Plastic Soldier Review - A Call To Arms French Carabiniers 1815

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A Call To Arms

Set 53

French Carabiniers 1815

All figures are supplied unpainted (Numbers of each pose in brackets)

Stats

Date Released	2001
Contents	12 mounted figures and 12 horses
Poses	4 poses, 1 horse pose
Material	Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours	Light Tan

Average Height

24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review

It would seem that late Napoleonic French Cavalry is a real favourite with many manufacturers, so it was no surprise that only the third A Call To Arms Napoleonic set was also their second French cavalry set. When these Carabiniers appeared, however, Italeri had already released their set of the same subject.

As we have come to expect from this producer, the level of detail on these figures is first class, and the poses are all natural and attractive. The problem of sculpting the helmet with its comb is solved by not having any of the figures facing directly into the mould, which is neat, but does mean none of the figures are looking where their charging mount is taking them.

Unfortunately, as with the cuirassiers in set 51, these figures are much too slender to really seem like heavy cavalry - cuirassiers in all but name. Likewise the single horse pose is of too small an animal, even though the larger horses were not always available. In fact this horse is that found in the cuirassiers set, so its inclusion is an economy measure.

Quite a soft plastic has been used for these figures, and there is a certain amount of flash to be removed. However it is the four poses, and particularly the sole horse pose, that make this set fall short of the standards set by Italeri in their corresponding set. Such poses as there are have been intelligently designed and well executed, and this is a good looking set, but the slender proportions just don't match the subject, and the inclusion of only one horse pose significantly limits its use.

Ratings

Historical Accuracy	8
Pose Quality	8
Pose Number	6
Sculpting	6
Mould	9