"Eureka Miniatures' 28mm French Revolutionary War Range" Topic

Ok, it had to happen.

After searching for suitable ranges to recreate what I consider one of the turning points in modern History, a link on the TMP made me divert my attention to the release of a very interesting French Revolutionary War Range. I definitely do not want to seem over-patronizing so I'll resume the highlights.

Eureka Miniatures. In Australia. Extraordinary figures, representing perfectly grubby looking conscripts, precise anatomical proportion, hardly any flash, surprisingly notable amount of variants and last but not least, a first rate service.

Right, I've been on the TMP for years and years, and this is the first time I've come out to actively support a range. Now either I'm getting old and soft or the range really is extraordinary.

Sceptics take a look at their website.

I hope Vendean Counter-revolutionaries and other figures more suitable for the Revolutionary Civil war period appear as well, but these guys are winners all the way.

Well done those chaps at Eureka!

I have not had the opportunity to see the figures personally, but from the website, I totally agree with you and would love to obtain a few to test. If the 18MM AB that I purchased from Rob are any indication, they must be brilliant.

I have no over-riding interest in the French Revolution. However, after seeing the Eureka figures on their website, I checked them out at Historicon. The figures are beautiful, in fact they were so nice, I bought a French Army right then and there. Not to mention the Eureka USA team are a great bunch.

Quebecnordiques, I can only echo your comments. Vendeens would indeed be wonderful, but they have recently come out with some Tyroleans who can fill in with minor modifications. I believe some of their ragged Continental infantry in the AWI range could serve as well.

Wonderful figures and the Austrians are every bit as nice, though not quite as varied as the French, well so far anyway.

I'm painting some of the French in bicornes and I think that they look great. The French in casquet look equally as nice. You can't go wrong with this range.

I love the range also; I had sworn off all Napoleonic's for numerous reasons, these have brought me back in.

I'm waiting to see how the French Cuirassier in Bicorn looks; I suspect they will be beautiful.

Yes, the Eureka folks Nic and Rob are awesome.

Donald~

Jim Jones – are there pics of the Austrians? I'm looking forward to getting some of those and would love to see how the sculpts are.

Someoe non here posted some pics a while ago IIRC. I have a few myself, although the intententon here is more toward more opposition for Ottomans.

I havn't seen these figures in the flesh but they look pretty good on the website and I may just have to take the plunge!!

hussarbob1746.webs.com

Chronofus has the Austrians and the Tyroleans. They look awesome for some vampire hunting mobs too.

link
link

Very nice sculpts and casts.

But again the usual error, over long gaiters – and those tiney cartridge belts, which were at leat 4 inces wide.

The pre 1798 musket should have 4 rings as well.

Here a musketeer of 1770.

I don't know who invented the overlong gaiters which are completly wrong for the Prussian army from 7YW onwards or the Austrian or the French Army, the gaiters just went up to the upper rim of the knee cap.

picture

to add

Muskets also shouldered at the right side – a terrible mistake – for the usual way in battle they were shouldered at the left – NCOs aside who had a special way to carry their muskets in the right arm.

Also the Tyrolean peasants loading their rifles at the right side of the body – the first photo in the link – a most unlike and unrealistic position, which should be on the left as well, that is musket or rifle standing at the left side of the body, barrel facing away from the body – for instering the cartridge of for rifled units the patched ball.

A pity, that huge amount of talent of sculpting and casting skills wasted on not properly looking into the subject.

Here a cartridge pouch of the 1767 Adjustierungsvorschriften in use up to 1798

picture

and another fusilier with left shouldered musket

picture

Take another look at the photos vW. All of my non-NCO fusiliers have their muskets on the left shoulder.

A Twiningham

But that is not the NCOs musket pose – it is like a right shouldered musket – which is wrong

I cannot find at the quick an illustration for the Austrians, here on that photo you see an NCO standing at the left side of the soldiers between the officer and the men in the typical position of an NCO.

picture

and here one of the French

picture

You took your immage – alas from the colour plate in Warrior series Austrian grenadiers H – it is a good reference but has some stupid errors.

In case you have the book at hand look at the black and white plate at page 24, there in the middle stands a relaxed NCO who carries his musket in a relaxed pose on the right conforming with the above pictures.

Also at page 13 you see an NCO instucting his men

In case you are interested in even more detail – as how the Austrians of 1792 – 1798 loadet their musket with the self priming pan – and not shown with the figures (as a non self priming pan – which was re – introduced in the 1798 model) let me know.

