A few days ago I had a small sinister-looking package from Belfast, Northern Ireland, dropped at my front door like a hot coal by a rather nervous postman. His timidity was contagious and the package remained on a table on the other side of the room until, emboldened by a couple of drinks at lunch today, I bravely set about opening it. It did not explode although I did prick my finger on what I first thought was a poisoned needle but on investigation turned out to be the mast of a very fine model ship, once of four sent to me by our old friends MODEL FIGURES AND HOBBIES (Lower Balloo Road, Groomesport, Co. Down BT19 2LU, Northern Ireland). Rather proudly they sent me along the latest ENSIGN 1:1200 metal and scale ship kits. One was a 7 1/2" long model of H.M.S. Ark Royal the famous aircraft carrier sunk in 1941 (£ 2.50P). Then there was H.M.S. Exeter the cruiser, similarly lost in 1941 (£.50p); a Flower Class corvette (20p) and an Elco Class P.T boat (10p). Cast in fine quality white metal and designed for easy assembly, these models are readily put together with any good adhesive. The list is extensive and includes a vast quantity of spares such as landing craft, lifeboats, aircraft (some with wings folded), single and twin gun turrets, torpedo tubes, anchors, cranes, searchlights -- for most of the combatants of World War II.
If you are sending for any of these remember that postage and packing is 6p per ship and orders of £ 5 are post free. Cameron Robinson of Model Figures and Hobbies has been a stout supporter of this magazine for a very long time and there is no doubt that carrying on business in Ireland at the moment cannot be the easiest style of existence. Always enterprising, Model Figures and Hobbies are now selling ACORN CLASSICS - "the model world's most beautiful damsels". Sculptured in the larger 80mm scale for the collector-connoisseur to the highest standard and cast in the finest metal, each figure is signed by Cliff Sanderson the designer, and carries the MFH guarantee of satisfaction. They sell at £ 2.50p or three at £ 7.00 post free.
The two stern warriors on my left are taken from the latest pair of new KEY UNIFORM GUIDES No. 5 German Parachute Forces 1935-45 and No. 6 U.S, Airborne Forces, Europe 1942-45. Published by Arms and Armour Press, Lionel Leventhal Ltd. (2-6 Hampstead, High Street, London NW3 1PR), these detailed pictorial reference works on uniforms sell at 95p each plus postage and packing. Each volume contains every aspect of uniform, equipment and badges seen against their historical background; in full-colour artwork supporting the text, the uniforms, equipment and badges are given in their natural colours together with over 50 black and white action photographs. Others in this series are No.1 U.S. Infantry, Europe, 1942-45; No.2 British Parachute Forces, 1940-45; No-3 British Eighth Army, North Africa and No.4 Luftwaffe Air Crews, Battle of Britain, 1940.
Included in a package of rules, LEICESTER MICRO MODELS LIMITED enclosed their latest Ranges and Price List of 1:1200 scale Micro-Ships; 1:300 scale Micro-Tanks and their various sets of rules. if you are an armour enthusiast and wish to re-fight the tank battles of World War II with the greatest realism, then these 1:300 scale model tanks are the answer. The range includes both tanks and soft vehicles for all the combatants of World War II plus Micro Infantry that scale with the tanks or you can use printed Infantry Cards with 140 figures on each at 8p! These vehicles and figures can be used on Micro Terrain - there are two 9" x 9" pieces available consisting of a village and a gun emplacement; painted up they look great. Incidentally, the tanlg are obtainable from 3 Kelvon Close, Glenfield, Leicester. The list also briefly mentions their Micro-Ships in both 1:1200 scale and 1:4800 scale. The latter have a reasonable representation for World War I and a very large selection for World War II - and how can you go wrong at 7p each! Ships are obtainable from 5 Goss Barton, Nailsea, Bristol. Finally, the firm sells rules for Micro Tank Warfare; World War I Naval Rules; World War II Naval Rules; Gladiatorial Combat; Medieval Hand-to-Hand Combat Combat; Colonial Warfare; Western Desert Warfare; World War II Infantry Rules; Wizards and Warfare Fantasy and, last but not least Napoleonic rules. Ranging in price from 35 to 60p, these rules are fairly comprehensive affairs and if