Wars of the Roses artillery
Company: Athena Miniatures
Size: 25mm ‘foot to eye’ or 31mm tall
Era: Late medieval
Price: £10.00 for the artillery and four crew or £6.00 for four handgunners
Athena Miniatures specializes in Dark Ages (Saxons, Vikings, and Normans), Franco-Prussian War, and late fifteenth-century miniatures (Wars of the Roses and Landsknechts). Reviewed here is the artillery set and one of the handgunners. Archaeology on the new site for the Bosworth battlefield has found over 30 round shot, which suggests black powder artillery was more prevalent in the Wars of the Roses than previously thought. The models are well cast and excellently sculpted, with only a little flash to be cleaned from the base. Only two of the four crew are shown for detail. Size-wise, these are middle-sized 28mm and should be compatible with most existing ranges. This is an excellent new range ideal for the Wars of the Roses or other high medieval gamers. This artillery piece would not look out of place in a Burgundian or French army of the period.
Archaeologists and labourers
Company: Artizan Designs
Size: 28mm ‘foot to eye’ or 33mm tall
Era: Victorian to early twentieth century
Price: £6.60 for three models
The latest releases from Artizan Designs are three sets of ‘Thrilling Tales’, their pulp-inspired range. Each set consists of three models. The sets are of archaeologists in European dress (two male, one female), Egyptian labourers, and Egyptian police with rifles (there to keep bandits away, or perhaps to keep an eye on the archaeologists?). The labourers are particularly useful, as they could be used for many periods and many roles, even serving as gun crew for Ottoman or Egyptian forces with a little conversion. The models fit well with the existing ‘Riddle of the Sands’ range from Artizan. Each model is well sculpted and detailed; the casting is good, too. They are on the larger side of 28mm but will fit in with most existing miniatures. The models will be ideal for pulp or Cthulhu-based games, and their attire makes them suitable from the late Victorian period through to the 1930s.
Retreat from Moscow Russians
Company: North Star
Size: 28mm ‘foot to eye’ or 33mm tall
Era: Napoleonic
Price: £12.00 for eight infantry or £2.50 for the officer
As part of the up-and-coming supplement for , North Star has released several sets of Napoleonic miniatures in winter attire. There are four packs of winter French (officer, voltigeurs, fusiliers, and grenadiers) plus four packs of Russians (officer, musketeers, jaegers, and grenadiers), all in cold-weather gear, miniatures.
