"A Dream come true" Topic

Two of the things I always wanted were a unit of Frederick William I Giant Grenadiers. ( He is Frederick the Great's father, for those not in the know.) The second was a figure of the Russian Chevalier Guard of the War of the Polish Succession. The men in the former unit had to be over 5'll and some went up to 7 ft tall. The latter Russian figure is just a fantast of wierd winged helmets, plumes etc.

At last I have the time and a little money free to do this and I have contracted a sculptor and a mold maker and caster to do the first part, and later the casting which will be the Grenadier from the 1730's and a drummer boy "alla turca" to go with It. A friend of mine wants some to. I'm going to get castings to make two units, the first painted historically as the real life unit, the second in the Uniform Colors of my Favorite Imagi-Nation Army, that of Princess Trixie of Saxe Burlap und Schleswig Beerstein.

When I can get around to the cavalrymen it will be two units one for real and one again for the Imagi-Nation Army of a Russo-Polish type country- "Gulagia" with its capitol on Gullagin's Island.

Really excited about this.

By the way NONE of these will be combat units, they willk be on the battlefield strictly for show. The Grenadiers in the Princess' Army will be like the Princess' Life Guards which I converted myself from Surens Madame Foures riding "En Hussar" I convereted the whole unit and included officers, NCO's. Kettle Drummer, Trumpeter, Standard bearer, and a musician in form of a one-woman band with drum, keyboard, symbols and an enormous jingling Johnny with cow bells on it.

I tried sculpting the Germadiers myself but I'm not an artist and just could not get the proportions right.

Well done. Photos would be nice when you've got them!

Sorry John, if I spent money on a photo service I couldn't afford the figures.

The men in the former unit had to be over 5'll and some went up to 7 ft tall

Unfortunately, scale creep means these fellows will look 4'6" in a few years…

Dear Roderick

Ummm… I hadn't thought of that. Oh well the uniforms will still be different.

There are the Foundry IR 6 figs as well

link

Or use 30mm figures if you play with 25s.
Use 40mm if you play with 30mm figures.

Dear Frederick

Thos aren't the Giant Grenaders at all. Those are simply Prussian 7 years war Grenadiers in the usual foundry obesity. The cut of the uniform was completely different along with the shape of the miter and accoutrements.

Same to Winston. I already use 30-33 mm figures, Staddens and Surens.

The giant grenadiers were tall, not morbidly obese.

If you feel like casting your own figures, Prince August makes 40mm Prussian SYW molds.
link

Good for you, Otto. I know the feeling well. I started off wanting AWI Highlanders in action poses for the Southern Campaign.

And now I own Kings Mountain Miniatures and could not be happier with my toys.

Dear Winston and all

If I was to do it all over again I probably would do it in Prince August molds. They're excellent.

BUT WHAT DON'T YOU GUYS GET THAT THOSE ARE THE WRONG UNIFORM! The Prussian giant grenadiers did not look like the Prussian Grenadiers of the Seven Years War at all! The coat was of an older pattern as was the miter and several other things.

Here is a link to a contemporary picture of one of them.

link

here is a link to some 54mm models of the same

link

or another

For the next figure which will be more difficult is the chevalier Guards in the war of the Polish succession. He is the figure in the upper left below.

the foundry grenadiers may be based on reenactors of this period

I like the guy playing the goat.

He looks quite medieval doesn't he?

I like the guy playing the goat.

Best thing I'll read all day, thanks for that!