NEW PRODUCTS
After the usual quiet summer, several companies have returned with gusto to charting brand new territory, now allowing the Big Scale plastics gamer to go where no one has gone before. Watson, the 54mm game is afoot! Let's meet down in Herbert George's famous backyard and do it up again. Where's my Britain's naval gun? Don't forget your straw boater...
Ppeaking of hats - hats off to ARMIES IN PLASTIC, for marketing the very first set of non-European Colonial figures - the type that were used with just a sprinkling of Europeans to fight most of what we call the "Little Wars." They are rifle-armed Egyptian Army in various firing and melee poses, with officer, all wearing fez ("tarboush"), available in summer uniform (white), winter uniform (dark blue), and later khaki with a British officer. This company has also come out with their WWI Pickelaube Germans for early and mid-war scenarios. They plan next to release Napoleonic gun crews and later, Mahdist troops from the Soudan. They also recently released the first 54mm set of South African 19"' Century Boers - you don't have to use Confederates anymore! These are correctly bearded men in various types of wide-rimmed hats for those who don't know the period, think mountain men with modern rifles, or the Amish on drugs! These go with previously released sets of tropical helmeted British in khaki. I also use their recent Rough Rider set in tan painted up as Natal Native Horse (dismounted Black troopers with White officers). That long-time maker of well crafted 1/72"d figures, ITALERI, has made their first large scale offerings with their mounted Crusader and Saracens sets, each with four different mounted figures. Its always great to see this kind of development because, of course, they have many more sets to choose from in their "upscaling" operation. Especially with a company with such high standards of sculpting as these Italian folks. In fact, on the large new box they display many as coming next in 54mm: more knights, Saracens (who will work for Mongols and various Colonial settings, by the way), Teutonic Knights (for that famous battle on The Ice with Alexander Nevsky) and Mongols (who also work very well as Mongols), Union infantry and Confederate cavalry.
Now that we've stopped at the Civil War, it's time to mention the latest RON BARZO camp playset, which includes a cabin, tents and figures in various "behind the line" poses, with many accessories such as a line of laundry, so you can go "Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground!" PETER COLE (aka REPLICANTS) has put together two different sets of dismounted cavalry including the first ever horseholder figures (one in each set with two horses to hold). These are in very jaunty action poses. The Confederates wield carbines, shotguns, and one even has a banjo strapped across his back!
For those like me who like to keep up with the CONTE COLLECTIBLES stuff by buying the figures only sets, the latest available include 24 th Foot 43, Foreign Legion #3, Tuaregs #2 (these may be the best "Arabs" ever made so far), and in WWII, British Paras #2, US Paras #1, and German infantry #3. While much of his newer stuff such as AW1 and ACW are still only available in metal, his latest catalogs show much more to come: pirates (featuring busty female buccaneers). slaves and Romans from "Spartacus," character poses from "The Vikings" (including Ragnar in the wolf pit), and I can even pick out Rooster Cogburn with the reins his teeth from "True Grit." I got a large shipment of these available plastics from the dealer at HOBBY BUNKER, who did a great job getting them to me correctly and on time.
CALL TO ARMS has come out with a set of Napoleonic Carabiniers (later uniform) which complement their set of Cuirassiers. TOYWAY has repro'd sets of old Timpo (mostly knights) and LONE STAR (WWII Australians and British Naval Party). BMC did a huge scary Tiger 11 (available in G.I. Grinding Gray or Terrifying Tan). It's about the same size as the motorized one that has been appearing at discount bargain stores. TWENTYFIRST CENTURY released two infantry sets, one German and one US, and their Hanomag half-track.
Finally, sets from a MYSTERY COMPANY in St. Petersburg (the one in Russia) have become available here in the States, but very hard to get, in bizarre Fantasy/SciFi subjects: dwarves, armored skeletons, and even Amazons (their leader is riding a dragon!). They also offer more historical sets such as musketeers (useable for ECW), Russian knights (useable as Russian knights) and crusaders. WARNING: these figures are nicely sculpted but don't stand well, as they have no bases. This is intentional, as all figures are included in a simple wargaming system such as H.G. would have enjoyed: each set comes with medieval type siege weapons which actually fire, the idea being to knock your opponent's figures down with them. POW!
