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Revell

Set 02578

British Life Guards

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All figures are supplied unpainted    (Numbers of each pose in brackets)
Stats
Date Released 1994
Contents 17 mounted figures and 17 horses
Poses 7 poses, 7 horse poses
Material Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours Light Grey
Average Height 24 mm (= 1.73 m)

Review

With the apparent Revell strategy of depicting elite forces for their Napoleonic range, the closest thing they found in the British cavalry was the Household Cavalry, which was made up of the two regiments of Life Guards plus, in all but name, the Royal Horse Guards. Luckily for Revell both these bodies wore virtually identical uniforms except for the colours, so this set could just as easily represent either type.

There are a healthy seven figure poses, with the usual sword waving ones being supplemented by a very nice trumpeter, resting his instrument on his knee, and an excellent officer. The figure of a man about to draw his sword is an unusual pose but well done, as is the full-on charging figure, who is better posed than any of the equivalent figures from Italeri.

The generous seven horse poses include charging, walking and standing examples which so many cavalry sets fail to provide. The horse with both left legs in touch with the ground but both right legs in the air looks rather awkward, but in general these are well done. All the saddles, bridles etc look appropriate, and all the horses have the sheepskin cover over the saddle and no shabraque, which is good. Since 1799 British cavalry had been ordered to have their horses tails docked, but ironically the Household Cavalry were an exception, so the docked tails seen in this set are actually appropriate for all the rest of the cavalry, but not these men.

The Life Guards and Royal Horse Guards wore the same basic uniform as the rest of the British heavy cavalry, with the main distinctive element being the helmet with woollen crest. This was only introduced in 1814, placing this set very firmly in the 1815 Waterloo campaign and nowhere else. This helmet and all other elements of the uniform are accurately modelled here, and the swords and carbines are also correct. Officially the officer should have a sword with half-basket hilt rather than the standard issue he carries here, but officers were allowed considerable discretion in their uniform and weapons.

Detail is good without being nearly as crisp as some, and the general standard of sculpting is up to the normal Revell high standard. The men sit on their horses very easily, and there is no flash to speak of.

This is a good looking and accurate set with nice and useful poses; it neatly fills an important gap in the British Napoleonic ranks.


Ratings

Historical Accuracy 9
Pose Quality 10
Pose Number 8
Sculpting 9
Mould 10

Further Reading
Books
"1815 The Armies at Waterloo" - Seeley, Service & Company - Ugo Pericoli - 9780854220724
"British Cavalry Equipments 1800-1941" - Osprey (Men-at-Arms Series No.138) - Mike Chappell - 9781841764719
"British Cavalry Uniforms Since 1660" - Blandford - Michael Barthorp - 9780713710434
"British Cavalryman 1792-1815" - Osprey (Warrior Series No.8) - Philip Haythornthwaite - 9781855323643
"British Napoleonic Uniforms" - Spellmount - Carl Franklin - 9781862274846
"Napoleonic Wars: Wellington's Army" - Brassey (History of Uniforms Series) - Ian Fletcher - 9781857531732
"Uniforms of Waterloo" - Blandford - Philip Haythornthwaite - 9781854093943
"Waterloo Men" - Crowood - Philip Haythornthwaite - 9781861262837
"Wellington's Army" - Windrow & Greene (Europa Militaria Special No.5) - Neil Leonard - 9781872004792
"Wellington's Heavy Cavalry" - Osprey (Men-at-Arms Series No.130) - Bryan Fosten - 9780850454741
Magazines
"Tradition (French Language)" - No.2

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