"Napoleonic Late French Line Infantry." Topic

Warlord Games announced a new set of plastic Napoleonic Late French Line Infantry.

Main page.
warlordgames.com

Hope you enjoy!.

Amicalement
Armand

Nice, imaginative, novel poses you must admit…….I know it is what sells….but does seem familiar.

deadhad : I second that motion.

I agree with Deadhead, seems I've seen those poses somewhere before? My preference would be to spend a few dollars more and buy Calpe!

I just cannot understand why anyone would go to the expense involved in making moulds for casting such plastic figures (a major investment) to produce exactly the poses that are already out there……..

Maybe this is what Pack and Kempt saw coming up the ridge. Nothing but row upon row of lads in overcoats (carrying their musket in what has always struck me as an extremely uncomfortable and precarious manner.) Maybe this is what wargamers want to model….but I doubt it.

Thanks Armand – Great news, and good timing if they can get these out in the next few months!

Poses look just fine to me!

Maybe this is what wargamers want to model….but I doubt it

This is standard "march-attack" pose. An actual pose adopted by actual troops while maneuvering, it had the advantage of preventing them from inadvertently stabbing one another with their bayonets.

In gaming terms, this is the most practical pose for Napoleonics. No breakable things (muskets) extending over the edge of the stand, easy to grab without touching the figures, easy to store.

Guys running forward with bayonet leveled looks cool, but it's totally impractical for mounting or playing.

As long as they package them in a 36 man box, I'll take 'em!

Happy you enjoyed them my good friend!. (smile).

Amicalement
Armand

At last, French in greatcoats for those, like me, who dread painting all those bl**dy uniforms.

I did enjoy Mserafin's response. Never understood why they did not slope arms, though. Has anyone tried carrying a weapon like this? Modernish stuff bad enough, something the length of a musket must have been very unstable.

The march attack pose I do accept is what Picton's lads would have seen coming at them, as was the overcoat…….my only complaint is that everyone is modelling this. Do we need even more? The answer may well be yes and I hope any new release from anyone is a commercial success. Good for the hobby!

this is l`arme au bras, which is okish – but I would also like to see the more typical shouldered arms

"This is standard "march-attack" pose."

+1 from me. This is what most people want for bulk troops, so that is where the money is.

We are in a golden age of figures. Lots of the ranges can be mixed. So we have tons of variety on the cheap. I am very happy for gamers coming into Napoleonics who could otherwise not afford large armies.

I have some Warlord plastics (Naps, WW2) and think they are brilliant. Ditto for Perry, Victrix, Empress.

I think the poses are okay except for the guy on the right who looks like he is hopping into battle.

my only complaint is that everyone is modelling this. Do we need even more?

I totally agree with this. All the big companies (Victrix, Warlord, Perry, Front Rank) are competing to sell us French line infantry, but none of them have the sense to make French Legere. Obsessive Napoleonic gamers like me actually "need" these, and currently there are none available in what can be called the "new" style fo 28mm.

Plus, these are plastic, which I personally don't like.

What i would like is 48 miniature boxes with two command sets. So you can make two 24 miniature battalions out of one set.

I think the poses are okay.

A big improvememt are the hands. These look normal and not like the big ones before.

Is there a photo of a fret anywhere? Any timetable for their release?

I've used this "carry" as a CW re-enacter and it is very awkward. You'll notice the guy third from left support his carry arm.

This position keeps the flint dry and the pan covered.

I also agree with the comments ref a "me too" product.

Yes to Legere, yes to Prussians in Reservist waistcoats, yes to any Allied continental cavalry, yes to dead and wounded casualties,even a yes to fixing the strange figure count of their existing Prussian Landwehr…..

But 1815 French….. Tsk Tsk.

But Warlord must think someone will buy them, and at least they havent gone off on resin and 54mm product tangents like Victrix.

I do hope they are right and that they prosper. The more we have of healthy manufacturers the better. I wonder though if they actually do serious market analysis before investments like this. Of course they must…surely….madness not to….and yet……?

Very interesting though. I have learnt much about the weapon carrying style of the march attack, but it still seems incredibly awkward to me, even if it is absolutely right for the period.

It isn't awkard at all, the cock – at half cock – rests in the elbow bent – maybe difficult for a perucussion musket – but not for a flint lock.

