As the U.S. manufacturer of Hinchliffe figures has just completed his relocation to a new address (P.O. Box 7307, Dallas TX 75209) issued a new catalogue for $1.50 (U.S. Dollars) integrating the flyers of the past several years, this is a good point to take an indepth look at several of the manufacturer's lines. I will admit at the outset of this review that 1, for one, like these figures. Designer Peter Gilder does a very good job in his undercut, detail and animation and seems to have reached full maturity as a designer and craftsman. While some of his earlier work had a Suren style of near-caricature (and a few such figures are still in the lines), that aspect is missing from the recent releases reviewed in this article. Careful readers of this column will realize by now that I do not believe that there is such an item as a perfect line of miniature figures, but I suspect that these figures come fairly close. Before turning to comments on the figures, there is one further point worth noting. This manufacturer makes a strong effort to keep its historical lines in production and figures available. Further, not withstanding the present trends, Hinchliffe has continued to expand its lines on historical figures and to add new figures to existing lines as well as remake such figures. Moreover, Hinchliffe U.S.A. appears to rely largely on mail order purchasing of figures. I mention this not to get involved in the politics of the business-manufacturing end of the hobby, but to point out to those of you who are purchasing f igures by mail that this manufacturer may deserve some support. Several caveats should be expressed at this point to avoid repetition. The reader should understand that what is said at this stage applies to each of the following reviews. First and foremost, Hinchliffe's 25mm figures are the largest "25mm" figures on the market today. They are simply not compatible with most other 25mm figures and particularly not with 25mm MiniFigs. Second, these figures have a very high degree of undercut, detail and animation. Although master and experienced painters will get good results in direct proportion to the time spent, novice painters may well get into serious problems with the more complex uniforms. Novices and those interested in experimentation are well advised to start with small groups of figures in simple uniforms until you develop a technique you're comfortable with for these figures, Third, it appears that the designer, Peter Gilder is occasionally prone to some artistic license with his figures. Usually, this isn't a problem and the typical result is a superior figure; however, on occasion one winds up with some distorted arm lengths and anatomy on an otherwise class figure. This occurs just often enough to make it worth noting; a possible remedy is to purchase several small groups of figures to avoid the problem. Fourth, based on my own experience, quality control or casting left some room for improvement as of last year. Of a group of some sixty personality figures about five horses had casting problems while several one piece castings were marginally short of metal. Fifth, I am constrained to point out that Hinchliffe figures are one of the most accurately attired and equipped lines of figures on the market, with most figures typically carrying full equipment and often additional items or gear as well. For a variety of reasons, I usually don't comment on "historical accuracy"; not only wasn't I there (contrary to some rumors), but I think that most of us are aware to some degree of the expedients and improvisations adopted by troops in the field, to say nothing of the difficulties of providing uniforms and uniform equipment in the pre- industrial age. Be that as it may, Hinchliffe makes a strong showing in the historical accuracy category. 25MM SEVEN YEARS WAR One of the interesting, if occasionally taxing, aspects of writing this column is the ability to jump through time in a single paragraph, as we do here. Most of the regular readers of this magazine will recall that the theme of Volume 11 was the Seven Years' War, and that Ken Bunger commented upon this line. In the interest of consistency and completeness, we will briefly review the same line here. While only a small group of figures was submitted for review, it consisted of a mounted one piece Hussar in Mirleton,: Prussian Fusilier, Grenzer Officer, Hungarian Officer and Hungarian Grenadier. The inclusion of the one piece Hussar casting permits comment on the Hinchliffe cavalry and my impression here is quite favorable. Fully equipped, highly detailed and well animated, this Hussar is in a classic cavalryman's pose leaning forward from the waist with saber extended seated on a horse about to break into a gallop. Only some excess flash, which appears easily removable, mars this figure. The infantry are classic Hinchliffe: highly detailed, fully equipped and solidly animated. Especially noteworthy is the Grenzer officer, nicely done in cape and busby style cap and armed with saber. The advancing Prussian Fusilier and the Hungarian grenadier in the march attack position are similarly well turned out; however, the close position of the musket and arms to the body would appear to complicate painting. By comparison, the Hungarian officer was disappointingly lacking in typical animation and has a rather curiously shaped right arm. The current catalogue listings indicate that the Seven Years' War range is limited to the Prussians and Austrians. However, those lines appear fairly complete and include such period goodies as Grenzers and Austrian Horse Grenadiers and Prussian Jagers and horse artillery. I was frankly impressed by the figures; were I disposed to building another horse and musket army, these figures would be sorely tempting. Again, the ratings are similar to the foregoing: Detail - .9; Animation - .9; Anatomy - .8; casting .8 and paintability - .7. These are not for novice painters. 