Heritage

25mm Knights and Magick
(figures)

by Jim Womer

Some years ago, a medieval rules writer included a fantasy and magic supplement in his published medieval wargame rules (as a result, we are told, of having read a Middle Earth game battle report in the [old] Courier -- ED.) the rest, of course, is hobby history and changed dramatically the entire miniatures hobby. This review focuses on Heritage's 25MM "Knights and Magic" figures, a line apparently dedicated to exploring once again the medieval-fantasy collection.

Only three foot figures were submitted for reviewing purposes -- a dismounted knight, a man-at-arms with polearm, and a man-at-arms with axe. Although I can still lay claim to some imagination, given this selection I have to decline this opportunity to speculate concerning the balance of the line, particularly the mounted knights. This is unfortunate, as the announced range of figures includes mounted knights and sergeants, men at arms with various weapons, crossbowmen and longbowmen, peasant archers and militia types, as well as a variety of fantasy types for those so inclined.

Turning to the figures themselves, the best feature is the degree of animation using a solid advancing position with weapons in varying stages of readiness for combat. Anatomy appears sound, with no major distortion noted, and the amount of detail sculpted onto the figures is pleasing and not unduly exaggerated. As most of you are probably aware, painting in the medieval period presents particular problems, especially of the various armor types employed; if a better than average result is to be optained for the tabletop, an understanding of wash and highlighting techniques is essential.

With all of the good things said above going for this line, it is really sad to see this line virtually ruined by the poor casting techniques utilized by the manufacturer. Not only were each of the figures prone to excessive amounts of ordinary flash, but both men-at-arms were marred by metallic growths in nearly inaccessible locations; the knight had such a growth on the face of his helmet. I am uncertain as to whether these problems in casting are a result of poor production techniques, use of an inferior metal, or indifferent quality control or all three in an invidious combination; whatever it may be, the net effect is that each figure requires extensive work prior to being ready to paint.

It really is too bad to see a basically sound line ruined today by a very indifferent production technique. Turning to our numbers ratings, the following seem appropriate: Anatomy (.7), Animation (.8), Detail (.7), Paintability (.6), Casting (.4), for a total of 3.2 of a possible 5.0.

An average sized 25MM figure, these figures appear to be somewhat more compatible with a Minifig rather than a Hinchcliffe. Due primariIy to the indifferent casting of the figures, I think it unlikely that the line will progress much beyond units in an established medieval army and require an experienced painter with some patience. The line is available from Heritage, U.S.A., 14001 Distribution Way, Dallas, Texas.

More Reviews

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