GREENWOOD AND BALL are putting out a new line of figures called "FALCON" which will depict fighting men in combat positions throughout history, beginning with a Greek hoplite and a Persian Immortal; the next pair will be a Roman legionary and a Gallic warrior. The "FALCON" series will be boxed with painting details and will retail at approximately £1.30p per figure. Today, the world of wargaming looks with new eyes upon the 54mm figure, particularly when it is a warrior in an attractive fighting pose who is suitable to take his place as an "Individual Skirmisher". I have no claims to being an expert on the varying qualities of 54mm figures nor do I possess any great familiarity with warriors of the Ancient World but both these figures appear to me to be very finely designed, and extremely well detailed so as to paint up most impressively. My son Peter, who avidly paints any figure that comes within his reach, is eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this review so that he can paint them up - I am sure that they will be a credit to their designer and to Greenwood and Ball their retailers while my son's painting is, through long practice, beginning to achieve a state that will do them justice!
A month or so back I reported on the latest range of "Connoisseur" plastic 30mm figures put out by Ronald Spencer-Smith of 66 Long Meadow, Frithley, Camberley, Surrey. Since then I have had three regiments painted up to fit in with my latest love, the American Revolution and I must admit to being most impressed! Excellently painted by Philip Hatton of the Wessex Military Society who has a considerable flair in this field, these figures are hard to distinguish from metal when painted and their action "firing" positions make them eminently suitable for the wargames table. The range includes six types of figures with officers and can be painted up as American, British or Loyalists and, as they are "true" 30mm, they can, with some slight stretch of the imagination, fit in with the so-called 25mm range put out these days by most manufacturers. And at such a low price how can one go wrong?
Last week an old friend came to stay and attended the Dinner of the Wessex Military Diners Club (where W02 David Hough Royal Marines, Band Master on the Royal Yacht was a most entertaining guest). Like all good visitors, Keith Robinson did not come empty handed, very proudly bringing with him the latest output of Leicester Micro Models. This consists of an excellent range of 30 aircraft of World War II which Keith tells me are being extensively used in air wargames in his area. I imagine the scale must be 1:300 so that they ideally fit in with the ever-increasing range of Armoured Fighting Vehicles in that scale put out by Leicester Micro Models. These aircraft can be used as part of operations involving. armour or exclusively for air wargaming which, although I wrote a book on it many years ago, is a much neglected aspect of our hobby.
Keith also brought down some of the latest vessels from their range which included three liners suitable for forming part of a convoy. He also told me of a "beginners" set of vessels put out by Leicester Micro Models which enable an attack on a convoy to be simulated as the kit contains merchantmen, liners, escort vessels and U-boats. More about this kit later when the promised review set arrives! This enterprising bunch of lads, all of whom have responsible positions in the commercial and professional world, provide an excellent service for the wargamer at reasonable prices - their enthusiasm and ingenuity deserves your support.
Published in next copy of the Newsletter is a letter from that stimulating personality George Erik of MINIATURE WARFARE LIMITED who operate from Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Until I wrote this I did not realise his name was George as, like everyone else, I always called him Erik!
He is quite a character, having been professionally involved in the fields of design and model making at International level for more than a quarter of a century; he has designed and produced prototype models for toy making having a wide variety of subjects in both the games and toy trade and has worked with many of the best manufacturers in Britain and Europe, specialising in detail and realism in miniature from 25mm scale upwards. At various times he has been both friend and collaborator with Charles Stadden whose work needs no introduction to readers of this magazine. George Erik probably played a little known part in many of your lives as he has been an executive director of Subbuteo Sports Games Ltd for a number of years and there cannot be many of us who have not either played this wonderful football game or acted as stooge to our children's table-top World Cup aspirations. I had a long talk with George Erik the other day and he has ideas for wargaming which are both novel and refreshing - in one specific case he and I have both been viewing the hobby from the same angle for some time and, if effort and luck pays off, the result may be of considerable significance to wargamers. Anyway, initially Mr. Erik has ideas for a much needed and quite inexpensive wargames accessory which fills a long need - more about it later when it gets off the drawing-board!
