When a designer really gets committed to a range he/she likes to finish it off as far as possible and, lucky gamers that we are, this is what has happened here. There are several "sets" to bulk out our scenarios. This huge range is further filled out by these releases and standards have not slipped, modelling, casting and animation being just as good as ever. I shall list the sets, comment where appropriate and draw some of them, not to scale.

CX39 Mortar and Crew (£5). Mortar and four crewmen, two figures carrying bomb, one with portfire and one with his hands over his ears. An essential bit of kit for all you gamers who wish to restage Basing House, Syon House and umpteen other sieges and inn takings. The mortar is really solid and fits together well and the bloke with the portfire is also covering his face.

CX40 Hospital Set (£5). Two barrels and planks, patient stretched out, surgeon with large knife, water barrel, blacksmith sharpening knife (on a pedal wheelstone), man holding down patient. A battlefield decoration for most of us - parallel perhaps with Rorke's Drift hospital. In those days without anaesthetics or antibiotics maybe the wounded counted themselves lucky to get any help at all. Thank Heavens no one makes lead alloy widows and orphans. [Bet they do!]

CX41 Plough set (£4.50). Plough (in 3 bits), two oxen, ploughman, boy riding plough, ox yoke. I've seen a boy riding a plough in Switzerland, though it was drawn by the ubiquitous two wheeled tractor and not oxen. All the bits go together very well and you can put them in the next field to Hopton Heath (spring ploughing) battle.

CX42 Gibbet set (£7.50). Frame, ladder, hanging figure, figure waiting his turn! (Next please!), executioner, official reading from scroll, provost with halberd. Hangings were pretty frequent for crimes like stealing a handkerchief (or transportation to the Colonies of course!) down until the late 1840s in UK. Keep your chaps from desertion with one of these behind your lines.

CX43 Mounted general in long cassock, pointing (rude fellow). General comes in three bits for you to animate yourself (£3.00).

CX44 General on foot pointing with baton. Separate head. A plumed hat and great cloak with standing collar. Worthy to be a general officer. (£1.50)

VILLAGERS / CLUBMEN

CW234 Mayor or local official with blunderbuss.

CW235 Forester with fowling piece, creeping forward. (A sharpshooter of the time - officers beware!)

CW236 Villager with large club.

CW237 Trudging villager with shouldered bill.

CW238 Trudging villager with pitch fork.

CW239 Trudging villager with scythe (blade set on the end of a pole.)

CW240 Trudging villager with axe (over his shoulder.)

CW241 Woman villager with scythe (frapped onto a pole.)

CW242 Woman villager with pitchfork.

CW243 Woman villager carrying basket of vegetables. [This is the Widow Twanky!]

The tools are all in a separate plastic bag. The pitchforks are not the ones I know - in Shropshire called a "pickel", with two tines only, but five tines in a fan shape, making a very unpleasant weapon - but harder to kill anyone with I should think. There is also in my bag a large dagger, tied to the end of a pole as a weapon. All with excellently modelled trudging action. These "small people" can be a discommoding nuisance to formed bodies of troops and deadly to stragglers and vedettes, foragers etc.

A useful group. Drawing now. If I do not draw what you would like to see Redoubt do their own illustrated sheet, or send for samples. You'll be hooked on something!

Villagers/Clubmen - further releases.

CW244 Villager standing with pot helm and ancient halberd. Probably he got the weapon and helm from some country house armoury (in which case he could be Royalist) or from the thatch of his cottage, put there by his forebears - so could be either Parliament or Royalist.

CW245 Villager advancing with quarter staff. Flying hair, a tough-looking customer.

CW246 Villager advancing with wood axe. In a smock, bareheaded with a snapsack over his shoulder. (I've just been using one* to keep the fire going - power cut 0900-1700 - I'm also writing by candlelight. In period or what!) *wood axe.

CW247 Villager advancing with scythe. Scythe blade tied onto a pole actually. He also wears a smock.

CW248 Villager advancing with pole with barbed hook. Stocking cap, smock. The barbed hook is bound to the pole.

CW249 Villager advancing with old straight sword. He wears a jerkin and his left hand holds the forte of the blade. Doesn't look too sure he knows how to use the sword.

CW250 Woman villager advancing with pole with knife tied to the end. Could be more dangerous than all the rest put together! Wears a cap and apron, a married lady.

CW251 Woman villager with shoulder milk pails. On a yoke. Aha, but what's in the pails?

CW252 Woman villager carrying child on her hip. No bonnet on - perhaps she's a maid carrying the child for someone else?

CW253 Villager cringing - that is cringing and pointing, holding hat. "Yessir, Your worship, they did go that way!" (Right through Foul Flood Lane, haw haw!)

CWX45 Forlorn Hope. Two dragoons carrying petard, one with coil of fuze, one with hammer and nails, one with wood axe, one with beam, one kneeling firing, one standing firing. All with separate heads. Let's hope they're not "Hoist by their own petard." A useful set for sieges.

CWX46 Court Martial / Court of Enquiry. Table with chairs, two seated officers, officer reading the charges, standing prisoner, dragoon guard, serjeant with halberd, drummer and drum. The dragoon holds a rope attached to the prisoner's hands, which are behind his back.

CWX47 Punishment set. Figure sitting in stocks, one standing in stocks, one with stock collar, one in chains. The stocks are in separate bits. The stock collar is like a Chinese Kangue.

CWX48 Well dressed gentlemen and lady walking followed by groom with dog. "Look natural my dear and pretend you haven't seen King Charles sitting there in that oak tree!" She is resting the palm of her right hand in his left one. Dog a King Charles spaniel?

Drawings now:- A fine lot asking for a whole campaign as much as a wargame. They can be used in the Thirty Years War too of course.

More Reviews:

Feudal Castings: 15mm 1850 Danish, 1859 Piedmontese, War of the Roses, Feudal Scots
Dixons Miniatures: 25mm Wild West and ACW
Village Green: 25mm Bushi Warriors of Japan
Guernsey Foundry: 25mm Old West
Donnington Miniatures: 15mm Maccabean Jews, Mongols