Steady here! I'm talking miniatures. Toy soldiers.

You know, I really don't like Horse & Musket era Artillery figures holding handspikes. Usually quite useless in my opinion, requiring you to place them at the gun trail, probably having to extend the base to accommodate them and then leaving you thinking that's not a good place to stand when that gun goes off.

So I tend to leave them out when crewing my guns. The result is however that I have a small collection of these guys now. So I've often wondered, "What to do with them?" Then it occurred to me. How about an early golf vignette? I could even set up some sort of early Ryder Cup tournament! Each nation in their own uniforms. Or, maybe better, a hockey tournament ..... Any ideas, guys?  What are your least favourite poses?

Use them as road menders?

I'm not too keen on the can-canning horses...

Least favourite pose:

WWII figures lying down.

That would be the mg 34 loader! He looks odd, he's usable though 

Here's another one that used to (still does) baffle me. Does anyone remember the old Airfix WW2 British Paratroops box set? There was one pose where the Para is standing with a tommy gun firing upwards. What was going on there? Who was he firing at? Guys floating down in parachutes perhaps? They're on your side you  !!

Kneeling anything. I will tolerate them on crew served weapons post 1900, but before 1900 they are an abomination, Sir, an abomination. Imagine your poor Grenzer being told to move double speed whilst kneeling! Most ungainly and unmilitary. Half the time whilst in column, his only view is the coat tail of the man loading in front of him, and the only time that a kneeling figure has any use whatsoever is in the front rank of the firing line - perhaps in square. Surely (and Techno will back me up, because I know where he lives and am not afraid of going into deepest, darkest Wales) the kneeling pose is the most complex and fiddly of all?

What use have they? The only thing I can think of is a chorus line finale - a la "It Ain't Half Hot Mum".

I also hate lying poses, firing poses, grenadiers (post 1900, not the chaps in funny hats), those bayoneting the ground, cavalry looking anywhere but to the front, reloading poses (pre 1900), and "falling wounded".

Thanks. I'm now well wound up and need to bite the head off some Airfix US Marines.    I may need to have a Scotch and elephant in order to calm down.

Quote from: Westmarcher on 08 December 2014, 09:03:41 PM
You know, I really don't like Horse & Musket era Artillery figures holding handspikes.

I'm OK with handspikes. I tend to have no 1 gun firing, and no 2 gun loading/aiming.

 

I'm not overly keen on the standing early war MG34 team 

Figures lying down tend to be harder to fit on a base and look odd if the rest of a stand is moving so not keen on them.

Other than that I'm not too fussed. Not keen on units of identical poses but practically that's hard to avoid if you like to fill bases, as I do.

I used to hate prone figures but changed my mind a few years ago and even did a whole unit of prone WWII Brit inf.
My least favourite pose has to be the German MG team where the gunner is firing over the loader's shoulder.
Nothing wrong with it as such but if miniature companies are to be believed it was the most common method.
Don't think Pendraken have succumbed to it as yet but it's been a while since I got any WWII in 10mm.
The main thing for me is that the poses in a range work together.

Quote from: NTM on 08 December 2014, 10:30:29 PM
The main thing for me is that the poses in a range work together.

Well said that man 

Quote from: NTM on 08 December 2014, 10:30:29 PM
The main thing for me is that the poses in a range work together.

I agree.

Gun crews that are in sync, please. "Where's the guy who's going to fire the cannon?" "He's not here, sir, but at least you are with your hand raised ready to shout FiRE!" Naps Austrians anyone?

And if the bulk of your army is based on two figure poses then it's really helpful if they work together. WW1 Turks anyone?

A non-military blast from the past:



What is the guy who is meant to be running actually doing? Auditioning for Singing in the Rain?

Are they the Airfix Railway ones?

Quote from: Fenton on 09 December 2014, 12:06:42 AM
Are they the Airfix Railway ones?

Yes, the 'Civilians'.

Quote from: WeeWars on 08 December 2014, 11:45:39 PM
And if the bulk of your army is based on two figure poses then it's really helpful if they work together. WW1 Turks anyone?

I will be grappling with this particular challenge later this week

Have to admit, I've got a running pose dolly, not too dissimilar to the one above, that's been sitting on the desk for months waiting to be converted to something a bit more 'believable.'

I think I've worked out how to get the pose I want and still make it.....
a) castable , and b) not have a huge feed into the raised foot.

When I'll get around to it is anyone's guess. 
Cheers - Phil