@All, just heard back from the production crew. Looks like they can only fit on 9 types of headwear instead of the 18 we had planned. Part of that is sprue space and part of that is injection molds don't like a lot of little objects. Little spaces means increased pressure and that can lead to flash, etc.
So that means we have choose between shakoes(S), helmets(H) and bearskins(B). I'm leaning towards 6S - 2H - 1B for the reason that Italeri already makes helmeted Austrians and Grenadiers are in the minority. Keep in mind that this set was supposed to be one set of Austrian Infantry and that any extra headwear should just be considered extra. The idea to allow many choices was a good one, but the production guys shot it down.
Still, that means a box of 3 sprues would have 9 extra hats (6H and 3B), and anyone buying two boxes (eg. a box of marching and one of action) would have 12H and 6B extra.
Another idea is to have that combination for the marching set, and something different for the action set like 6H - 2S - 1B, so someone buying 2 sets (1 marching and 1 action) would end up with a total of 24S - 24H - 6B or 54 hats to fit 36 heads. But that's assuming people would buy equal quantities of each set. That could end up pretty messy.
A 3rd idea would be 3S - 3H - 3B (equal numbers)...
So, what do you guys think, again keeping in mind that it's a set of Austrian infantry with 9 extra hats per box.
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37 comments:
I am happy either way .
Though if I worked for hat I would do the marching boxs with 2 options and the action also with only 2 options
Thats a tough one? but i prefer the Helmets my self it realy gives the Austrians there own look {plus more troops to mix in with the Italeri's}
Rob C,
The gremlins really like to play with these Austrians! What is the command sprue looking like?
I am not interested in the Shakos so the Helmets and Bearskins would not be considered extras. My preference would be for 6H and 3B. For me the options suggested above break down as follows:
Option 1
18 Figures - (6H + 3B) = 9 hatless figures
36 Figures - (12H + 6B) = 18 hatless figures
Option 2
18 Action Figures - (6H + 3B) = 9 hatless figures
18 Marching Figures - (18H + 3B) = 3 extra hats!
36 Figures - (24H + 6B) = 6 hatless figures
Presumably the missing six would be the loader or the at attention pose, depending on individual preference.
In this option the Marching set should get the Helmets.
Option 3
18 Figures - (9H + 9B) = Everyone gets a hat
There would be a disproportional number of grenadiers but all the figures would be put to use.
Option 4
Do a set of Hungarians and put the Shakos in that set.
What, if any, repercussions does this issue have for the long-coat Marching French sets? As planned they were to have: a set of packs; a set of bicornes; a set of shakos; and a mixed set of Tarletons and bonnets. Is a technical problem similar to the Austrians anticipated?
On a cheerier note the latest Hobby Bunker newsletter brings word that they have the E19 sets for sale.
I,m not sure I,m understanding this right???
Are there heads on the figures already and then there are also extra heads also? or are all the figures headless and all the heads separate???
If the figures are headless? why not just add a head on the figures and now you have less small parts to worry about and can add more extra heads?
I don,t care about the helmets or the bearskin grenadiers heads as Italeri has done both already.
My vote is for all figures to come with SHAKOS attached on all the figures and whatever everyone else decides for the extra heads.
The other thing I,m worried about on the Austrian figures is the ammo pouches look to large for the figures!
This also happened on the Russian figures also and I think it ruined the look of the figures with these HUGE ammo pouches! I was really unhappy with how big they were and I,m thinking of cutting them all off and remaking them all with 2 part putty.
Is it to late to shrink these ammo pouches down a bit????
FISH!!!<"))))><
I forgot to ask the same thing in my 1st post about the cartridge boxes if they can be fixed before its to late?
The cartridge boxes are so big on the Russians they look like they could fit a LapTop in there :)...
Rob C
@All, I've just realized the blog format is not very good for answering individual posts as it does not allow me to answer each one like you can in on the Bravenet forum.
Looks like there are 2 votes for the helmets and 1 for shakos.
@Fish and Rob, contemporary drawings show varying sizes of cartridge boxes. Pics of other existing cartridge boxes that I have seen are huge. And once the figures have gone past the masters stage they cannot be changed.
I'd rather have shakos than helmets myself since helmets are already done by Italeri.
Hobby Bunker is jumping the gun since E19 hasn't been shipped out yet.
@All, by the way, please answer the question asked only as the production crew is also looking at this blog to try and get an idea of what to do with the S/H/B question.
HatBlogger ok i will have another look at some of my Nap books about the cartridge boxes,
I did read somewere that the Russian muskets @ Guns were made by a few factory's which ment there weapons were not very uniform to say the least.
Sorry i know this does not relate to the Austrian Question.
Option 1 is my vote
@Anth, whose option 1?
I like your 3rd idea of 3 shakos,3 helmets and 3 bearskins.
I like the 3/3/3 option as well although i am unclear as to whether the figures have heads to begin with and what those heads are. I think that shakoed Austrians will be helpful given the Italeri figures already available.