you want to work from commercial sets then you will probably get as good a game from these as any others. The Napoleonic Rules by Trevor Halsall were reviewed last month and this month Trevor Halsall and Phil Hamer's Gladiatorial Combat Rules have been again studied and applied. I say this because seemingly my son had a set of these earlier in the year and has been very successfully and realistically fighting with his quite reasonable collection of gladiators (mostly sent me for review purposes and passed on to Peter for more practical use). Frankly, at the moment the gladiators are in the corner because, like so many other wargamers, he has gone madly overboard on Middle Earth wargaming and is frantically painting up grostesque elves, dwarfs and other repulsive objects which one usually only sees after eating pickles. Vastly stimulated by the book "The Hobbit" by Tolkien (kindly sent by bookseller A.A.Johnston Peter has tested and re-tested these rules and pronounces them very realistic. He took them to the last meeting of the Wessex Military Society where other fantasy enthusiasts huddled over them and the general opinion seemed to be that they looked very workable. So there you are, there is no power on earth (what am I saying?) that would make me fight wargames to these rules or in this period but for those who are addicted, then I suggest you study this set of rules.
Everyone seems to be getting into the fantasy act - I notice from John Mansfieldts bi-weekly Newsletter SIGNAL that Gary Gygax has written a set of fantasy rules WARRIORS OF MARS (obtainable for $5.00 from Miniature Figurines U.S.A., 4311 Lemmon Avenue, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A. 75219). Seemingly these allow use of the new Hinchliffe figures that include John Carter of the Edgar Rice Burroughs stories and are said to include the fascination of 6ne set of rules that allows for both swords and radium rifles! I am told that Miniature Figurines U.S.A. have available in 25nim size a new Mars series of figures by Hinchliffe based on the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs. In addition to John Carter there are ten figures with seven more to follow. I do not know whether these are obtainable in Great Britain -- I have not seen them advertised here -- and it seems a bit odd that I should read in an American publication about the products of a firm that advertise regularly in this magazine!
Talking of Hinchliffe figures - I hear that they are putting out a new series that includes Crusaders and Saracens and also a range of new personality figures including Alexander the Great, Chosroes II (whoever he is), Belisarius, Attila the Hun, Constantine and Aurelius. Again, I got this information from an American publication!
Whilst on the subject of America, I notice from yet another American magazine that Ted Alexander of 7641 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20012, U.S.A., has a complete line of Scruby 30mm Civil War, Hinchliffe 25mm Civil War and SAE 30mm Civil War figures for sale. I was particularly interested to read about the latter because SAE or Swedish-African Engineers ceased production about 10/12 years ago and although their range was seemingly limitless, there cannot be many retail sources of supply still in existence. It is 'a strange coincidence that, in the same month, there should become available two sources of Swedish-African Engineers 30mm American Civil War figures -- for the other one see the "Notice Board".
Back to rules - and after all where would we be without them - I see from SIGNAL that Lou Zocchi of 1513 Newton Drive, Biloxi, Miss. 39532, U.S.A., has turned out a set of rules and equipment to fight a Science Fiction wargame, particularly applicable to anyone interested in Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS or Pournelle's book Falkenburgs 42nd. The rules cost $3.50 per set and control warfare between Starguards, Amerons and others against the alien insect races for control of outpost planets. A starter set of 22 miniature castings, consisting of one character of each type mentioned in the rules, cost $8.00. These rules have a conversion table which permit the use of a regular 6 sided dice but the game is designed to be played with a 10 sided dice. You can also get a Polyhedra dice set which has one 4-sided; one 6-sided; one 8-sided and a 12-sided dice plus a 10 numbered dice - all for $2.00.
