I have almost finished painting my first battalion of 1809 French line infantry (I am very slow). Before I glue them to their bases I have a question on which I would be grateful for help: The marching line infantry comes in two poses, which differ in the way the figures hold their muskets, seen here: http://www.pendraken.co.uk/NPF1-p5651/. Can I mix the two poses in the same unit or would a unit have marched in a single uniform pose? Many thanks.
Drillmaster he say NO - all same, look smart
Real life - yes of course, the French didnt tend to move formally as it was foun to be more triring.
In a column of attack all would have to be in step for obvious reasons.
IanS
Mix them in together by all means. If you read the descriptions of French infantry advancing you find that they're yelling, waving their arms, encouraging each other, even raising their shakos on the ends of their muskets. So, the Pendraken poses are fairly sedate when you think about it. ;)
Excellent. Many thanks for the help. I much prefer a bit of variation in the line.