pbishop12 | 02 Aug 2012 11:37 p.m. PST |
I've been wargaming Napoleonics for 35 years. 25/28MM metals. While I've switched manufacturers over the years, again, I've stuck to metals. I like what I see in plastics, but how do they hold up? My old Minifigs used to get bayonet breadkage and I replaced them years ago. current ranges do better. How about the plastics? Do you folks see much breakage? |
Toaster | 03 Aug 2012 2:57 a.m. PST |
The bayonets are a weak point but not to bad, the force to break them would be about the same as required to seriously bend a metal one. Robert |
bracken | 03 Aug 2012 3:14 a.m. PST |
Victrix bayonets seem alittle bit more fragile then perrys! But I could of just being unlucky! |
John de Terre Neuve | 03 Aug 2012 3:31 a.m. PST |
I have lost many Victrix bayonets, maybe 15%, but I may be a little rough. John |
TodCreasey | 03 Aug 2012 5:06 a.m. PST |
I find them much harder wearing if the initial bond is solid |
Pictors Studio | 03 Aug 2012 5:26 a.m. PST |
The Perry bayonets I have don't have any breakage issues, but the Victrix ones do. I think the equivalent thickness in metal though wouldn't be possible. They probably should have made them more robust. Now I can only speak to the British for Victrix. |
FreemanL | 03 Aug 2012 5:44 a.m. PST |
It is pretty much the same for me. My Perry plastics have taken abuse and bounce – sometimes literally – back for more. My one and only Perry bayonet casualty was actually the tip of one Frenchmen was bent with a crack in it. A little model glue later and good as new. But the breakages for Victrix are off the chart for me. My Poor Old Guard Grenadiers literally had 56 out of 64 bayonets snapped off. They are glued back but fragile and some continue to come off. That is worst case though, as usually I only lose one or two in a battalion. And yet, I do continue to buy and build Victrix! I have several battalions ready to be painted and another French box set waiting to be built. To cut back on the chance to break, I am watching how I put them on the stands to avoid giving any stress points. Larry |
EagleSixFive | 03 Aug 2012 6:59 a.m. PST |
I have had Warlord Napoleonics break off as well. New medium, same old problem I appreciate the producers trying to get scale fidelity but sometimes chunky is good! |
Trajanus | 03 Aug 2012 7:55 a.m. PST |
Interesting to hear about Victrix. Maybe they are using a different composition of plastic that's inherently more brittle. My Perry Civil War ones have had all kinds of abuse and laughed at it. |
Old Glory | 03 Aug 2012 8:36 a.m. PST |
I have heard they will survive atomic blasts --?? Or at least can "be thrown against a wall without breakage"? Virtually indestructible I hear ????? Regards Russ Dunaway |
Mserafin | 03 Aug 2012 9:09 a.m. PST |
I've had more than 10% breakage of muskets/bayonets on Victrix right out of the package – and I'm talking about the metal Portuguese, not the plastics!. About half seem to have a noticable weak point where they will break in the future – I've re-inforced these with JB Weld, but I really don't expect them to last once I get them on the table. I hope Brigade Games switches to a more robust metal when they begin casting them, or re-master them with thicker weapons. Replacing the broken guns will probably make my Portuguese the most expensive unit I'll ever do. |
spontoon | 03 Aug 2012 4:57 p.m. PST |
Over the years I've had many figures from several manufacturers suffer from extreme bayonet breakage. Only exception: Prince August! One cure is to remove all the bayonets to start with. I have several units finished thus. Especially for units marching at the slope. Not supposed to be done with bayonets fixed in the flintlock period! |
Bosco05 | 04 Aug 2012 4:47 a.m. PST |
The early Victirx sets (British infantry and the first French set) are very brittle because the castings for bayonettes and such are very thin. The same issue exists for flag poles. I've never had any breakage issues with my Perry plastics – the pointy stuff is cast a bit thicker. I do suggest replacing plastic flag poles with brass rod, but I do that for both metals and plastics. Flag poles and their associated flag bearers always get the most abuse from me. I'm a big fan of plastics being relatively new to Napoleonic's. It's allowed me to build up some relatively large armies for a moderate cost. And yes Russ, they can survive atomic blasts, you should line your bomb shelter with them as I do :) |
Garde de Paris | 04 Aug 2012 9:38 a.m. PST |
I have lost a couple bayonets from my only plastic set – Victrix French 1807 w/bicorns. In one case, I did a voltigeur kneeling, holding his musket at the balance, with his head turned to the right and hat raised in the right harm, as though signalling the rest of the unit, perhaps from a rise in the ground ahead of the movement. In this case, the missing bayonet looks fine, as it would have been a slight hindrance in scouting. I like the idea of a unit marching at the carry with no fixed bayonets. By the way, does anyone have the web address for Brigade Games? They now produce the Victrix metal figures. GdeP |
Condotta | 04 Aug 2012 12:31 p.m. PST |
Assembling plastic Perry Russian infantry, no broken bayonets so far, but they are definitely less robust than metal Perry Russian infantry. |
Green Tiger | 08 Aug 2012 4:29 a.m. PST |
Buy Italeri ones – cheaper,smaller and don't break
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dantheman | 14 Jun 2016 5:54 a.m. PST |
We are a few years on in this post and wonder what the experiences are now. I ask because I have Perry ACW and Bolt Action figures. Bolt Action always break for me. Perry's are a little better. Not a lot of experience with Vitrix. Not sure which way to go at this point. I started replacing my WW2 plastic with metals. |