Scheltrum Miniatures

United Kingdom

15th-16th Century Samurai foot
As Delivered

Barrett Scale:	25½M/H
Mixes best with:	First on my list would be Curteys, followed by 1st Corps.
Long Review:	I spoke with Sholto at Salute, when I saw the range on display at Salute. I hadn't actually ever realised that Scheltrum do such a large range of figures, especially of such "obscure" subjects as the Koreans and Dayaks. SM1, Spear-armed ashigaru advancing and charging is a set of 12 assorted figures. The 12 figures are all different (although some are based on the same basic figure with cosmetic changes such as revised clothing). All the figures are cleanly cast, with minimal flash. The poses are quite natural, and the armour and clothing certainly resembles the Japanese of the period very well. The weapons are also well-sculpted, with reasonable-looking shafts and handles. The individual figures will allow a great deal of individuality within the almost uniform appearance of Samurai armies of this period. SM10, Mounted Samurai is a set of 5 assorted mounted figures. The riders are all individual, although, as with SM1, there is a gain a bit of use of the same basic pose. The armour is also fairly generic, so would be suitable for any clan, and by simply painting the samurai differently, a large unique force can be created, especially when considering SM11 and the mounted command too. The big bonus is that the figures come with a selection of seperate weapons, and can be armed as a group of individuals. Included are a mixture of spears (yari) and swords, as well as some other assorted weapons. The horses, however, are what makes these figures stand out for me. They are neatly-done, and appear to be fairly correct in size. The horse furniture is also pretty good, and certainly looks like the artwork of samurai horses I have seen. The poses look very natural, and the five different poses mean that a unit would look as if it is made up of individuals. SM13, Debris and baggage is a very useful set of accessories to clutter up a diorama or bases. Included are some stacked boxes, spears with impaled heads on them, and a large variety of scabbarded swords, a hat and a couple of arquebuses. All in all, the samples promise a lot- and they should work perfectly for the period they're intended, with a degree of "individuality" yet still uniform appearance for the Ashigaru, and loads of individuality on the Samurai. They will even work for (dare I say it) Warhammer's Nipponese.
Commentary:	While I have a few figures- it isn't really a major period of interest for me (I prefer the earlier Samurai), so further investigations will happen at a slow pace.
Historical Accuracy:	Average.
Pose Quality:	Very Good.
Sculpting:	Very Good. Very neatly sculpted figures with an incredible amount of detail on the intricate armour.
Casting:	Average. There is a minimal amount of cleaning, but not excessively so.
Sources:	Review samples donated by Sholto Humphries of Scheltrum Miniatures.
Sculptors:	Martin Baker.
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