Thanks
Neil A
3H - 4S - 2B or 4H - 4S - 1B
@ Hatblogger, are the figures currently the same as the photos of the masters you have on the website. It looks like most of the figures have helmets already. If that is the case, then I would be for more bearskins and shakos. can you clarify?
@Chad, the torsos will come incomplete. The reason we have done it this way is because some customers did not want to convert, i.e. cut off something to add something on.
6S - 2H - 1B = Hatbloggers 1st option.
How the progress on the Spanish??
I changed my mind i will opt for the Shako's as im more interested in the later years of the Napoleonic wars.
Rob C
[IMG]http://i231.photobucket.com/albums/ee86/alamoRob/bx8027.jpg[/IMG]
Oops please ignor the photobucket line.
Rob C,
@ Hatblogger, you mentioned that there will be 9 extra heads. What are the heads that will be coming standard on every sprue?
@Chad, there are no heads that will be coming standard on every sprue. There are 9 heads per sprue and 6 bodies. So there will be 3 extra heads per sprue or 9 extra heads per box.
If the master figures are headless with plug in heads I would like to have enough to make a full set of helmeted troops. So for me 6 helmeted and three bearknis on the action set. Perhaps we could reverse that in the marching set with marching set with 3/3/3. Is there any scope to do an extra production run of various heads which would give us all the option of buying mixture of heads that would allow us to meet all needs - helmeted, shako or bearskin. Surely that must be possible. I think Replicants do that.
I know it may be boring to some, but I would prefer 6 helmets, then 1 shako and 2 bearskins. The Italeri set (original) is long OOP, and the current set is just plain ugly
But H, I would buy mini boxes of extra heads if you wanted to go that way. Or why don't you consider going for different boxes. Make three different sets (of three each) - and sell them as early/late and grenadiers. Is it AiP that sells teh same set in different colours and calls them something else each time?
And on a technical point, how comes the heads are such an issue - the Brits in 1/72 had a load of spare heads, and I have no significant flash issues with those.
I vote for your second option and then have a diferent mix in the action and marching sets to allow people to mix and match as they see fit.
RBH Jr.
On a different subject when are Hat announcing E 20 and the 6 set release???
@Marc, that whole sprue is designed differently, everything in it is small to begin with, different plastics, different temperatures, different fill rates, etc. When you have large objects you have to adjust all that so that the outside of the object doesn't cool before the inside does.
@Anth, I'm not sure about that. It will be announced when it's done.
I'm not interested in Shakos, so I will not buy a set that will allow me to build just 6 Helmeted infantry.
Shakos shakos ahakos please!!!!!! as the majority of figures will be shako line troops that is what i need to be the majority
Alex D
I agree with the idea of a box of heads only - maybe other conversion stuff too
Alex D
Another option would be to reduce the number of poses in the command set to only 5 poses and include extra heads in that set.
I find most of Hat's command sets have at least one completely superfluous pose in them anyway so it's no big loss. So I would suggest do only 5 poses in the command set and include enough extra heads to fill out the other sets.
Thank you,
RBH Jr.
I think RBH's suggestion about having extra heads in the command set is a good one. We could afford to lose the additional marching figure in these sets on this occassion. But it will also mean that the command set will need to be ready and availble with the other two if we want to maximise the scope for head swapping across sets. Otherwise we face incomplete sets potentially half assembled because we are waiting for more spare heads in the command set. That would be irritating and not a good solution.
Thanks Paul. Good suggestions.
I would further suggest that the marching sets could also be of fewer figures if it would allow for additional heads. Say five marching figures per pressing X 3 pressings per box. That's still 15 marching figures per set and all the heads needed.
I've been waiting a long time for a company to do Austrians in 54mm well. I would rather wait a little longer than be disapointed again in the results.
RBH Jr.
I wonder if mixing it up with the heads may not be the best as half of the buyers will not get what they realy want? Cast on a set of Helmets or Shakos now then come back in a few years and do the other.
Anyway just thinkin,
Rob,
hatblogger,
my option would be for the maximum shako's and the rest either H or B. Italeri have done the helmets and bearskins and I have loads of those but with the extras I could mix some of your figures in with theirs.
The Shako's are the obvious answer they have not been done before.
Perhaps in the Marching have 2 H and 1 B and the reverse in the action.
I think that the idea of a later head box might be an interesting idea?
brian023
That is a great idea re the command sets, and losing a figure. Count me as a positive there :-)
Why do the figures have to come in the box on sprues. Just make another sprue of just heads and cut them off of the sprue and stick them loose in the box. Enough heads of each type for everyone. Your welcome.
Sscott
I would go for 4H, 4S, 1B.
I'd prefer helmets, but there's clearly plenty of demand for shakoes too. Four of each provides a decent mix.
The idea of putting extra heads in the marching or command sets in place of a figure is also good.
Ben
Brian023,
As a last statement I would ask that whatever is put in a box please let it make up 18 figures that are the same whether that be S/H/B.
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