I was able to divert a journey a couple of weeks ago to go past the new home of Wargames Foundry near Newark. I found the pleasingly characterful and slightly dilapidated building (originally some sort of stable block for the nearby Stoke Hall) very easily, following the directions on their website. As I was strolling into the large gateway I encountered none other that Bryan Ansell himself and we fell into conversation. He gave me the tour of the new shop/ display area, and we had a interesting chat about the unreleased ranges of figures and different plans for the immediate future at Foundry. Bryan tacitly admitted that some of the previous administration's choices in commissioning new sculpts had been a mistake. Some of the miniatures are more Peter Gilder in style that Perry twins. The other chap there was alo very friendly and helpful and none of this was very useful at preventing me from several impulse purchases. (Well they fed me tea!)
One of the ranges that I had not seen before is a civilain "mobs" line. These are figures in vaguely 18th / early 19th Century garb, armed with a variety of improvised and some more purposeful weapons. There are loads (maybe 30?) packs including mounted civilians and civilian artillery. The style is relatively simple with reasonable proportions and should be easy to paint. I picked up a blister each of the armed women characters and the armed clergy, as the most unusual examples.
I can see a fair bit of use for these, in Donnybrook skirmish games if nothing else.
The other range that I hadn't seen much of (just a glimpse at Salute this year) was the Napoleonic Mamluk range. These have quite a chunky and dynamic style, if lacking a little in subtle detail. Quite an unusual subject though, I can only think of one other line (Brigade Games?) I like them and I will have a place for them in my 18th C. Ottoman army. At £2.00 a pop for infantry / £4.00 for cavalry (unless you buy enough packs to get the freebee deals) I won't be able to afford a lot of them.
The last of my impilse buys was chiefly acquired to enrage / get a laugh from one of my regular opponents, Les, who has owned a Carthaginian army ever since I can remember.
It was their title that had me chuckling! I don't know if these new "pikemen" are named for their counterparts in the earlier (Dave Gallagher?) range or nostalgia or just as an homage to the late, great Peter Connolly. (I didn't ask.) Generally the idea of a Carthaginian pikeman has been debunked, at least in wargames circles but I remain to hear that there is some new evidence that they existed... Again slightly rough and quirky sculpting but I will happily use these as alternative command figures in units (they have a bit of an old style Irregular Miniatures feel to them IMHO, but larger of course.)
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