"WF H&M WSS WIP" Topic

Just thought Id post a quick review of the WF WSS H&M infantry and cavalry.

Ive bought these figures for my C18thImagiNations Project as it's a period Ive always wanted to cover, and thanks to WF and their new plastics can actually afford to do it!

Ill probably cover my actual project in the future but for now I thought Id look at the models themselves:

First impressions: I like them. Theyre not the best sculpts out there. They are cheap. Some mistakes are evident. Not much in the way of mold lines etc.

Obviously, these are fairly generic figures so accuracy of detail etc isn't really my concern. As long as you paint them a nice bright colour they will look the part. Perhaps more perfect for Imagi-Nations than WSS, but I don't have a problem with them for either.

One thing I would say is that if your going to get the infantry get the cavalry too, and vice versa: Each kit has a few oddities, but getting one of each solves most of them: That, I suppose is a great virtue: the parts are pretty interchangeable.

With the infantry, as has been noted many times, the eyes are a bit funny. Easily solved: The cavalry come with a bucket of extra heads, with better eyes!

The necks are too long: well its not the neck really, more the way the scarf sticks up, 2 seconds with a file sorts this. Id have preferred a sort of ball joint for more options when posing the head, but there we are.

The infantrys swords have the hand guards on top rather than underneath: For most of the single pose infantry this was sorted but cutting the sword hilt off the scabbard and pushing the scabbard as close in against the left hand side cuff as possible (so it looks like the hilt is covered and hidden by the cuff).
For the multipose with was a bit trickier, and in most cases I simply used a spare sword from the cavalry box: If you model them with their swords drawn you wont need the sheathed swords anyway.

Theres no banner for the cavalry: Well if there is I didn't spot it, didn't even spot an arm to hold it! Cant think why they missed it off, pretty sure WSS cavalry had flags too! Anyway, plenty of spare arms in the infantry kit and banner poles too, so not a problem!

The only other issue I had was the posing of some pieces: the sword and pistol arms are a bit odd, and theres no variety. Id have hoped for three slightly different posed arms for each of them. Also is that pistol "right"? To me the grip looks to be too close to the vertical, though it might just be my imagination . On the infantry the separate leg set is out of step with the two monopose chaps! Not a huge problem I suppose, but it does make some of his options a bit strange: E.g the presented musket and throwing grenade arm suggest a right-handed soldier, who, when performing either of these actions would place his left leg forward, rather than his right. Another good thing: with such a nice clean joint between the hands and the cuffs on most of the arms makes it very easy to reposition hands, especially the open ones if you want them to hold something.

As I said I rather like these models, despite (and in some cases because of) a few imperfections, and Ill definitely be getting more! I enjoyed building, and am finding them pretty easy to paint. Ill bring a few more pics when Ive done more but for now heres some WIP pics!

Edit: pics didnt post will try again….

Congrats on posting a title without a single word in it! 8>)

Life's to short to type everything….

Including the second "o" in "too" it would seem.

The big flaw that I see with the cavalry is the lack of an integral base of any sort. I have yet to see how well they stick to the plactic bases they are provided with. Hopefully they will stick well. I've bought one box but have been to busy to really have a good whack at them just yet. They are assembled and sprayed but haven't been able to get them painted.

Another problem is that the swords in the scabards are sculpted in such a way to make them difficult to cut the swords off of if you want them to be holding the swords. These could have been done better to avoid this. As it is most of my models don't have the swords drawn to avoid this annoyance.

Overall the figs are a little soft in the details but servicable figures and excellent for the price.

I got my first box of the cav for $16 USD, which is $1.25 each figure for cavalry. I've paid twice that much for historical 28mm rank and file infantry before so it can't be quibbled with.

Good point about the horses: as long as you can get two+ hooves on the ground there doesn't seem to be a problem. On the officers horse above (white coated chap) I used a small bit of wire to gain an extra point of contact.

Thanks for the review and encouraging pics!

Infantry wip too..the officers sword is actually two swords from the warlord ECW kits…

Nice review and photos, Mike.

Theres no banner for the cavalry: Well if there is I didn't spot it, didn't even spot an arm to hold it! Cant think why they missed it off, pretty sure WSS cavalry had flags too!

Actually, there is an open right hand on the sprue, but what with all the other bits it's easy to miss it. Used it for the dragoon in the picture below.

Yes, very nice indeed!!! Thank you for sharing.

A question about weight – with being used to handing 25/28mm lead figures – do these feel pretty solid to handle? I bought a box a week ago and getting ready to to the French Guard Cheval unit.

I like the idea of pinning the hooves to the base.

Thanks again!

P.

They are very light, flew away when I tried to undercoat them….Then again despite numerous drops nothing has broken yet: those bayonets etc dont seem flimsy at all!

Mike, thank you for sharing your impressions and experiences.

It's good to have confirmation that the two sets are fully compatible, and that cavalry accessories can be used to redeem some of the infantry sprue's weaknesses. I bought half a dozen boxes of each, but haven't found the time to experiment with them yet. Will have to take precautions for undercoating then; now, where did I put that double-sided sticky tape after spraying the last batch of 15s?

My only regret for the cavalry is the absence of a fluted lance as a standard shaft, especially since there would have been plenty of space for one on the horse sprue.

Very much looking forward to the artillery set now – an all-plastic army for Horse & Musket, nearly upon us!

"My only regret for the cavalry is the absence of a fluted lance as a standard shaft, especially since there would have been plenty of space for one on the horse sprue."

Huh?

Theyre supposed to be fluted lance style shafts?

DOH!

Ive got a bunch of them spare from my warlord ECW…

As done as they'll ever get, but heres the first portion of one army. Just need to do their flags now.

