"28mm Nap question." Topic

Hi folks!
I have a question to the forum,
I am looking to build a collection of 28mm Napoleonics for showcasing the uniforms of the era.

The idea is to have one each of the different figures on single circular bases.

First of I want to have the different soldiers of the French Imperial Guard:
Chasseur a Cheval in full dress, in campaign dress, trumpeter, officer, Grenadier a Cheval i full dress, campaigndress, Empress dragoons etc etc etc…

And here is the question:
Where can I find nicely sculpted figures as noted above??
I have been collecting 15mm Napoleonics for so long that I just realized I know almost nothing about 28mm manufacturers (!!).
I know of Perry miniatures, but they only seem to have the above mentioned in campaigndress(?).

Also, does anyone sell single figures? Like ABs in 15mm…

I would be very greatfull forany advice here.

Ps: I am going to try to fund this project by selling some of my 15/18mm Nap figures. I have posted some on the marketplace, but maybe the price was wrong..

Thx in advance!

Cheers
Dr J

My first question must be why go for 28mm, when you want to show individual uniform details?

We all know the limitations/advantages of any given scale. 6mm…unless you are Perfect Six you cannot show button colours. 15-18mm, superb proportions, but ideal for large numbers. 1/72 probably best of all, for combining anatomy with animation…but you surely mean metal, not plastic. Yes, I really do accept what folk have achieved in plastics, but, whilst agreeing the skill is incredible, why not apply that to better master figures? I refer of course to the soft plastics of Airfix/ Revell/ Russians….as not ideal for single figures……(Sorry Marc) 28mm figs can be Hobbits, some call it "Heroic", and would be awful for individual display.

"Can you not go larger than that?" (Like all my girlfriends, pre Mrs F, have said). You are talking about a single figure. You are talking about hours of work on each to get it right. Think of the investment in time vs in the figure itself. Spend more on a slightly larger scale. 28mm would be crazy.

The next challenge would be consistency in scale. I mean you want that scale which is the most popular ie widest range. This is not wargaming…this is individual figures. What is your painting time worth vs the cost of any single figure? 54 mm…..

Front Rank has single figures in a wide variety. Plus their great figs.

Ah, a question of size eh?
I learned the hard way after living in the US for some years that the question "Do you want to go large on that order?" can quickly backfire;)

I will refrain from any more size-wise experiences…

Well, I decided to go for 28mm to get the widest range possible.
Pluss I really like the Perry miniatures.
Had a look at Front Rank and ended up ordering half their FRench catalouge! Also I found Gringos and ordered their Sappers, Gendarmes, Mamelukes (never heard of them before!), Tartars and personalities.

Together with the stuff I ordered from Perrys it looks to fun!!

Thanks for the help!

Have a look at Eagle miniatures, some of their newer stuff is very well proportioned and if you venture into the realms of Spanish they have a growing range. Oh and the other part of Wargames Foundry, Casting Room Miniatures have some interesting stuff.

Thanks Jabba!
Just order some French Eclaireurs from Eagle!:) they are the first I have seen that make these units in 28mm, weird that noone else hav emade these yet…

OOuchh!! I went overboard!
Have ordered from Gringo 40s, Eagle, Perry, Front Rank, Victrix, HaT, Warlords….this calls for extra shifts at the ER for Dr.J.
Mrs J wont be happy:=..

You work in a US ER? You have my sympathy. Central London 6 months in 1977 was a cinch by comparison.

In that six months we had a gunshot wound (just one) and I was Johnny on the Spot that day. It created a sensation. We had never seen one. Everyone turned out.

Eclaireurs. One of my favourite units. I did conversions. Must try these

Nope, ER in Oslo Norway.
Hopefully not to many gunshot wounds!
I did a tour in Afghanistan some years ago as a battalion head physician and realized that life as we know it up here in the North is probably closer to a fantasy than reality, at least reality for alot of people in the world.

Oh, I am going to have all the weird units in my soon to be kickstarted 28mm collection! Eclaireurs (all 3 regiments with both young and old guard squadrons), Tartars, Krakusi, Sappers, Gendarmes, Lithuanian Lancers, Guards of Honor, Guides of everywhere…:)

I love that sort of eccentricity. Weid units are such fun to collect. I have more Gendarmes d'Elite than cuirassiers. My Mamelukes plus Tartars, when done, will outnumber my entire Allied Cavalry. I have six Guard Foot Artillery pieces, two Guard HA and not a single Line weapon yet.

Actually I do not have single French Line Infantry man on my shelves……..crazy. What are you using for Gardes d'Honneur?

I am going with Perry plastic hussars for my Guards d'Honneur. Full Hussar dress with Classic shako with cords and plume and all the works, pelisses waving in the wind and breeches with light cavalry boots. Trumpeters in colpack and offiers in either colpack or the tall shako roulleau.
I know, they should be metal, plastic does not "feel" the same, but they are such nice sculpted minis. Not to "gnome-looking". And the perrys horss are particullarly nice.

Speaking of proportions, I have also ordered some HaT 28mm light infantry chasseurs, carabiniers and voltiguers and they are ALMOST as anatomically correct/acceptable as the AB 18mms I am used to.
I am still a little put off by the anatomy anomaly of 28mm minis.. I guess I will get used to it like the rest of you 28 fans.

There is a fantastic variety of makers of minis in this size though, and the head-variations offer almost limitless possibilities!
…Maybe I finally can have the Napolitano guard and guides on my shelf one day;) ah, the sweet insanity that is Napoleonics!

You are a collector, not a wargamer. I am a "button counter", but still get things wrong all the time. When told, I am really grateful and I change things. Some folk react badly though to any such comments……….

OK. G d'H. Do not forget Imperial Guard metal work on front of Shako. The Perry Hussars have an earlier diamond plate…you need to paint as the later eagle over the semicircle thing. I would not swap heads with other plastics…not worth it. Easy to change.

What you must do though is get a scalpel and remove the flounders….. really carefully….and swap all the decoration on the shako, to the opposite side! The lace work is all a mirror image for these lads. If you do not you will lie awake nights thinking…if only I ……

many folk have just repainted the Perry Hussars…the result can be just brilliant…

TMP link

But only you can get it right…..swap the shako decorations over right to left!