7YWA Newsletter

Miniatures, Scenery, and Rules

by Jim Purky



10. SYWA member Kieth Leidy advises me that he is now the USA distributor for Ian Weekley's range of plastic terrain accessories as well as for the Wilage Green line of resin cast buildings and scenics. Neither of these ranges have been previously available in the USA, and I can vouch for the fact that Kieth keeps an extensive inventory of all items in his store room. Contact Kieth at Elite Miniatures, 2625 Forest Glen Trail, Riverwoods, IL 60015; telephone (708) 940-7617 in the evenings for information or orders.

11. Wargames, Inc , Box 278 Route 40 East, Triadelphia, WV 26059 (PH: 304-547-0000) sent me some samples of the latest releases from Dixon's 25mm range of SYW Prussians.

P20 - Grenadier Standing Firing is well-sculpted with nice detail on the mitre cap and cartridge box. He sports a very Prussian-like mustache. P21 - Musketeer Charging with Levelled Musket, resembles P19, the grenadier of the same pose and is modelled after the painting depicting the charge of the Prussian Guards at Leuthen Churchyard. P22 - Musketeer falling wounded, is clutching his forehead with the right hand and holding his musket upright with his left. Back is slightly arched and the tricorne is about to fall off his head. P23 and P24 are casualties lying on the ground.

Dixon has also released its first examples of Prussian Cavalry, starting with the cuirassiers. PC1 - Cuirassier Officer; PC2 Trumpeter (nice raised detail on the sleeve lace to make painting easier); PC3 - Cuirassier Standard Bearer and PC4 - Cuirassier Trooper, are all nice castings that will mix well with RSM castings. I liked the cuirassiers and so I bought a regiment of 20 and look forward to painting them. Dixon has also added two horses with Prussian horse furniture to its lineup: H29 - standing horse (with head looking down at the ground) and H30 - Horse Charging (though I would call it more of a trotting pose). I think that these are some of the best proportioned horses that have come out of the Dixon stable. The trotting horse is the more graceful of the two, but the cuirassiers look better sitting on the standing horse Both steeds include saddles,etc and have raised detail on the shabraques to assist you in painting. Good job, Dixon!

12. Old Glory Jacobite Rebellion 15mm Figures, has added two more bags of figures for the Forty Five. # JAB-2 British Line Infantry with Command includes grenadiers and musicians in mitre caps, assorted officers with spontoons, one mounted officer and gobs of guys from the centre companies in a left shoulder march attack pose. 100 figures per infantry bag or 30 cavalry per cavalry bag, all for $18.50. # JAB-3, British Dragoons with Command have the correct shabraque for the 1745 period. Most of the troopers have their swords drawn and shouldered. One of the officers is waving his tricorne over his head, while another is wearing a greatcoat/cape and is pointing (probably at some skulker who won't obey the order to charge). These are worthy opponents for # JAB-1 Highlanders. l understand that Old Glory intends to release more "Jacobites", but I don't know if this means more clansmen, or perhaps some French/trish infantry and artillery or Baggot's Hussars. Stay tuned for more information.

PS. If you like these British regulars as much as I do and you would like to see Old Glory add some comparable French infantry, cavalry, and artillery, then write to Old Glory and suggest that you would buy great big heaping handfuls or bagfuls of French to fight the Forty Five and the War of Austrian Succession.

13. Old Glory SYW Austrian and Hungarian 15mm SYW Figures , Russ Dunnaway never does anything "nice and easy", he gives us new releases fast and furious. This time its four new bags of Austrian/Hungarian infantry. SYA1 - German Fusiliers; SYA2 German Grenadiers; SYA3 - Hungarian Fusiliers; and SYA4 Hungarian Grenadiers, all complement the earlier release of Prussian infantry. Most poses are in the march attack position, although there is much variety in terms of arm position and heads turning left and right. Each bag includes many drummers, sargeants and officers plus one mounted officer. As with the Prussians and British, these figures are a bit chunkier than say Essex or Minifigs, but I rather like the more robust look in 15mm. These figures provide great value for your money. It also appears that Austrian and Prussian cavalry will be available in time for Historicon, specifically Prussian Cuirassiers and Hussars in both mirliton and fur cap; and Austrian Cuirassiers and Hussars. Dragoons for both will come at a later date.

14. Frei Korps 15, 25 Princetown Road, Bangor, Co. Down BT20 3TA, Northern Ireland.-- has sent me samples of some 15mm color flag sheets for the SYW (7 sheets) and the American Revolution (6 sheets). Each flag measures 1/2" high by 2.25" wide (for both sides layed flat) and look like they would do rather nicely for 25mm units. Each sheet includes four flags, and the flags are identified, unlike those from Revo, which is a nice touch. The French flags are for specific regiments, plus there is the grey-white colonel's flag; the British flags are either generic, whereby one simply paints in the regimental number, or they are specifically for certain regiments, in those cases where a regiment has a unique symbol on its flag.. Prices are £ 1.10 per sheet. Frei Korps' catalog also lists a large quantity of niilitary history books and SYW 15mm miniatures that are well worth a look. Frei Korps is the only company, at least that I am aware of, that manufactures French Maison du Roi cavalry. Their figures are a couple of millimeters shorter than Essex, but the difference is not too discernible.

15. Eagle Miniatures, 4761 North Bear Canyon, Tucson, AZ 85749; Phone: (602) 749-0703. Eagle finally came to its senses and returned its US Distributorship to Steve Phillips, at the above address. You may recall that Steve was the company's first distributor, and then it pulled the rug out from under his feet and allied with Modellers' Mart in Florida. This arrangement, apparently, did not work out very well and so Eagle has returned to Steve as its sole US Distributor. I think that this is a wise move, for I have always found Steve's level of service and enthusiasm to be first rate. Steve reports that he is now licensed to manufacture both Eagle and Bicorne figures in the USA.

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© Copyright 1993 by James E. Purky
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