ACW 6mm figures comparison of Baccus and Adler

Following the success of the bring and buy purchase at the Donnington Park show, I had a go at painting up a unit of infantry.  To get a feel for what they were like to paint up, I did a unit of Baccus figures using the same techniques.

Both units based, Adler at the front, Bacus behind.  The Baccus figures are based 4 to a strip and they stand shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction.  Once painted, these can be stuck to the base as a block forming a nice regular formed infantry block (2 ranks of 8).  The Adler figures are based in strips of four but they face along the strip front to back so need to be cut individually and stuck down.  I figured the most my fingers could cope with was 6 figures to a rank, so I painted up 8 strips (32 figures) and based them with 11 figures (6 front rank and 5 rear rank) on a normal base and 10 on a command base (5 command front rank, 5 rear rank).  This gives a more open order, but still a regular appearance.  I think this works fine for ACW infantry as I understand they were much less close order than their Napoleonic forebears.  For Nap's, I would want to be able to base them much more closely, shoulder to shoulder, which I think Adler do for this range.

Comparison of the Baccus command stand (left) and Adler stand (right).

Comparison of Baccus infantry stand left and Adler stand (right).

The complete units in column, to confuse things, Adler on the left and Baccus on the right.

 

 

In summary, I like both types of figure.  Baccus has some really nice detail, with details like webbing really easy to see, especially once base coated.  The Adler figures have much less well defined detail, with almost no sign of webbing on the figures that I painted.  However, both can be painted nicely and to a similar standard/style.  The Adler figures are slightly larger, especially the heads, but once painted and viewed as a unit I don't really notice the difference.  One thing the Adler figures do offer though is a much greater variety of poses - there were at least six different poses for figures in brimmed hats, plus at least the same again in kepis.  Add to that some with packs or blanket rolls and some without and there are a vast array of different looks that can be achieved for a unit, including the typical rebel unit appearance with everybody doing their own thing.  Baccus infantry also has a lot of variety with a mix of blanket rolls and those without, plus lots of different types of facial hair, and hats and kepis are mixed in the strips, even differences in stature, but the strips comprise about three of four different basic types, so the choice and final unit is quite uniform.  I'm quite happy to mix both types in the same army, though not in the same unit or base, as this should give a good mix of variety (Adler units) and uniformity (Baccus units).  I do think the Baccus figures are easier to paint because of the raised detail, but the Adler figures weren't that difficult either.

 

 

As ever, thanks for looking.