From John Mansfield's bi-weekly magazine SIGNAL, comes news of a host of board wargames. New titles seem to come out with such frequency that one wonders who finds so much time to play them all! The latest list includes a Lou Zocchi game "First Indochina War 50-52" (Lou is also selling strong, superior 20-sided dice made of the same plastic used in crash helmets); variants to SPI's game "Tank" called "1935-45" and "1946-Present" - both games cannot be played without first having the SPI game. Then there is another Middle Earth board game called "Battle of the Five Armies" and a Western gunfight game "Boot Hill"; Napoleon in Russia is covered by the game "Bataille de la Moskawa" and the age of fighting sail can be re-enacted in "Don't Give Up The Ship". If you fancy a Space wargame then try "Starship Combat" while the fascinating warfare of the 18th century is covered by "Torgau" and "Frederick the Great". Last but not least, if you are an American Civil War fan then try "Blue/ Grey Quad". Now, don't write and ask me where these games can be obtained because they and their manufacturers are listed in number 84 of John Mansfield's magazine SIGNAL which can be obtained at: 8 issues for £1.OOp from PO Box 830, CFPO 5056, 757 Baden-Baden 1, West Germany.
Also from SIGNAL I note that TSR, 330 Center Street, Lake Geneva, WI, U.S.A., (Europeans write WLH, Postfach 229, CH-4018, Basel 18, Switzerland) are selling Fantasy figures for several manufacturers and a-complete illustrated catalogue of these fine figures will soon be available. If you are reading this John - how about an occasional review of WARGAMER'S NEWSLETTER in the pages of SIGNAL?
From PLAISTOW PICTORIAL (3 New Plaistow Road, Stratford E15 3JA) can be obtained a series of prints and posters which are not only useful and informative but provide highly decorative coverings for the walls of wargames rooms, etc. For example among the latest colour print editions is a 25" x 35" picture of the King Tiger Tank at 70p. There is also a host of Battle Prints of various tanks, soldiers, guns and weapons of World War II. The Aircraft enthusiast is most amply catered for with coloured posters of almost every conceivable aircraft from World War I onwards, some of them sectional for the more technically minded. The Battle of Britain is exceptionally well covered. There is a small but comprehensive list of Naval posters of such ships as HMS Hood, the Victory, Tirpitz, etc., etc. Their list is well worth sending for.
It might have escaped notice that the recently issued HO/00 scale Airfix pack of Australian Infantry of World War II is the 50th in the series, with a total of 14 packs of World War II figures alone. Just how much this range of Airfix figures has done for wargaming is beyond estimation and .there are few wargamers who have not at least started their activities with these brilliantly designed and inexpensive figures. Being plastic, they bring joy to the ingenious mind of the wargamer (and indeed the military collector) to whom the sight of a model soldier in any scale immediate. arouses thoughts of the different ways i.n'which it can be converted into something completely different!
Another recent offering from Airfix is the 54mm French Line Infantryman of 1815 - a 23 part kit which builds up into a fusilier of a Line Battalion dressed in the 1812 pattern uniform, known as the habit veste. A choice of arms is provided so that the figure can be assembled in either the loading - standing firing position and the head can be set at varying angles to give each model an individua. touch. French Regiments of the period from which the fusilier comes usually consisted of two or thre battalions each of about six companies and when in line jf battle, the fusiliers formed the centre with the elite companies of grenadiers and voltigeurs on the flanks. This fine addition to their steadily increasing range of 54mm collectors items costs 25p and will be eagerly sought by the individual wargamers amongst us.
HINCHLIFFE MODELS LIMITED, the_ well-known model soldier manufacturer; are sponsoring this year NORTHERN MILITAIRE '75 which will be held in the Lancastrian Hall, Swinton, Manchester, on Saturday and Sunday, 8th and 9th November. Everyone who went to this event last year raved about it and, when asked to appear as a Guest of Honour (along with Charles Grant and Roy Dilley) I was delighted to accept. Hope to see you in Manchester in November!
