After repeated visits and a honeymoon on the small island of Bequia in the West Indies, I became intrigued with developing a collection of 25 mm figures for skirmish gaming some of the 18 th century action between the French and English on the various island colonies they held in the Caribbean. The figures for this esoteric subject have come from a variety of manufacturers- Dixon, Old Glory, Redoubt, Foundry, First Corps etc. From these sources I was able to put together a French colonial garrison with a mixture of white and black troops, a British landing party with marines and sailors (Redoubt's Napoleonic landing barge- at little out of period, but I couldn't resist), a group of armed maroons (runaway slaves), and an interesting group of civilians for local color. The one segment of 181h century Caribbean society that I could not find among the existing figure ranges was black slaves. I could find white slaves, armed slaves and slave traders, but no slaves. Having done my graduate history studies on certain aspects of 18th century slave society, I'm not ignorant to the cultural delicacy of the subject and the firestorms that can be whipped up if the subject is handled poorly. It nevertheless struck me as odd, given the vast number of conflicts between slave-holding nations and cultures for which extensive figure ranges exist that no such figures were available. I tried to adapt some Dixon Mexican peasants into field hands with mixed success. It was about this time that I came across the Australian company Eureka Miniatures and their 100-club service. Basically, the 100-club is an attempt to provide custom figures at a price that is reasonable to the average wargamer. For more details, check out their site at www.eurekamin.com.au, I decided to give the service a shot and I posted a listing and put myself down for 15 figures. When it came time for the figures to go into production, Eureka owner Nic Robson contacted me asking for information and images if I had them. I had some images from early- 19th century prints showing the type of figure I wanted and I dutifully shipped them off down under. It took a long time for the figures to get produced, but that was largely because the 100Club was a runaway success and Nic was rapidly swamped with orders. I'm pleased to say that last week a package arrived from Australia with the figures inside. The Figures: First off, I was blown away by the variety I received. Of the 15 figures ordered, there were 9 different poses between the male and female figures. The size of the figures is in keeping with the current trend of large 25 mm and I found the figures to fit in well with the Foundry, Dixon and Old Glory figures I already had. The sculpting was very clean and the detail was sharp and well defined. In the pictures I show one of each pose that I received. The Male Figures: (4 poses) The Wood Carrier- A very good pose with a large bundle of wood carried across the shoulders. The bundle itself has great detail. He is dressed in a simple shirt and trousers with bare feet. This figure has a very good face. The Sack Carrier- Another great pose with a sack of something heavy slung over one shoulder. The other arm is thrown out for balance. Same simple clothing and bare feet with a brimmed hat. The Slacker- This figure stands with his hand on his hip vaguely leaning on a long stick. He kind of looks like a shepherd, but I thought I might make him an overseer (boo! hiss!) Tote that Bale!- This figure balances an ENOURMOUS bale on his head which is cast separately. This is another figure with a well-cast face and clothing- particularly the way the sleeves of his shirt bunch up as he holds is arms up. The Female Figures: (5 poses) Daydreamer- This figure rests her chin on her hands holding the end of a shovel which is cast separately. She is wearing a shirt, skirt and a broad-brimmed hat. This is a very interesting pose that gives a good effect when the shovel is glued into place. The shovel itself is exactly the right length and no trimming was needed. Basket Carrier 1- My favorite of the bunch! This figure carries a large basket on her head and balances it with one hand. Her other arm crosses in front of her body. There is something about this pose that gives off a great impression of defiance. Field Hand 1- This figure is dressed in a shirt; skirt and had a bandana tied around her head. She is working the field with a long handled hoe. Field Hand 2- Same as above, except the hoe is held in a different position Basket Carrier 2- This figure uses both hands to balance a large basket that is cast separately. Summary: I am very impressed with the quality and variety of these figures. Gamers should be able to find a place for these beauties in games ranging from Pirates, 18 th and 1 9th century colonial struggles, ACW, Wild West and a few others I'm sure I'm forgetting. I commend Eureka Miniatures for providing an original service that delivers quality product. Good job! Back to MWAN #117 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 2002 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com