Review of Dixon Miniatures 25mm ACW new releases, available from Spring Grove Mills, Linthwaite, Huddersfield, W. Yorkshire, HD7 5QG or Wargames, Box 278, Route 40 East, Triadelphia, W.V. 26059, USA

These are a mixture of Forest's men - dismounted cavalry and infantry in choice of hat or kepi unless specified "no head variant," so you are able to paint these chaps up either as Union or Confederates. Dixons now produce a bewildering variety of figures for this era and the modeling is looking more and more natural. There are fifteen figures in this offering. I shall list them, make comments and draw some of them, not to scale. First, Forest's dismounted cavalry.

ACW378 Open shell jacket - kneeling firing carbine. Slouch hat, leaning well into the shot. Pistol holstered on his right hip.

ACW379 Shirtsleeves - kneeling, firing [Con]. (Where a figure is more suitably equipped or dressed to suit one side or another, it is indicated in brackets.) Light equipment and rolled up sleeves.

ACW380 Shirtsleeves - advancing with carbine. Riding boots, holstered pistol, advancing cautiously, weight on left foot.

ACW381 Bugler - waistcoat - standing blowing bugle (Con].

ACW382 Shirtsleeves -crouching - firing revolver [Con]. Excellent representation of a dragoon Colt. Could be firing over or round some obstacle.

ACW383 Open shell jacket - turning- carbine. Fine detail and good action.

ACW384 Shirtsleeves, lying prone -firing carbine. Right knee raised in what used to be called the "shoot to kill position." Supposed to give a more stable platform for the shooter. Infantry

ACW385 Sackjacket, standing firing [Un]. Well posed infighting kit.

ACW386 Sackjacket, biting cartridge. Standing [Un]. A good pose, sprinkled in with 385 and 388 this would make an interesting "firing line" base.

ACW387 Sackjacket and blanket roll - advancing - right shoulder shift [Un]. Trudging forward, mixed with 391 and a few 390, could represent a charge.

ACW388 Sackjacket. Kneeling biting cartridge [Un]. My example has a slouch hatted head and could just as easily be a Confederate. Trousers tucked into his socks. Light kit.

ACW389 Short jacket -seated on ground, drinking (no had variant). In kepi, Weapon resting at an angle on his right shoulder, drinking from a tin mug, with evident pleasure.

ACW390 Open shell jacket. Kneeling, clutching head wound (no head variant). No hat. Evidently just fallen to his knees - weapon grasped at the small of the stock upright in his right hand. Left hand covers most of his face, head thrown back. Arched back. A very expressive pose.

ACW391 Open shell jacket -jogging -right shoulder shift. A good basic figure.

ACW392 Shell jacket - standing - fixing cap to rifle [Con]. This figure wears a kepi in my sample. Holding weapon at the point of balance, right foot forward, body twisted to the right. Right hand placing the cap - could just as easily be cocking the hammer. Another to add interest to your "firing line" or advancing body of troops. A really excellent model, understated and life like.