The Legatus' Napoleonic Wargames Armies: The Peninsula, Quatre Bras and Waterloo: My first Perry Napoleonic figure

Tuesday, 20 January 2009

My first Perry Napoleonic figure

Actually, it's the first metal Napoleonic figure I have finished since 1971 (a Hinchliffe Imperial Guard Grenadier). I did paint quite a few plastic 20mm Napoleonics about 11 years ago but never really was happy with them. I haven't liked the proportions of any of the metal manufacturers until the Perries started their ranges a few years ago. These are fantastic, though. Whether I will ever get enough done for a force is debatable. I am going to start a fusilier in a greatcoat and a voltigeur to see how they go.

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Napoleonic Wargaming

Like many wargamers I began wargaming with Airfix's plastic HO/OO figures. I certainly had some at Junior school so must have acquired them not long after they came out in 1969. I remember the French and British infantry coming out in 1972. By the time the two artillery sets appeared my friends, Bean-Kid, Cess-Pitt and Brookbank and I were able to recreate Waterloo in cream coloured glory on the 7' by 6'6" board I laid on my parents dining table (much to the chagrin of my mother who insisted on personally laying the blankets on the mahogany table and moving her treasured early nineteenth century Trafalgar chairs out of the room).

I bought a few of Peter Gilder's Hinchliffe French, some carabiniers and some Imperial Guardsmen and I looked down at Lugs Willerton's Miniature Figurines figures as they seemed a bit short!

My father encouraged me in my Napoleonic interest and he took me to see the film Waterloo on its release. I still have the book by Ugo Pericoli of the uniform designs from the film and the original film programme (from the days when you could buy an illustrated programme at the cinema for the film you were seeing). He also took me around the Musée de l'Armée in Paris and bought me some 54mm painted plastic figures and a set of transfers of Chasseurs of the Guard with which I carefully decorated my wastepaper bin at home!

About 13 years ago I started to paint some Napoleonic plastics properly but got frustrated at the bendyness of them. When I began to paint 28mm figures shortly afterwards I realised that of all periods Napoleonics require huge numbers of figures for a wargame and, anyway I didn't like the proportions of the main two ranges Foundry and Front Rank. So I concentrated on Ancients and Dark Ages for several years.

Then, of course, came the Perry figures and they were right for Quatre Bras, the battle I had always been most interested in. Again I didn't get anything other than a few Dutch Jaegers because the Perry twins were quoted as saying that they would never do British. Something which has completely changed of course.

I recently decided to abandon any large scale plans but maybe it's time to look at large skirmishes instead.