Italian Brigade

I posted some time ago that the 60 figures in the Victrix French Infantry 1807-1812 box made it virtually a 'brigade-in-a-box'.  I decided turning all of them into Italians. I finally finished the other half of the box.  There are plenty of spare bits and command figures so that I was able to made three separate regimental command stands and enough commands for no less than five 12-figure battalions.  I have to say, I am impressed by what you can get out of box of Victrix figures. A very cheap way to build an army and they are very nicely done figures to boot.


The only criticisms I have are the size (scale creep got mad - they are virtually 30mm figures, definitely NOT 28s!) and the overly slender muskets and bayonets which have a nasty habit of breaking off.  The good news is of course, being HD plastic, they are very repairable - if you can find where that skinny bit that snapped off when to! Modeling tip: for those of us used to superglue - don't bother. You will get a far superior result with quicker bonding using proper plastic model cement. I used Revell that comes with that long slender applicator spout thingy and swear by it - not at it.

In setting up the brigade I tried to be as flexible as possible with the basing as with light plastic figures, re-basing is really not an option. So apart from the command stands, most are the 45x20 two-figure bases.  I've also used some of the 60mm ones that come with the Perry's boxes for three-figures stands which have free standing singles to add (or not) as you please.  What I ended up with was five 12-figure battalions: two Cacciatore (Italian Legere equivalents); two line and one grenadier battalions.  By taking away command stands these can be re-configured into regiments or even at 1:20 scale a single 40 figure battalion with two 8-figure elite companies for really, really big hairy chested Black Powder gaming!

As I have already used the kneeling figures for skirmisher stands, I decided to do an entire light infantry unit - the Cacciatores - the Italian version of the Legere.

As you can see I used a few Perry heads to add further variety.  I know I've posted it before but the Grenadier command is a favourite of mine and now with the second regiment completed I have enough figures for a converged grenadier battalion.  I think the Victrix grenadiers are great figures to make up.

I must say, the figures en masse  have turned out better than I hoped.  I don't think the size will made that much of a difference on the table - they mix in with Perry's 28s quite well (must remember not to put the Italian grenadiers next to the French cuirassiers though!).

1st Battalione, 2nd Regimente in column.

Must away now as the Memsahib (She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed) is on the warpath as in the aftermath of finishing my Italians, the study is not up to her exacting standard of cleanliness and hygiene and I fear violence may ensue if I don't get off the computer.  This will be my last posting for a few weeks as I also have one last uni essay to write.  After that, hopefully the French hussars (or Carabinier or...)

Ciao for now,

                     Doc