40/42mm Figures - Comparison Piccies - No 2

Firstly cavalry side view on the left is the Sash and Sabre (S&S) Trumpter; on the right Irregular Miniatures (IM) guidon bearer.

Musketeers Firing : on the left are the Romanoff Miniatures (RM), found these easier to assemble after having difficulties with command pack; on the right Irregular Miniatures (IM), these come with a separate head which needs to be glued on.

40/42mm Figures - Comparison Piccies

Some comparisons between figs received recently ....

Firstly horse; 3 figs on the left are the Sash and Sabre (S&S) command pack without the pistol holders; 2 figs on the right are Irregular Miniatures (IM) guidon bearer and trooper with sword up. S&S horses are slightly smaller but more rounded; riders for both manufactuers are about the same size although IM riders don't fit well on S&S horses. S&S figs need some assembly; stick on pistol holders, heads and alternative hands [I felt that the S&S pistol holders were set too low on the figure, so I put mine on a bit higher up].

Now the foot; 3 figs on left are from the Romanoff Miniatures (RM) command pack; 2 figs in the middle are Irregular Minaitures (IM) officer and drummer; 2 figs on the right are Sash and Sabre (S&S) artillerists (sorry haven't got any command figs to hand). As you can sees all are broadly compatible in size apart form the S&S ones which are slightly smaller.

The RM figs need assembling - stick on arms, heads and swords; I found them a bit tricky to put together - although I expect I would get better with practice. I found the RM drummer from the command pack difficult to assemble; the drum is a separate casting and getting the fig to balance standing up was difficult.

Baggage Wagon

I've scratchbuilt this wagon out of cardboard on some wheels that belonged to a Gypsy caravan I bought at a car boot sale. The horse was 50p - which I found in the bottom of an oddments box at a Toy and Train fair. The man leading the horse is from the Sash and Sabre artillerists pack. I'll post a photo of it when painted.

Pokesay Castle - Part 1

As part of ECW wargaming I would like to have a model of a small castle which could be placed under siege; being defended by about 1 regiment of foot at the most and some artillery.

I've chosen to make a model based on Stokesay Castle (Shropshire), it's really a moated manor house. It was garrisoned in the civil war. A picture of the gatehouse.

More pictures are available on line. A plan of the castle:

I've decided to call my castle Pokesay. The model itself will be quite large (18" x 24") or something like that. I'm planning to scratch build all the structures and the walls. The moat will be a challenge to do as well.

I must be nuts !!

40mm Figure Manufacturers

A breif survey of 40/42mm figure manufactures (plus prices on websites that I have looked at mostly UK):

1. 42MM Irregular Miniatures Renaisiance Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon.; foot £1.25; horse+rider £2.75

2. 40MM Sash and Sabre ECW Range - Good range of infantry, cavalry and cannon
http://www.oldgloryuk.com/ Example - Example price £35 for pack of 20 infantry - £1.75 each. This this range is also availabe at cheaper bag prices from Caliver Books (Partizan Press + Matchlock Minaitures - http://www.caliverbooks.com/) - £27.50 for pack of 20 infantry [don't know if they have different postage rates though]

3. 40MM ROMANOFF MINIATURES (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/) good range of foot figures. £9 for bag of 5 figs.

4. 40mm Drabant Minaitures (http://www.oldgloryuk.com/); WARS OF MOSCOW STATE range;
DM1125; DM1126 Swedish Musketeers early 17C £4 each
DM1111 12pdr cannon early 17C £9 each
DM1117 13 INCH MORTAR £9 each

5. 1:48 (35mm+) Scale Hecker & Goros (Berliner Zinnfiguren website) - possible useable small range of figures. Consist of 30yrs war artillery and odd figures; e.g 2 foot figures 13 Euros. Also a 2 wheel cart with horse and driver - 18 Euros. They do a cannon and also a limber.

New Horse Regiment Mustered

It's taken some time to get these finished ready for painting; I've been swapping in some Sash & Sabre heads on Irregular Miniatures figs; plus replacing pistols withs swords .

Go Home Spot ...

While the royalists get familiar with using their new culverin, a dog belonging to one of the crew has come to find his master ...