foundry Austrian grenadiers who are pretty tiny, wouldn't have minded if they were grenzers or line!
      Best Iain

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  9. Lovely work Iain, and I too like figures in the same or very similar pose, especially when they are elite units. My French are predominantly Foundry and I have found they mix well with the Perrys' later efforts, so was surprised at your comment on your previous post that the batch you were painting were smaller. Perhaps Foundry had a different sculptor add to the range at some point.

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    1. Thanks Lawrence, the horses are a bit smaller but some of the Austrian range seem much more 25mm than 28mm, these chaps scale well with their 28mm plastic ensign who is current Perry height compatible!
      Best Iain

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  10. Another excellent unit Iain.
    It always puzzles me why they were called Chasseurs when they're wearing bearskins.

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    1. Thanks Chris, it just means hunter doesn't it? I suppose the elite in light infantry of the earlier period wore bearskins like this( without the plate) although they were called carabiners? Guards mudt look impressive is no doubt the bottom line!
      Best Iain

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  11. All the same pose used to be de rigeur back in the day of course, Iain - I prefer the modern idea of a variety of poses but if that's what you had, they still look fine to me!
    I will be interested to read your mistake - are they actually supposed to be Saxon Grenadiers lor something??!

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    1. Hi Keith these were a second hand purchase, as were all the guard as they're almost entirely metal and I can't afford that much new metal( sounds like a music genre!) I quite like the repeated pose, the second battalion is entirely like that except for it's command element, the mistake, if I made it is in the second battalion!
      Best Iain

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  12. They look great Iain, they look a bit a bit like Minifigs figures in their pose.

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    1. Thanks Chris, yes I can see that now that you mention it!
      Best Iain

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  13. A lovely looking unit Iain…
    I like the pose… it has a ‘guard’ like look to it.

    All the best. Aly

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    1. Thanks Aly, I am inclined to agree with you!
      Best Iain

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  14. Nice work Iain! They look great!

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    1. Thanks a lot Mike, I'm surprised you haven't done one in 54mm!
      Best Iain

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  15. A nice work realizated in the painting of the troops. And a very nice flag of que squadron ported for the soldier in the right hand.

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