Borodino 2002 Unique Wargame Opportunity
And now for something completely different. This is an invitation to an upcoming smaller scale event of note. And, this is one you'll definitely have sufficient time to plan for, wherever you live! In September of 2002 at Fort Monroe, Virginia, yours truly will be playing General Prince Mikhail Lerionovich Golenshev Kutuzov, where I will have the honor of commanding the Russian Forces of His Imperial Majesty Czar Alexander. They will consist of a team of about 30 players. Having attended and enjoyed JodieCons in the past (Successors of Alexander, Waterloo, Gettysburg the Battle, Gettysburg the Campaign, and Arnheim), I can tell you that they are a truly unique opportunity to game your brains out for a long weekend on one battle. It's a chance to give Borodino the full attention it deserves. Only in the military itself will you ever get a chance to see a huge action simulated so completely, and at so many levels at once. This is a level of gaming no one club can do by itself
The unusual happening will include it's own strategic/tactical conferences, the Message Center (where your couriers can show up, show up late, not show, or even get captured by the enemy), all the hotel/restaurant facilities of a convention, and, of course, thousands of painted miniatures, Not only can you bring a friend, you can register your whole gaming club or group to play together! Cool!
With so much time to plan, Pete and Jodie Panzeri, Fred Hubig, and many, many other "hobby celebs" are kicking it up a notch higher. This will be the first "MegaJodieCon." Besides the usual lecture presentations, reenactment demonstrations, and screening of top historical Napoleonic flies, dozens of hobby vendors with Napoleonic products including brand new games and miniatures will be displaying their wares. Best of all, you'll have time to talk gaming with your teammates and buddies from all over. When I was first invited to a JodieCon, my pal said, "The social aspect is one of it's best features" and he was right. I've made lots of new hobby friends myself, and met a number of current and ex-military people as well.
Players can join up as Staff Specialists, Army, Corps, or Divisional Commanders. Take a look at the JodieCon.org site just for fun, for info, or to sign on with us - you can even check out my own little online newsletter THE GREAT REDOUBT. As a player, you'll be communicating back and forth on the web in the months to come on the Restricted Command Group of either the dastardly French or the Saintly Russians. Ands when the game begins, an entire staff of umpires will game master you with the computerized CARNAGE AND GLORY system. Having recently used it to do the equally tremendous Battle of Austerlitz, the JodieCon network of folks is ready to bring you a new level of expertise for Borodino. So don't let this opportunity pass you by. Hey, I'm talking to YOU, buddy!
Checkpoint Charley - October, 2001
"From battle, and murder, and sudden death, may the Good Lord preserve us." --Upstairs/Downstairs, August 1914 Episode
History, if ignored, comes right up kharmacally and bites you on the ass. Just wanted to thank everyone who asked about me after the recent events at the World Trade Center. I won't mention exactly where I live, but let's just say the police and National Guard are right outside my window in force now, with giant baseball stadium type floodlights glaring in the night. We lost three people from my building alone, one of whom was the fellow who lived in this apartment before me. My best friend, who lives a block from my old place, found human remains on his roof the day after, and turned them in to the police for DNA identification. He lost two cousins, one of whom as a fireman. A month later, the air is finally smelling normal though who knows what's in it. We are bombing Afghanistan.
When the first newscasts about the war came on, I found a map on my shelf from KHYBER: BRITISH INDIA'S NORTHWEST FRONTIER by Charles Miller (Macmillan, 1977). My Afghani co-worker in the office had just left to have a son, and I wonder how many of her relatives are looking up at our planes. You might say that the old Colonial Era conflicts have come home with a bang. And we all must soldier on.
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© Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum
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