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Sunday 21 October 2018

15-18 -25 -28-30 -40 and all that Jazz

A recent post on one of the Facebook Napoleonic groups set me thinking. A chap opined that Old Glory figures were "a bit smaller" than some more modern figures. Personally I wondered  OG have- to me always been somewhat in the middle of the size range bigger than some smaller than others  but usually not much in it. Now I know some fellas really REALLY obsess about this stuff  "is maker A 25mm or 26.72mm and does it match with maker B's 27.37 mm and are they measured bootlace to nostril  or  kneecap to widows peak? " It is not as if in the great scheme of things it actually matters all that much- a bit yes- sometimes but not a whole lot. 3mm is stylistically and proportionately  more of a difference between 15mm and 18mm  that 25mm is to 28mm - especially when each individual sculptor has different ideas of what actually constitutes measurement.
 However stress not ! I don't- or not about this anyway! Personally I have always though it was more about presentation than mere millimetres . Though you do have to be careful and not all makes automatically look right with all other makes but with a little care you can even put Maker As figures on Maker B's horse- which I have done in both 28mm and 40mm with - speaking personally- some success. Doing that makes you models a little more individual and less like the perryherd which cannot be a bad thing in itself unless  you like your personal collection to be like everyone else's personal collection .....
A selection of 40mm ECW figures by various makers. Sash and Saber, Drabant and Romanoff. With bits mixed up from each to create individual models
Left to right-Romanoff  Sash and Saber--Sash and Saber on Drabant horse then 2 Romanoff with Sash and Saber Scottish heads. All 40mm
2 conversions Sash and Saber  rider on  Drabant horse - but with Romanoff pistol holsters and Drabant on a Sash and Saber Horse.

Some of this I have of course covered in previous posts but it bears repeating when many many figures look just like many many other figures and with plastic it is often worse. All this before I get onto same old same old painting styles, which is of course a bit more of a minefield. Figure painters these days are 10 a penny- though good ones come a lot more expensive and there are some VERY good painters out there but many are beyond those of us who do not have a hugely thick wallet.

28mm now. Perry- I think or perhaps Warlord. Old Glory Old Glory, Elite and last the short dude is a foundry.

Stadden 30mm and Old Glory French Legere. Some chaps seem to think OG are smaller than "modern makes. I think that this selection of shots should lay that one to rest. 
Same Old Glory French Legere next to a rather chunky Front Rank 
Cavalry as always left to right Hichliffe, Old Glory, Front Rank and lastlya Stadden 30mm on a Willie horse- only this last figure looks overly large here
  Esses figure on a Formost horse. Foremost figure on Old Glory horse- again comparing to the 30mm Stadden/Willie combination 
15mm  Blue Moon Napoleonic and Command Decision Moderns. Don't have any other 15mm makes to compare. 

Now as it happens I have used professional painters - and still do- though not nearly as much as I used to. I have to say thant I find some very samey in style - a sort of "3 layered received wisdom" which sometimes works and sometimes does not. This is often merely an apeing of the "magazine style" which in my view helps to create a very samey look when added to the samey look of many of today's perr-a-like figures. Personally I like different styles - both of figures and paintwork. Variety is the spice I have always thought.

What amuses me about the selection of "28mm" pictures is that withthe exception of the Stadden 30mm and the Perry/Warlord  all of these figures were advertised as 25mm if you go back to the 1980s and early 1990s makes a bit of a mockery of all this 3mm angst does it not ?

10 comments:

  1. Interesting post Andy with interesting images. Those 40mm ECW's quite something to behold, I really like those. You mention figure painters and I agree there are very few who can paint to the very highest standard and one would expect to pay premium price for such work. The 40mm 2nd Hussars I have here, (purchased from your good self,) are some of the best I have ever seen, I still marvel over his work most days!

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    1. I made the 40mm ECW out of various parts- some being almost unique - especially as the Drabant 40mm are no longer available- and what I have left I am keeping- at least for now.

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  2. Whats this, Common Sense??? What the Hell do you think you're playing at?

    There is no place for that kind of talk in todays adventure gaming niche leisure market.

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    1. Are you trying to infer Sir- that we are both old Bastards ! LOL

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    2. Later - after I wrote the above remark I realised I only objected to the word Old !

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  3. Staddens and good, old-fashioned 30mm all the way here, along with washes over white undercoats and maybe a bit of dark lining to define things a bit.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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    1. Much the same here as regards painting and the Stadden collection continues to grow.

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  4. I also realised , after I had written the post that there were "other" sizes I had not considered- I have seen models advertised as 21mm 33mm and 35mm - but since most of these are for dwarf- fiddlers or chaps who wear their underpants on the outside it is perhaps better I did ot include them

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  5. My late 25mm ACW collection (which I now regret selling) was composed of OG1, OG2, Sash&Sabre, Redoubt, 1st Corps, Hinchliffe and - at risk of being banned - Perry metal AND plastic figures! There might have been some Foundry in there too. Some mixed well in the same units, some didn't (mainly the chunky handed 1st Corps) but it wasn't noticeable when they were on the table together. In fact, it contributed greatly to the irregular look of the ACW.
    Looking at my AWI options i found Scott McPhees comparison post on his blog and there is a fag paper between the main players as far as height & heft is concerned. But heft is the real deal breaker for me: I don't like chunky figures, which was why I never took to Foundry or Front rank.
    OG2 get it just right and manage to incorporate character. I wish Russ would push on with them.

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    1. Banned-never not for honestly help opinions backed by reasoable argument- despite the perryclones! An army like yours would have had plenty of character and diversity. More power to your elbow!

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