"Victrix line into lights?" Topic

Hiall, just wanted to put this past everyone in case I'm missing something. To turn Victrix 1807-12 French line infantry into light infantry (for 1809), and assuming the following assumptions…

They are wearing long paints on campaign
Many regiments had the same style cuffs as the line
I can put any heads and arms on I like, so probably volt/gren arms and heads with cords and plume. I could even use spare Perry hussar heads in busby for the voltigeurs

…all I need to do is add a sabre belt with greenstuff and glue on spare sword/bayonet combo and all good?!

Is there something about the light infantry uniform I'm forgetting or is this as good an idea as i think it is?

Financially it certainly is…

I think their (the Legere) coattails were shorter – even the pre-1812 uniform. The lapels for Legere also ended in points, as opposed to the squared ends of Ligne; however, very little of this can actually be seen because of the crossbelts anyway. So, I'd say the length of the coattails would be the biggest difference. These guys are wearing the earlier shako with side plumes.

Best, Dean

Thanks Dean. Good tip. I'll look into how much different the length was and see if I can live with it..

This all really came about when I was lamenting the lack of elite company figures in the box (not really complaining these really are wonderful figures) and realised how easy, given the way the figures are 'posed,' it would be to add sabre belt with greenstuff…

I would wait for the appropriate figures to come available. The jackets were quite a different cut, as described above.

I can't for the life of me understand going to all the expense and time to paint up a figure that is not accurate, even if you can live with it.

I'd either do a proper conversion or find/wait for the appropriate figure.

How about converged light battalions.

XV Brigada. There are plenty of answers to that question.

So when do you think a release date for a pre-1812 uniform specific light infantry box will be? I'm intersted to know?

I know of none in release schedules on the horizon and I have time for this project NOW – whereas my work schedule may not allow me in future. I, however, don't nearly have the cash to buy them in metal. Good enough for you?

Even in 28mm the differences we are talking about are SO small I am willing to make a bet with you. Once I have done them, regardless of what part of the world you live in, I'll send you a box of cigars if anyone EVER walks up to me and says – those coat tails on that there light infantry are too long…

btw: I'll be doing a "proper conversion" but only those areas that will ever been seen or noticed by the human eye!

Remind me not to post picturs of the end product in the gallery.

I'll end up having to post XV brigadier 500 boxes of cigars!

That will teach you .. lol

Several French leger regiments wore long-tailed coats as some point before 1812. The 2nd; the 12th; the 16th; at one time the 17th (drummer in green uniform); the 27th (drummer in light blue uniform faced crimson). All were in Spain for the Peninsular War. The chasseurs in all these units has double crossbelts, sabers and bayonets in double "frog."

GdeP

Thanks GdeP that's very handy to know. Much appreciated and good enough for me to proceed.
An additional reason I want to be able to pull this off is miniature compatibility. I'm a little precious about the min's I buy and in the earlier period, which rules out Perry, I have been unable to find a manufacturer I like well enough (even if I had the money to buy in metal) that fits neatly with Victrix to suit me. Money aside, Front Rank are magnificent but look ludicrous beside Victrix. Fat bastards.
Victrix, for me, are the perfect blend between anatomical correctness and suitable girth for good painting! Coattails being fractionally too long, to have my light infantry match the rest perfectly, is small price to pay in the end.

Accuracy is kind of hard to prove. The stunning parade ground appearance of most troops, the shiny still dyed uniforms. Most guys can live with seeing troops on seeing that. And really, we have only sketchy ideas about what a campaign uniform might look like. whose to say, one regiment of lights didn't receive a faulty order of jackets with the wrong cut. Just once. Perfectly easy to picture that happening. Sometimes it's better to make a small mistake and have a good game than it is to wait eons for a manufacture exactly the right figure in plastic, or justify paying for some expensive metals.

Ultimately it's each to their own. Im not to upset by small anachronisms. My 51st light infantry officers have pelisses, my 8th Neapolitans might have the wrong style cuffs. I'm not going to worry about it. Aslong as the jackets, facings and hats are the right match and the colours the closest I can get them who cares if the tails are slightly too long, or if the badge design is off.

I will say, the bigger the figure the harder it is to hide such things. The smaller they are the easier to pass things off. I'd have no issues with it. I'm painting plastic frogs as Neopolitans. Not an exact match but close enough.

Seems you and I are of one mind Edwulf. In truth, it's not as though I'll have vast numbers of light infantry in the collection in any event. But I do have a significant number of left over Victrix that can work very nicely in this role.

All-in-all, there are a number of good reasons why this idea works well for me atm. Makes the time required for any conversion work well worthwhile..

In the end I'll probably bring the lapels to a point with a sharp knife and forget about the longish coatails.

Just a further FYI. Anyone wanting to go ahead with this project can do so in relative safety – I certainly am.

I'm home from work and checked the figures. With arms on and belts in the way the lapel points are invisible. No issues at all there.

The coatails are identical in lengeth to the 1809 light infantry in plate G in the Osprey (and the officers in plate D are longer!) and probably only about 3 inches (real scale) shorter than the above plate.

Not enough to be of any concern to anyone but a fanatic.

Hi Pessaoo,

Just had a look through my Eltings volume after reading your thread as there are some images of Light Infantry in long tails there also.

31st regiment long tails and line infantry cuffs. Their drummers wear Green jackets.

27th Regiment as already mentioned by GdeP,Drummers in light blue jacket with red lapels and line infantry style cuffs.

There is an illustration of A 7th Regiment in long tails. He is a chasseur and has line infantry shoulder straps.There is also a nice illustration of a 7th Regiment Carabineer in long tails wearing a hussar style colback as does the drummer.

Hope this helps?

Steve.

Very much so, thanks Steve. I'm going to start putting em together this weekned so it's good to go ahead with this information.

Just remindeded me to take my Greenstuff out of the fridge so it softens up a bit too!

@pessa00,

No you won't. I don't smoke and I wouldn't be so bloody rude anyway.

Very wise…those things'll kill you..