'First Look' at the new Napoleonic French!

[nikharwood]

I don't (but then I'm not renowned for my purism)...I'm also not entirely convinced that a unit under fire would remember to place their feet correctly at that angle with the regulation positioning of the musket. I've just had a run-through of this with a mop and I find the position of bracing between my feet to be much more intuitive...

...and if a musket can be reloaded prone, then I see no reason why it can't be reloaded vertically from between my feet...

Please do educate me further though von W (& others) as I am coming to this as a layman really & may have missed the trick entirely! 

[von Winterfeldt]

I did not say to look at the feet, but why would you chose the most complicated way to load a musket?
Remember you were squezed in 3 ranks, for width about half a yard and the front men one yard in front of you.

Of course you could load a musket on the ground, sitting or keeling, but not in rank and file.

The length of a French musket was about 5 feet without bayonet, there it was always fixed with the musket (at least in combat) - it was more up to 6 feet length. The avarage French infantryman was about 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 8 inches.

Now take a musket - place yourself into rank and file and then try to load it between your legs - possible yes - but very unlikley.

Here just for fun - a loading sequence of a French musket (Prussian and Saxon muskets are loaded differently as well as Austrian ones in the French revolution.
The loading sequence, the lack of space and the construction of the gun whould deem a certain way how to handle the musket
And yes - very nice sculpts, in case the sculptor can do such a in between leg pose, he easily can do it right as well.

[CATenWolde]

vW,

In general I agree that the pose with the butt to the left is the more standard, however I do wonder how much we are over-influenced by close-order drill manuals. These are meant to be skirmishers, rather than a static firing line - with plenty of room around them, would they load in a different way? Was the close-order drill really the best way, or just the best way in close ranks? I don't know myself. Still, perhaps one pose that could serve two purposes, depending on how people wanted to use them (e.g. making up bases in firing lines), might be good.

Cheers,

Christopher

PS - I could swear I've seen that loading pose in a heroic painting or two, but can't put my finger on it.

[sultanbev]

Leon, when you get round to doing the Revolutionary wars with Italian state armies, and Ottoman Turks and Arabs, in about 20 years time  , let me know, I have all the troop type info, OOB, etc you'll ever need. Same for War of 1812, Russo-Persian war 1803-1813, Burmese Napoleonics-Colonial....

Mark

[Leon]

Leon, when you get round to doing the Revolutionary wars with Italian state armies, and Ottoman Turks and Arabs, in about 20 years time   , let me know, I have all the troop type info, OOB, etc you'll ever need. Same for War of 1812, Russo-Persian war 1803-1813, Burmese Napoleonics-Colonial....

Mark

I'll make a note of that, I might have forgotten in 20 years time...!   

[von Winterfeldt]

@CATemWolde

Even as a skirmisher you would like to load your musket in a comfortable way which makes it easy for you, you could steer you car with your legs - but usually you would use your hands and arms.

As said before, in case the sculptor can do a musket between leg pose he could do a better one as well.

[Jim Ando]

He hasn`t got the right buttons either.

[Jagger]

I have really wanted to do Napoleonics in 10mm for quite awhile but I have been waiting for multi-pose.  Seems they are almost here!  I am sold.

[Aart Brouwer]

I have friends who were put off Napoleonics for good because of the eternal nit-picking among Napoleonic gamers about this or that detail.
I for one admire the craftsmanship of the models. Cast them and be damned, I say! 

Cheers,
Aart

[Luddite]

I have friends who were put off Napoleonics for good because of the eternal nit-picking among Napoleonic gamers about this or that detail.

Hear, hear.

Couldn't agree more.

I've been a wargame for more decades than i care to remember, and i consider that a difficult thing to claim as i have never collected, nor much played the Napoleonic era.

I've always avoided it precisely because of the inveterate nit-picking and pompous bluff od the average Napoleonic 'expert'.

That said, i do believe the point of contention revolves around this...

This clearly well practised chap reloads to the side, as per the drill manual illustrations.

OK.  But the thing i'd note is how much space he's taking up and how much movement in his body.  How wide the musket swings, etc.

So let's take a look at these chaps.

Very much more 'to the centre', and in formation seemingly far harder to reload.

Now add to that the stress and panic of being in battle with people trying to kill you, or your mates getting slotted right next to you...drill manuals be damned!!  Just get the damned thing loaded any way you can!!

That said, i guess you chaps as Pendraken may want to look at a rescult to 'get it right'?  It might put the purists off if they think the figures are 'wrong', or poor quality.

I for one however agree with Aart.

I for one admire the craftsmanship of the models. Cast them and be damned, I say! 

Cheers,
Aart

Couldn't agree more!  I can't wait for this range to finally hit the shelves and no doubt will be buying in bulk   

[Leon]

Cheers Luddite!

I spoke to the designer tonight about redoing the pose, so we'll try and sort something out.  It might be a small point, but if it's going to put off potential customers, then it's best to fix it.  He's going to be progressing with the march attack variations first, so it shouldn't be an issue for a while yet.

[Ben Waterhouse]

I've done 18th century re-enactment (I know, I know) and it is easier even when free firing at speed to load outside the legs as per the video above. It is a matter of balance and swinging a rather long bit of metal and wood around in close proximity to others on either side.

So I would like the pose to be as per Drill Manual if possible.

And It's more stylish that way...

[17-21l]

Damn all this waffle - get the lil blighters cast and damn the scurvy dogs who care on such trivial points as 'inside' or 'outside', Im just chuffed to NAAFI breaks that theyre on the horizon!!!!



God save the Queen

[von Winterfeldt]

A pity that is is seemingly impossible to discuss anything related to a pose without nit - picking.

[17-21l]

Here here!