Saturday, June 3, 2017

Frivolous Fellows... (Interlude)

In a previous posting, much earlier in the year. I received a comment that seemed to cast aspersions upon the brigade commanded by Brigadier-General Daniel P. Tyler - the IVth of that name.

Frivolous Union  fellows giving the Army of
the Valley (CSA) a hard time.
My reply:
"I have to admit that the figures in Tyler's brigade were never my favourites.  'Frivolous fellows for serious work,' General T.J. Jackson might have said.  I find them surprisingly photogenic, though. They were also a useful source of subaltern command figures and flag bearers..."

I have another Union brigade of 'stabbing down' guys.  Haven't a clue what they are supposed to be doing, actually.  I suppose one could not fault them for lacking a determined look.  In fact, so unappealing are those guys, that I still haven't given them a 'finished' look.  But, waste not, want not; one can not allow a whole brigade to go to waste!

Have you ever noticed, though, that you kinda despise your unfavourite units, and make them into the most brittle types of conscripts, militia, and assorted military, just to drive the point home.  And then these guys stick a finger up the nose of your prejudice, fight like demons, break and run only after extreme provocation, and, if and when they do, rally in a trice like a box of birds?  Meanwhile your pets run into a little hot stuff, squawk, vanish, and if after a long while you do manage to drag them back into the fray, like as not, it will be 'Ho, for the tall timber!' at the slightest hint of incoming (Reason for reaction test: first casualties after rallying from rout).
Regiment of Airfix figures.
(Posted in Archduke Piccolo, January 2010)
I'd probably be inclined to 'hide' the wonky poses among others by mixing the figures in each unit. Here's a thing, though.  Consider the old ESCI or Revell figures.  Individually fairly characterless,  the different poses in single unit give the whole a dynamic look.  The regiment or battalion becomes full of character.  Apart from the standing and kneeling firing, you can't really do that with the Airfix figures.  Individually loaded with character (even the frivolous guys and the 'stabbing down' dudes), a 'mixed pose' Airfix  unit looks simply a mess - in my view.  Even the shooting guys have to stand formally with the kneeling guys in the front rank, and the standing in the second.
Regiments of ESCI figures.
(Posted in Archduke Piccolo, January 2010)
Note that this applies to the infantry only: the Airfix 'Seventh Cavalry' used as the major source of horsemen look fine in mixed units.  Just as well: otherwise one would be buying a heck of a lot of boxes of ten figures apiece!  Mind you, I have at least sixteen boxes of Airfix represented, augmented by one box of Atlantic

Later in the Stonewall in the Valley campaign , if and when General Fremont's Division puts in an appearance, we might see some of my 'mixed' figure ESCI units
at

10 comments:

  1. Ross Mac rmacfa@gmail.comJune 4, 2017 at 4:12 AM

    In his defence, the guy stabbing down is demonstrating the drill book bayonet exercise position "Low Guard" which can be seen demonstrated by Fort Henry Guard. (There were also high guard (the "at the ready" guy) and middle guard (shown in 8th Army, FFL etc).

    I used to wonder at the "hi Mom" running guy until I noticed he has a sword which makes him a sergeant. Mind you some running privates for him to lead would have been nice.

    However, on the other point, I confess that I once changed a rule set so that my prized 1792 British Guards could NOT rout off the table on a series of 1's unless something really bad had happened to them first! It was so common as to be downright embarrassing.

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    1. Archduke PiccoloJune 4, 2017 at 5:33 AM

      That made me grin! In some justice to my pet units, I tended to give them tasks commensurate with their standing in my esteem: the tough ones. That was not to say, though, that the less favoured troops were given an easy ride.

      Eventually I favoured the 'Hi Mom' guys for flag bearers. Carving away the musket was easily achieved, and then I bent the waving arm around more to the front (using the hot water and clamp (actually a spring loaded clothes peg) technique. There is one in the pictured Airfix unit in this posting.

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  2. jhnptrqnJune 4, 2017 at 5:50 AM

    In several games I would use the "stabbing down guys" as engineers. There is a print of the Civil War of soldiers tearing up railroad tracks; the soldiers in the picture are in the same pose as the Airfix figures. I often wonder if the sculptor used this print for inspiration.

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    1. Archduke PiccoloJune 4, 2017 at 3:10 PM

      Seems possible. For a very long time I was going to include a small corps of engineers or pioneers in my ACW armies, but have abandoned that plan. That the Army of Northern Virginia, late in the war, had developed a corps of pioneers (distinguished by white facings) was a temptation.

      I have also considered using the odd spare such figure as an artilleryman, especially the trail-spike man. But for the moment I have no real need for them.

      So, a brigade of 4x27-figure regiments they remain.

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  3. James FisherJune 4, 2017 at 7:14 AM

    I love the names that people come up with for the poses. Several beauties in your post and even more in the comments above.
    In Napoleonics, Julian in our group calls the Airfix French infantry figures that are running with musket held close to the head the 'hopping orcs'. There are a couple of good 'air guitar' poses in the Esci French infantry.

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    1. Archduke PiccoloJune 4, 2017 at 3:17 PM

      I think such names or descriptors might suggest something about the quality of the pose - I hadn't really thought about it. Gotta chuckle, though, eh?

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  4. Conrad KinchJune 8, 2017 at 2:20 AM

    I count myself fortunate to live in an age of Strelets and HAT who have taken to make entire boxes full of marching figures.

    The hopping on one leg Frenchman is a puzzlement. Along with the Zulu war "crapgame" squatting British infantryman.

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    1. Archduke PiccoloJune 8, 2017 at 2:42 PM

      At least one can 'hide' crappy poses in a mixed pose unit! But for nice figures horribly posed, it is hard to go past the Italieri Napoleonic Prussian Light Cavalry without a shudder. That sort of thing can really dampen the enthusiasm and shove a hefty log in front of the wheels of a project.

      As far as the Army Men are concerned, I am not entirely in agreement with the author of this blog:
      http://blog.sfgate.com/parenting/2010/04/28/the-five-worst-army-men-of-all-time/
      ...but I sympathise.

      Delete
    2. James FisherJune 9, 2017 at 5:38 PM

      That was bloody hilarious Ion, thanks for the link. He saved his best for last didn't he?!!!

      I don't find that any of this detracts from the joy or utility of the figures, it actually adds to it. 'Modern' sets are not exempt either. One of my favourites is one of the marching figures in Hat's marvellous 1808-1812 French Line Infantry set (first figure in the third row here: http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=767). It was Ben ('Rosbif') who pointed out that he looks like he suffered from foetal alcohol syndrome, or merely unfortunate genetics! I use these figures with joy and pleasure and now added mirth, thanks to that observation!

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    3. Archduke PiccoloJune 9, 2017 at 6:35 PM

      I'm thinking that one my Prussian Light Horse get finished, they will cut a swath through any and all opponents just to spite me.

      Mind you it doesn't all go that way. My solitary Austrian Cuirassier regiment (Hohenzollern-Hechingen) I have always been fond of, and it has repaid in spades. It has been been beaten just the once - and that was just half the regiment, having just seen off a body of French light horse, being hit by Horse Grenadiers before they could recover. The other half of the unit was otherwise occupied (successfully) at the time.

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