I am btw aiming to put together two armies: One from the Duchy of Veloires (in green and white) and one from the tiny Electorate of Drakland (in yellow and red) . These two minor (fictional) states shall fight out their own petty disputes against the background of the WSS! The principle figures behind the two small countries, Duke Tristram and Count Erik, started life many years ago as the commanders of my first warhammer fantasy armies, and now it seems their ongoing feud has transcended time and space!

Each infantry battalion will be of a mere 12 figures, each cavalry squadron will consist 5 figures. This might seem a little small but unfortunately I am constrained by lack of space for gaming at the moment.

These chaps hail from the fair Duchy of Veloires, and on parade, awaiting their colours, is a battalion of Duke Tristrams the Guarde du Veloires (the chaps with the gold lace on their hats), a battalion of line infantry, and a single squadron of cavalry.

I hope to be able to present the first elements of the Counts army, unfortunately I cant build my second box of infantry till the second box cavalry arrive (well I can but not properly!) …and Im finding Yellow a to paint! 

Indeed ECW standard shafts would work throughout the 18th C, and well into the 19th for most armies – cavalry being very proud of their knightly forebears. I'll have to find a Warlord ECW customer near me then…

As for painting yellow, I share your pain. Depending on the effect you wish to achieve, undercoating in light brown or sand sometimes worked for me.

@ Mike Target: do you have a blog (I see your pics are on photobucket)? Such a project deserves one TMP link
Blogging is free, easy (even a dinosaur from the age of mechanical typewriters somehow managed), requires no maintenance. You post at your own pace, and there is no more handy and reader-friendly support to share your project, its developments, post 'fluff', units profiles, campaign moves and battle reports…
TMP link ( ?)

Thank you on the insights as far as weight goes…may have to come up with a filler so to speak.

P.

If you want to add some weight/heft to a plastic unit, then why not base the figures on metal bases?

Nice looking figures.

I knew there was a simple solution…thank you!

P.

I did set up a blog years ago, but never used it! So Ive reinstated it to keep track of this project.

platoonfire.blogspot.com

Not much new on it just yet, just one pic of the WIP units of the Counts army, hopefully more to follow!

@ Mike Target: thanks and cheers!

PS: not familiar with the template: how can one 'follow' your blog?

erm, neither am I….I dont know…Ill have a look at the settings.

Edit: ive reset it back to the old template so it can add followers…the list of followers isnt working though.

I could 'subscribe', even if the list is not appearing, and I checked on my dashboard, your blog appears among those I follow, so on the reader's side it works.

Welcome and long life!
What about joining Emperor vs Elector link, the dazibao for 18th C. Imagi-Nations rulers?

Hello, just updated my blog with a few more pics of a variety of WF WSS models…

platoonfire.blogspot.com

@ Abdul666lw : I take it you've already added my blog to that site, becouse I noticed the other day my two Imagi-nations have been added to the lists!

Unfortunately, no.
I'm not the owner / moderator of 'EvE': to join you'll have to e-mail to Jeff Hudelson link

@CorporalTrim – do you have a blog of pics of your WF WSS figs anywhere?

The necks are too long: well its not the neck really, more the way the scarf sticks up, 2 seconds with a file sorts this.

@Mike Target – can you please clarify what you mean above – are you talking Infantry or Cavalry or both – I'm about to start assembling my own WF figs and would appreciate learning from you experience?

Another problem is that the swords in the scabards are sculpted in such a way to make them difficult to cut the swords off of if you want them to be holding the swords. These could have been done better to avoid this. As it is most of my models don't have the swords drawn to avoid this annoyance.

@Pictors Studio – I presume you are talking about removing the hilts to make the scabbard look empty for the drawn sword? Can you not use the Infantry Scabbards cut away as @Mike Target says above in the OP for the cavalry instead (since their hilts are effectively wasted due to the back-to-front thing)? I have several boxes of Infantry but am awaiting the arrival of the Cavalry I ordered only last week so can't see 'first hand' what you refer to…

@Musketier on the March – Thanks for the comment about the Artillery Set from WF – I didn't realise they were doing one – it's good to know as I was about to order some guns & crew from Front Rank…

@CorporalTrim – do you have a blog of pics of your WF WSS figs anywhere?

Never Mind Found You

Both, but less so with the cavalry.

Watch out though, filing down to much results in come of the hats, (floppy ones mostly) fouling the musket barrel on some of the single pose infantry,

With the swords I think what Pictors is on about is that the the sword hangs from two straps ( I dont know if thats their proper name: frog perhaps? or is that just what holds the strap to the belt?) , but one is hidden behind the hilt and guard etc on the sword: If you cut off the guard (i.e on a model that has its sword drawn ) you lose one of those straps, and some might think the result is a bit funny looking.

What Ive done with officers with a drawn sword is to push an empty scabbard up under the sash (the one that is a seperate part on both kits) so you cant see that a strap is missing.

Hi @Mike Target,

Both, but less so with the cavalry.

Watch out though, filing down to much results in come of the hats, (floppy ones mostly) fouling the musket barrel on some of the single pose infantry,

Right – I'm with you – did you try filing at an angle so the head ended up slightly tilted down or up or to the side? Would that help?

With the swords I think what Pictors is on about is that the the sword hangs from two straps… but one is hidden behind the hilt and guard etc on the sword: If you cut off the guard …you lose one of those straps, and some might think the result is a bit funny looking.

Ahh, right – yes I can see what you mean from the illustration of the rider sprue on the WF site… Your solution sounds best…

What Ive done with officers with a drawn sword is to push an empty scabbard up under the sash (the one that is a seperate part on both kits) so you cant see that a strap is missing.

…presumably allowing you to use up the useless scabbards from the Infantry pack? I keep forgetting to look – are these long enough to use for Officer & Cavalry Sword scabbards?