27th Regiment of Foot. A work in progress.

It's been a while since I've posted, and I decided to share a few photos of my WIP on the 27th Regt of Foot for the Waterloo project.

There will eventually be 7 Companies each of 24 figures plus a few command figures,  mounted officers and colours etc.

I completed the Light Company some time ago and they are boxed up and hence not in this photograph.

I'd like to have the whole battalion finished by the new year.

Waterloo Trip

I've randomly decided at short notice to visit the Waterloo battlefield in Belgium tomorrow for a few days and will return on Friday. It'll hopefully get the motivation up for the masses of painting I still have left to do. Also I've been to Belgium every year since 2010 and still haven't been!

Flank Company 27th Regiment of Foot

Here is my first addition to the 27th Regiment of Foot (Inniskillen) - a flank company. Only 9 more companies to go! The figures are the new Warlord Games British Infantry in plastic.

Coldstream Guard Centre Companies

Here are my two completed Coldstream Guard Centre Companies for the Waterloo Project. The figures are all plastic Perry Figures

Back on it

Well, the Waterloo tester game was a massive wakeup call for me, reminding me I've got over 300 figures left to paint, so I got back into it over the last weekend.

Firstly I painted up my second Company of Coldstream Guards to join the first centre company which I painted some time ago. I am not willing to enter into the debate over the colour of their trousers - they are all done now!

Coldstream Guards Centre Company

Then I constructed and painted black an entire box of "Warlord Games British Starter Army" to make my 27th Inniskillen Regiment.

Construction begins outside on the 27th Inniskillen Regiment

As you can see, I only managed 7 companies from the whole box, and so I need 2 more companies and a lot of command figures to make up the last 3 companies.

7 Companies of 18 figures each. Only another 3 Companies to add!

A monumental task if ever I've seen one! Warlord have sold a few more boxes.

Waterloo Tester Game

Not wishing to give too much away but I was privileged to take part in a tester game for the Waterloo anniversary game at the beginning of the month.

The rules were created by Chris Gregg and played well, although it was agreed a few minor changes were needed.

Although intended to merely test the rules, I had a fantastic time as well.

Next month we are testing the cavalry rules!

2nd KGL Light Infantry Battalion

Advancing French Infantry Battalion

French Infantry Brigade

The Farmhouse Burns

Royal Horse Artillery

British Infantry half Battalion

Nassau Light Company

2nd KGL Light Battalion

French Light Infantry Battalion

Warlord/Front Rank Comparison

Since posting up my review of the new Warlord Games figures, I've had a few questions regarding their size compared to Front Rank so I thought I'd try and address the issue.

Here you can see the Front Rank officer on the left (from a Peninsular reinforcement pack) and the Warlord Games officer on the right.

Aside from the fact the Warlord Games officer has "lost his head" in the heat of battle, I would say they are exactly the same size and the detail is good.

Potentially these could emerge as serious rivals if Warlord looked to extend their metal range.

Assessing the lead/plastic mountain

I've spent the afternoon going through my collection of unpainted items and I've found a real mixed bag of items including

- 3 Boxes of Warlord Landwehr
- 4 Blisters of Warlord Landwehr
- 1 Box of Perry Austrian Infantry
- 1 Box of Perry Prussian Infantry
- 2 Boxes of Victrix British Artillery
- 1 Box of Perry French Dragoons
- 1 Box of Perry French Hussars
- 1 Box of Perry British Hussars
- 1 Front Rank Portuguese Battalion Pack
- 2 Front Rank Portuguese Artillery Packs
- 1 Front Rank French Imperial Guard Battalion pack
- 1 Front Rank French Light Infantry Battalion Pack
- 1 Front Rank British Peninsular Battalion Pack
- 2 Front Rank Spanish Infantry Battalion Packs with Top Hat
- 2 Front Rank Spanish Infantry Battalion Packs in Stovepipe Shako
- 1 Offensive Miniatures Spanish Infantry Battalion pack in Bicorn
- 1 British Napoleonic Army Starter Pack from Warlord Games
- 3 Packs of Perry British Line Infantry
- French Generals from Front Rank

So I think I have a lot of gluing (and painting) to be getting on with!

Warlord Games - British Waterloo Metal Figures

I have decided to review the metal figures seperately, to cut down on the length of the posts.

In the Warlord Games starter army box, you get 4 metal command bags x 6 figs, one of which is Hanoverian.  You also get a bag containing a 9lb Artillery Piece and 4x crew, and a bag containing a mounted officer and horse. The Hanoverian command is reviewed elsewhere.

Warlord British Infantry Command Pack

As you can see, you get six command figures in the pack,  6 heads, 2 flag poles, 2 finials and a spare arm.

Command Figures (L-R) Sapper, Officer, Sergeant

Now I'll look at the figures in more detail. Here you can see you've got (L-R) a "Sapper" armed with an axe, an officer waving his shako in the air and a Sergeant with his arm extended. The bearded head is clearly for the Sapper and the bald head for the officer. For the Sergeant you get the choice of two arms. One holding a "Spontoon" and the other holding a cane under his arm. This certainly provides variety and is a great addition!

Command Figures (L-R) Ensign, Ensign, Drummer

Here you'll see (L-R) we have an ensign, sword arm in the air, an ensign holding a flag with two hands and a drummer. We also have two flag poles and two finials. The figures seem nice and good quality, but there is a criticism coming up.

I don't usually swear, but brace yourselves...

The ensigns hands need f**king drilling out. This kind of thing really grips my shit. The kind of people who buy masses of plastic models (like me) don't want to be drilling out hands on tiny men!

