It seems as if I have picked the perfect time to start my 1815 Waterloo Campaign, 1/72 scale plastic figure project. There are more plastic figures available now than at anytime in the past. I can safely say that I have been aiming towards this project since 1968, when I was 5 years old and my parents lavished me with Airfix plastic Waterloo figures. Finally I have decided to complete this long forsaken childhood project.

About four years ago my wargaming partner Brian Vizek bestowed upon me a great mass of Airfix French/British figures. I would say somewhere in the neighborhood of six or seven hundred. This kind act really stimulated my juices and got me heading headlong down the 20mm plastic figure ally. Regrettably I had given away my original Airfix figures to an Army buddy in 1982, so my original veterans could not be part of the project.

At that time I was into Fantasy Gaming, (Oh God! !! Explanation: I was 19 years old), and to compound matters I had become a Lead Figure Elitist. However thinking about doing a project and actually doing it are two entirely different things for me, so it has taken me sometime to get going. And with the explosion of new figures that have just hit the market, I'm glad I waited.

What follows is a listing of all plastic Napoleonic figures that I am aware of I will supplement the list with a listing of 20mm (1/72 scale) lead figures companies in the USA that I am aware of. I have also listed two Web Pages dedicated to 1/72 scale figures. Now on with the list.

AIRFIX

Price: $5.00 a box. Infantry 50 figures per box, Cavalry 12 figures per box, Artillery not sure Waterloo French Artillery Waterloo French Cavalry-Cuirassiers Waterloo French Imperial Guard Waterloo French Line Infantry Waterloo British Cavalry-Hussars Waterloo British Highlanders Waterloo British Artillery-Horse Artillery

Good old dependable Airfix. Can you think of a single lead figure line that was designed in the mid 1960's and is still comparable to today's state of the art figures???!!! These figures are not great, but they sure are very good. It appears at this time that the British Line Infantry figures are out of production but may be reissued in 1997, quite possible by Hat Industries. See below. I have every box of figures mentioned above in my collection and they still look good. Detail is a little weak in the face, but I don't paint faces anyway, so it doesn't bother me. These figures require the most cleaning up as some mold lines are quite visible. The cuirassiers are very dramatic in there poses and paint up quite quickly.

ESCI

Price: $3.50 a box. Infantry 50 figures per box, Cavalry 12 figures per box, Artillery 4 guns 16 figures, Napoleonic British Infantry- half Line Infantry, half Highlanders Napoleonic British Scots Greys, Napoleonic British Hussars, Napoleonic British Artillery, Napoleonic French Polish Lancers, Napoleonic French Line Infantry Napoleonic French Artillery-Guard Artillery in bearskins, Napoleonic French Cuirassiers, Napoleonic Austrian/Prussians, half 1809 Austrians, half 1806 Prussians, Napoleonic Russian Grenadiers 1812-1815

ESCI line has been around for a few years and probable most people have seen them. I doubt the line will ever expand as the owner of the molds, the son of the original owner, is very much against wargame figures. I have been told that these figures have one production run a year, very unusual, and that is it for the entire year. Obviously shortage of supplies will be experienced at the end of the year. However the figures themselves are excellent and the price, seven cents a piece for figures, cannot be beat. The French Cuirassiers and British Hussars are superior to the Airfix, and at a better price. They also make French Guard artillery, which is very plentiful in the Waterloo Campaign. ESCI figures are very clean and have little or no plastic flash on them.

HAT INDUSTRIES

$6.50 a box. Infantry 50 figures per box, Cavalry 12 figures per box. Mameluks Prussian Dragoon's 1813-15, Prussian Uhlans 1813-15, Prussian Landwher 1813-15, Airfix Reissue

HAT's a relatively new company, at least to me anyway. They have a Web Page which is very interesting. It contains photos of their figures painted, up coming figures and what stage of action they are in, and finally they solicit ideas from people on the internet on what figures you'd like to see done next. In addition to the current list of figures, sources tell me they are doing a bunch of Airfix reissue sets for 1997. Also on their web Page they say that Prussian and Russian artillery, and Brunswick Avante Guarde Jagers will be completed in the next few months. Very exciting news. Unfortunately at the time of this writing the new Hat figures had not reached the US. but should be in by the end of December 1996.

ITALIERI

$5.00 a box. Infantry 50 figures per box, Cavalry 18 figures per box. British 2nd Royal North, British Scots Greys, 42nd Highlanders, French Line Infantry, French Carabiniers, French Hussars, Austrian Grenadiers/Line Infantry 1809, Russian Pavlov Grenadiers, Russian Cuirassiers 1806-13

This line of figures is outstanding. The French Hussars and Carabiniers are THE BEST WARGAME FIGURES I have ever seen bar none. In fact Italeri figures are cast in silver plastic which makes them resemble unpainted lead figures. I can't rave about this line enough. Top of the line figures with new sets coming out all the time. They are also extremely inexpensive, ten cents per infantry figure.