25MM ANCIENT BRITONS AND IMPERIAL ROMANS I start with the 25mm figures since this is really the heart and soul of the Hinchliffe line. Quite typically, the figures submitted were re- designs of existing Ancient Britons and additions to the Imperial Roman existing lines. The current re-design of the Ancient Britons included slinger, javelinman with separate piano wire javelin, swordsman and chieftain, the last being quite good. While swordsman and slinger are barechested, javelinman and chieftain wear tunics. This entire group of figures had good to excellent animation and sound proportions. Detailing was of a typically high standard, including some wildly unkempt and decidedly long hair styles. New additions to the existing line of Imperial Romans makes up the balance of the figures submitted; unfortunately, no cavalry nor equipment was submitted for review so we are limited. But the Roman infantry submitted for review is a welcome addition to the existing 1st century A.D. Imperial Romans, consisting largely of auxiliaries with legionary helmet, mail armor, and small shields. Three such auxiliaries are supplied: Javelinman with separate piano wire javelin in an advancing position, a nicely animated archer drawing an arrow from his quiver, and a slinger. Other additions to the line were a legionary of the same period advancing and hurling a separately cast early model pilum and an advancing centurion with sword high. Only the Centurion was something of a disappointment, while well animated, his scuturn or shield struck me as being excessively curved. As a group, these are well animated and highly detailed figures, especially the Britons who could serve with the Romans as barbarian symmachiarii. There was little artistic license taken here, perhaps only with the barechested barbarians and resulted in no remarkable deformities. The amount of flash on the figures was minimal and no casting defects were noted. Given the relative simplicity of 'uniforms' for ancients, generally speaking, troops of the above types might well be a good starting point for the novice tackling Hinchliffe figures. Numerical ratings for these figures aren't easy, but in the interest of consistency, I'll present the following: Animation - .9; Anatomy - .8; detail - .9; casting - .8; paintability - .7; or a very respectable 4.1 out of a possible 5.0. 25MM ANCIENT BRITISH CHARIOTS The only equipment groups submitted for review consisted of three war chariots which certainly rounds out the available Ancients Britons. The chariots included Queen Bodicia's, a Chieftain's, and a warrior's, the last being quite reminiscent of the Airfix variant now deceased. Each chariot comes in kit form and consists of a pair of different horses, two wheels with scythe type blades (?!), a platform floor with shaft for the horses and a separate yoke both with wood grain visible, distinct wicker sides for each chariot, kneeling driver and standing combatant passenger. The warrior is another barechested swordsman, the well clothed chieftain carries a long, separate piano wire javelin, and Bodicia is presented as a suitably buxom barbarian queen. The kneeling driver is apparently glued to the chariot floor, while the passengers plug into a hole in the floor of the chariot. It is possible to vary chariot design by switching the various different wicker side pieces. As with any model kit, the final result will depend largely upon the skill and patience of the individual modeler. Some obvious care needs to be exercised in trimming and fitting the components together before attempting final assembly. The proper positioning of the wheels would have been enhanced by adding a short piano wire axle, to say nothing of their tabletop endurance. What each kit gives you is the basis for a possibly spectacular result; what you make of the opportunity is largely up to you. Kits such as this are really not appropriate for the numerical rating system. The human figures are compatible with and an extension of the just rated Ancient Britons and the same ratings apple. The horses were nicely animated, detailed and proportioned; if impressing me as being slightly smaller than other Hinchliffe horses, this is at least consistent with the idea of the Ancient Britons having somewhat smaller horses. Before leaving the Ancient World for other periods, one should note that the current catalogue lists the following "Ancient" types: Egyptians, Assyrians, Greeks (and Macedonians), Achamenian Persians, Carthaginians, Romans in several flavors, Britons, Sassanid Persians, Palmyrans, Huns, Gothic cavalry, Late Byzantines, Vikings. For those so inclined, Indians and Chinese are also available. The 25mm equipment range lists chariots, elephants, artillery, siege equipment and even a Roman testudo (or tortoise). 