Reviews

Having ordered 25mm's in packs of 30 from Old Glory and gotten used to their "chuck it in a bag with a stamp on" method of packing, I was very pleasantly surprised by Redoubts method. The figures are in a clear plastic bag with the command figures bagged separately. The bag is between two sheets of foam with two heavy cardboard pieces taped securely on the outside of them. The envelopes themselves all have a large sticker reading "Fragile" on the outside. As a result, I got a pack of figures without a single nasty surprise, or even a bent bayonet.

All the figs are cast cleanly with the absolute minimum of flash. They all measure 28mm, and are quite compatible with Foundry and OG's ACW range though their faces and hands are slightly smaller than Foundry, so they have less of a "Citadel" look.

The contents of the bag is as follows. All but the two officer figures are cast with torso and legs separately, allowing you to create any combination as the spirit moves you.

There are 28 legs, in 6 different poses.

7 advancing with right foot down.

8 advancing with left foot down.

4 charging with right foot down.

3 charging with left foot down.

4 running with right foot down.

2 running with left foot down.

There are 28 torsos, 12 in stocking cap, 12 in turban, 2 standard bearers (open handed), 1 bugler and 1 drummer waving his stocking cap in his right hand.

There are 5 poses in turban and 6 in stoking cap. There are variations in the heads between the poses, none of the turban figures have the same head though there are 2 sets of duplicates among the stocking caps.

The faces come either clean-shaven, with full beard, with Van Dyk or with mustache only.

The torso poses are a healthy mix of: advancing musket 45', advancing musket level, and advancing musket at shoulder, with one figure pulling back the hammer on his musket.

The torsos are cast with a stalk at the bottom, which slots into a hole at the top of the legs. Some combinations do need filling with epoxy after being put together.

The officers are cast with separate right arms, which are interchangeable. They are both in long coats and kepis.

This is an incredible pack. These guys really look like they are trying to get somewhere, rather than "striking a pose" as some figures do.

I've got the following figures from the series. Richelieu with half armour, Richelieu holding bible, Anne of Austria, Louis XIII, Rocheford and Milady De Winter.

I was immediately struck by the sheer amount of detail on these figures, in that respect they remind me a great deal of the Ral-Partha range of AD+D role-playing figures, but less spindly. The figs are quite large, measuring 34-36mm from bottom of boot to top of head.

The lace is picked out with extreme care on all the figures, and there are a multitude of little touches which bring them to life.

Louis XIII is walking with a cane in court dress. The detail of the clothing is exquisite, Louis has the bows on his shoes and the individual pearl buttons on his breeches carefully sculpted. The cane is a little thin, and was bent when I got the figure.

Anne is holding a fan (complete with wrist strap) and has a huge lace collar, which is beautifully done. The sculptor, it must be said, has paid careful attention to her cleavage.

Rocheford is a lovely figure. He is standing sword drawn, looking to his right. His Epee is cast nicely in proportion, it doesn't look fragile at all. He is holding his hat in his left hand. The detail is such that even the quill from his ostrich feather is shown pushed through the brim.

Milady is in evening dress, holding a mask in front of her face. The mask seems to be of a cat face. Judging from the bare metal it is not as nice as it could be, but should be impressive if painted with care.

Richelieu in half armour is an enormous figure. It's 37mm to the top of his hat, and with his voluminous cape, there must be enough metal in there for at least 2 regular figures.

Richelieu with the bible is my favorite. Not only does he look like Christopher Lee, he also has a delicious air of malevolence about him.

The figures are of such high quality that they are useful for dioramas and display pieces in addition to wargaming.

I've bought and painted up the "First in the Field" starter set. The set is composed as follows. The rules by David Ratcliff and Bill Johnson, 12 Riflemen, 10 Guerillas, 9 Voltiguers and 9 Dismounted Dragoons.

The rules are simply presented, they remind me a lot of the Table Top Games rulesets. The rules themselves are fun, and suited for relatively small numbers of figures, 20 a side being about maximum.

The figures are by a new sculptor and show a fresh approach to what can be a tired old subject. They measure exactly 28mm. They have smaller faces and hands than Foundry, yet fit in well with them. The nicest thing about all of these figures is that they all look like they are moving - as light troops should.

The 12 Riflemen are composed of 1 officer, 1 trumpeter, 2 advancing riflemen, 2 running (with separate right arm), 1 standing guard, 1 firing from a crouched position, 1 standing firing, 2 charging, 2 advancing, 1 kneeling firing.

Many of the figures have head variants and some nice "old campaigner" touches, like battered shakos and scraggly beards. A lot of attention has been paid to the animation, the running figures, for instance, are holding on to their cartridge boxes to stop them flying about.

The officer and trumpeter figures and the figures of Sharpe and Harper are slightly taller and chunkier than the rest, making them stand out from the crowd. (The character figures of Sharpe and Harper are not included in the set but are available separately.)

The Guerillas are quite varied, with a bewildering assortment of dress and weaponry. I received 8 different poses, including a female figure swinging a sabre. They vary in size and quality somewhat, but that goes towards enhancing the irregular feel of the figures.

The 9 Voltiguers are my favourites. The are composed of an officer, a running trumpeter, 2 figures crouching firing, 2 running with separate arm, 1 in campaign dress, 2 kneeling firing.

I enjoyed painting these guys and they look good. One again the animation detail is great, the running figure is holding his shako firmly on his head.

The dismounted dragoons are an unusual subject and nicely done. The are composed of 1 officer, 2 troopers in campaign dress, 1 running with separate arm, 1 kneeling, 1 advancing firing, 2 advancing, 1 charging.

Some of the troopers are in campaign dress with covered helmets and others in full dress. I had trouble painting the buttons on the officer's tunic as they are recessed rather than raised, but otherwise had no problems.

Overall I was impressed by the set, with one small complaint. One of the scenarios in the back of the rules calls for 12 guerrillas but there are only 10 supplied with the set. I ended up pretending that 2 Spaniards were running around in captured dragoon uniforms, but would have preferred to use the correct figures.