Grognard Miniatures

28mm Napoleonics

by Rob Hamper

Grognard Miniatures is a new figure manufacturer from France run by Sylvain Mosca. Sylvain sent us their current price list along with some samples.

The inaugural issue consists of two different sets from the Imperial Guard and we received some from each. First up are the Chasseurs à Pied of the Old Guard in great coats from 1815 sculpted by Bobby Jackson. This series has 10 poses with the usual firing and advancing depictions but also includes two of the uncommon kneeling poses.

These are extremely well cast figures with virtually no flash and near invisible mould lines. The figure bases are of minimal size and are plainly finished without texturing.

The anatomy of the figures is very well sculpted. Arms, legs and torso all seem to be in proportion while the hands are especially well done, being of correct size and shape. The faces of the figures are a bit thin through the cheeks on some of the soldiers but the facial sculpting is great.

Given the quality of the anatomical sculpting, that of the equipment is less stimulating. The muskets are much bulkier than they should be: the barrels being positively huge. The bayonet is not the sleek weapon it should be and this is partly because the socket must be big enough to go around the barrel while the blade doesn’t seem long enough.

The musket belts are odd. The sling swivel on the stock should be fitted to the middle barrel band but the belts appear to be fixed (although hidden by the soldiers’ left hand) at the lower-most band. The result is short looking belts.

The great coats are not undercut enough with the effect that what should be empty space is actually solid material that curves slightly downward to meet the legs. The sabre-briquet looks a bit too heavy for the sidearm normally carried by the infantry.

The rest of the equipment is fine. Flat belts, well-shaped knapsacks, detailed cartridge boxes, nice bearskins and canteens.

Overall, the figures look good and are a worthy first effort. It’s only when you look closely do you find the anomalies and they’re not likely to be noticed on well-painted figures on a gaming table. They measure out to a near perfect 28mm from foot to eye and I’d rate them a 28M on the Barrett Scale. I’ve stacked them against some Calpe and Front Rank figures and they fit in quite well. Certainly in their own, dedicated units they would be great companions to the aforementioned lines.

The second set was of the Fusilier-Chasseurs of the Middle Guard. They are in campaign dress for the 1813-14 era as sculpted by Todd Harris. These figures are as equally well cast as the previously described set, so I’ll move on.

It’s not difficult to tell that different sculptors did the sets and that’s not necessarily a good thing for those seeking homogenous units. However, the two sets are not meant to be mixed together at any rate so the standout differences will be more difficult to notice.

First of all, Harris’ figures appear to bend a little deeper at the knees and this gives them more of a slouching or loping look than the erect Old Guard figures. The anatomy here is as nice as that of Jackson’s sculptures, though they are even a little more thinner through the flanks. I’ll give Harris more points for dynamism though as some of the poses display a little emotion at least.

The equipment of the Fusilier-Chasseurs is much more on the mark than for the Old Guard figures. Muskets and bayonets are sleek and the musket belts are visible in the correct spot. The sabre-briquet is a little smaller too. Also, he, like Jackson, gets all the historical details correct as far as I can tell, right down to the pointed cuffs and cartridge box details.

These figures also measure out to a near perfect 28mm from foot to eye and thus the two sets together really show how imposing the bearskin hats really were! I could rate them 28M but as they are even a bit slimmer than their OG counterparts, they might even be considered to be 28L.

So, despite some minor flaws, Grognard Miniatures are producing some very attractive figures with the potential to paint up very nicely and look great on the tabletop. I look forward to seeing the line develop as it expands to other unit types.

Figures are Euro 1.25 each (approximately $1.59 US at the time of writing) and special packs are available in each series with 10 figures in two poses for Euro 12.00 (USD 15.24). Also, if one should order a pack of the same 10 figures, the cost will also be Euro 12.00. Orders or inquiries can be made through Sylvain Mosca at Grognard Miniatures, 9 Avenue Thiers, 06500 Menton, France or via e-mail at grognardfigs@9online.fr. - Rob Hamper

Reviews

Back to Table of Contents -- Courier # 91
To Courier List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 2004 by The Courier Publishing Company.
This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com