Hinchliffe Models, Jack Scruby and Greenwood & Ball (Garrison) produce large ranges of 25mm Seven Years War figures. HINCHLIFFE Hinchliffe has a comprehensive range of Austrians (at right, artillerymen and officer) and Prussians available. There are also some indications that they will add the French to the range this year. Their extensive American War of Independence range provides many useful figures for our period as well. The SYW and AWI (sometimes known as the AMR) figures are equals in size and design style. Hinchliffe's designer, Peter Gilder, has certainly reached a plateau with his sculpting quality and detail which leaves little room for improvement. Their physical size also leaves little room, for they are closer to the old standard of 30mm then they are to 25mm scale. One design technique that mars the figures somewhat for me is the use of tiny holes to represent vest buttons. Either a bas-relief technique, or no buttons at all, would be preferable. The line infantry are mostly in an advancing pose with the musket almost at high port. Their otherwise stately eighteenth century appearance would have been enhanced by a marching pose. The Hungarian and Prussian grenadiers are so posed, as is the Hessian fusilier from the AWI range. Generally the cavalry riders are in a "rest" pose which is most suitable for wargames. Most cavalry come with separate riders and horses with the riders having the saddlery attached. I find the standing light horse best for them. Some cavalry, designated OPC, are one-piece castings which fit in quite well with the other cavalry. The hussars, one-piece casting, are very lively figures. The equipment and facial detail of both infantry and cavalry are sculpted in heavy relief. All of the figures are in full field equipment with many straps to paint. Hopefully, this might encourage wargamers to put an extra effort into their painting. Well painted, these figures are unsurpassed, but not given proper care, a sloppy paint job really shows up. A special note is due the three excellent Grenz figures - officer, firing and advancing. Their conical hats are textured fur, but can be smoothed out to represent the felt worn by most Grenz units. GARRISON At right: Garrison figures at top: French Horse, Prussian fusilier, hussar, musketeer. Hinchliffe at bottom: Austrian dragoon, mounted officer. Garrison's range has British, Hanoverian, French, Prussian and Austro-Hungarian troops. The range also includes officers, ensigns, musicians and sargents. Russians may be converted from Austrians by filing the pompom into a cockade, trimming off the lapels (very simple) and painting on collars; or, by using French and forgetting the Russians generally didn't wear their swordbelts outside of the coat. Each line infantryman can be obtained in three poses: standing at high port, standing on guard, and advancing at march-attack. In each pose most of the musket is attached directly to the body, but very distinctly sculpted. This design really facilitates painting with no hard-to-get-to spots. These figures are all with full field equipment, but not in the heavy relief of Hinchliffe. Facial detail is good, although most figures' chins are far too weak. These figures are very easy to paint with the slightly raised detail, even for a novice. A relatively minor criticism of the infantry is that their coattails hang too low behind and aren't quite full enough. The cavalry again has separate riders and horses. The riders are really excellent, particularly the four personality figures. The Duc de Fitz-James is in an action pose waving his hat, a superb figure (at right). A serious flaw with the range remains with the horses. They are undersized and scrawny, while the blankets and holsters are poorly sculpted. These horses are only acceptable for hussars or French dragoons, but really won't do for heavy cavalry. My solution has been to use the Minifig N5 horse or to use a Hinchliffe light horse adding a paper blanket and holster covers. Essex Miniatures reportedly makes beautiful horses, however, I haven't yet seen them. I can't understand why Greenwood & Ball doesn't redesign these, as their ancient horses are excellent. One of my favorite figures is the French dragoon with helmet and full coat cuffs. It's suitable for either the Volontaires de Schaumberg or de Clermont-Price. Other dragoon regiments will have to have the helmet converted into a stocking hat by filing down the turban and crest, and adding a bag made of plasticene. Both Hinchliffe and Garrison figures are quite compatable on the wargame table. Just don't mix them in the same units. Both ranges are designed with historical accuracy as to uniforms. That is probably because the Seven Years War is a favorite period of both Peter Gilder of Hinchliffe and John Braithwaite of Greenwood & Ball. SCRUBY MINIATURES Jack Scruby also has a large range of Seven Years War figures which have been in production for many years. Since his ranges of figures have been generally reviewed in earlier issues, I'll just make a few comments. At right (L to R): Hinchliffe Austrian artilleryman; Garrison Prussian musketeer; Scruby musketeer. His SYW range contains some of Jack's best 25mm figures, and I have quite a few units of Scruby figures. They are in the true 25mm scale, meaning that they are 3 to 5mm shorter and much thinner than Garrison figures for example. Sculpted detail is minimal (no swords or haversacks) and belts are etched on; but, well painted, they are attractive figures. It's fortunate that even after the untimely death of the Miniature Figurines' eighteenth century ranges there remains an abundance of excellent SYW figures. ARTILLERY Artillery is, alas, another problem. If you're lucky enough to own some long out-of-production Boyd cannon or influential enough with Minifigs to acquire their excellent SYW guns, you can build a fairly accurate field artillery park. Garrison sells no artillery, although their crews are first rate. Hinchliffe's artillery piece for the period is an advertised 6 par. but is really a British tube on a French Napoleonic carriage. Their AWI galloper is, however, excellent as a British battalion gun. My only suggestion is to use ECW and Napoleonic guns while writing lots of letters to Frank Hinchliffe at Hinchliffe Models Ltd., Meltham, Huddersfield, England HD73NX 15MM SYW ranges will be reviewed in a future issue. At present Warrior makes an excellent little range which is similar to Heritage 15MM figures in size and detail. Frei Korps of 30 Cromwell Road, Belfast 7, Northern Ireland, offers an extensive, and I believe redesigned range Minifigs hopes to release a redesigned Tricorne range within the year, but wait for their announcement in THE COURIER before writing them. IN MEMORIAM A word is needed about the late Miniature Figurines' Seven Years War 25MM range which was Tragically taken from us. I knew this range from infancy. It grew from a small, but charming (Minden roses in the British grenadier caps), selection to redesigned maturity in Southampton, England. From its extensive listing came wargame armies of every nationality who campaigned in every shire on both sides of the Atlantic. Even its occasional inaccuracy had its use - e.g. the French grenadiers with imaginary mitre caps were useful Saxons. May we see its like again. Please send flowers and comments to its estate in Pine Plains. Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. 2 #6 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1981 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com