Warlords Mounted British Officer

Anyway, rant over and onto the mounted officer. Fairly standard fare here, my officer is looking through a telescope, whilst his horse grazes. I don't know if different packs have different officers? Can anyone tell me otherwise? The figure seems well sculpted and like the other metal figures are MUCH better than Warlords earlier metal figures.

Warlord British Artillery and Crew

Finally the artillery piece. Not a lot to discuss, a limber, wheels and a barrel make up the artillery piece, and there is also I believe a "handspike"?? On the sprue with the barrel. The figures themselves look like Royal Horse Artillery to me in their helmets. The figures I have are one guy with a rammer, one holding an artillery round, one holding a stick (which could be a fuse/portfire or could be a telescope?) And finally a guy with his thumb down. Presumably he is intended to stand near the vent/charge hole with his thumb in it to prevent the cannon exploding whilst rammer man does his business? (Disclaimer : I am clearly not an artilleryman)

Last but not least a review of the fact sheet, which opens out and the back is blank!! Finally this means you can cut out flags without losing text or information! The information itself isn't ground breaking and I haven't learnt anything new from reading it. However if you are new to Napoleonics then it will be useful to you.

Waterloo Line Infantry Fact Sheet

There is a wide range of flags including KGL, Guards, 27th Inniskilling and the 33rd. Decent looking flags that should do the trick for those of you starting out.

Waterloo Line Infantry Fact Sheet

Now I'd give this box set 9/10 - I'm impressed with the contents and the quality. Obviously I've not tried gluing or painting them yet - I will keep you posted! Thanks for reading!

Warlord Games Plastic British "Waterloo" Infantry

I've had time to review the Plastic British Infantry recently released by Warlord Games

As you know I purchased their "British Starter Army" for the Waterloo Campaign at a cost of £70.

This includes 108 plastic and metal British Line Infantry in Belgic Shakos, 36 Plastic and Metal Hanoverian infantry, an officer on a horse and an artillery piece. The Hanoverian infantry have been reviewed elsewhere.

This review will focus on the plastic figures. I will review the lead ones seperately.

British Infantry Figures in the Warlord Army Pack

Well as you can see, you get 18 sprues of plastic Infantry, and each sprue contains 5 infantry figures in march attack pose, 1 of whom is a "flank" company figure and so suitable for the Light or Grenadier companies.

Standard British Infantry Sprue

Close up of Flank Company Figure (R) and another Figure

Three Centre Company Figures

Centre Company Figure

Also on the sprue are 7 seperate heads, 1 head has no shako, the rest are wearing covered Belgic shakos, which certainly makes painting a lot quicker. You will also see that one chap has a bandage over his eye.

Close up of Heads. Bandaged head on (L) and barehead on (R)

Close up of Infantry Heads

One thing I didn't notice in my earlier review of the Hanoverian Infantry is that each sprue contains two extra "wings" for flank company figures. This allows you to make an extra flank figure per sprue - great for those of us who maybe have to make light companies of guards for Waterloo 30-60 figures strong!

Flank Company "Wings"

The figures are what I'd like to call "standard" Warlord 28mm size, and should fit well with other plastic figures from Perry and Victrix. I have pitted my Warlord figures against the larger figures of Front Rank and I think they fit in fine but I know this is a contentious issue for some.

The moulds are very good,  no flash that I can see and the detail is definitely getting better. In terms of historical accuracy of the figures, they appear fine to me but I'm no button counter.

A starter army retails at £70 which gives you a *rough* price of around 46p a figure.

Warlord Games Plastic Hanoverian Infantry

Well as promised here is the first review, focusing on the Hanoverian Infantry included in the "British Starter Army" box.

As you can see you get 6 sprues of 5 infantry figures,  a pack of 6 metal command figures and a flag/information sheet.

Warlord Games Plastic Hanoverian Infantry

The figures are all in a march attack pose, and the arms are moulded onto the body. There is a seperate back pack and water bottle which needs to be attached to the figure. Finally there is a selection of heads, with nearly all wearing the traditional 'Hanoverian' flat cap. The casts look to be very good and the detail is very clear. These should be quick to assemble which is a bonus.

Hanoverian Infantry Sprue

The metal command figures look good quality as well, with clear detail. There is a sapper, a drummer, Two ensigns and an two officers. There are seperate heads which need to be attached.

Hanoverian Command (From top left to bottom right) Sapper, Ensign, Ensign, Officer, Drummer, Officer in Greatcoat

The flags seem to be generic flags following a 'popular' design. They look to be very clean and with good detail.

Hanoverian Flag Sheet

Hanoverian Information Sheet

New Warlord British Infantry Army Set - A review

I've been absent from the forum for a while, due to work commitments so my apologies. Today however I've been to Salute 2014, to have a look around.

One of my main objectives whilst there was to get hold of the new Warlord Games plastic British infantry. My original plan was to buy one box, but I saw the "British Waterloo Starter Army" for £70.00 on the Warlord Games stand.

I took this option because I need a large number of British infantry for my Wargames group Waterloo project in 2015. It also gives me the chance to review the Plastic Hanovarian Infantry which are also included in the set, as well as the metal figures which Warlord have added to their range.

I will review the Hanovarian Infantry and the British Infantry in seperate reviews.

As you can see from the box cover you get 108 British Infantry, 36 Hanovarian Infantry, A mounted Colonel and a cannon

Centre Company, Coldstream Guard

Here is the latest addition to the Waterloo project - a centre company of the Coldstream Guards. I am painting two companies for the project. All figures are plastic by Perry Miniatures