25MM PERSONALITY FIGURES I mention the 25mm personality figures briefly since I have purchased for my own armies a number of these figures and thus have an idea as to what you, dear reader, will probably receive in the mail. It is also noteworthy due to the use of command rules in an increasing number of rules systems. Separately listed in the catalogue, Hinchliffe personality figures come in two distinct styles: one piece castings and separate horse and riders. True personalities are, of course, actual historical commanders and there are a number available here for the Napoleonic, ACW, ECW, and Ancient periods in the separately cast horse and rider. The one piece castings include a nice selection of Napoleonic mounted colonels of infantry regiments in an at rest position complemented by a few division commander types. While the French and British Napoleonic types are well represented, coverage of the other states is only fair although such notables as Kutusov, Bagration, Barclay deTolly, Schwarzenburg, Blucher and Gniesenau are presented. This relatively limited range of available types, particularly at the Corps and Divisional levels, is perhaps the line's most serious weakness. These large 25mm figures have the typical Hinchliffe undercut and attention to detail; however, on the whole, the figures are not as animated as the other series reviewed herein. Conversely, that lack of animation increases the ease of painting the figures notwithstanding the somewhat complex Napoleonic uniforms. Regretably, the weakness of this line lay in its quality control; a number of the cavalry horses and one piece castings suffered from irritating shortages of metal at various points, and this was frequent enough to cause me to comment here. Definitely, there is room for some improvement in casting and quality control. Given the foregoing, the numbers come out as: Detail - .9; Animation - .8; Anatomy - .8; Casting - .7; and Paintability - .8. 15MM NAPOLEONICS Only the future will tell if I have saved the best for last, but the conventional wisdom in the hobby at the moment seems to indicate that 15mm is the future of wargaming. Submitted for review were some British infantry, French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, and Russian infantry, cavalry and artillery which covers three of the Napoleonic "big five." Regretably, no artillery was submitted. The English infantry is nicely represented by line infantry-man and officer advancing in campaign dress, overcoats, a typical line infantry type in Waterloo shako advancing, the inevitable rifleman advancing while firing his Baker rifle, and a rather dapperily attired officer on foot with pelisse and saber. All of which is enough to warm the heart of the devout Anglophiles out there; I felt the campaign dress infantry and officer were the nicest of this group, even if their shakos were uncovered! To tackle the Napoleonic period, one has to get a solid handle on the French; however, I am not quite sure that handle was attained here. Only two French infantry types appeared a Fusilier advancing wearing campaign dress consisting of covered shako and overcoat, and the inevitable advancing Old Guard Grenadier type. While the latter is fully equipped, his bearskin lacks cords and tassles although wearing gaiters which impresses me as a somewhat curious uniform mix; detracting from this figure somewhat are the apparently excessive arm lengths. While quite aware that the French Old Guard was tough, I do not think that point is made in a figure by suggesting an arm length comparable to that of a gorilla. Both of the line foot artillerymen received had typical animation for their service and appear in the latter period uniform of short tailed coat and shako with plume but without cords and tassles. While the current catalogue lists additional French infantry types, I have to decline this opportunity to speculate as to whether the figures are presented in the earlier 1807-1812 uniform or the latter 1813-1815 uniform with short tailed jacket and absence of shako cords and tassles. To compound my confusion over the essential French, the cavalry is a case in point as it comes in two rather distinct flavors. On the one hand, a distinctly larger appearing group of 15mm cavalry included a mounted Guard Horse Grenadier officer at rest, a nicely animated Guard Chasseur-a-Cheval about to change, a Mamaluke advancing with saber at rest, a trotting Carbineer officer extending saberforward, and a Hussarofficer in 1815 shakoon a horse about to charge. While all of these figures were well detailed and sculpted (the arms were only marginally long, if at all) and possess the highest animation for 15mm that I have yet seen, the other hand is the distinctly smaller appearing line Chasseur-a-Cheval in campaign dress with rolled cloak over the shoulder and the advancing Chevaux-Leger Lancer. While both of the line cavalry types possess good detail and animation, they are both, in terms of man and horse, noticeably shorter than the first group on the order of more than full head size. While I am quite prepared to accept