Heads Must Roll!

This post started out a couple of weeks ago as an idea that I thought would be great for Victrix, combine the Hanoverian, the British Lights and the Marines heads, add some Poles in Czpaka's and make them in single plastic set, cheapness of plastic etc. I thought and still do think this could be a winner for them!

Anyway I know ideas like this never go anywhere, so I doubt Victrix would be interested but after seeing the new Poles the other day it got me to thinking (again?) couldn't someone get a sculptor to maybe do a couple of Polish heads wearing Czapka's then have them cast at a reasonable price and then stick them on Perry plastic French bodies?

What do you think, would it be easy to find a sculptor willing to do just a head, and who would cast such a small volume?

What combinations do you think would be needed? I thought one with a plume and one with a plain pompom but maybe only one with plume is needed and you cut off the plume if you just want a pompom, plus a covered czapka.

I have seen some with a sunburst plate on the front (DoW?), others with a shield (Vistula?). Is this really noticeable at this scale? I have also seen the plume/pompom attached either directly to the front corner or half way down the left side, not sure about this.

The Poles wore the Kurtka a jacket which looks very similar to the Bardin uniform except the lapels don't quite go all the way down at the front, at this scale that can be fixed with a bit of paint and obviously when wearing greatcoats (think winter 1812) you couldn't see the difference anyway. So combine them with Perry's French Infantry and you can get Vistula Legion for the Peninsular War, or Duchy of Warsaw in Russia in 1812 and right up to the end 1814, but were they still wearing the Czapka or were they using the Shako?

There is a small article on Napoleon Series about the Czapka.

Much as 28mm Poles in Czapka's look wargaming 'sexy', there is the question of when and where they actually wore the Czapka. By the time the period I am interested in, currently 1813-1815, came around it appears they were all in Shako's not Czpaka's, though some say the 4th Regiment retained the Czapka until the very end, so maybe I could justify one unit. Not sure what the situation was in 1812 but I think it's the same and supposedly even the Vistula Legion in Spain were really in Shako's but who said historical accuracy was that important !!! :)

Probably explains why the Perry's were supposedly not interested in doing these heads.

What do you think? Doable? Worthwhile?

Feel free to pinch this idea if you want, but send me a couple of heads when your done :)


Oh and BTW those Poles, turns out they were for RTB it was a private commission but he will make some available commercially but warns they will be expensive.

Alternatively as I have mentioned before Offensive Miniatures already do pretty decent 28mm Polish Infantry and Lancers at a reasonable price, though on balance Hick's sculpts for RTB are slightly better I feel.