Ral Partha

Colonial Release

review by Bob Beattie

News from Ral Partha; first, the good news. Colonial gamers should be very happy with the release of 12 new sets in the Colonial Series. The core of this batch is post-1897 British with Slade Wallace equipment and Lee Enfield rifles. The offerings consist of infantry advancing, lancers, dismounted cavalry firing, artillery, and command.

Top: Boers, bottom: British

The other new sets are dismounted British cavalry from the pre-1897 period, dismounted Indian and Egyptian cavalry, and Boers - artillery crew, mounted, and dismounted. The figures are the same high quality we have come to expect from Rai; well sculpted, accurate, cleanly cast, and very detailed. There are10 infantry, 4 cavalry, and 8 dismounted cavalry with 2 horses per pack.

The post-1897 British are in light equipment, with puttees on the legs and puggarees wrapped around the sun helmet. They are suitable for the Second Boer War, the reconquest of the Sudan (the figures do not have sunshades on the back of the helmet, however), Boxer Rebellion, various Northwest Frontier uprisings, and early 20th Century expeditions up to World War 1. The infantry are advancing with rifle pointed forward, the lancers have an upraised arm to hold the separate lance, and the artillery are the standard Rai pose with open hands forthe enclosed equipment (it would be nice if rifles were included among the artillery equipment so we can create additional combat poses). The command pack has two mounted field officers with binoculars, two N.C.O. types, and two officers with turned-up bush hat and armed with both pistol and sword (very dashing). With these releases, we need only yeomanry types with soft hat, Maxim guns, and post-1897 Highlanders to have a complete Boer War force.

The four dismounted cavalry sets are a boon to gamers who want to represent actual dismounted cavalry figures on the table. The two British sets are distinct in that the later period figures have magazine carbines, puttees, and no swords; while the earlier variety have Sniders, boots, and swords. My only complaint with these 'two sets and likewise with the Egyptians and Indians is that each pack has 8 human and 2 horse figures. While the purist might want to have the horse figures around to represent the beasts on the table, it seems to me that most of us would rather have a few more human figures. Perhaps Rai could offer a pack of horses for those purists, especially since all the horse castings are pretty much the same (even down to the carbine in the scabbard of the horses of the figures firing a carbine).

The Boers, too, are a very welcome addition to the colonial figure ranks. They represent the participants in the Second Boer War, having more modern clothes and weapons than the previous Ral Partha Boers. The advancing dismounted set and the firing one each have two different poses thus giving four different poses for a nice variety within units. A kneeling firing figure would have been a nice touch for the Boers. The mounted set also has, two different positions. One could easily intermix some of the earlier Boer mounted figures with the new ones to achieve a motley group effect. The artillery set has 8 gunners in the usual open hand stance with beautiful crossed ammo belts. With the addition of a rifle these could make nice command figures for German Southest Africa games. For a little variation, trim off the slouch hat and paint on a headband.

These new packs are an excellent addition to the already vast Ral Partha colonial line. indeed, what higher praise can a reviewer give figures than to say that I had bought most of these sets the day I first saw them in the local store, before being sent the samples for review here.

So much for the good news from Ral; now the bad. Effective March 1, 1986, all colonial packs were increased to $5.00. Since I mention this fact, I must say in Ral Partha's defense that the previous price was held since the introduction of the colonial line some five years ago. This extensive range of fine figures has done much to increase the popularity of colonial gaming and if as light increase of 10 cents per infantry figure is needed to keep the company viable, it is a small price for gamers to pay.

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