The best thing about this hobby is that there are lots of folks providing new products to improve the lot of the gamer. I have three items to review, and I hope they will help some of you.

Old Glory

First, Old Glory‘s 25mm War of 1812 line is simply stunning. Doug Hamm and I put together three War of 1812 scenarios at Enfilade using almost all Old Glory miniatures. The figures are typical of Old Glory - tall, thick legged, with some variety in heads and poses. The American infantry and gunners are very nice, as are the riflemen in hunting shirts. Two packs of figures bear particular mention. First is the American high command pack. The Winfield Scott looks just like the picture in the National Portrait Gallery. The Andrew Jackson and James Madison figures are quite nice. The second notable pack is the Maryland Militia, which are very animated, and look just like a Troiani painting of the Battle of North Point.

Perhaps the best thing about this line is its completeness. American troops are available in various incarnations from the beginning of the war to the end. All that’s missing is a pikeman (you think I jest?) and additional selections of artillery. The British use selections from their Napoleonic line, and add some Canadian militia units. It would be nice if there were units in winter dress and a British marine rocket battery. Highly recommended.

Figure Foam

I have gamed historical miniatures for well over 25 years now, and never found a good way to carry them from place to place. While I am not afraid to do so, I’ve always worried about the adequacy of my packing. Shortly after Enfilade I received a sample of a product from Sabol Designs called “figure foam“ - packing for miniatures. It comes in two depths, 1” and 2 1/2”. The former works well with 15mm figures, the latter with 25’s. A bottom piece of foam is glued to a thicker upper piece made of 1/2” square pieces. These are removed to create the shape you need to protect your figures. It’s very cool, and I have ordered more. Each piece is 8” X 13” and costs $5. Shipping is free! Order from their website at :

www.saboldesigns.net/sabol2/homex.html

FGU

The Internet creates many opportunities to learn about new products or speed up purchases. Every week I hear about new websites where I can distribute more of my gaming dollars. At Enfilade I heard that Fantasy Games Unlimited has a website at :

http://www.fantasygamesunlimited.com/

FGU, for those unfamiliar, published some interesting rules sets during the ‘70’s: Fire, Hack, and Run, a skirmish set of rules; Gladiator, for gladiatorial combat; and Sea Strike, a miniatures-type board game of modern naval warfare. I was interested in the ancient rules Legion, which were fun and easy. I placed my order on the website on June 4th, paid with PayPal, and heard nothing. Two weeks later I inquired, received an apology and a promise that my order would ship within a week . When nothing arrived ten days later, I inquired again and was told it hadn’t shipped yet, but that they were processing a $400 order from Britain. It is now five weeks since I placed my order. I can’t imagine placing further orders to FGU, and would have difficulty recommending it to others.