Monday 25 August 2014

My Italian Guard in the raw

Oh heck, summer is almost over but before it ends, I do what many of the animals do; I make store for the winter.  So with this in mind I get units prepped and ready with primer so that I have lots to paint during the winter months when the painting is good but the moist air [for the primer] is not.

In looking at my order of battles, I decided I "need" the Napoleonic Italian Guard and looked through the various plastic components I have gained on trades. I had left over Victrix and a box of Warlord early French uniform, the type of which the Italians continued to wear even late in the wars (1812-1814)

From the Warlord box, I used the one single 'elite company' posed figure, these seven constituting  most of the element which will also include two Victrix types and an officer from their Imperial Guard Grenadier box.

I think both manufacturers look fine together but, of course,  the two are not completely compatible as the Warlord collars are included with the head, while the Victrix [and Perrys] are head only and the collar is part of the body.
just before the primer

So I brought out the 'Green Stuff' and made a little ball, stuck on Perry heads - the GS working as a great adhesive - and then smoothed the resulting into a collar around the necks.  I like the shape and quality of the sculpted fur of these bearskins than the Victrix or Warlord versions.

I always seem to overestimate the amount of GS needed, so I took the remaining and made a roll for one - seen on the left of the photo.  This will break up the uniformity of the same pose as will the three Victrix types.

The packs were all Warlord. For the two Victrix, who sculpt the cartridge box onto the body, this needs to be removed. No problem with plastics as one cut of the knife and a bit of easy scraping is all it takes.

Completed last night and primed this morning when the wind is calm.  Now another unit is ready for me to paint during the winter.  Another nut for the squirrel.