Frei Korps

15mm ACW Artillery figures

By Paul Koch

ACW Artillery If you see it reviewed by me, chances are I like the product. I suppose it comes from my Mom giving me the old line about, "If you can't say anything nice, etc." Thus my reviews tend to be as positive as candor will permit. Even the real junk in the hobby has been sweated over and deserves a reserved silence rather than open scorn. With this in mind, however, there are times when I really have to search for something bad to say, lest I sound too fawning.

Such is the case with the new 15mm range of Civil War artillery by Frei Korps. First there is the scope of the range. Not only are all the major field pieces included but all the guns ever used in battle and a few that weren't! "Secret" weapons such as the Gatling and the "Coffee Mill" machine guns are presented with something approaching historical perfection. On top of this there are mortars, Dahlgren and Barbette mounted fortress guns and all manner of heavy siege cannon as well. If it went boom, Frei Korps has it in this range.

Secondly we could look at casting quality. Here again it is difficult to pick a fault. It is true that the guns have only 12 spokes to their wheels while their more lethal historical counterparts boasted 13. It is also true that in gaining their crispness of detail the miniature ordnance is cast in a metal that is quite brittle. Let the modeller take a care. However, aside from these esoteric, pedantic and pragmatic minor criticisms they are simply exquisite. No flash, no pitting, no mould lines; just beautiful miniatures. They are MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! The only thing that could improve them is to recast them in 20mm scale so I could use them in my armies.

Thirdly I might add that at between 50 cents and $2.50, depending on the size, they are a bargain as well.

Available from Frei Korps, 25 Princetown Rd., Bangor, County Down, BT2O 3TA Northern Ireland. Frei Korps is very happy to help American customers even taking payment in US funds. So 15mm fans, don't let this one go by. They really are very nice.

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