Falcata - size comparison

Ian sent a comment, and I've had a couple of emails from people wondering how Falcata's idea of 1/72 scale or 20mm lines up with other makers.

I cannot speak with any authority on the new figures, since I haven't seen them, but it is pretty clear from the yellow-coated dragoon figure in the pics in the last post that his horse is very recognisably one of the previous lot of Falcata horses - so I guess they are the same size as they were. In fact, I would guess that any sets of figures which match the old 34-in-a-box sets will be from the same masters - e.g. Spanish line infantry in bicornes.

Here's a size line-up from my Cupboard - from left to right are some Falcata French infantry (from the old series - presumably the same size), some Hinton Hunt Cacadores and some Les Higgins riflemen. On checking the picture again, I think the officer in the second row on the extreme left is Kennington, so there are more types in here than I intended! Falcata are maybe a tad bigger, but they stand on pretty chunky bases, so some thinner MDF would square things up a bit.

I'm quite interested in what has been announced thus far - particularly the cavalry - but my real interest is in the militia, guerrilleros (quite a few different regional types), generals and "personality" figures which appear to be in the pipeline. It would be a big help to us poor customers of dinosaur banks if La Flecha Negra could take PayPal. If anyone successfully obtains some of these new figures, please let me know how you get on - severe shipping costs are sometimes a problem to the UK from Spain (viz Hobbies Guinea).

Falcata - Relaunch

Today I received an email from a Madrid model shop, La Flecha Negra, who have been keeping me posted on progress with the long awaited reappearance of Falcata's 20mm white metal figures.

I emphasise that I have nothing to do with any of this - I am merely bringing the note to the attention of anyone who is interested in the range. The pictures at the top of this post are of rather poor quality, and show some factory painted pre-launch samples - these pictures did not form part of today's email.

What follows is the main content of the email, with some slight correction of typos and translation here and there. La Flecha Negra's website has not yet been updated to show any of this. Please don't direct any questions to me - the shop will be able to help you and, I believe, supply you with figures.

The email:

This is the 1st list of Falcata 20mm napoleonics.
The bags are incl x12 soldiers in different poses, cast in white metal.
The prices are 9,50 euros per bag, 10 or more [bags] 9 euros each.
Normally, with foreign customers we use bank transfer form paid.


SPANISH


INFANTERIA - line 1808


ES01 Line Infantry marching - bicornes
ES02 Line Infantry advancing
ES03 Line Infantry firing & skirmishing
ES04 Line Infantry command - drummer, flags, officers
ES05 Line Grenadiers marching
ES06 Line Grenadiers advancing
ES07 Line Grenadiers firing
ES08 Line Grenadiers command
ES09 Catalan Light Inf - 1808 uniforms (green)
ES22 Line Infantry marching - campaign dress
ES23 Line Infantry advancing - campaign dress
ES24 Line Infantry firing - campaign dress

ARTILLERIA - each bag one gun plus x5 gunners


ES50 4 pdr
ES51 8/12 pdr
ES52 Howitzer(? - obus)

CABALLERIA


ES70 Line Cavalry/Dragoons at attention
ES71 Line Cavalry/Dragoons charging
ES72 Line Cavalry/Dragoons command - pack x3 - officer, musician, flag


In the next days, militia in chisteras (round hats), hussars, regional regiments, etc.......


For info, email info@laflechanegraminiaturas.com
If you are interested in the 1st list of 20mm Carlist wars, please get in touch

And Those Caissons Keep Rolling Along

More wagons ready. Two Lamming French caissons, horses and riders are Scruby. Heavy powder wagon in the background is Minifigs, waiting for a suitable seated driver.

Portuguese Cavalry - done!

Very pleased to have my Portuguese cavalry brigade finished and fit for action. As discussed previously, no-one makes proper figures for these in the scales I can use, so the best I could manage was converted Dutch cuirassiers from Kennington.

The whole effect is enhanced greatly by Matt's very fine paintwork. Here they are, ready for The Cupboard - the 1st and 11th regiments, with the brigade commanded today by Lt Col Loftus Otway (later Maj.Gen Sir Loftus Otway, from Tipperary).

