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Originally Published on the Spanner and the Yank Web Site. Used by permission. |
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5 April 2003 Once again these figures were supplied by Theofanis Kalevras, of the UK. They represent a selection of German troops fighting for the British in the American War of Independence and are one of the early ranges, done by a different designer to the later ranges. I contacted Peter Helm, of Redoubt, to ask him about the drummer (see below). His prompt reply, apologising that the figure had slipped through the net and saying that the figures may be redesigned, was a pleasant surprise. I know now why Redoubt has such a good reputation for service.
The figures are cast in a reasonably hard alloy, and don't bend easily. However they're not brittle, either, and stood up well to the trip from the UK to Australia. Detail is clear and the casting is good, with one notable exception. Animation is somewhat vigorous, perhaps reflecting the necessities of "loose files and American scramble".
Proportions are off. The heads are too large and some of the faces are poor. Weapons tend to look a little thick, but that's probably a deliberate move to cut down on breakages. The drummer, however, is the exception to all the above. His nose looks like a squashed tomato and, either through a fault in the mould or a bad casting, his legs have been swallowed by some very thick flash.
I know little about the AWI, so I can't comment on accuracy. However, considering the trouble that Redoubt went to in order to depict lace, buttons, gorgets, etc., I'd say that there'd be little to worry about.
The horse was a mix of very good and very crude. For a start, the tail is placed far too low- it looks like someone stuck a bunch of celery where the sun don't shine. Hint- the tail is an extension of the spine. The neck and head are very good, but the legs seem short and there's no definition to the hindquarters. And this is a part cast figure- note the gap in the offside foreleg. Redoubt have a lot of fans. They do have good detail and there's a largish range available. However, they're not to my taste. I know- picky, picky, picky...... Have Fun. Dal |
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