These are excellent figures and I have reviewed figures appearing in the MIX PAX 14 before, "Mahdist Ansar Riflemen." There are 20 figures to a pack so one can have a good skirmish with a lack for each side. Quite a scrimmage with two packs per side, plus personality packs and pretty well a full blown battle with 4 packs!

Examples - (I haven't seen these) MIX PAX 1 holds 20 Vikings - all different. MIX PAX 3 has 20 Samurai figures, gets you 9 times two figures of different catalog numbers plus single figures of two other numbers - a very diverse pack.

As I've written about some of the Ansar before I'll list what MIX PAX 11 holds - describe and comment and draw some of them, not to scale. Prices, at the time of writing: œ6.25 for MIX PAX plus P&P.

Norman Foot (20 figures) comprising:- 1x AN6-10, 1x AN16-20, 1x AN26-30, and 1x AN3640.

AN6(N) Dismounted knight swinging axe, loose shield. "Stitch that Jummie!" as a Glaswegian wouId say.

AN7(N) Dismounted mailed knight slashing with sword, holding kite shield. Very well animated figure.

AN8(N) Unarmoured bowman, crouching firing bow. An excellent figure - the bow stave is a bit tubular.

AN9(N) Warrior in quilted jacket, helmet with sword, kneeling behind kite shield. Long hair and a beard and moustache. Could be one of Harold's lads. A Gesip in fact.

AN10(N) Dismounted knight with lance or spear at the ready, with loose kite shield. The first onset on foot - battling th the shield wall.

AN16(N) Swabian warrior hacking with two handed large Scramaseax, mailed with helmet and loose round shield. A lively action figure with a big single edged scramaseax. (Could be mistaken for an Englishman).

AN17(N) Dismounted knight in long quilted hauberk advancing behind kite shield with lance or spear. Like all these figures, really excellent crisp detail.

AN18(N) Unarmoured bowman, bareheaded, releasing shot. Not a good pose for a longbow. A Translation" of a Bayeux Tapestry figure perhaps - needlework rather than bowmanship.

AN19(N) Bareheaded unannoured crossbowman kneeling firing, with loose round shield. A good pose.

AN20(N) Dismounted mailed knight advancing crouched behind kite shield. Unusual, in 1070 King William led his knights on horseback (all mounted) over the Westmorland Fells where today local farmers - hunt foxes - on foot.

AN26(N) Spearman in quilted hauberk & conical helmet resting on shield and spear. Good simple figure.

AN27(N) Spearman wearing quilted/segmented hauberk and conical helmet, advancing with leveled spear. Shield ready. Second row at Hastings - or Semlac.

AN28(N) Spearman - knight in mailed hauberk and conical helmet, kneeling with leveled spear, ibield ready. Most unusual for a Norman knight to be on foot. Good modelling.

AN29(N) Swordsman - knight in mailed hauberk and conical helmet, foot on rock, sword ready ID two handed grip. Mouth open - either shouting - more likely panting!

AN30(N) Unarmoured skirmisher, dropping stone on staff sling. Very good pose and crisp detail.

AN36(N) Mailed bowman knocking arrow. Mercenary specialist probably. Breton?

AN37(N) Unarmoured speannan advancing, spear ready. Spearpoint by his right ankle. Shield well up. Norman haircut is well molded

AN3B(N) Unarmored spearman. At rest with spear and shield. Kite shield "page boy" haircut

AN39(N) Spearman, quilted hauberk, thrusting, loose shield. Excellent detail. One can give the shield to his back - a grand defence. Knights unhorsed frequency lay under their shields to stop being ridden over. mace, shield. Great action -

AN40(N) Dismounted mailed knight. Swinging back-handed with mace, shield. Great action - "Take that Canaille!"

Bibliography:

• 1. Growing up in the Norman Conquest, Alfred Duggan,Faber&Faber
• 2. The Archelogy of Weapons, Ewart Oakshott, The Boydell Press (reprint 1944), ISBN 0 85115 5596
• 3. .A History of the Art of War in the Middle Ages, Sir Charles Oman, vol. 1, 378-1278AD, Greenhill Books. ISBN 1 85367.100-2 (reproduction of Methexen 1924 edition) (see Chapter VII. Battle of Hastings (1066) and Dyrrhachium (1081)).