Here are some more excellent figures with which to fight Homeric battles, in more ways than one. These are as well produced in every way as the first releases. I will list the samples, comment and draw some of them. I'll begin with pack:

T27 6 naked slingers - 2 have breecil clouts. All in different poses. 2 having fired their stones. 2 winding up and 2 loaded. Moving forward and sizing up their target. A tough looking lot. (3.60 pounds)

A heavy-armed warrior with spears and tower shield. Ajax, Prince of Salamis. (2.50 pounds). cf. p. 10 "The Greek Armies", Peler Connolly. Macdonald Educational. ISBN 0356055809. He wears the so called "Dendra" armour (discovered in a Mycenaean grave in 1960), late 15th century BC. This model reproduces that armor. Spear and shield separate.

TX11 Paris, Prince of Troy. in bronze decorated annour with round cut-away shield and sword (2.5 pounds). Very finely detailed armour decoration. A commanding figure. Will Redoubt do a figure for Helen, one asks oneself! "The face that launched a 1000 ships..." The cut-away shield can be seen on p22 of "The Greek Armies". It calls it a "pelta," as I did in the previous review of the first releases.

TX20 Light chariot. two horses. Soldier in full "Dendra" armour. Spear. Driver. (5.50 pounds). This chariot, soldier and driver can be seen in full colour on p10 of Connolly's "The Geeek Armies." The only difference being that in the picture, the driver wears a boar's tusk helmet and this casting is bareheaded. In Homeric warfare, chariots were used to deliver or extract warriors from the fighting.

These new releases widen the Ancient gamer's scope as this range is compatible with other 25mm ranges and lots of legendary or fictitious skirmishes can be fought - role play and enliven the whole evening with Greek wine and roast meat and halva to finish up.

Heads, poses, helmets and shields are randomly supplied. if you wish "figure of eight" shields, add B to your pack order - or A if you want tower shields. Drawings, not to scale, now:

Lukka Warriors

The Lukka Warriors may have been "The Peoples of the Sea", from Egyptian wall paintings. Also in this release are the first of the javelinmen, basic later Bronze Age foot soldiers. Diomedes, King of Argos, in his chariot, with driver is also presented. As usual Redoubt give it the full treatment, innovative poses, good modelling and crisp casting. I will list these, comment and draw some of them.

Javelinmen

TX33 Pack of 6 javelinmen advancing Kilt, loincloth, or tunic. Helmet, round shield. [Packs T15, T16, T35, T36, T37 are 4 pounds each at time of writing. TX5 Diomedes & chariot. 5.50 pounds]. A couple bareheaded, the others in various helmets. A couple throwing. Others open handed carrying their weapons.

T16 Pack of 6 javelinmen throwing. kilt, loincloth or tunic, helmet round shield. Good active poses in this pack. Great variation.

Lukka Warriors

T35 Pack of 6 Lukkas Spearmen advancing. heavy spear and round shield. They have big cinquedca* swords on their their hips. I can imagine these tough looking bods being in a Guard with their bulky looking armour.

T36 Pack of 6 Lukka javelillmen advancing or Ihrowing. open handed, round shicid. More good poses. Although looks heavy, being smaller it would be lighter than it looks.

T37 Pack of 6 Lukka swordsmen advancing or swinging. Round shield. Some are also hacking. The two edged cinquedea* sword (I have no idea what it was called) looks pretty awesome wielded by these characters.

* Cinquedea. A Renaissance large dagger, the blade of which was five fingers wide at the hilt guard or forte.

TX5 Diomedes, King of Argos. in bronze armour, crested helmet, with spear and shield in chariot with driver. Son of Tydeus and Deipyle. A very pleasant character and much more so than Achilles. He returned safely to Argos, but Aphrodite stirred up trouble for him there and he migraled to Italy. Homer liked him anyway! An Achean. Good casting. Two horses and all the bits lo make into an exciting chariot. Remember these chariots were light "insertion" and 'evacuation' units. No bumping, barging, or gluing scythe blades on wheel-hubs!

Now to draw a few of these, not to scale. If I don't draw what you want to see, send for some samples. The snow flies past my window but these figures can remind one of "the wine dark sea and the mist the south wind wraps round the mountain tops".

Part 1: Trojan War range (in LW 114).

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