Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Sunday 19 May 2019

French Refurb Project - Yet Another Sanity Check on Scales

I have had some problems getting hold of command figures - especially drummers - to plug the gaps in my refurbished French infantry units. Once again, I find myself trawling around ancient blog posts and forum threads, reading old debates about whether figures from Maker A are compatible with those from Maker B. My perception is complicated somewhat by the fact that individual models from the same manufacturer can vary a bit in scale, by the fact that I frequently disagree with the views expressed in the discussions and by the fact that I tend to forget whatever it was I decided last time.

Round and round we go. I had a couple of email exchanges recently which suggested that, despite my previous investigations, Newline might be OK with Hinton Hunt/Der Kriegsspieler-sized troops after all - especially since I could claim that the drummers were mere lads. I have found old discussions in which some worthy swore blind that Newline were a good match with HaT plastics, and they used them all the time, and so on.

My armies are (unofficially) 20mm or "true" 25mm (an old-fashioned term which is no more helpful than more recent ones). I look for figures which are 21 to 23mm soles to eye, which have hats and equipment which look about  the same - thus 1/72 should fit nicely, though some 1/72 figures don't seem right to me in this context. The important thing is that I should think they look correct - it is my game, after all.

Anyway, I thought I would go around this loop again, and I ordered in some Newline samples (last time was maybe 6 years ago, I think), to see if I have changed my mind, or if recent developments with the Higgs boson particle have somehow changed the size of the millimetre.

Once again, I have produced one of my occasional strange green photos, just to give myself some evidence next time I become confused about this, and to confirm the Groundhog Day nature of these continuing investigations.


You will observe that Newline are quite a bit smaller than all the other figures illustrated. Apart from Newline, these figures all group nicely around the 22-23mm soles-to-eyes mark (the little squares on the cutting mat are 5mm) - the Newlines are a lot smaller. I might just about persuade myself that a very small Newline drummer boy might fit with my Der Kriegsspieler repaints (which, though not included, are the same as Hinton Hunt), but I might have to be pretty desperate to believe it.

So - in case I forget again - here you have it. Newline figures are too small for my armies, though of course they would be perfectly lovely in someone else's Newline army. Oh - and the Hat soldier has a small head. Just saying.

8 comments:

  1. Interesting to see a bunch of these nominally 20mm figures lined up next to each other. Have you considered the 20mm Napoleonics produced here in the U.S. by RSM95? I've never seen them in the flesh, and have no idea about how they might match up in terms of heft and height, but it might be worth ordering a sample or three to learn more.

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

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    1. Hi Stokes - thanks for this. The RSM figures are like Bataillonfleur - they are smaller even than the Newlines - like Irregular, they have their own definition of 20mm. They are super little figures, mind you.

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    2. You could also consider Historifigs (previously Scruby) 25mm. I've used them pretty much interchangeably with Hinton Hunt figs. They are certainly not the greatest figures ever made, although they do have a very old school charm, but they paint up easily, and it's easy enough to add details by painting them on.

      Best regards,

      Cjhris Johnson

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    3. Thanks Chris - I do have some Scruby figures - a mixed bunch. They do paint up better than one expects - that's certainly true - but some of them are among the most primitive castings around. I have a couple of Old Guard drummers here - the tensioners for the drum are scribed into the drum, rather than being cast onto the drum. I know they were made a long time ago, but that is a bit of culture shock!

      I have some attractive Scrubys - I think they were better when someone else did the sculpts - John Braithwaite? Anyway - thanks, Chris - Scruby 25mm would be a decent size for my purposes, and I keep an eye open, but you very seldom see them in the UK now.

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  2. A very useful comparison. I see what you mean about the smallish Newline Design figures. In the OLD DAYS, Scruby made a one inch scale that today would be considered 20-22mm sole to eye. Have you looked at Scruby? Detailing is not state of the art but they might fit your size requirements.

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    1. Hi Jon - Scruby's 25mm figures are a decent match with Hinton Hunt for size - some of the castings are a bit alarming, others OK. As I replied to Chris, above, there very seldom found now in the UK. I'd be happier with Historifigs' website if it had more pictures!

      Enjoyed your blog post on Regensburg - I was there in 2013 (I think) and I'm determined to go back there again!

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  3. Just use some of the larger 15mm figures, afterall they might be drummer boys so will be smaller anyway!

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    1. Thanks Drew - that does sound very like a more extreme version of the Newline suggestion.

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