REVELL

Price: $7.50 per box. Infantry 43 figures per box, Cavalry 18 figures per box, Artillery 3 guns, 19 figures, 1 limber and 4 horses British Foot Artillery, British Life Guards, British Line Infantry, British Rifles, French Guard Grenadiers, French Guard Chasseurs a Cheval, Prussian Line Infantry 1813-15.

The Revell figures are also quite good, being on the tall thin side as opposed to the short and fat types. Their Prussian Infantry has no waste figures, as I like to call them. All figures are excellent in march attack or firing poses. Revell figures tend to be a bit pricey, but all of there stuff is essential since no one else makes it in plastic.

GENERAL COMMENTS

All in all a fairly encompassing list of figures. I don't have all of the sets mentioned above so I can't comment on all of them. Generally only the Airfix sets contain any of those useless diorama figures that we wargamers have all grown to hate. Any figure that is crawling or carrying a wounded comrade are generally absolutely useless to wargamers. The new sets that I have, from Italeri, Revell and ESCI do not posses these useless individuals so you are getting all of the figures that you pay for. Some of the border line cases, odd posses and the like, are kept so that body parts and headgear can be used to create conversions.

The real genius of plastic figures and in some instances their curse is the soft plastic that they are cast in. The soft plastic allows very realistic scaling, so no more telephone pole lances or bayonets ten times there proper size. Using plastic allows much more dramatic poses to be used because there is no fear of breakage. I remember ten years back when RSM produced it's very fine line of 25mm lead Seven Years War figures. There was one very dramatic fellow, an Aid De Camp, with his hand on his hat to keep it in place and he was riding a rearing horse which had both of it's front legs off of the ground. Unfortunately the horse had a lead pole sticking in its midsection attached to the base to keep the whole thing iiom breaking off the stand. This took away from the whole ambiance of the figure, so I removed it. The two rear legs did not remain attached to the base for very long resulting n a broken and unusable figure. You'll never be presented with this problem with plastic figures. Soft plastic is not very breakable, making it much more durable than lead.

On the negative side it is the soft plastic that has caused many wargarners to take a pass on these figures because they feared to waste time to paint them. In a follow up article I will attempt to dispel this myth and also talk about specific conversions to fill holes in lines and the tools needed to do it. Converting plastic figures is easy and I find very enjoyable.

Basics of Painting Plastic Soldiers

As can be seen from the above list that after 28 years of waiting I finally have Prussian infantry to combat my French. I was dreading having to use warmed over French line troops as Prussians and my call in the wilderness was answered. With Hat producing the cavalry, artillery and Landwehr units and Revell supplying the line infantry, just about every unit in Prussian service can be recreated. A small conversion, a plume, and you halve the foot guards.

All of these figures are available through:

Kent Sprecher
312 Cedar Lane
Largo, FLA. 33770-4001
Fri-Mon 813-584-6996
Fax 813-584-7173
E-Mail Kentsprech@AOL.COM

LEAD FIGURE LINES USA

Here are a few companies producing 20mm lead figures that can complement your plastic hordes. There are apparently quite a few companies in England producing 20mm figures but I don't have much information on them.

RSM95
140 Indiana Ave
Dayton, OH, 45410
Telephone 513-256-0410.

RSM95 is now producing the old RSM line of 20mm figures. They have a fairly extensive line of French, British, with a smattering of 1809 Austrians, and some Brunswickers and odds and ends. I heard a rumor that they were having some financial trouble, I hope this is incorrect. Drop them a line and find out.

Bataillenfeur Games
14 Parkview Ave
Jamestown, NY, 14701
Telephone 716-488-1586


Ultimate Miniatures
PO Box 756
Corcoran, CA 93212


Ultimate Miniature has taken over the old Scruby figure lines. These figures still have charm but are very dated looking. If you order some of these figures ask for the 25rnm listing, as this is actually compatible with HO scale figures. Don't ask me why.

Brookhurst Hobbies
12188 Brookhurst St.
Garden Grove, CA 92840
Telephone 714-636-3580
E-Mail Brookhobby@AOL.COM


Brookhurst Hobbies carries most of the lines listed above in addition to several 20rnm lead lines from England.

Hinton Hunt
??????


They use to be out of Florida a few years back, David Clayton use to carry them I believe. They had a rather massive line of 20mm figures, I'm unsure if they are still around.

WEB SITES

Here are two web sites you can check out that are pretty cool. The first is Military Miniatures: Http://www.inpetho.net/rniniatures/english.html

The second is Hat Industries: http://www.accessone.com/hat/

Well there you have it. I would encourage everyone to give plastic figures a go. In this age of rising lead figure prices this may be an alternative to still have large scale armies without robbing banks in your spare time to pay for it.