Plastic or Metal?

[Lord Zippy]

Hello old man looking for some advice.

It's that time of year where my lovely family asks what do you want for Christmas. Now I am doing my own Napoleonic project I am trying to recreate D'Erlons corps at Waterloo. I've done the first and second division, I am thinking now doing cavalry. D'Erlon had the first cavalry division under his command.

7th Hussars (3squads) - 3rd Chasseurs (3squads) 3rd & 4th Line lancers combined in 5 squads.

I have the artillery completed and I am trying to convince myself plastic cavalry is the way to go instead of £37 from Front Rank, however I prefer the metals but I am thinking of my families funds.
I have calculated that I need 132 cavalry to complete this division if I could get some advice please I'd be more than grateful!

Thank you, Lord Zippy

[fred]

Personally I'm a big fan of plastic figures.

As you say cost certainly comes into it, especially for cavalry. And as you are after that many you should be able to get 4 for 3 deals on boxes as well.

But you have to like putting them together, personally I quite enjoy this, it reminds of making model kits from when I was a kid (but much fewer parts). It is fun making up your own poses and figures, so you end up with lots of variety (but this may be less important for Napoleonics). But if the idea of removing lots of figure from the spures and gluing them together fills you with horror, then avoid them!

If you do go this route, make sure you get a bottle of liquid polystyrene cement, with a brush. And some sprue cutters, both of these make the job much quicker and easier (and are both cheap). The liquid cement is much easier to use and more controllable than tubes, and the cutters make removing parts much simpler than trying to cut them off with a knife.

[jambo1]

Have done both and both have their place, push come to shove I would go with metal.

[Lord Zippy]

Thank you for your reply Fred.

It's just unfortunate that my kids are no longer kids (teenagers) and my son doesn't want to be seen hanging with his dad, seems to be when he is itching for figures of his own. Most of my infantry are plastic figures so building doesn't really bother it's really deciding how to paint them really, rider on and off.

Jambo, I would like metal and plastic would be nice to do a mix and match I think anxiety kicks in thinking about painting them!

[vtsaogames]

"my son doesn't want to be seen hanging with his dad"

"When I was 14 my father was so ignorant I didn't want to be seen with him. By the time I was 21 it was amazing how much the old man had learned in 7 years." - Mark Twain.

When playing Rise and Fall (board game of the fall of Rome) as Emperor, my nick-name is Pennius Pinchus, from the frugal way the empire is run. Pennius says, "132 cavalry? Plastics, of course!"

[Sparrow]

I’d say go metal. You can then love them for many years to come. Plastic always feels so “temporary” to me. Perhaps I’m just old fashioned

[petercooman123]

I am doing D'Erlons cavalry division as well.

I went all plastic, using warlord games models. I already had the hussars and the 3rd lancers and used the black Friday deal from warlord this weekend to get the rest. ( I got 15 boxes in total and only had to pay for 10). The sale is still going right now.

For my division I use 1 regiment = 1 unit on the table. ( I use Napoleonic wargaming by Neil Thomas)

I must admit that the metal ones are usually nicer, and they "feel better when shoving them around. ( I have the lifeguard and Scots greys by Perry)

For me it is more  practical/financially viable to do cavalry in plastic.in the sale, the 37£ you mention for those front rank minis, bought me a box of lancers, chasseurs and a box of union brigade, about 36-38 in total.

[Timmo]

Metal. It's what you really like and you or your family don't have to buy them all at once. That many is going to take a long time to paint. Why not get a unit or two in metal paint them and then decide what to do for the remainder.

The biggest investment you make will be your time and I'd suggest you are better off spending that working on what you like the most. Plus sticking 28mm plastics together and disguising the joins is a real pain in the neck that eats time.

[petercooman123]

Almost no join issues on perry/warlord. At least not visible on the ones I have.

[kingsmt]

I have both and I prefer metals any day.
After all the work that goes into making and painting a plastic figure, you drop it and it's broken. Swords, lances and flags break off at the slightest touch.

Baahhhh. Stick with metal.

[petercooman123]

I have both and I prefer metals any day.
After all the work that goes into making and painting a plastic figure, you drop it and it's broken. Swords, lances and flags break off at the slightest touch.

Baahhhh. Stick with metal.

If you glue with plastic cement they don't come apart very easily you know.

[Dr. Zombie]

Given a choice I would always go for metal. i find the task of building plastic soldiers absolutely soulcrushing. I absolutely detest the job of cutting bits from sprues and scraping of moldlines and then gluing it all together.

[petercooman123]

I think this really is a matter of "to each his own".

I just love mixing and matching bits to get unique poses and individual soldiers. Lucky for me as well, as i am spending the evening glueing a box of japanese soldiers togheter for bolt action 

I think it also depends on how you entered "our hobby". I progressed from building military kits to using them to play games, so maybe that's why i really don't mind.

I can appreciate the quick build stuff as well though, like the warlord napoleonic infantry. choose a head, glue it to a body and done! Paint the lot and attach the backpack when finished. very simple!

the cavalry stuff from warlord/perry does not have that many parts as well.

Some plastics i made lately:

the 3rd lancers (really don't know why the middle pennants come up as black, they are red/white)



british light dragoons


french dragoons

[Lord Zippy]

Hello.

Thank you for your comments and fast response.

Another question while we are here, do you paint the riders together or apart regardless of metal or plastic?

Enjoying this forum stuff thank you!

[Lowtardog]

Yup doing an ACW army myself and with mainly plastics and can say it is the only way to go for big forces unless you have deep pockets. I would mix in the odd metal leader etc for a bit of variety and such. Perry are masters for this.

On horses (which I hate painting) I glue the rider to the horse as saves a lot of hassle and if you can`t see if when the rider is on it, you don`t have to paint it and saves a little time and trouble