Battlestandard Miniatures
US of A
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| Barrett Scale: | 28½M. |
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| Mixes best with: | Most of the larger ranges (e.g. Gripping Beast or Black Tree Designs) |
| Long Review: | Having co-operated with Jeff on the Battlestandard Ancients Rules, I was intrigued to hear that he's doing Normans (I have very little interest in the earlier period figures he does), as that is a collection I'm always interested in getting more of), so I placed an advance order for as many different figures as possible. First up- each pack contains (where appropriate) a variety of shields, and spears and swords. Unfortunately I missed out on D-AGE-100-28 Norman Dismounted Knights, receiving two packs of archers by accident, but the remainder of the infantry is stunning. The Norman Medium Infantry is a pack of assorted unarmoured infantry in a variety of headgear, with a variety of tunics. The poses are eminently suitable for a shieldwall, braced behind their shields. The hands need to be drilled out to hold the spears, which will definitely avoid them falling out later on. The Norman Bowmen are captured in a variety of poses, from loosing to standing, waiting to nock an arrow.The Norman Crossbowmen are also in assorted poses, from loosing to pulling back the string on the stirruped crossbows, which are supplied as a seperate part. The cavalry are supplied as two or three part castings, with the riders' legs being cast as part of the horse (no more "air-between-the-saddle-and-the-legs" syndrome!) the riders with spears have a seperate arm too, which allows for even more variety in their poses. The variety of armour is also well-represented, with everything from no armour to padded armour and chainmail. The horses come in an amazing variety of poses, from standing, head tossed back, to a full gallop. The tack and harness is also well-researched, and shows the individuality of the Normans to full effect. |
| Commentary: | Jeff's sculpting style has a nice feel to it- the figures are a pleasure to work with and paint, and the idea of having the legs of the riders sculpted integrally with the horse is brilliant- no more "air between the saddle and horse" syndrome! |
| Historical Accuracy: |  Good. The overall look is pretty good, and it compares favourably with reconstructions of Normans I'm aware of. |
| Pose Quality: |  Average. One or two of the poses are a little awkward, but the overall effect is good. |
| Sculpting: | Jeff has a slightly different style of sculpting, which does take a little getting used to- the figures are a little foreshortened in some ways, but once painted and viewed from the normal wargamer's angle, they look brilliant. |
| Casting: | Quite neat, but there are a few more bits to clean and remove than on the British-produced figures. The metal also has a strange consistency. |
| Sources: | Items purchased for own collection. |
| Sculptors: | Jeff Stuckey |
| Other reviews for this company: | See the reviews: |
Assorted additional images of the figures
