First Impressions: There are a few manufacturers whose figures are so distinctive that I find I can easily spot them in a crowd. Minifigs is one such. The crispness, level of detail, and poses are intantly identifiable. So with this officer we see the subtle detail (buttons are recessed, not raised; the beard is not grossly oversized; cuff lines are aslo recessed). The pose is fine, and the major equipment masses easily distinguished.

Dem Bones - The Anatomy: Minifigs anatomy tends to be very good. They are definitely on the slender side compared to, say Old Glory or Warrior.

What really struck me was the horse. Somehow it looks more like a minature calssical statue - something plucked from the steps of a Temple of Apollo, and shrunk to 15 mm for our entertainment. It is highly stylized, but the anatomy is sound. The joints are all in the right places, the head and neck look fine, and the rump is not the usual emaciated bag of bones seen on so many horses in 15 mm (I blame Hollywood for perpetuating the horse body images of 825 pound, air-brushed anorexics as “ideal”).

Everybody Vogue: The officer is in a pretty standard pose for ACW - checking a map. This falls in to the category of solid but unspectacular. (Not that I want every officer to be a hat and sword waving yahoo, but there ought to be some happy medium). The horse is highly stylized. I can’t imagine a horse walking like that unless it were (a) stepping over a dead body or snake or (b) trying out for the Olympic dressage team. The horizontal tail is a nice change and does add some real flair to the overall figure.

Do Those Buttons Read USA or USB? My experience with Minifigs shows them to be of better than average detail with a subtle style. The reins and tack are all raised from the horse, but are much less pronounced than on most other brands. Some easy details are left to the painter (the brass at the end of the scabbard for example) and his (or her) steady hand.

The Reserves: Other Figures

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