TOPIC: New WEC range - First releases now avaialble |
Administrator Posts: 898 peter 12th Jun 2017 01:28:56 It’s taken a little longer than anticipated, but I am delighted to be able to announce the release of the first batch of our new ECW/TYW range.
The old ECW range has now been retired. It has done valiant service for many years, but times have moved on and we’re taking the opportunity to do something a little different with its replacement. Firstly, there is a change in title. The new range is the ‘War of the European Crisis, 1618 -1660’. This covers the English Civil War and that other series of fisticuffs going on over the Channel. In order to this subject justice, the new range will be more comprehensive than its predecessor. Whereas you used to have a single code for musketeers, you now get them in both shouldered and firing/loading poses with a choice of Monmouth cap, Montero cap, brimmed hat or helmet. We’ve also taken the opportunity to completely redesign all the old ECW flags and replace them with much sharper and cleaner versions.
You can see all the details if you click here. Work is already well underway on the rest of the range, with the Horse and Cuirassiers coming next. Watch this page for more updates. Now I could end this piece here, but a few of you out there may know that the ECW is a period very close to my heart. So… If you are at all familiar with our Polemos basing you will know that the ‘standard’ base size for a battalia of ECW Foot is 60mm x 30mm. This gives you units that look very much like these: The truth is that you can actually use any size base for armies provided it maintains a 2:1 size ratio. This does mean, that you ‘can’ use 40mm x 20mm or go more adventurous perhaps move up to an 80mm x 40mm. Well, I go to thinking and decided to go a wee bit larger… What you have here is 200mm by 100mm Polemos base housing a Battlia of ECW foot. The unit is drawn up in six ranks at a 2:1 ratio of pike to shot.
There are 120 musketeers, 56 pikemen, 4 Ensigns, 4 drummers, 2 Officers and 6 Sergeants.
The Musketeers are drawn up in 4 divisions and are in the process of giving fire by ranks. All of the musicians, NCOs etc are in their correct places. Ensigns in the second rank of the pike and drummers dispersed to the corners of the central pike division. None of this standing in front of the battalia waiting to shot of kebabbed in the back! Try doing that in the bigger scales…. But these new figures are not all about the wonderful big pictures that you can create. They are all about getting the details right.
Here’s a close up picture of a single pikeman. Not many wargamers will know this but the drill postures for pikemen are all based with the right foot placed in advance of the left. This is the reverse for musketeers. Our pikemen not only have their feet placed correctly, but if you look at the right arm you will see that is holding the pike correctly with a bent arm wrapped round the pikestaff and cupping the butt of the pike with knuckles facing forward. These are two fundamentals that are inaccurately portrayed time and time again being in much larger castings. We get the small stuff right so that the big picture is built on firm foundations.
And here is the musketeer. Far from being the featureless ‘blob’ that some still seem to regard as the norm for 6mm figures, you will see that is a beautifully sculpted and finely detailed individual. Bandoliers, priming flask and even a coil of match are all there to be seen and painted. We’ve been promising ‘something special’ for this range – I hope you’ll agree with us that we’ve given you just that. I have plans. I am dangerous when I have plans... |
Standard User Posts: 15 Elenderil 12th Jun 2017 02:42:05 Those look really nice. Just what I don't need a new range to buy. |
Standard User Posts: 66 chopperboydan 12th Jun 2017 07:11:21 Dam you!!!! these are just up my street, love the chunky look figures, I may well have to start a new period! I bet they are lovely to paint :) Dan
USUTHU! |
Standard User Posts: 429 njt236 12th Jun 2017 09:33:04 Those look pretty damn good. I definitely can't start another period, can I???. I've only just put an order in for a load of WWI figures. It was sent by carrier pidgeon so you should have the order by now as long as someone in the trenches hasn't shot and eaten it Musketeers in wide brimmed hats. I can just see Comte d'Artagnan, captain of the Musketeers of the Guard leading his men for the final time at the Siege of Maastricht. No I can't start another period. Nigel Through the travail of the ages Midst the pomp and toil of war Have I fought and strove and perished Countless times upon this star. G S Patton |
Administrator Posts: 898 peter 13th Jun 2017 08:37:15 Glad you like them chaps. I must admit to being rather taken with them myself, and yes Dan, they are a dream t paint. Martin has excelled himself, although he has admitted that he felt just a wee bit of pressure as he know I was not going to accept any errors in equipment or posing. Andrew, yes, these are the old range casualty markers. They did the job nicely and I saw no need to replace them. I have plans. I am dangerous when I have plans... |
Standard User Posts: 1 leesh78 13th Jun 2017 11:24:19 My first purchase of Baccus stuff was for this range. Cannot wait to see them, been playing alot of pike and shot campaigns on PC and felt the need to have something physical. Have quite a fondess for the period and 28mm figures is just to large to do this period of the big formations justice !
S |
New WEC range - First releases now avaialble dourpuritan 13th Jun 2017 01:06:24 When I first found out about this range I thought of the possibilities for the Thirty Years War. Been looking at the lists in Principals of War Renaissance for the period around 1630 - at least four very interesting and quite different armies, from massive tercios to Swedish P and S units with battalion guns. And lots of reiters about. Will see how this range pans out and plan accordingly. A little goes a long way |
Standard User Posts: 429 njt236 13th Jun 2017 03:14:21 I'm looking now at the Franco-Dutch war 1672-78. As I mentioned previous with d'Artagnan leading the King's Musketeers. He was however killed at Maastricht 1673. I've got the Principles of War Renaissance as well. Will have to dig it out and look up the armies for this period Through the travail of the ages Midst the pomp and toil of war Have I fought and strove and perished Countless times upon this star. G S Patton |
Standard User Posts: 52 Fenton 13th Jun 2017 07:14:39 They look great. Finally get my To the Strongest 17th century project up and running |
Standard User Posts: 8 longtooth60 14th Jun 2017 11:57:22 Those figues look great! I want to start work on ECW armies. Any ideal when cav and arty will be ready for mail order? |