Available from Redoubt Enterprises, 49 Channel View Road, Eastbourne, E. Sussex, BN22 7LN, UK or Doug Carroccio, 1525 Bridge #163, Yuba City, CA 95993: "And the next pleasure, Sir?" said the grocer indicating the cheese - and the next pleasure these figures will be to ECW buffs, and may encourage the mildly interested to have a go at this exciting period. The heads come separately like the shot - "hard" or "soft"and there are some 30 different heads. Only one figure had its neck socket inadvertantly filled in and that was soon remedied with a pipe reamer in one of my penknives. Several of the heads neck plugs were too long and had to be shortened to look natural coming up from the collar. This is a good aspect because it ensures the plug is long enough, and it is a simple task to trim it down. We have probably all had experience of separate heads that rolled about because of too small or too short plugs from other manufacturers. When ordering, just specify the type of head required. Soft category includes bareheaded while hard will include various kinds of helmets, pots, morions and so forth. The pike come open-handed, and the sheet recommends brass or metal wire for pikes (not provided). Having two grandsons, I use bassbroom bristles. If you put your hand on it accidently, it will bend and unstick itself from the pikeman's hands -- much safer. Price is 50 pence at time of writing. There are 14 unarmoured figures at present and ten armoured figures. To begin CW55 Orderly/clerk standing writing. H„ holds his quill down by his side or, top of his leather ink and scroll boa. His left hand holds a scroll. He could be standing outside Basing Horse taking, an inventory of the plunder! Here come the unarmoured lads: CW60 to CW62 - presenting pike at the charge in uniform coat, buff jerkin and shirt. CW63 to CW65 - advancing, thrusting in unitorr, coat, buff jerkin & shirt. CW66 and 67 - advancing pike at 45 degrees; uniform coat, buff jerkin. CW68 and 69 - rear rankers shoving, pike upright, uniform coat & jerkin. CW70 & 71 - Rear rankers pushing w/shoulder, pike angled; one in jerkin, coat and the other in uniform coat. CW72 - leaning backwards, pike angled, uniform coat. Armoured: CW75 & 76 -advancing at the charge; buff coats, breast plate, back & breast and tassets (76 is actually presenting, I would say, not advancing -- too much armour to do it?). CW77 & 78 - advancing thrusting, breast plate and buff coat, b&b, tassets. CW79 & 80 - advancing pike 45 degrees, buff coat, breast plate, b&b,tassets CW81 & 82 - Shoving, pike upright, same dress. CW83 & 84 - pushing w/shoulder, pike angle,-'., Sara dress. CW85 - leaning backwards, pike angled, breast plate. These chaps are right at the rear of the pike block and are going backwards, leaning on the pushers and shovers! There are also some officers and sergeants: CW50 - Officer, half armour standing w/hand on hip. CW51 - Officer half armour pointing. CW52 - Standard bearer half armour pointing with flag (provide own staff and flag. This one looks like Sir. Andrew Agnecheek to me. CW53 - Sergeant in half armour with halbert. CW55 - Unarmoured sergeant with spontoon held level; this is certainly one of the figures I will draw. I hope to be able to show you the detail. All these figures improve yet again on the animation of the figures. The casting is first class with no flash or slipped moulding. The only evidence of casting is one or two "runners" or air channels with fine bits of metal appending. Some garners do not like having to stick on heads to the figures. Given the variety of choice, it is worth the extra effort; in fact no two armies of REDOUBT ECW need look alike, unlike the "chorus lines" provided by some manufacturers. I don't really knock this, as some gamers prefer the "toy soldier" aspect of the hobby. REDOUBT also provide a set of alling and dead or wounded figures CX1 to CX5. These are well done. Personally, I do not like such figures, "No lead widows or orphans" aid HG Wells and I stand by him. However if you like them, for morale status, shaken troops markers or for vignettes and dioramas, these will please YOU. CW1 - Officer advancing, waist sash ornamental partizan. Covered in ornamental detail this chap is probably a trained band officer with lots of money. CW2 - Officer advancing flourishing sword. On my example the sword blade did not survive the postman, but Evostik repaired it. A popular pose with Victorian artists. CW3 - Officer standing in back & breast waving pistol. CW6 - Ensign standing, buffcoat, left arm up, waist sash. Evidently signalling. Provide your own flag and staff by the way. CW7 - Ensign advancing, full pike armour, sword. Leaning back from waist, left hand is so placed that the butt of the flag staff will nest on his left tasset. CW8 - Ensign advancing waving. He has right hand open to hold the staff, which will rest on his shoulder. CW9 - Ensign on guard,' sword up, waist sash, standard butt on hip. Well animated. CW12 - Drummer standing playing and CW13 Drummr;r advancing playing. Both have a separate drum which has a socket provided under - below their left arms. This found somewhat awkward to fix but super glue will fix anything. The large drum means they must be securely based. Well modelled. CW14 - Fifer standing playing and CW15 Fifer advancing playing. I found these two figures the least satisfactory of any REDOUBT figures I have seen, simply because the fife is cast so close to the collar and at such an angle that the head cannot satisfactorily be placed in a playing position at all. I used to play a fife as a boy and the fife is not level enough across the face and does not protrude beyond the left hand enough. The hands are otherwise correctly placed and the figures are beautifully modelled in other particulars. I have overcome the head problem by having them look to left and right respectively. A small problem but important for fife players. THE SHOT - to save being tedious, I will only remark on something that strikes me particularly - CW20 - leaning forwaard, uniform coat, covered apostles, haversack, giving fire. Musket angled slightly to left to help the sparks fall into the pan more readily. CW21 - upright in uniform coat, haversack, giving fire. CW22 - buff jerkin, covered apostles, haversack, giving fire. CW23 - uniform coat at the present, haversack. CW24 & CW25 - are also at the present (i.e., lifting the musket to the shoulder in preparation for taking aim. CW25 has a belly box. CW26 to CW28 - area all advancing w/musket across body. Naturally posed. CW29 to CW31 - all advancing musket up covered in well modelled kit. Only one used to soldiering knows how much stuff you need to carry - or leave behind. CW32 & CW33 - are both priming pan while CW34 and CW35 are both blowing match. Both of these let have clever differentiations of stance and of course, totally different heads. CW36 & CW 37 are both ramming down shot; looking at them one could say 36 was ramming and 37 was recovering the ramrod. Very well animated. CW38 - kneeling at ready haversack uniform coat. This could be a gun guard as kneeling was an artillery practice. CW40 & CW41 - advancing marching musket left shoulder and advancing marching musket left shoulder, butt up. CW42 & CW43 - advancing marching, musket right shoulder and advancing marching, musket right shoulder, butt up, coat. A mixture of CW40 through 43 would give you a really motley collection especially with a mix of heads. Back to MWAN #67 Table of Contents Back to MWAN List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1994 Hal Thinglum This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com