To reader A. Grainger I am indebted for information of the products of a manufacturer new to me CANNON MINIATURES (8 Merlewood Avenue, Southport, Merseyside). He reports that this organisation manufactures a good range of vehicles in 1:300 scale that combine easily with those made by other manufacturers. The vehicles are mostly late war British and German with a few Italian, American and Russian types. Although priced in the low range of 6p each, the models are well detailed and Mr.Grainger reports that in his.opinion they produce the only Tiger I in this scale that has the look of the real thing. The cast and welded turrets on the different marks of Churchill also show up well and the AVRE is not just any old Churchill with a shorter gun. The range includes a number of vehicles not made by other manufacturers such as the M4A3E8 Sherman; the M12 SP gun; the Semovente M42; Churchill bridgelayer; Dorchester ACV and several others. He also praises their range of 1:300 scale buildings, bridge etc., - there are three types of house, two types of ruined house, a church, a factory and a Nissen has well as two types of bridge, strips of railway and wall, a pontoon bridge and several types of fortifications. Many of the buildings are in several pieces and the four pontoons with the pontoon bridge could be used as assault boats. Prices range from 4p for a wall or pillbox to 25p for a two building factory. CANNON MINIATURES list is free and in Mr. Grainger's experience delivery times have been go and he has never been fobbed off with substitutes.
Those faithful supporters of this magazine MODEL FIGURES AND HOBBIES of Northern Ireland continue to provide interesting accessories for the Naval wargamer. Their latest are 1:1200 scale Metal Landing Craft by ENSIGN - the range includes 50ft landing craft mechanised- 36ft landing craft vehicle and personnel; 80ft landing craft tank (LCT); landing ship infantry (L5; Landing support ship; AIRCRAFT W 2 - Sunderland Flying Boat; Wellington Bomber; Lancaster Bomber; Dakota Transport; Flying Fortress Bomber; TRI-ANG ORIGINAL SHIP MODELS - Ton Class Minesweeper and Lightship. ENSIGN. CATALOGUE 20p pos free gives full listings.
With further reference to the 1:300 scale aircraft put out by LEICESTER MICRO MODELS - I now hear that their new Air Warfare rules "AERIAL COMBAT" costs 70p per set. If these rules work (and Keith Robinson says they do) then a long felt want has been filled in an original and interesting facet of wargaming.
In spite of the hot weather and the holiday period, someone must be working because new figures continue to come on the market. From GREENWOOD AND BALL come additions to their 25mm range of Norman Saxons, Romans and Seven Years' War - their English Civil War additions in the shape of a fine mounte Cavalier and a Roundhead arquebusier have been well praised.
MINIATURE FIGURINES now have terrain accessories in their 15mm range - a fence and a gate with hedge and brick wall sections to come plus two types of bridge, wall and hedge corner pieces. Their new 15mm figures (available as strips of 5 infantrymen or three mounted men per strip) include in the Napoleonic range, Prussian and Austrian Line Infantry, Cossack Cavalry, Austrian Jaegers and, in the Civil War range, dismounted dragoons, Scots Pikemen and Royalist Musketeers.
HINCHLIFFE figures have come out with a most colourful Polish Army of the Pike and Shot period, the highlight being a Polish winged lancer (Peter Gilder proudly showed me this at the Aldershot Show). In their English Civil War range they have a mounted dragoon drummer and other figures. Topically, they are concentrating on the War of Independence range and, among the large number of excellent figures, perhaps the Hessian Grenadier and the dismounted dragoon are best. Two more new figures are those of 1st Century Roman infantrymen.
The board wargamer will find interest in three new offerings from SIMULATIONS PUBLICATIONS U.K. - LEGION, a game of tactical warfare in the Roman Age 100 BC to 700 AD; YEOMAN - a game of tactical warfare in the Renaissance Age 1250-1550 and WINTER WAR, the Russo-Finnish conflict 1939-40.
Wargamers fighting Individual Skirmishes will find many valuable accessories listed in the advert of MICRO-MOLD, in three scales - 1:76; 1:48 and 1:35. Realistic "scenery" and equipment is the very life-blood of this fascinating style of wargaming and these items imported by MICRO-MOLD fit in very well. Another organisation filling a similarly valuable role in this sphere is MODEL AND HOBBY from whom can be obtained a seemingly limitless range of "anatomical" parts, weapons and equipment for ALL periods of history.
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© Copyright 1975 by Donald Featherstone.
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