the idea that Napoleonic light cavalry horses were physically somewhat smaller than their heavy cavalry cousins, I have yet to see any proof that the troopers were preadolescent in size. To some, this may only be quibbling over artistic license by the designer; however, the difference is noticeable enough to compel comment. I suspect the Russophiles out there will be pleased with the Russians presented who are consistently in the 1812 regulation uniform (after all, who really paints Russians in the earlier uniform for the slaughter at Austerlitz). Presented were a musketeer officer advancing with raised sword, an advancing grenadier with overcoat roll, and two advancing types in overcoats, one wearing a musketeer shako and the other a fatigue cap. Although the catalogue fails to list a grenadier in overcoat wearing a shako with plume, this is otherwise a good group. Detailed equipment includes the Russian style pack and metal canteen, haversack on the left hip, and scabbard as well as cartridge box; the musketeer officer is typically wearing his own pack. Only two Russian cavalry were supplied: A Hussar with 1812 shako and somewhat long sword arm but otherwise well detailed except for his sharaque and a Cossack in typically nondescript appearance raising his lance. Given my comment on the size of the French light cavalry, I do note that unlike the French light cavalry, the Cossack's horse is only marginally smaller than the Hussar's and the mounted cossack himself is physically comparable in size to the Hussar. Both of the Artillerymen supplied are line foot artillery types, wearing 1812 shako and overcoat rolled across the chest with equipment similar to the infantry. I will digress briefly into two of my impressions concerning 15mm figures. Frank Hinchliffe, with whom I spoke briefly last year at the MFCA show at Chester, PA, and who owns Hinchliffe, U.K. is less than whelmed by 15mm figures which he feels lack the desirable visual impact and aesthetics of the larger figures and suggested that it would prove harder to acquire and develop new wargamers in the smaller scales. Said another, it may be that 15mm figures are too much "wargaming" figures and not enough "miniature" figures; this observation is offered here simply as food for thought. The second is a personal observation made earlier but worth repeating, Given present casting technology, mass production of 15mm figures can only be achieved at the expense of figure animation because highly animated 15mm figures simply don't cast that well. Compounding this problem is the fact that anatomical errors in 15mm scale may easily become severely exaggerated and ruin otherwise good figures, while poor casting can be fatal to the figure. Returning to our review, there is no question that the addition of figures in campaign dress in 15mm is a welcome plus, particularly for the French and Russian players whose line infantry is otherwise difficult to distinguish. While undoubtedly an impressive start, it must be noted that standards and musicians are presently lacking even in the ranges presented so far, to say nothing of such niceties as Russian artillery pieces, limbers, or even Russian Grenadiers advancing in overcoats. Also the question on the relative size of the French light and Heavy cavalry types is going to have to be resolved. Even conceding the lines' high points of detail and animation, Hinchliffe's 15mm figures have a gap to close before they will make an impact in the market dominated by, 15mm MiniFigs and the 15mm Heritage lines of Napoloenic figures. The Hinchliffe 15mm figures appear to be most closely compatible with the Heritage 15mm Napoleonettes lines, both in terms of infantry and cavalry. The hinchliffe may fit in with the less detailed Jacobite 15mm figures, although the Jacobite cavalry trooper is slightly smaller all around than his Hinchliffe cousin. The Hinchliffes are at least a full head taller than the already "true 15mm" figures of Mike's Models. Nor are the Hinchliffes compatible with the 'super-detailed' 15mm Mini-Figs; remarkably, Hinchliffe infantry is smaller and the cavalry larger than the 15mm MiniFigs I have so far seen. Since I'm dealing with impressions in evaluating compatability at this point, and those impressions are exclusively based on limited groups of figures submitted by various manufacturers and importers, I have to advise the gamer to invest cautiously here and reach his own conclusions as to compatability. Numbers aren't easy to come by to conclude this review. Generally, the following seems appropriate: Detail - .9; Animation - .8; Anatomy - .7; Casting - .8; Paintability - .7. As to casting, I should note that the figures are either very well cast or substantially impaired by difficult flash. 15mm painting is not easy by any stretch of the imagination; for the novice, the campaign dressed infantry are a point easier to tackle. More Reviews Hincliffe Models Inc.: 25mm 7YW, Ancient Britons/Romans, 15mm Napoleonics Mike's Models Inc.: 25mm Pike and Shot Miniature Figurines: 15mm Renaissance and ECW Uniforms for the Continental Army (book) Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. III #5 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1982 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