The best 1/72 sets ever!

[Pijlie]

With this I do not mean the sculpting quality (although the figures look excellent without any flash) nor the subject (although SYW is rare enough in itself) but the concept of the set.

HaT has produced three SYW Prussian infantry sets: marching infantry, "active" infantry and infantry command. This means you can get 4 (!) 24-men regiments out of three boxes (2 x infantry and 1x command) plus some generals on horseback with adjutants without a single figure remaining. Talk about value for money!

Besides this, the set delivers optional tricornes, fusilier caps and grenadier mitres so as to configure the infantry as chosen. I glued them with 2-part epoxy glue, as normal UHU failed to bond the plastic used.

Due to the habit of 18th century troops to wear uniforms that largely resembled civilian clothing (and therefore only differed in colours and minor details) you can use them for other nationalities as well.

Kudos to HaT!

[Sangennaru]

Well, even though they're using soft bendy plastic, they surely did a great work! Apparently there's still a huge market of people more interested in the soft plastic ones than the hard plastic, i think that the cost of the mold (which is the biggest part of the budget) is quite the same for both the plastics, no?

[Pijlie]

As I understand there is no difference.

There is indeed a wide interest in 1/72 plastic figures for wargaming. I know several including myself who do so. Especially large scale games are very well suited for them.

I play several periods in the scale. These figures will become my Hessians for the Trenton game I am preparing.

[Sangennaru]

As I understand there is no difference.

There is indeed a wide interest in 1/72 plastic figures for wargaming. I know several including myself who do so. Especially large scale games are very well suited for them.

I play several periods in the scale. These figures will become my Hessians for the Trenton game I am preparing.

Still, if they were made in hard plastic they would be more pratical for painting and using, the 1/72 i have in soft plastic are WAYS too bendy to hold paint correctly.

Another thing that here i quite appreciate is that they are not too much detailed. Old 1/72 were normographed versions of 1/35 models, and they had too many soft details. Painting them was pratically impossibile, ending to a mediocre result, with rough areas with indistinguishable details. =(

[Pijlie]

Still, if they were made in hard plastic they would be more pratical for painting and using, the 1/72 i have in soft plastic are WAYS too bendy to hold paint correctly.
 =(

It takes some practise, but I think they work really well.

[dadlamassu]

Still, if they were made in hard plastic they would be more pratical for painting and using, the 1/72 i have in soft plastic are WAYS too bendy to hold paint correctly.

I have used thousands of plastic bendy figures without much trouble, true the paint flakes off muskets, rifles, bayonets, spears etc. if you do not varnish them or store them properly.

[Calimero]

Aren't they supposed to release these SYW Prussian in 28mm too?

[Cubs]

Something that has always worked for me, is to paint PVA/wood glue on the vulnerable bits, and allow it to dry before varnishing (it obviously has to be a clear-drying glue). This gives those bendy muskets and horse legs a flexible protective covering and helps to prevent the paint from flaking.

[Emir of Askaristan]

Yeah, c'mon Hat, release the 28's.

These 1/72's look good and the other figures they have in their horse & musket sets are well sculpted and good for wargaming. They have a decent following in my local club and were well received at the demo put on at this years Targe.

However I'd like to see their bigger bro's and soon please!

Thanks for sharing

[Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers]

Apparently according to Henry Hyde's excellent new book "The Wargaming compendium", the trick to painting soft plastic figures is in the preparation.
The steps as follows:
Wash figures in detergent to remove grease and mould release
Sit the figures over night in a dilute solution of water and white vinegar. This apparently etches the surface of the figure giving a better bond.
Undercoat the entire figure with PVA glue.
When dry undercoat with spray or paint as normal.
After painting varnish with gloss varnish followed by Matt varnish.
Hey presto! Tough figures which the paint does not flake off.

For me I was too emotionally scarred from a bad experience of painting Esci Napoleonic highlanders with paint flaking off, I could not do it again... 

Cheers
Fuzzy

[Pijlie]

This is indeed the way to go and even works on the worst kinds of plastic. The worst I ever encountered were ESCI fuzzy wuzzies (sorry previous poster  ) on which no glue or primer known to Man would hold. It makes you wonder why they do not make superglue bottles from that plastic btw....

But undercoating with PVA worked wonders. And what Henry omits to mention is that you can varnish firgures with PVA as well. Diluted Bison speedglue dries up transparant and matte.