The term march attack is useless – there wasn't any march attack unless one is referring to the pas de charge – and then the musket position would be totaly wrong – they were levelled and the ranks closed and interlocked.

L'arm au bras, as shown here – gives a relief to shouldered arms when your left arm tires – but as I said – I would like to see shouldered arms as well, because it is as typical as l'arm au bras.

I can certainly agree with von Wintersfeld, this is a very natural and comforable position for the silex type musket, marched many miles like this in year that I did napoleonic re enactment, once ypou get the hang of it, it is less tiresome than many other positions, this would be typical for route march in formation as the musket is not in anybody's way

One thing that might make this release worthwhile is a variety of head options such as early and late forage caps, bicornes and shakos. I do have two impressions of Warlord figures: that they offer the minimum number of options and that the metal figures are not of high quality.

Well again I will say what a great forum this is. Since I painted those Airfix figures in the early 70s I have wondered about this seemingly daft way of carrying anything. Natural reaction is to get your hand underneath the burden and straighten your elbow…….

I've now learnt convincingly…

It is not a march attack
It avoids clashing with neighbours
The bend of your elbow supports the weapon

You live and you learn. Thanks

"I can certainly agree with von Wintersfeld,…"

Me too!.

Amicalement
Armand

I ask again – is there no photo of a fret anywhere?

Anywhere?

this one is the best for me link b.t.w i like the earlz ones beter !! more variations . greeting serge joe

o.k. no plastic but stil i am a lead junky greetings serge joe

They look better than their Landwher which were very disappointing, though 4 figures probably isn't a big enough selection – if you are going to do 10 or 12 figures to the sprue why not do 10 or 12 different ones?
It's hard to judge what percentage of sales are to hardcore wargamers and how many are sold through modelshops etc to youngsters, modellers, etc, to know if more esoteric stuff would be viable.
I know Vitrix have done some (though I was put off by their over complex and rather brittle early sets) but wonder if there is the market for expensive injection mould tooling of quite so many sets. The one gap that has surprised my though is the lack of a full pack of 95th Riflemen.

I used to be a Napoleonic re-enactor – we used this position for long marches to spread out the stress the weight of the musket placed on the muscles. Without it my arm would have given up. And, yes I would support the carrying arm with my other arm sometimes. Very natural poses.

Surely there will be more variants on the sprue? As it is, only two are for the centre companies, the two greens with shakos having epaulettes on their greatcoats. I'm assuming the combination of sabre and bayonet scabbard worn by the fellow in forage cap is actually meant for these flankers?

I see these are now available in a 144 figure box for £80.00 GBP Not needing quite that many I hope they will offer them in smaller quantities.

link

In British & American manuals the pose is called "Support Arms". It still works with percussion arms. When on long marches both arms can support the musket otherwise the right arm stays on the right side. There is no "March Attack" in US or British manuals, that term is made up by figure manufacturers. When advancing British and US troops would use Port Arms, there is no "High Port" yet. At the command "Charge" the frong rank lowers its muskets. From what I've seen in period prints of the French they still used, what is called in Brit. and US manuals, the "Recover". The musket is held vertical against the right side of the body, until the command "Charge" is given.

The figures shown look like they want to be in a diorama of the invasion, or retreat from, Russia or some other epic march/withdrawl.

It would be great to see the year XI six-pounder and crew (and what ever variants) released separately. That would be nice… R.

Agree with you my friend.

Amicalement
Armand

Excuse my ignorance but why are these for the Waterloo campaign? Surely in greatcoats they would do for any period with the correct headgear? Martin

The pack choice is obvious to me.
Warlord's aim is to provide as many of the main combatants as possible for their rules. They want to provide a one stop shop regardless of what anyone else is doing. A solid business model.

I can only again say how great this forum is in gathering expert opinion. I had wondered for years (indeed ever since those Airfix plastic figures) why anyone would carry a firearm in what seems such an awkward, gravity defying, position. Then I started seeing it in all contemporary illustrations and tried it with my Lee Enfield Mk IV……simply could not do it! I have learnt a lot here……

Well, I think this is anything but a solid business model. I already have Victrix Middle Guard in greatcoats painted as Legere. I am going to have to find someone to go 'snacks' with me. I'd be happy to take the artillery, even the mounted officer, but I will be looking for someone to take 72 of the foot off my hands, I think.