These are the first samples from the master mold - on the way to me now!
Thanks for all the comments.
As I thought before I decided to produce the new range - Folks will all have there own specific needs/wants and it would be difficult to produce everything that everybody needs. That's why I picked items I wanted first! However if enough people ask for similar items then of course they get done first!
Yes the bases are different to HH - I had discussed this with the sculptor earlier - the animation is severely restricted on the smaller base - as you can see from the comparison shot of bases on the earlier post.
I have also a problem with deciding how to set up the molds - again folks all have different requirements and use different rules which dictate different number scales for their unit sizes - i.e 12/18/24/36/48 per battalion. Also some like the officers/pioneers/drummers to not be in the line as it were and have them stand separately. I do not want to produce figures willy-nilly! so I am trying to be efficient with the figures in the mold to minimize the number of runs.
As an example I use a overall figure scale of 33:1 and based on lots of research average battalion size in the field of 600 rank and file for my French infantry. Also the biggest problem with ground scale is the depth of the figure which is why I only ever use single line stands. I also had decided to make each Regiment consists of 2 battalions.
In the period I modelled this meant - for the French battalion - 6 companies of 3 castings in single line (18 figure battalion on 6 x 3 figure bases). But I wanted officers to stand off from the battalion so I added 1 Officer figure. I also normally use the Grenadiers and Voltigeurs as combined battalions and as detached combined battalions and with there own officers. This resulted in a remaining 4 center companies each of 3 castings which made a 12 man battalion with one stand off Officer - with the 2 battalions of the regiment together this finally resulted in 24 OR's plus 2 officers for my French regiments. I put the ensign and drummer on the first company stand. See here for what this looks like: French Battalions
Now this just happens to be great for the mold size - I could put the 22 fusiliers, the Drummer and the Ensign together with 2 officers onto one mold of 26 figures very comfortably. The Grenadiers and Voltigeurs would also have there own 2 battalion mold.
The same 600 rank and file average sized battalion is also used for the British (albeit in 10 x 2 casting companies plus Officers) - so again the battalion fits well onto a mold.
With the the Austrians - we have much larger average sized battalions at least double the size of the French! so they do not fit onto a single mold - Roy uses 48 figures for the Austrians - I use 36 (6 x 6 casting companies - 1200 man battalion). Also again I put all the various figures onto the coy bases except for 2 officers per battalion - which would make a 38 figure battalion - this would mean one and a half molds (or 2 molds for Roy's 48 sized battalions). Thus my dilemma!
Questions:
What size battalion would you/do you use for Austrians?
Would you put Drummers, Pioneers, Ensign, NCO's and Officers on the coy base?
How many of them would you use per battalion?
After Advancing (High Port Arms) what pose would you prefer next for line troops - Attack Marching, Firing, Kneeling, Charging(Low Port Arms - other?
Comments and suggestions would be welcome!
