Minifigs

25mm Seven Years War

reviewed by Ken Bunger

The 25mm Seven Years War range by Miniature Figurines, Ltd. has always been a staple of SYW gamers. It's been reissued by their Pine Plains factory last January. Most of the original range is available, but now sold in pre-packaged sets. Sets 4002, 4003, 4006 and 4010 also contain a number of their old AWI (AMR) range (and some Mexican-Am. War) now titled "militia." The Indians and some leaders are also old AWI range.

Since most wargamers are familiar with the "MiniFig" style it'd be superfluous to rate all the figures. Let me simply say that the SYW range is really one of their best, anatomically anyway. The slightly bulky style is quite suitable for figures with the coats in particular. Most of the infantry are in the standard "wargame advance" position. Also available (except for the Russians & Austrians) is the march-attack position, my particular favorite, which is really more accurate.

Two of the best figures area superbly accurate British drummer with the distinctive cap and hanging false sleeves; and, the French infantryman in waistcoat (2203), which is particularly useful for a chasseur of a line battalion (regular uniform with coat removed) or for a Russian line infantryman who often fought with coat removed.

The range suffers from a number of inaccuracies which can easily be overcome if one recognizes them. For example, while some of the British cavalry are inaccurately depicted, they make great Hanoverians or even French.

Some of the accuracy probelms with particular figures are as follows:

British: Grenadier hat looks much too Prussian. Infantry officer's sash should be over right shoulder not left (useful as Hanoverian), Dragoons should have no lapels rather than 1/2 lapels (useful as Hanoverian dragoons). Dragoon and Horse officers should have sash over left shoulder rather than right (useful as Hanoverians). The dragoon trumpeter shouldn't have the tricorne but rather a small musician's grenadier cap. The mounted officer has sash over right shoulder as a cavalry officer with 1/2 lapels. The Hanoverian officer also has his sash over the left, instead of properly, the right shoulder. Both the Hanoverian officer and the artillery have strangely small Prussian cuffs.

French: Cut off any plumes which unfortunately adorn many of these figures. The light infantry figure (2205) is really Fischer's Legion, but the coat should be shorter without turnbacks. The cuirassiers, and particularly the troopers of horse, have bicornes instead of tricornes, All of the troopers should have the breastplate under the coat, except the one regiment called the Cuirassiers which wore it on the outside.

Prussia: The Potsdam giant grenadiers (2305) were disbanded before the SYW. The Jaeger's coat is too loose and should have boots. The cuirassier wears a long coat and carries a musket, rather than wearing the short "Kollett" and carrying a musketoon. The hussar wears a mirliton, correct for most units. My big disappointment is the artillery which have essentially French style tricornes, rather than the more Prussian tricorne like the rest of the infantry. The rest of the uniform is great so a conversion to correct headgear is simple.

Austria: This range needs Hungarians and artillerymen. One can use the French artilleryman with its cockade trimmed off. The Slavonian (2503) is useful for the ten grenz regiments, except only two of them had a fur hat as depicted (easily remedied with a file).

Russians: Range needs artillerymen, cuirassiers and horse grenadiers. French artillerymen (not British) are perfect for the Russian artillerymen. Austrian cuirassiers are also good for Russians. The Russians had a couple cuirassier units that had short "Kolletts". The carabiniers did not appear until later in the 18th Century. The Pavlov grenadier (2404) is really the ostrich feather- plumed guard grenadier which spent the war in St. Petersburg.

I highly recommend this range and priase MiniFigs for reissuing this and many of their other 25mm ranges.

More Reviews

Back to Table of Contents -- Courier Vol. V #2
To Courier List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1984 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