Saturday 19 February 2022

Friends for the 45th ligne

I have been putting it off, but the time really has come to address the imbalance in the French OOB and add some more line units. To that end I’ve painted a test figure of FN/5 Fusilier (charging) for what will become the 25th ligne who were brigaded with the 45th at Waterloo.

***EDIT*** I've taken another picture as the last one was too dark - FN/5 Fusilier (charging)

I painted my own version of the 45th back in 2008 and they have certainly seen some action since then having carelessly mislaid their Eagle on at least three occasions. Back then I struggled to scrape together the required 24 figures, but I have been gradually adding to my stock whenever I see any at a decent price. Although I have a reasonable number now, I find it odd that in all that time I have never come across any of the marching figure (FN/7A) which would have provided a bit of variation.

It was frustrating painting up the test figure because I had just opened a new pot of Foundry Red which turned out to be no better than coloured water. After five coats it still wasn’t covering so I ditched it and bought some Vallejo Flat Red which did the trick. I’ve had most of my Foundry paints since 2006 so I dare say they have reformulated them but I still think it would be a good idea to include some pigment.

Another cabinet re-shuffle (that joke is wearing thin) to squeeze Semphill's Foot onto the bottom shelf where I can admire them from my painting desk.

Finally, just to say I have resolved the issue with Semphill’s Foot not fitting into my display cabinet through the very technical process of bending the paper flags slightly.

17 comments:

Rob said...

French Line infantry - Yay! Never enough of that to go around, I must do another unit, and some guns, as my Spanish are starting to outnumber and outgun the French.
Nice to see your display shelves and the risqué shot of the Boer War Highlanders - despite the up-kilt angle, I just couldn't make out whether the 'devils in skirts' had gone Kommando!

Stryker said...

Aye laddie, that information is classified!

Jeffers said...

I bought a complete set of Foundry paints when they were first released and sent back half of them for that very reason. But I’m still using the rest!

Wellington Man said...

Oooh, orange pom poms. Very nice.
FN5s are lovely figures and look even better when there are lots of them....which reminds me that I really should paint some more of them.

Best regards
WM

Aly Morrison said...

Very nice indeed…
The first metal French Napoleonic figures I bought were FN5’s… they do look good.

I use Citadel Evil Sunz Scarlet for my reds… it covers really well.

All the best. Aly

Stryker said...

Jeffers, I’m still using many of the pots I’ve had for 15 years but am planning to gradually switch over to other brands.

Stryker said...

WM, this unit will have the different ‘company’ pom poms unlike the 45th with their all sky blue ones!

Stryker said...

Thanks for the tip Aly.

'Lee. said...

Lovely figure that Ian and superbly painted. I checked back to see when I painted a regiment of French infantry for you and it was 2014! Which regiment were they? I'm amazed that these old castings are still appearing on eBay, I dread to think how many of this code HH sold.

https://napoleonictherapy.blogspot.com/2014/02/20mm-peninsular-dragoons-hinton-hunts.html

Vallejo Flat Red is excellent and covers very well over black although I always start red with Cavalry Brown which is a perfect base shade.

Look forward to seeing them finished.

All the best,
Lee.

Stryker said...

Lee, can’t believe how fast the time goes! The unit you painted were designated the 105th and are now veterans of many a battle.

Matt said...

I have never had major problems with Foundry paints until recently - bottles only half full is my main bug-bear. I find the Vallejo paints much more attractive.

Looking forward to seeing the whole unit painted up.

Stryker said...

Thanks Matt. I’ll probably gradually replace them with Vallejo as despite the variety with Foundry I tend to use just a few shades!

David said...

No such thing as too much French line so better get cracking! I do love the orange pompoms. Never understood why folks tend to favor the light blue. Do them all I say - you have 24 to add some color to the unit!

As for the display, that is of course lovely, and only Rob would wonder if the highlanders were going kommando; of course they are - they're highlanders by golly!

Stryker said...

Thanks David, I do like the orange pom poms but green and violet look good too!

Rob said...

David, you've clearly been seduced by the myth - I can only recommend you watch the well-researched and authoritative documentary 'Carry on up the Khyber'.

the Archduke said...

It is a universally acknowledged truth that a man who starts painting a French line battalion goes quiet for a long time.....

Rob said...

Hmmm, I think the Archduke has a point - I'm gamely battling a line infantry unit at the moment and it goes slow.