There can be few groups who have contributed more to our hobby of wargaming than the Skirmish Wargame crowd - Steve Curtis, Mike Blake and Ian Colwill of 13 St. Decuman's Road, Watchet TA23 OHR, Somerset, England. Their brilliantly conceived sets of rules for Colonial Skirmish and Western Gunfighting have added a completely new facet to wargaming. To meet them, see their converted figures and actually be privileged to battle with them is a most stimulating experience. This it has been my privilege to do in the past and quite recently some of us were able to get together and use their new "THE OLD WEST 1816 to 1900" Skirmish Wargames Rules. These have all the qualities of the old set plus numerous innovations of an ingenious nature that make the game even better. These rules can be used to fight skirmishes anywhere in the American Continent from 1816 to 1900 - this includes the Wars of Liberation in South America 1816; the trail blazers against hostile Indian tribes in the 1830s; Mexican Revolution; the newly raised Ist Dragoons protecting the immigrant wagon trains; Texans struggle for independence against Mexico (the Alamo, Goliad and San Jacinto); the Seminole Wars in Florida; Hill-billy family feuds; bank robberies; train robberies; jail breaks; lynch mobs; saloon brawls; knife fights; U.S. Cavalry against hostiles - Custer's Last Stand 1876; Range Wars showdowns - cowmen versus sheepmen and homesteaders against Indians; Canadian Mounties getting their man in the snowy wastes of the North - all in glorious colour and limited only by the imagination! Watch for SKIRMISH WARGAMES adverts for the availability and price of these superb new rules.
I could be self-deprecating at this stage and say "from the sublime to the ridiculous" but I am not going to! I am putting in a little plug here for the sets of relatively simple rules that can be purchased through this magazine in periods ranging from Ancient through Mediaeval; English Civil War (Pike-and-Shot); Marlburian and Seven Years War; Napoleonic; American Civil War; Horse-and- Musket (including Colonial); World War I (Colonial) and World War II. At 25p per set they represent a reasonable purchase for the beginner, for your son or even for yourself because they give a reason- ably accurate and fast game and all of them were, in the first place, the rules used by Don . Featherstone and his associates until superceded by those in use at present (which might not really be better when one comes to think of it!
I notice that the Micro Mold Group who now sell the Bellona Battle Game Landscape diorama pieces in 20/25mm scale have increased their range. Among the latest items are D12 - an Ancient hill fort and 01 - a row of three French style houses in low relief. There is a very good range of wargames terrain and scenery available from Micro Mold, all calculated to make your battlefield look much more realistic than you can probably make it on your own. Send a stamped envelope for a list specifying your particular interest or if you want the BELLONA BOOKLET send 16p.
Hasegawa, the Japanese plastic kit manufacturers, have some interesting new items. These includ, an 88mm flak kit which is an almost essential companion to their 8-ton SdKfz 7 half-track. Seven figures are included and being to 1:72 scale are ideal to fit in with existing figures and equipment. The same firm put out the quadruple-mount 20mm flak on a SdKfz 7 half-track. Hasegawa's fast-growing range of 1:72 scale military vehicles, with crews, many in alternative positions, are filling a long felt need for slightly off-beat material unobtainable elsewhere. Such an item is their SdKfz 7 halftrack mounting the German 37mm gun.
PLAISTOW PICTORIAL of 3 New Plaistow Road, Stratford, London E15 3JA, have an interesting new coloured list of their prints and posters 1975. Most of these are well worth framing and all of them will certainly give an appropriate air to your wargames room.
If you are one of the fast growing group of wargamers fighting Individual Skirmish games then by now you will know of Shamus O.D.Wade, 37 Davis Road, Acton, London W.3., who can supply a vast range of 54mm figures by Britains and all the other makers long since out of production. His latest list number K 48 includes numerous Britains figures and also some rather interesting landsknechts from the Quentin Durward Series besides a selection of cowboys, both mounted and on foot.