I originally intended to use the more correct brigading of 1st and 7th regiments (or was it the 8th? - can't remember), but the facings differed only in the cuff colour, and with gauntlets on they would be indistinguishable. Thus I went for the Salamanca line-up of 1st and 11th, which is more satisfying all round. I consider that deciding the order of battle by comparing facing colours is a fine wargaming tradition!

Catching Up with the Mainstream

Box 1 of the French Artillery - the two armies require six such boxes

Sometimes I surprise myself with my own stupidity. Of course, I realise that everyone in the known universe uses magnetic basing materials to transport their wargames figures, but somehow this particular technological advance has evaded me. Partly because my soldiers live in a big static cupboard, but mostly because I never take them anywhere - except when I move house, of course.

I bought in some mag sheets a couple of years ago as part of a fleetingly brilliant idea connected with deployable skirmishers, but the idea proved to be a poor one. Recent army expansions and my big push to get more limbers completed have meant that The Cupboard is now officially full, and some reorganisation is needed. With thanks to all who reassured me and offered advice on the subject, I have now fitted out half a dozen A4 box files with steel paper and fitted mag sheet to the bases of my artillery, engineering and wheeled impedimenta, and am delighted with the results. Everything cosy and secure.

Allosaurus makes a discovery

I am a little shamefaced that it took so long for me to get to this point, but here I am. Yes - I know that everyone uses this stuff all the time, but there's an act of faith required when it comes to risking precious figures and guns - my experience has been that old Sir Isaac Newton will get you in the end, especially if you are as clumsy as I am. Anyway, Allosaurus has discovered that it is no longer necessary to kill something everyday to stay alive - you just go to the supermarket like everyone else.

My thanks to Trevor Holland at Coritani for helpful, quick service and supplying me with the mag sheets. Excellent.

Hooptedoodle #36 - LG Optimus

A propos of nothing at all - clip of the LG Optimus store-front light show in Berlin. If you haven't seen it before, just watch, preferably in full screen view....

Portuguese Artillery

Another new vehicle takes its place in the cupboard. This is a Portuguese howitzer on the march, circa 1811. Mules are by Jacklex, limber is Lamming, the gun is (I think) S-Range Minifigs, and the driver is from Kennington.

The British caisson which is officially next in the queue is on hold while I sort out my stock of horses; it is painted but awaiting final assembly while I put together a sensibly-scaled team.

This morning I finally lost patience with my collection of brushes, and weeded out the ones I don't use any more. I've never understood paintbrushes. In the days of Humbrol, I used to wash them out in Polyclens and similar - I realise I was supposed to use an exotic patent thinner, or turpentine, but neither of these ever seemed to work properly. Polyclens was very like using battery acid to wash your brushes, and I just got into the habit of replacing them frequently. Mostly I used cheap, short-handled brushes from the model shop - sometimes Humbrol's own brand, sometimes unnamed products at half the price, which may well have come from the same factory. Maybe even from the same cat...

In these enlightened days of acrylics, the whole operation is much more like watercolour, and - possibly incorrectly - I have developed the idea that I should pay the extra and obtain good brushes - even buying the posh stuff from my local art shop. The results have not been brilliant. At any given moment, I probably have about 2 dozen brushes in total, of which about one quarter will currently be behaving nicely. I tend to have a few brushes - a couple of size 0's and some larger ones - which are producing a decent point today. I try to look after them correctly, periodically curing them in hot water and lipping the points like a good chap, but it is a haphazard regime. This morning my favourite lining brush decided to start misbehaving, and it is almost like losing a close friend - very disconcerting.

I don't think I have ever noticed a reliable correlation between the marketed "quality" of a brush and its performance. Top of the range sables from the art shop often have a mind of their own as soon as they get wet, while I have had years of good service from the occasional 2nd quality cheapo from Modelworld.

Biggest disappointment of the lot was a load of unused squirrel brushes which we found amongst my late father's painting paraphenalia (he was a very capable amateur watercolourist, and only ever bought the best of everything) - admittedly they must have been 20 years old, but they disintegrated into dust as soon as they were touched, so maybe squirrel brushes have a definite shelf life. Or maybe this batch came from squirrels which suffered from mange.