Search the Community

French Republican Guard Cavalry Regiment Corporal ICM 1:16 ICM continue their theme of World Guards, with this model of a French Republican Guard Cavalry Regiment Corporal. The Guard are part of the French Gendarmerie and responsible for providing guards and security for the state, and guards of Honour in Paris for State occasions. The kit comes on two sprues of grey plastic and one of black, with a separate black pedestal. The parts are very well moulded with no sign of flash or other imperfections, and while the build is relatively simple, the painting is not one for the feint hearted. Being 1:16 scale it’s large enough for the detail to be seen and painted, yet small enough to have a nice collection in a display cabinet. There is in addition in the Box a print of the same picture used on the box art but with out all the text. As with the other kits in this series the instructions are not very clear. They consist of a colour drawing of the completed and painted model, with the parts numbered and arrowed. Seeing that the kit is fairly straightforward it probably won’t worry the seasoned figure builder, but it might put off the beginner. The two legs are glued together as the waist, and then the two part torso is glued together and attached to the legs. The arms are separate and the helmet is one part so there is no seam to worry about. The larger items such as cuffs are separate as is the sword and scabbard. Painting is going to be a case of patience and a very small brush as mainly of the really fine details are moulded to the uniform. But with care the model should come out looking rather splendid. The kit comes with a nicely moulded pedestal, the top of which has a selection of different finishes, plain, curved cobbles, straight cobbles or flag stones. Alternatively the figure can be presented on a plain flat base. Conclusion If you’re a figure modeller then this will be a great way to pass the time. The painting will require a great deal of finesse and patience but the having seen what can be done the results can be amazing. This is really nicely made though and although quite small, (you will need an optivisor to paint the finer details), and it will look really nice in the display cabinet. Review sample courtesy of