In brief
Daniel shares painted French officers, Portuguese Atiradores and ACW Iron Brigade figures, with notes on detail, painting and Perry compatibility.There is nothing better than seeing Battle Honours 3D miniatures painted, based and incorporated into a complete army.
Daniel has been working through several of our ranges, including French mounted officers and Portuguese Atiradores for the Peninsular War, alongside the famous Iron Brigade from our American Civil War collection.
He has also been using the figures alongside Perry Miniatures, giving us some useful real-world feedback on how the ranges work together on the tabletop.
Mounted French Officers for the Peninsular War
One of Daniel's main questions before adding our mounted French officers to his collection was whether they would work alongside the Perry Miniatures already used on his command bases.
His conclusion was clear: they do.
Daniel used complete mounted figures from both manufacturers together on the same bases. He found the riders very similar in height, while the horses also matched closely in overall size and proportion.
That is particularly important with cavalry and mounted command figures. Two infantry ranges can be close in height while still looking acceptable together, but noticeably different horse proportions can make mounted figures look out of place.
On Daniel's finished bases, the figures sit naturally alongside one another and look like part of the same army.
He was also particularly pleased with the character of the officers themselves. Their poses show officers giving orders and leading troops rather than simply sitting statically on horseback.
The uniforms, faces, saddlery and equipment remained clearly defined once painted. Daniel mainly used Contrast paints, with the sculpted folds and recesses helping create depth without requiring an overly complicated painting process.
Portuguese Atiradores
Daniel has also completed two packs of our Portuguese Atiradores, combining them into a separate skirmishing formation for his Peninsular War project.
The two sets provide a mixture of fighting, shooting and command poses, allowing the finished unit to look varied without losing cohesion.
That variety is particularly effective for light infantry and skirmishers. Rather than producing a line of almost identical poses, Daniel's finished unit looks active and dispersed across the battlefield.
He also found the sculpted detail straightforward to paint. Faces, clothing, muskets, equipment and pouches remained clearly defined after painting, while the folds and recesses gave Contrast paints plenty of depth to work with.
Once again, Daniel compared the finished figures with his existing Perry Miniatures collection. Although he did not mix the manufacturers on individual bases for this unit, he found their height and overall proportions sufficiently close to use comfortably within the same Portuguese army.
Alongside his previously painted Caçadores, the Atiradores give him another distinct Portuguese formation while keeping a consistent appearance across the army.
The Iron Brigade
Daniel then moved from the Peninsular War to the American Civil War, painting our Iron Brigade officers and marching infantry.
The Iron Brigade became one of the most recognisable formations in the Union Army, with its soldiers particularly associated with their distinctive black Hardee hats.
Daniel felt the figures captured this character particularly well, with clearly defined uniforms, equipment, faces and Hardee hats.
The officer figures were a particular favourite. Their poses work well on command bases, while the marching infantry provide enough variation to create a regiment that looks cohesive without simply repeating the same miniature.
Daniel again used Contrast paints for much of the unit and found that the sculpted depth helped bring out the uniform folds and equipment quickly.
He also compared these models with Perry Miniatures from his existing ACW collection. Although he did not mix the two ranges on the same bases for the Iron Brigade, he found the general height, proportions and style worked well together within the same army.
Building Armies, Not Just Individual Figures
What we particularly like about Daniel's collection is that these are not isolated display pieces.
He is using Battle Honours 3D figures to expand existing armies, add different troop types and create more varied command bases.
Whether you are adding a handful of command figures, introducing another skirmishing formation or building an entirely new regiment, you can choose the figures and scale that fit the army you already have.
Daniel's photographs show how much character begins to emerge once different sets are combined, painted and based together.
A big thank you to Daniel for taking the time to paint the figures, photograph them and provide such detailed feedback.
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Show Us What You're Building
We want to feature more of the armies, battlefields and display pieces our customers create.
If you have painted, based or built a Battle Honours 3D project, send us your photographs and tell us a little about what you have been working on.