Reviews: October 2014 Our regular, monthly round-up of what's new on the hobby scene. Enjoy!

28mm Battle of the Alamo Figures Boot Hill Miniatures www.boothillminiatures.co.uk Reviewed by Wayne Bollands

Occasionally, some figure ranges from certain companies and the periods they focus upon pass you by, even when you work ‘in the business'. Yes, I admit it, I am not omniscient. It is therefore perhaps well past time for me to take a look at Boot Hill Miniatures. I have often spoken of the capturing of characters in miniature form and am pleased to report that this company truly hits the mark when it comes to avoiding the ‘rank and file' mentality. I have three packs of figures for review, Mex 35, Mex 40 and Mex 47. All represent warriors from the Texan Revolution War of 1835 -36, most notably the famous Battle of the Alamo. However, these figures could be used for aspects of other periods, especially the Texian officers of Mex 47. All the figures are approximately 26mm foot to eye, although the addition of headgear, etc. makes some of them appear much taller. They are well-proportioned figures in nicely sculpted poses and really ooze character from head to toe. To be honest, they remind me of the top end characterful miniatures you would get in an RPG. All are four figures to a pack. The first pack, Mex 35, is described as ‘Mexican Sentries'. Now, a lesser sculptor could have simply created figures on guard duty, standing with shouldered or grounded weapons and on the alert. What Matt Bickley has done, being a superior artist, is create one sentry who cares (chest out, shouldered weapon, alert posture) and three who are just interested in getting through it (one nonchalantly smoking a cigar, one pulling tobacco from a drawstring bag (?) and a chap dealing with the state of his boot, scratching his exposed foot with a stick). What is great is that they in no way inspire me with confidence as guards but probably reflect the vast majority of sentries when their NCO or officer is not around. All are in shako and slightly badly fitting Mexican uniform. Mex 40 is a complete contrast. These are Mexican Sappers, the guys who attacked the gates of the Alamo as part of the dawn attack. These are fearsome looking characters wielding either an axe or a pick, in aprons and standard sapper uniform of the period. Two are in ‘mid-swing' with their implements and the other two stand ready to add their strength to the attack. These are mustachioed or bearded veterans whose, judging by the looks on their faces, mean business. The last pack, Mex 47, are four Texian officers who show the mix of clothing that were used as ‘uniforms' by these famous warriors. Sashes, buckskins, shell jacket and civilian clothes are all in evidence, complimented by suitable headgear, swords and pistols. This is probably the most characterful of the packs and contains my favourite figure, the officer drawing his sword, pistol tucked into his belt and sash, a determined look on his face, framed beneath the top hat he wears. All in all, some lovely miniatures that not only evoke the period but also provide examples of a sculptor who does his research and cares about what he is doing. Boot Hill Miniatures also have a very user friendly website with photographs of every pack they produce and some great galleries of painted figures to serve as inspiration. So, a new range and company to me but one I hope to explore some more next time I see them at a show. And Matt Bickley - top job sir, bravo!

Jeep with US Paratrooper Crew (EUSP210)" and "German Afrika Korps Kubelwagen with Crew (EGDK301) Offensive Miniatures 28mm www.offensiveminiatures.com Reviewed by Roger Gerrish

