"Tell me about Heroics and Ros 5mm Napoleonics" Topic

My eyesight is not what it used to be, and as a result I have struggled painting 6mm Napoleonics. I am thinking the figures, while superb sculpts, may just have too much detail for me to paint to my level of satisfaction.

I was thinking a less detailed figure may be easier on my eyes and easier to paint.

What do TMPers know about 5mm Heroics and Ros Napoleonics? Are they easier to paint then other 6mm figures? Are they easy to get in the United States?

I know I could go up in scale but I really like the massed look of 6mm. I also know I could just paint less detail, but another problem I have is if it is on the figure, I have to paint it.

Thank you all.

They are small and basic. I have some Tricorne types painted up and mounted. They look good enmasse. I can only guess the Napoleonics will be similar in size and basic details.

Are they easier? They are smaller. They are more basic. I think they are about the same difficulty. Less detail means less to paint. The small size means you have to have a steadier hand. So the answer is going to be based on your painting skill and personal preference.

I like them better than either Baccus or Adler because I can't stand the big head look, especially on cavalry. When your hat is as big as your horse's body something is wrong. To me the H&R figs are a lot more proportional.

That said they do still have decent detail although the heads and headgear should have less. I think they paint up pretty quickly.

Funnily enough I find smaller figures easier to paint and the less detail on the figure makes my life easier.

R&H are 1/300 not the 1/285 of "6mm".

They are slightly smaller and come on strips.

I've enjoyed them in the past and were a great resource as a student.

If you are tempted to paint the detail, then they are harder as there is nothing to guide you or highlight onto. But if you are happy with a very basic paint job they should be OK. They look good en masse.

You can see some of my painted H&R Napoleonic Austrians here: link

Hope that's of some use,
Hugh

They can be painted up quickly for the en masse look. As was stated they are more proportional than Adler certainly. I have them based on 2x2" squares for Grand Armee.

Having said that I now have trouble seeing them on the table as well as to paint them!! I don't think it is easier to paint 1/300 unless you use a magnifier of some sort. Heck I need one for 15mm!!

Like one or two others on this thread, I prefer the style of H+R. I find them very quick to paint ( I have done Russians, Austrians, Wurtembergers, Italians as well as both sides in ACW). Cavalry particularly are nicely proportioned. I find they take my " black undercoat, white dry brush, stain colour, varnish the magic wash" method very well. I painted nearly 200 in under a week, including basing, working only for an hour or two in an evening, so you should be able get an army ready in pretty short time.

Incidentally, I am in my late 60's and wear glasses and don't use any supplementary lenses etc, so eyesight issues should not be a problem with these.

I like Heroics & Ros best of the 5/6mm ranges. They are nicely proportioned and look good en masse. I found them easy to paint – but I have only done ACW not Napoleonics.

If you want to see how good they can look, check out this site: link

I really like the figures. What stops me is the 40% of order total for shipping to my side of the pond.

This Baccus page (1/285/6mm) is really good – gives the flavour of the Joy of Six during July 2014 in Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

link

If you scroll down you'll find the demonstration game of Banja Luka – all H&R 1/300/5mm figures.

For me, I would like to say that I like the Baccus figures – range being proactively increased – balance between size and detail – showing great leadership in developing products/hobby/etc; however, despite their inadequacies comparative to Baccus/Adler – lower detail, smaller, old-fashioned 1970's sculpts, etc – I find that the H&R get a larger emotional response from me – their idiosyncrasies give a charm all of their own – they make me engage my imagination.

I'd suggest that you order some samples from all the smaller ranges – line infantry, light infantry, cavalry and artillery – paint them up and then decide:

- Heroics and Ros
- Irregular Miniatures
- Adler
- Baccus

After painting a stack of H & R many years ago, I am now a big fan of Baccus. They have a good level of detail and the proportions are fine by me. Most importantly, Baccus figures have obviously been designed with the painter in mind and, consequently, paint up very easily (even with my ordinary painting skills). They have sensible poses and good raised detail.

I use H. and R. for my SYW armies and I wouldn't change them; well-proportioned and accurate figures.

I am a loyal H&R user for my SYW armies. They have better proportion and you can push the level of detail as soon as your eyes are sharp and your hands are steady. I don't use supplementary lenses, only my eyeglasses. You can see the results here:

torgauproject.blogspot.it

Fabrizio

Hi Desert Fox,

Sounds like H&R are the best choice for you…

I would repeat the point made by leidang – they really are better proportioned figures and the mass effect would be better too I should think.

I have H&R Napoleonics and SYW armies.

As for detail, with a fine brush, it is just possible to "line in" collars and cuffs, which is about what is needed to distinguish various regimental id`s.

and …nice pics Fabrizio!

Hello Desert Fox!

I've painted thousands of 6mm Napoleonic figures mainly from H&R, Irregulars, Baccus and Adler. By far the easiest to paint is Baccus. As AussieAndy states they were designed by a painter. The paint or cut lines are clearly defined and your brush just follows them. All the important details are raised which adds to the simplicity of the painting process. The figures are also adequately shaped and spaced which allows you to get your brush into the tight spaces. When finished and mounted on bases the units also seem to have a greater sense of color and depth, which is mainly the result of their stature and uniform poses.

There are a lot of other good reasons to buy Baccus, but they have nothing to do with your problem. I gather from your comments your either presently painting Baccus or Adler figures. Adler figures are wonderful as well, but I find them harder to paint then Baccus. Some of the details are very fine and it takes a lot of effort to get some of them right. That's okay if your only painting a few figures, but if your going to do thousands it can be very laborious. So if your presently painting Adlers then try switching to Baccus, similar detail with less work and eye strain.

If your already painting Baccus then going to the smaller H&R figures won't work. Yes there is less detail, but the paint lines are too fine to catch your brush. Also being a smaller figure the proportions are smaller which means your consistently working in smaller areas.

Also keep in mind that H&R being smaller then Alder and Baccus figures do look a lot smaller on the table. So having them close to each other sometimes looks a little odd. The biggest disparity would be the difference in the size of the cavalry. Adlers are almost twice as big as H&R.

I think the real solution for your problem is simply to use magnification in your painting process. Today there are a number of ways to do this. A fixed stand, a head band with a flexable line or one on an adjustable strap that goes around your neck. I'm sure one of these will work wonders for you. Jewelers use these devices all the time and they work wonders for them, why not you?

Best regards,

Glenn

I have painted H&R, Baccus and Adler – I like all three for different reasons

I love the look of H&R and they have some great poses. Baccus as noted paint up well. Adler has some great character figs, notably the one I have of Davout as commander of 3rd Corps

I must say that H&R look pretty good painted up en masse – I find them a little more animated than Baccus

This site is worth a look if you want to see how H+R look en masse

link

I didn't realize that totem pole pikes were prevelent in the napoleonic era. Those guns would be a much greater issue to me than heads a little out of scale.

Dave
That link is very useful for finding the right figure codes to represent your Napoleonic and other units.

I have painted lots of Baccus ACW figures. Things go better with an Optivisor. All eyes are not created equal.

The myths that abound these days.