HaT Light Dragoons - 14th Regiment

[Bill Slavin]

Although I haven't posted lately, I have been busy! About a month ago I finally received my long-awaited British Dragoons from HaT, both heavy and light. It was more than a two year wait from the time I joined the campaign, when test sculpts were already circulating, to when they arrived. So to say these were much-anticipated would be a serious understatement.

Sadly the set had many disappointments, which you can read about on my blog. But if you do enough work up front they come together not too badly. Here are a few pics of the results. More pics, along with the review, can be seen here: https://tinywarsplayedindoors.blogspot.com/2020/11/hat-british-light-dragoons-review.html

[Chariobaude]

to be honest, with your amazing work, the light dragons seems to be not so bad ! have you bought the strelets ones (from the Egyptian campaign) ?

[C M Dodson]

Hi Bill.

Sorry to hear about your problems with this set.

Apparently the Heavy Dragoons are a weird bunch but PSR will give an impartial opinion.

I have had fun fixing the arm of the US mounted officer which will now need filling too.

Nevertheless, you have done a splendid job and the unit looks fantastic.

I notice that the tails do not seem ‘docked’, a practise I understand caused much suffering to the animals in the Peninsular heat.

Is this a Hat omission or optics?

Heavens, I am sounding like my good friend Mr Crynns!

Best wishes,

Chris

[Bill Slavin]

have you bought the strelets ones (from the Egyptian campaign) ?

I haven’t! I only discovered them after I had joined this crowd- funding campaign, and wished I had made their discovery earlier. I think they would have served quite well.

[Bill Slavin]

Hi Chris,
Yes, docked tails. I forgot to mention that. They are not docked, should be for the Peninsula, but as it was, as you suggest, a nasty practice, I decided to leave them as they were. A bit of revisionism...

[Peter]

Nice looking cavalry Bill! After all you gave them a good paintjob with all those problems.

[Bessiere]

You are the Manet of 1/72 scale Mr Slavin. Your brush work is very unique, purist and effective. Your use of colors is superb and gives stunning results. Cheers, Bessiere.

[Bluefalchion]

Bill Slavin--

Excellent work once again, as always. You have poured your talents and energy into the Peninsular Campaign and the results continue to astonish.

Thanks very much for sharing it with us.

Your review does not mention the Heavies. Will we be getting a future post about them?

[Bill Slavin]

Your review does not mention the Heavies. Will we be getting a future post about them?

Yes, the heavies are to come next. Hopefully I will have nicer things to say, but I look forward to painting the red jackets!

[Kostis Ornerakis]

Wonderful work!

[Minuteman]

To be fair I think the HaT Light Dragoons set is not half bad, and these 14th Light Dragoons look most impressive. Great work!

PSR have just posted an honest no-holds-barred review of the much less impressive Heavy Dragoons set. This flags up the obvious issue with sizing, both of the troopers and of their swords; the horses are somewhat better but still far from magnificent. If the Lights get about 8 out of 10 in my book, the heavies barely make a 3 out of 10. A poor set I'm afraid.

[Bill Slavin]

It was really the putting together that was my problem - pins that don’t come close to holding on arms, etc. Too bad to hear that the heavies are worse!
I did like the poses and campaign feel of these however, and in the end that more than compensated for the ill-fitting parts.

[MABO]

After you painted the dragoons, I like them. I also joined the club of people waiting. A little earlier, but not with so much invested money. So we can be glad, that waiting is over. I am looking forward to see the heavy dragoons by you as well. You are really the Master of the Peninsular!

[Kekso]

When I see nicely painted figures like these I want to buy a box of them.