"French Line Infantry and some terrain" Topic

More pics here:
link

I do love the pose variations in both the Italeri and Esci French infantry sets. But they do have issues. They have the old uniforms, pre-bardin, but the tails are short, like the later period. They also have double cross belts like grenadiers or voltigeurs. It's too bad, because they are the only French figures with the long gaiters.

Zvezda promised us a superior and correctly modeled set of French fusiliers, but they cancelled on us. So for accurate French infantry, we are left with HaT, whose figures are kind of flat, and the marching figs look like "Mr. Natural," trucking through a comic book.

I still have hopes HaT will release their long promised French infantry, to replace those early sets which were not, perhaps, of Zvezda quality. And it will be interesting to see if Zvezda release any Naps in their horrid small box format. But paying £3.00 GBP for 4 marching figures may be beyond me.

Marc,

I have not heard of HaT "replacing" their earlier French infantry, though it would be welcomed. Where did you see mention of that? I see nothing like it on the HaT site.

On a recent visit to PSR, I found that Zvezda had originally scheduled not just the French fusiliers and Russian "shooters," but sets of French and Russian Dragoons, command sets, et al. This stuff is listed under their "new" mini sets, and then with "x" next to them, as if they had been cancelled. I'm still REALLY ed about all that.

After all this time, there still is no good French infantry on offer by ANY mfr. The Italeri and Esci sets, shown above, would have been great if not for the cross belts on all the figs and the short coat tails. Why do we have to settle for figs like that, when the other nationalities are SO very superior? Why?

The new Hat sets – there were 4 – 2 for pre and 2 post Bardin – command and marching. The pics are/were up on the web site, and last time (this month) that H commented he said they are "in production" (ie being tooled). Sadly, one set got lost (a command I think) and I am hoping it is not the pre-bardin – I am not short of officers in that uniform – it is the early coat I am desperate for.

The Zvezda releases – I know – every plastic Nap fan cried in anguish when they announced that decision – I guess the 1/72, 1/100, 1/144 game system they sell is more profitable. I can only dream how good the Russian command box would have been for Borodino. They got so close to the perfect 1812 set up, and then stopped. I guess sales just did not work for them.

But for a decent set of french infantry – I would still love a set of early uniform, in gaiters, with shako cords, and just the one cross belt – my dream set. Sadly, the new Hat sets still have them in trousers I recall (maybe one guy in gaiters). And Zvezda were going to be the guys for it, based on what they had made up to the date they ceased. But the odd rumour still circulates that they might release some in the small box format. Time will tell.

And the Esci/Italeri sets – followed Airfix with twin cross belts – aaargh! They are nice figures, but not accurate. Although as Mateus paints them in the OP here, they still end up looking nice – and on the table most people will think they are French infantry and use them as such, so that is fine. I am tempted to head swap them onto the Hat 1805 boig box of infantry in greatcoats to make some later infantry in a thinner style than the fat boys HaT made for 1808-12. Sorry, never liked those (although, again, when i see people paint them, the end up looking nice)

Ok, now I know what you are talking about. Yeah, not greatly impressive. The cancelled Zvezda set did not have shako cords, according to their line drawings.

I've been able to get a decent advancing fusilier by taking one of HaTs "flat" guys, and body swapping him with the old marching legs. But it also requires a "head swap" so the fig is looking forward. Lots of work, there.