Redoubt Enterprises
25mm ACW figures

Review

Reviewed by David Barnes

As usual a wide spectrum of interesting "goodies" from Redoubt based on 25mm scale. I will list what I have been sent and comment. To quote Dylan Thomas, "To begin at the beginning…" on the sheet: rewrite!

Well, that old gang at "Redoubt" have done it again! More interesting and well modelled figures – improved animation too – more natural poses as this designer matures his/her style. These verge on the diorama standard rather than just good wargaming modelling.

To begin four packs holding six skirmishers each in dramatic action poses, loading and firing. All come complete with your choice of heads from Officer Kepi, Officer Slouch, Men's Kepi, Slouch, Hardee, Bareheaded, Puffball, Havelock, Texas Kepi and Texas slouch. Extra heads available for 50p per pack of six. Complete packs cost £ 3.60 at the time of writing, including choice of heads where applicable.

ACW81. Shirt. This pack includes: Standing firing (with well braced rear leg). Kneeling loading – or maybe observing (musket in left hand at point of balance, on right knee, right hand could be lifting the shot pouch cover or just adjusting the pouch.) Kneeling, at the ready, loading semi crouched, [all these have gum blankets wrapped around them]. Crouching firing, (a very unstable platform for firing this – he's just getting off a shot quickly before getting down again to load). Kneeling ramming, rolled blanket hanging on his back along with his tin cup.

ACW82. Shell jacket. Firing on the move. Squatting ramming. Kneeling on right knee left leg braced forward firing. Kneeling getting cartridge with right hand musket upright. Kneeling on right knee musket upright. Ramming left knee bent right leg braced back. Tremendous poses and excellent detail of dress and equipment.

ACW83. Sack coat. Kneeling on left knee, ramming, gum blanket. Kneeling on right knee cocking musket lock. Kneeling on right knee, fetching cartridge with right hand musket in left hand on left knee, gum blanket. Squatting firing, gum blanket. Leaning forward firing, blanket roll hitched behind. Kneeling on right knee ramming, left leg braced forward.

ACW84. Frock Coat. Gum blanket, kneeling right knee, ramming with right hand. Gum blanket, running, firing half left. Gum blanket, squatting, musket at ready. Kneeling, ramming with left hand. Leaning forward putting bullet in barrel. Firing, left knee bent, right leg braced back. A bewildering variety of poses and none of them unnatural.

Next a marching/trotting command set for both Blue and Grey – similar to the previous standing sets (already reviewed) ACXX15 and ACX16.

ACX28. Confederate command, two mounted officers and one on foot with drawn swords, complete with a choice of heads in the pack. The horse tack is very elaborately shown. High Command would have expensive stuff and would need the best, being long hours in the saddle. All the figures are frock coated with sashes, pistols, cap cases and scabbards. The mounted gentlemen both have extra pistol holsters at their saddle pommels. Both horses are equipped with extra leading reins – looking a bit like martingales at first glance. The swords come on separate arms for you to glue on.

ACX29. Union Command, two mounted officers and one foot with drawn swords. Choice of heads in the pack. These figures have subtle differences in animation as well the expected ones of uniform from ACX28 e.g. Rank bars instead of the "Chicken guts" on the sleeves. I've given my Union guys the slouch hats whilst the Confederates sport Kepis. The arms holding swords can be set on at different angles, as can the separate heads of course. As any puppeteer knows, slight differences can make different characters. Great figures.

Redoubt Enterprises produce huge ranges in various periods from Mycenae to 1914 (Foreign Legion "March or Die" range) – but the individual figures don't suffer from mass production blight – the vast majority of these individual figures look thought about and even lovingly made. It seems redoubt are determined to develop as far as they can each of their big ranges.

ACW has, besides the obvious "teeth" arms, signallers, engineers and medical staff. The following releases in ACW are "casualties" and Command groups for their earlier skirmishers. Casualty figures can be used to denote moral state of units, they can "decorate" display games or dioramas or they can be used, with certain rules, to effect your games. For instance a "Green" regiment is ordered forward and comes up to a "windrow" of casualties during its advance. What is the effect on these untried warriors as they step over and around their recently dead comrades? Dice for morale surely? Besides the ACW there are some grand bits of kit for British foot artillery and some of the stalwart chaps themselves.

The ACW range is sold in packs of 6, with separate heads – included in the pack price of £ 3.60 (at present). You can select various heads, Mens Kepi, Slouch, Hardee, Tennessee, Puffball, Bareheaded, Havelock, Texas Kepi or Texas Slouch.

ACW85. Two Confederate Skirmish commands in one pack. Consisting of an officer, sergeant & bugler each. One in Shell Jacket, one in Frock Coat. They can be split into two discrete groups of 3, one crouching with the officer making a situation appreciation and the other a moving command group making for the objective or another vantage point in cover. The "still" group have an officer crouching, left hand holding his sword hilt, upright besides him. His right hand making a trumpet, shouting an order? The Sgt. Squats with his RM. across his knees, gum blanket swathed around him. The bugler kneels on one knee with his bugle in his left hand poised on his left knee his Rifle Musket is held at the long trail in his right hand. In the "moving" command group the officer grasps his sword at the mid scabbard + has a Colt pistol in his right. The Sgt. Is scouting along hauling his RM. by the barrel. And the bugler is "flying", his bugle in his right hand his RM. on his left shoulder trigger guard uppermost, his kit swinging around him!

ACW86. Two Union skirmish commands with two officers, two Sgt. And two buglers, one set in shell jacket, one in frock coat. The "Static" command has the officer pointing, the Sgt. Kneeling with RM., the bugler holds his equipment down by his right ankle and grasps the muzzle of his RM. near the foresight. The "movers" are in pretty violent action, as anyone who has heard "crack – thump!" can appreciate. American Civil War battlefield dead and wounded; ACW87 Shirts, ACW88 Shell jacket, ACW89 sack coat, ACW90 frock coat, new heads go with these packs – Casualty heads in Kepi's, casualty head in Slouch hats. Sometimes facedown, sometimes hat beside the head or covering the face these heads are reality itself - rather gruesome in fact. The bodies are basically six poses with different dress as stated in each packet. At the time of writing the price per pack is £ 3.60. select a pack and say which heads you wish. The poses are reminiscent of the poignant photographs taken at the time of the dead at various ACW battles. I only wargame because there are no lead orphans or widows.

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