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Pendraken Releases, Requests and Photos! => Previous Years' Previews => New Figure Previews => 2023 Previews => Topic started by: Leon on 13 February 2023, 11:20:56 PM

Title: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Leon on 13 February 2023, 11:20:56 PM
Some of you may remember that as part of our Napoleonic expansion we'd planned to do some generic Confederation infantry to cover some of the minor nations that wore similar uniforms.  These sculpts had to get dropped from the project temporarily as the sculptor couldn't get them done in time, but they're now complete and have landed at Pendraken HQ.

"The Confederation of the Rhine provided many contingents to the French army in Spain.  They adopted the French organisation, including grenadier and voltigeur elite companies. 

Their uniform was either French or German in style and comprised either a long-tailed, double-breasted, French-type 'habit', open to expose the waistcoat, a short-tailed, double-breasted jacket similar to the French 'habit-vest', closed at the waist or a short-tailed, single breasted jacket similar to a Prussian 'kollet'.

Figures wearing the French 'habit' can be sourced from the 1809 range and what is necessary are generic figures, in 'campaign' dress, to represent figures wearing a jacket-type 'habit-veste' and 'kollet'.

Two types of figure are required as follows:

- Type 1: Fusiliers and grenadiers/voltigeurs in overall trousers
- Type 2: Fusiliers and grenadiers/voltigeurs in breeches and gaiters"



Type 1 in trousers:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52686990927_73b50b06e8_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ogLAPi)NapConfedTrousers (https://flic.kr/p/2ogLAPi) by Leon Pengilley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156736924@N08/), on Flickr

Type 2 in breeches:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52688003568_cbe1b8cea7_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2ogRMQC)NapConfedGaiters (https://flic.kr/p/2ogRMQC) by Leon Pengilley (https://www.flickr.com/photos/156736924@N08/), on Flickr


We'll get these moulded up for release next month hopefully.  We've still got the list of pledges from the Peninsular campaign so we'll contact anyone that was interested in these originally to let them know when they're ready.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Steve J on 14 February 2023, 07:31:32 AM
Very nice and I'm sure useful additions to the range :) .
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: fsn on 14 February 2023, 07:41:54 AM
Interesting.  :-\

To the Funken!
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: sultanbev on 14 February 2023, 08:59:39 AM
Great stuff, love how you've got a horn player for the light company/Bttn HQs.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Duke Speedy of Leighton on 14 February 2023, 11:28:24 AM
So very cool
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Zippee on 14 February 2023, 01:03:42 PM
Great news.

the only thing I might suggest is to add a longer plume to the elites above the ball for those units that would need them. (they can easily be snipped off, hard to add!)
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: John Cook on 15 February 2023, 12:01:03 PM
Quote from: Zippee on 14 February 2023, 01:03:42 PMGreat news.

the only thing I might suggest is to add a longer plume to the elites above the ball for those units that would need them. (they can easily be snipped off, hard to add!)

When I was doing the research for Leon for the Peninsula range it was clear that trying to cover all the differences in Confederation types was just too difficult, furthermore elites with distinguishing features would by their nature represent only a small part of any unit, and not all copied the French anyway, so producing something that would attract comparatively few sales was not practical from an economic point of view.  That, at least, was my view but, though I'm bound to say, I have no input to Pendraken policy in this context.  Anyway, I went for generic figures in Peninsular-type campaign dress that in 10mm can be used to represent almost any Confederation unit.  So no plumes and no shako cords. 
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Zippee on 16 February 2023, 10:23:21 AM
I understand your POV John (bit surprised you didn't put them in shako covers in that case) but I want them for non-Peninsular purposes and the addition of a plume that can easily be snipped off if not wanted is surely no great hardship? Its not additional figures so no cost incurred (other than whatever the extra bit of alloy costs).



Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Ithoriel on 16 February 2023, 10:56:40 AM
If life has taught me anything it is that there is no such thing as a "no cost" change!
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Leon on 16 February 2023, 03:05:59 PM
We'll need to make a decision on this before they go into a master mould then.  We'd like them to be as useful as possible for folks, so if a longer plume gives options outside of the Peninsular then we can go with that?  I'm sure I can whack a plume on them myself, shouldn't be too hard!
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Techno 3 on 17 February 2023, 07:53:12 AM
Famous last words !  ;)

Not difficult...just fiddly. :)
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: John Cook on 17 February 2023, 10:38:20 AM
Quote from: Zippee on 16 February 2023, 10:23:21 AMI understand your POV John (bit surprised you didn't put them in shako covers in that case) .........

They are intended for the Peninsula range specifically.  That was my brief when I provided the material for the sculptor to work from.  I haven't seen the figures myself yet, but they should be in shako covers, and as far as I can tell from the photos the sculptor has done that. 
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: John Cook on 17 February 2023, 10:47:39 AM
Quote from: Leon on 16 February 2023, 03:05:59 PMWe'll need to make a decision on this before they go into a master mould then.  We'd like them to be as useful as possible for folks, so if a longer plume gives options outside of the Peninsular then we can go with that?  I'm sure I can whack a plume on them myself, shouldn't be too hard!

You think so?   ;D   You'll need something like NFP8.  Send me some masters in due course and I'll do the necessary conversions. 
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Leon on 17 February 2023, 06:33:19 PM
We'll mould them as is for now and then we can add plumed versions later on if there's enough interest.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Zippee on 18 February 2023, 11:27:02 AM
Quote from: John Cook on 17 February 2023, 10:38:20 AMThey are intended for the Peninsula range specifically.  That was my brief when I provided the material for the sculptor to work from.  I haven't seen the figures myself yet, but they should be in shako covers, and as far as I can tell from the photos the sculptor has done that. 

I'm not sure - I'd agree that would cover your brief but I think I can see cockades as well as ball pom-poms and maybe a plate. But very hard to tell even zoomed in.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Zippee on 18 February 2023, 11:31:47 AM
Quote from: Leon on 17 February 2023, 06:33:19 PMWe'll mould them as is for now and then we can add plumed versions later on if there's enough interest.

Fair enough. And there won't be sadly.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Leon on 18 February 2023, 04:06:40 PM
Quote from: Zippee on 18 February 2023, 11:31:47 AMFair enough. And there won't be sadly.

There might be and if these are generic usage then it makes sense to get them done at some point.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: John Cook on 18 February 2023, 07:07:12 PM
Quote from: Zippee on 18 February 2023, 11:27:02 AMI'm not sure - I'd agree that would cover your brief but I think I can see cockades as well as ball pom-poms and maybe a plate. But very hard to tell even zoomed in.

The instructions to the sculptor which accompanied the illustrations were, inter alia, that "the figures should be in 'campaign' dress, no shako cords, perhaps with a shako cover, and a locally sourced water bottle."  As far as I can see that is what he's done and you have a mixture of shakos with and without covers.  He wasn't asked to provide figures with plumes because they didn't appear in any of the source material and would be very untypical.  I reiterate, these figures are intended specifically for the Peninsular War.
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: Zippee on 19 February 2023, 09:53:32 AM
Quote from: John Cook on 18 February 2023, 07:07:12 PMI reiterate, these figures are intended specifically for the Peninsular War.

I understand - I just find that an odd restriction, there is so much more outside of that campaign. Personally I'd have appended them to the 1809 range but them I'm not in charge  :D
Title: Re: Napoleonic Confederation infantry
Post by: John Cook on 19 February 2023, 08:25:32 PM
Quote from: Zippee on 19 February 2023, 09:53:32 AMI understand - I just find that an odd restriction, there is so much more outside of that campaign. Personally I'd have appended them to the 1809 range but them I'm not in charge  :D

What can I say.  At the risk of repeating myself, my brief was to provide source material for the Peninsular War range.  That is what I did, so the Confederation types are in typical campaign dress for that theatre, not the Danube, or anywhere else.