Dixon Miniatures
25mm Pirate figues

Review

Reviewed by David Barnes

Shiver me Timbers! Ah Jim Lad! Brace the Top gallants and Pass the Black Spot! Er, yes, well, these figures look all of that and more. All of them, except personalities have multiple head variants per code for extreme variety and you can use Dixon's "Grand Alliance" range for marines and have a proper bust up. All codes 65p each at the time of writing.

Dixon's are the last of the "Big Guns" to join in with a piratical range, so Har Harr ! me hearties, pass the grog and prepare to walk the plank. Dixon's intend a range of 40-50 figures with assorted different weapons, facial expressions, head gear and what have you.

Pirate Crew

PT1 Captain, advancing – cutlass. The designer is the same as the one who does the AWI figure range by the look of it – and good modelling and animation is. Tricorne and full skirted coat and breeches. He sports an earring. A gritted teeth expression.

PT2 Pirate standing waving cutlass. Tricorne, pistol in his sash, baggy mid-calf breeches, shirt sleeves "Borders Away!"

PT3 Pirate with cutlass and dagger at ready. He's in the Kung Fu "Horse Position" or he's just leapt onto an opponent's ship and is yelling fit to bust. He also has two pistols stuck cross-draw fashion in his waist belt. Menacing.

PT4 Pirate advancing – outstretched cutlass. Bandage round his head and over one eye, baggy trews, weskit and sash. Yelling through his beard. An evil-looking cove.

PT5 Pirate standing firing musket. Bandage round his head and patch over his left eye. Good straightforward firing pose.

PT6 Pirate laying (sic) on side loading musket. (Lying is the proper word. He's not a hen). An unusual pose and one I tried to get Dixon's to do of the Samurai "left-behind-men". That is, special marksmen to lie among the wounded and bump off unsuspecting enemy leaders. Such a figure could be used by British Napoleonic riflemen too. They were taught to load (and fire) lying down. An excellent pose.

PT7a 1pdr. Swivel gun. In a bag with it's support. Often used on the quarter deck in case of mutiny or to repel boarders from the "nerve centre" of the ship the wheel, binnacle etc.

PT7b Pirate swivel gun operator. He's bald and has the end of the swivel in his left hand and a port-fire in his right. Powder horn slung on his back.

PT8 Pirate standing blowing horn – drawn cutlass. Pistol in his sash, cutlass in his left hand. A taut figure.

Personalities

PTP1 Captain Kidd. A good solid mature seaman in tricorne. Left hand on his cutlass hilt. Right fist on the hip of his full skirted coat. A real commanding presence about this figure. Pistol in his belt at his left front.

Here we have well modelled and crisply cast additions to the "Pirates" range. Gamers seem to be waking up to the flexible possibilities of such a range – when provided with marines and matelots it will spread even further. Not just raiding and ship to ship fights but "cutting out" expeditions, invasions and general mayhem, all at the comfort of your own table. (I've just been to an excellent Royal Navy presentation; ships seem so technologically complicated these days I don't know how they manage to fight the ships as well as everything else!)

Pirate Crew

Multi-head variants per code.

PT9 Drummer, shirtsleeves, beating drum. Beating with a single stick. Tricorne. Even his socks have wrinkles!

PT10 Captain, standing, firing pistol. Tricorne with plume, another pistol in his belt. Left hand on his sword hilt. Opulent looking coat and waistcoat.

PT11 Pirate standing, boarding pike and drawn sword. A pistol stick in his sash, patch over one eye.

PT12 Pirate standing, boarding pike. Also with pistol in his sash. Delicately modelled and crisply cast.

Treasure Burying Party

PT13a Pirate using shovel, shirt sleeves. Long handled shovel, bandage round his head and over one eye.

PT13b Pirate using large hoe, barechested. The "large hoe" I would describe as a mattock. Good for digging or fighting. Medieval peasants used them for both.

PT13c Treasure Chest. Every self-respecting pirate has at least one of these!

Naval Guns

NG1 Six Pounder. Very neat bit of kit, on its carriage. If you want a good description of what a naval cannon should look like read the book "Jim Davis" by John Masefield. A "long Tom" maybe, a "bow-chaser".

Pirate Gunners

PTG1 Spongeman, crouching, barechested. A good active pose.

PTG2 Kneeling barechested, powder scoop. One end is the powder scoop, the other is a rammer. Snarling with the effort of serving the gun. The noise! The smoke!

PGT3 Carrying shot, barechested. The pose really makes you feel the weight of the shot he's carrying.

PGT4 Carrying bucket, barechested. Well muscled character with a bandaged head.

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