3rd Battalion, 5th Demi-Brigade de Ligne 1793-95

A bit of a burst has seen me finish this latest addition to my ongoing Wars of the French Revolution project. The figures are from Brigade Games sculpted by Paul Hicks and are slighter than my preferred Trent Miniatures French infantry.  I expect that regular readers of my ramblings will immediately recall that I purchased these from a Flea Market seller at October's Derby Worlds wargames show. As I've said before about them, I couldn't get all 24 figures in the same pose, opting for 8 in advancing or charging pose and the balance of 12 in March attack pose. I found a drummer, but no officer or standard bearer, so my solution was a standard bearer from the Dromedary Corps and a Mounted Russian colonel cunningly disguised by a paint job as French! Lace freaks can look away now, as they say, but they will do for me.

This is the second Brigade Games unit I've painted for the Wars of the French Revolution project ~ see my earlier post featuring the 31st Legere if you missed it. After a total of 49 pieces I feel that it's OK to make a few points about the figures as I had them. Firstly, the service from the States was first class; I was kept informed of progress of my order, it was promptly despatched, and there were no additional rip off charges at our end, so I'd call that a result. Secondly, I know the range is really for the French in Egypt, so accept some anachronisms in both uniform and equipment, such as the voluminous neck clothes on several figures. As I've said before, they will do for me.
Turning though to the figures themselves, there are a couple of gripes, neither uncommon I'm afraid wherever you source figures on the whole. Mould making or casting related issues are the usual flash, though none too serious, and one instance of a twisted musket which I dare n't try to straighten. Nothing major though there, but let's turn to the finer details. I really like figures to sport buttons or open button holes if the sculptor wanted to reflect the wear and tear of campaigning. What I really dislike is buttons not moulded or not cast, in effect they are seconds in reality. Now partly this may be the result of the sculptor's detail work being too fine, but seeing greens regularly on Forum Boards and blogs I suspect that's not the case. In our hobby generally mould making and casting is often second rate, with the certain exception of Griffin, so I'm not singling Brigade out for criticism, merely reporting some disappointment. Saying this, would I buy more from them? Certainly, I know what I'm getting and can live with it. A related personal issue, of age, eyesight and hand leads me to say that really I prefer figures with deeper, more pronounced detain now on my paint desk, but I will tackle stuff that isn't while I still can, I'm just slower and have to paint over 'mistooks'!