The Austrians then used the Infanteriegewehr M 1784 which had a self priming pan, a flash cover and a cylindrical ramrod, with 4 rings as I wrote above.

Reference :

Page 210 / 211 at

Gabriel, Erich : Die Hand- und Faustfeuerwaffen der habsburgischen Heere, Wien 1990

I think I misunderstood your criticism. I thought you were saying the rankers with musket on the left shoulder were incorrect.

In any case, I don't think there is a single line out there that would hold up to the level of scrutiny you are giving them. if there were it would only be accurate for a 6-8 month period at most given the constant minor changes in clothing and equipment. I'm not saying that manufacturers shouldn't aspire to accuracy, but these are toys, after all.

@ A Twiningham

These figures are not toys, they show a high qualitiy in sculpting and casting and are top notch.

I personally think it is a pity that the manufacturer is failing in basics – like height of gaiters, size of cartridg belt, boxes – pose for the muskets, I am not talking about the amount of buttons.

Those mentioned points shape the charcter and out – look for soldiers of that time period.
French Revolutionary time is not just Napoleonic uniforms and equipment with a Revolutionary headdresss.

There wouldn't have been in such points a change every 6 months.

Again a pity there the craftmanship of Eureka is excellent.

All valid points indeed. I think it is well known that the height of gaiters in Austrian service ranged between 23.6mm and 23.85 mm above the knee, dependent on the year we are talking about and some known variables like the age of the material and of course season.

Alas the sculptor has conformed to depictions in popular guides like those of Messrs Haythornthwaite, Hollins and co. I think this is probably a deliberate ploy aimed at the notoriously lazy gaming community who simply refuse to source primary source material in German. A great pity as Kugelbaum's two volume opus 'Guide to Gaiter Height in the latter Part of 1794' is available in microfiche at the Salzburg municipal library.

I will readily admit to being one of those lazy gamers, quite content with the Eureka offerings. To me they look the business. I have little interest if the range doesn't include 2.6% of the figure range wearing their kasket backwards on the basis of a single contemporary depiction.

I intend on using mine to play games with, so mine are indeed toys. If you are planning a museum display with yours you may call them something else I suppose.

Warning! Do not look Nik in the eyes! I'll bet VW doesn't have any miniature soldiers because none meet his standards.

I am sorry to disappoint you – I have a few – I just find it a pity that Eureka has such a immense potential in quality of sculpting and casting and just cannot get some basic information right.

I had no intention to do French Revolution, except when the foundry came out with them but they were hard to obtain in USA then. Now I think I'm hooked. Nik looked me in the eyes.
I wish the sculptor continual good health to finish the range.

VW I want a complete list with descriptions and criticisms.
Thanks.

VW's 'big bang theory' style criticisms may well be founded in fact, however I'm sure these are minor points to the majority of grateful people happy to see a quality range for this period.

I find it regretable that someone who has knowledge of a period beyond that of the average enthusiast is quite comfortable in dismissing a company's range entirely.

Obviously the range is is a new venture, they clearly have done considerable research into the period and then working with a sculptor have created an interpretation of revolutionary period soldiers.

I think it quite acceptable that they may not have referred to some obscure german manuscript or complied with Kugalbaums guide to gaiter height.

Great range, good luck.

Gotta love 'Big Bang Theory' though – my favourite show!
:)

In case you do obscure armies like the French – Austrians or whomever of the obscure French Revolution – you must use obscure sources.

Is the FRW obscure?

There is plenty of reference works in production or readily available. Funcken, Osprey, Elting, Tranie come readily to mind. Based on this I would argue that in fact the period is not obscure, only the details you raise are obscure.

I'm certainly no expert as per the majority I'm fairly sure and from the reference works availble to me,the figures are well sculpted and accurate models of the soldiers of the revolution.

I wonder what it is exactly you are looking for? I think you may be placing to high a demand on what is essentially a cottage industy.

Obviously your interest is very microscopic and I certainly don't knock you for that. You obviously have a lot to offer this company. Have you contacted them directly with your concerns and perhaps offered some point of contact for future references?

Hardly microscopic, and as has often been said about films, for example, it is just as easy to get the details right!

@Jack Dempsey

You proove my point of argumentation – I supplied links to support my view.

The sculptor can take it up or leave it.