Co-owners Brian Riglesford and Peter Helm are always fun to talk to, full of enthusiasm for the hobby and happy to talk about their latest figures. I was fortunate a few weeks ago to get half an hour with Brian, Redoubts' main designer, to discuss their prolific and ever growing ACW range.

When did you first get interested in the ACW period?

BR - My first love was the English Civil War. I was introduced to the ACW whilst still at school by an inspirational history teacher. I studied the period as part of a project and was fascinated. It was not until several years later that my interest was rekindled. I was given an opportunity to be trained in figure sculptting by the late David Allsop and was fortunate enough to see some of the early ACW figures he created for the initial Old Glory range. I was hooked, but it was not until sometime after the untimely death of David that I felt confident and experienced enough to create my own range.

What is it that makes your figure ranges unique?

BR - I like figures even within the same unit to have an individuality and a certain style and at the same time if a unit can be made up of multiple poses even better. Our first ECW range proved that we could produce figures with a great deal more activity in them then was available in the market at the time. The choice of different heads within this first range allowed collectors and wargamers alike to have more lifelike units full of individual characters in very active poses.

Why do you think so many British wargamers are interested in the ACW period?

BR - Like our own civil war the ACW is a war of ideals. It raises some important issues that are still valid today and challenges our understanding of what freedom means. The ACW is the first mechanised blood bath in history. It signals the end of one kind of fighting and the dawn of another. The war itself is incredibly interesting and varied: you have Indians in the West, the California campaigns, blockade-runners, colourful Zouaves, ragtag rebels, plus guerrillas and regular army units. There is something for everyone. The British wargamer has warmed to this period for the very reason that it's not, unlike so many other wars, our conflict. In some ways its like a modern ECW, Southern Cavaliers versus Northern Roundheads.

What has been your inspiration to create this vast range?

BR - I find authors such as Wiley Sword feed my imagination, and I find constant inspiration in the books and prints of Keith Rocco and Don Troiani... The film Gettysburg is always worth a relook, but there is such an enthusiasm in this country amongst the wargaming public that I am never short of ideas.

The range is already quite large but so far no cavalry, what are your future plans?

BR - Ah, you're asking me a difficult question! Peter and I normally do not like to discuss future ranges as we like to deliver what we promise. What I will say is that future releases will include a comprehensive range of cavalry with separate legs and torsos and the standard different heads to add maximum flexibility. There will be the usual clothing variants plus mounted infantry and a whole variety of figures covering the more colourful regiments that fought in the war. These figures will be armed with the whole gamut of Civil war weaponry: pistols, carbines, shotguns, rifles, whatever, and we'll be doing supporting dismounted versions as well.

Great! What about some command figures to lead all these units?

BR - I want to include most of the main Generals, Eastern and Western theatre. My personal interest is in the lesser known Western theatre and I would like to do Divisional command packs like Pat Cleburne with some of his subordinate commanders. It goes without saying that I will have to cover all the personalities, Lee, Hood, Sherman, Grant etc. What we want to do is take this personality aspect a lot further and do Hospital commands, Naval figures as well the Coloured troops to allow the wargamer to bring the film "Glory" to life.

You have brought out some great diorama packs. Have you any intentions of adding to them?

BR - Yes, I have already told you about our planned First Aid station. I want to bring out a 30 figure pack for the VMI with their artillery section and am thinking about the weird and wonderful, such as the Garibaldi Guard, and I have ideas for the far western theatre such as Confederate lancers in sombreros. I have a lot of ideas for small units that will not hurt your wallet but will bring colour and dash to the wargames table.

The BIG question: where do your sympathies lie -North or South?

BR - I'm a romantic at heart. I was born in the South of England, and my sympathies lie with the Confederacy. I suspect that this has more to do with my Englishmen's fondness for lost causes than any deep seated set of beliefs. The losing side in wargames terms has always been more attractive to me. The wargamer has an opportunity to change the course of history. To me one of the key points of wargaming is to study the history of the period and refighting it as historically accurately as possible to see if history can be re written. To me this is what makes wargaming fun and keeps me interested.

Brian, thanks very much for your time. Once again you have inspired me, and I must get back to paint up some more units.