Second Rankers
My new AIM figures (see Post 171) – apart from providing an early Christmas present – arrived with perfect timing when I was just about to base one of Boudet’s regiments (see Post 170). I had used firing poses for this regiment but was getting a trifle frustrated that I was about to base up yet another unit with marching poses as a second rank to a front rank of firing poses (see Post 127). Pendraken firing French and Austrian line infantrymen, unfortunately, came in packs all on their own. This didn’t pose the same problem for gamers who based their miniatures in single rank. But as mine were based in two ranks and – although I had based the occasional figure as such – I didn’t really want entire second ranks firing through the gaps between the guys in the front ranks. Whatever the historical regulations for Napoleonic volley fire, most of the
time I wanted to see at least some sense of twitching movement
behind the levelled muskets of my firing front ranks.
My new AIM figures came to the rescue as my bundle arrived with
a good number of French line infantry ‘advancing’ (or high-porte)
figures. I put 12 already painted Pendraken marching minis on the
shelf and painted up 12 AIM figures to take their place. I primed the
miniatures with the brush-on primer featured in the last post – really
great stuff to have when there are only a few figs to get done. First
up, I dabbed some artists’ acrylic coarse modelling paste on the flat
bases to give them texture and avoid messing up my painting later.
AIM figure on the left,
Pendraken on the right
in a fight for the
biggest pom-pom.
Two AIM figures: a
line and an elite line
infantryman.
POST 173
173
