Recruiting a 54mm Army (Part 2)
or, Build an Army, and They Will Come
In my last post I discussed some of the factors and decisions that have to be made before embarking on 54mm building and painting sprees. I made some suggestions on where to start and what to consider, not the least of which are era and rules. Now let's take a look at what's available. Unlike smaller scales where the variety of figures and equipment is mind-boggling, for 54's -- not so much! Let's take a look at what's out there for Horse and Musket gamers.
The most extensive line readily available is Armies in Plastic (AIP). They can be found at many Hobby Shops (both online and brick-and-mortar) as well as directly from the manufacturer. The line is extensive although keep in mind that more often than not you are getting the same figures but in different colored plastic. For example, the figures in the SYW Prussians/SYW French are the same, but one is blue, the other grey. It will be the paint job that will distinguish them.
Additionally, although 16 figures are in the box, you are getting 8 poses. This presents a couple of practical issues. For example I have in front of me the two bags of figures from the French and Indian War French Army (5542). Each bag contains the following: 1-Officer waving a sword; 1-Drummer standing; 1-NCO with Halberd waving his hat; 1-kneeling firer; 1-standing firer; 1-infantryman, running, musket at the ready; 1-infantryman, walking, musket at port; and 1-infantryman, standing, doing pretty much nothing. With two bags to a box, if I want 12 figures doing the same thing, you will need 6 boxes. Even then, you have 11 each drummers,officers, and NCO's left over. But on the other hand you have enough identical figures for up to five 12-man units. Hmmm...
Artillery? It's not available. Although if you are not too picky, the American Revolution line of artillery would work. Again, it depends on the paint job.
Cavalry will be a problem. Der Resin Kavalier (above) is one of AIP's American Revolution Cavalry, painted to resemble a dragoon from one of the North German States. The uniform I painted was inspired by the ill-fated Brunswick Dragoons, part of Burgoyne's Saratoga debacle. It's not quite accurate but to those who might complain: "Hey, we're dealing with toy soldiers here, not collections."
Well next time I'll go into some of the other manufacturers like IMEX, A Call to Arms, and HaT.
Until then, TTFN!
I hear Hat is going ahead with new 54mm SYW Austrians. And of course for Napoleonics /1812 there is now Chintoys. Cornucopia!
ReplyDeleteOne reason I specifically asked about SYW or Napoleonics is the range of tactical interest and challenge when you have all three arms active in a fairly balanced way. However, if the figures are just not available, then I can see why the American Revolution might be a “better” choice (or perhaps the War Between the States).
ReplyDeleteI am still look8ng forward to finding out your opinion on SYW and Napoleonics, but if in your opinion those don’t pan out with enough cavalry and artillery options, perhaps you can expand the series to cover the two American wars mentioned, as well as any other viable Horse and Musket options.
Thank you for writing these articles. I am waiting to see the outcome.
Also, I have heard something about rustoleum plastic primer. Can you touch on priming and painting plastics. I painted some in the 70s, but the paint would chip off of them, and that discouraged me from ever painting more.
Personally, I've always been intrigued by the American Revolution. When the Bicentennial was celebrated back in 1976, the rule sets, figures, and reprints of books and journals that became available was astonishing and no doubt played a major role in developing my interest. There is still quite a bit out there (in 54mm) if you look. As for Napoleonics (including the War of 1812) and the ACW, there is also quite a lot and much more balanced in terms of foot, horse, and artillery. It's really a matter of preference. Another area with quite a bit is the Mexican-American War.
ReplyDeletePriming and painting,eh? Well I will be doing a more extensive write-up in the not too distant future but here are a few tips: wash the figures thoroughly (soapy water or my favorite, windshield washer fluid the blue stuff). I use an old battery powered electric toothbrush to get into all the nooks and crannies. My favorite primer is Model Master Grey Primer, but I have used Rustoleum successfully. The key to prevent chipping is a couple of coats of acrylic varnish (I prefer the high gloss varnish made by Liquitex).