Last but not least we come to what makes the hobby tick - model soldiers and we will kick-off with MINIATURE FIGURINES whose new catalogue is now available at 50p. In loose-leaf form, it includes a dozen pages of photographs of figures from their range which certainly are of great help to the wargamer perplexed by the multiplicity of figures and makers now at his disposal. Of course, you do not have to be reminded of the vast range of figures put out by Miniature Figurines who have long since rushed ahead of the rest of the field, suffice to say that the catalogue lists six pages of Napoleonic figures; two pages of Ancient figures; a page of Renaissance period; one page Hundred Years War; one page English Civil War; one page Marlburian; one page American War of Independence; one page Thirty Years War; one page Science Fiction, space ships, mythical earth; one page Spanish Conquistadors, Samurai, Mongols, Chinese; two pages Seven Years War; ?ne page American Civil War and Indian Plains Wars; 15mm range (Napoleonic, English Civil War and Ancient); artillery, guns and limbers 25mm range two pages; bands, sets of figures and pieces in 25mm scale one page and books and rules one page. And it is all in very small print too! A real tycoon these days, Neville Dickinson certainly has put Miniature Figurines on the map and this year has been to U.S.A. twice and Australia opening up new production plants and granting agencies besides importing from America the very latest casting machines which are absolutely streets ahead of anything else in existence.
Another name well known to wargamers and of even longer standing than Miniature Figurines is TRADITION, at first famed for their still inimitable 54mm collectors models, they have recently entered the wargames market and their range is rapidly increasing. The latest sent me for review are a fascinating and varied collection - Potsdam Giant Grenadier; Marquis of Anglesey; British Napoleonic private at attention; 21st Lancer 1898; 21st Lancers,1898; Emir of Khalifa's Bodyguard 1898 (Mounted); Taaishi of the Baggari Tribe on amel 1898; 4 Indian Army gunners; Texas Ranger with shot gun and wounded Confederate Cavalryman.
They have also sent me a very nice model of an American Civil War cavalryman from Rush's Lancers whose lance is cast separately and has a spigot in the bottom of the lance to enable it to be in the slung position. The figure is also made with the lance at the charge. The Colonial figures - the Indian Army gunners are fine and will fit in well with some of my Colonial 30mm range (because it is the old fashioned 30mm and not the new fangled idea of that scale!). The collector of 30mm figures, and there are still some of we more enlightened people around - will long since have discovered that the 25mm figure looks ideal when mounted on a 30mm horse - this makes the British Colonial. lancers (21st Lancers of Omdurman fame) ideal for adding' yet another unit to my Colonial armies and the Texas Ranger with the double-barrelled shot gun may well play a significant role in some Individual Wargaming in the not too distant date! Whoever designed the camel certainly made it look the disdainful, arrogant and thoroughly unpleasant beast it seems to be!
Finally we come to yet another model soldier manufacturer entering the commercial field - to properly introduce you I am reproducing their letter heading. Recently I met the designers Rae and Tony Paul at a meeting of the Wessex Military Society when they thoroughly impressed members with their fine collection of painted 15mm American Civil War figures . I believe these two lads are firemen in Bournemouth so that no doubt they make these figures in some spirit of urgency but if they do, then it is not reflected in the models which I found very pleasing. It is the opinion of many of the leading manufacturers and others within the hobby that 15mm scale is the coming size for wargaming, that it will, to a large extent, supercede all other scales. If it is to occur then models in 15mm scale must be of the same high standard as those now available in 20, 25 and 30mm scales. I think it is reasonable to say that the SOLDIER ON range of American Civil War figures goes a long way towards fulfilling this aim. Their horses are exceptionally good and even unpainted display a fine sense of action - having seen them painted I know that they look good. Among the samples sent me are both Federal and Confederate cavalry, mounted and dismounted; a gun team of six horses with limber and gun, with riders in both Federal and Confederate uniforms available and also gunners for both sides. The infantry are in good wargaming positions, including advancing, firing (standing, kneeling and lying) and with drummers, officers and standard bearers; there are also Zouaves available. This seems to be a very complete range in a period not covered by other 15mm manufacturers. The American Civil War is a fascinating conflict to recreate on the table-top and these smaller scale figures, both because of their size and price, make it possible to very adequately recreate many of the smaller battles of that war. SOLDIER ON are to be congratulated on entering the field with a new range of good quality figures.
Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 154
To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues
To MagWeb Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1975 by Donald Featherstone.
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