Always on the lookout for vehicles, especially small utility examples, to use with my WW2 collection I was more than happy to be given two examples at ‘Salute' from the Offensive Miniatures ‘Elite' WWII 28mm range for review. Personally if truth be told I've always preferred metal vehicle wargaming pieces over equivalent resin or plastic examples, they possess a satisfying feeling of weight and can usually take a fair bit of rough ‘gamers' handling on the table which means I'm not constantly watching them like a hawk in case some part breaks off! So first some general comments on both kits. Cast in white metal the mouldings are clean and crisp with distinct and well detailed exterior surfaces. Whilst putting the kits together I found that the parts only required minimal clean-up, there was little flash and the few moulding lines present were very faint. The parts fitted together snugly and the application of superglue ensured a robust construction. The level of detail provided on both kits is exceptional and I was pleasantly surprised to find that for the Jeep kit, Offensive had cast separately the three individual gear sticks common to this model of vehicle. This allows even the most obsessive gamer to model a real life gear setting. On the Kubelwagen kit the head lamps came as separate castings providing an excellent level of detail compared to other examples I have seen where they are simply moulded on items. Crew figures in both examples were also excellently cast being both well-proportioned and modelled in interesting poses. The Jeep comes in 21 parts including a crew of three and various items of stowage. The assembled model measures 55mm long, 29mm wide, and with the folding wind screen raised 25mm high. Stowage comes in the form of a spare wheel, jerry can, spade and axe. The three figures are accurately attired in late war US paratrooper uniforms with the trademark ‘jump' boots. One of the passengers carries a Thompson SMG whilst the other cradles a .30 Cal machine gun. I particularly like the crew poses especially the front seat passenger whose posture is very natural and relaxed. Looking at the Kubelwagon kit, this also comprises 21 pieces and as befitting an Afrika Korps example the miniature comes complete with desert tyres. The model itself features a folding windscreen, a fold down tilt, three crew figures and assorted stowage. Dimensions are 65mm long, 25mm wide, and 26mm high. The crew are sculpted in DAK fatigues with a selection of headwear including an M43 forage cap and tropical ‘pith style' helmet. One figure totes an MP40 SMG whilst and the second is sculpted in a natural pose with one arm resting on the side of the vehicle. Stowage options include two petrol cans, a shovel and a couple of Mauser Kar 98k rifles. I would highly recommend these lovely little models to both the wargamer who requires a durable but well detailed 28mm Jeep or Kubelwagen and to any military modellers out there who are looking for an accurate subject to populate a diorama or vignette.

Hansom Cab Bundle Warbases www.war-bases.co.uk Reviewed by Matt Moran

Warbases have been synonymous with value ever since they started trading, but with this bundle to make your own hansom cab & crew, they have taken it to another level. For just £12.50, you get an MDF cab, a resin passenger, two metal miniatures, a metal horse and a couple of metal fittings. Amazing bang for very reasonable bucks. The cab, the horse and the rest are also available on their own as three separate packs. For almost a hundred years - from 1834 until the 1920s - horse-drawn cabs like this one were regularly seen on the roads and streets of Britain, the US and the rest of the "developed" world. This set therefore makes excellent mobile scenery for all Victorian, VSF, Steampunk and early Pulp players, a pleasant civilian diorama for modellers - or the target of a thrilling chase! The horse is the usual long-suffering sort familiar to anyone who has seen British drays. It stands 26.7mm high at the withers and is draped in all the blinkers, straps and general harness that you'd expect on a horse dragging a cab behind it. A centre parting and a luxurious moustache make the resin passenger seem a well-to-do gent. He sits with his hands one on top of the other, underneath the folding doors that keep him safe from the mud churned up by the horse. He is crisply and cleanly cast with no visible bubbles in a pleasantly smooth grey resin. The metal miniatures average 28.3mm foot-to-eye and are made in a chunky modern style. They have very few mould lines and only a little flash. The first is the driver of the hansom cab, designed to fit at the back of the vehicle. He wears an overcoat, scarf and top hat and between his mutton chops lies a serious expression - appropriate for someone guiding a horse and cart with a valuable passenger down the dingy streets of a 19th century city. His hands are in the middle of his chest, clearly holding the reins. The second is clearly hailing the cab. He wears a top hat and is gesturing with his cane in one hand and the other in his pocket - clearly a gentleman of leisure, at least at for the moment. It was along his arm between his hat and his cane that the only flash in the whole bundle was to be found. Warbases MDF products follow a common pattern - a sheet of MDF with the components laser cut but wedged in place to keep them safe before assembly. The Hansom Cab has twenty-one MDF, one cardboard, one balsa and three metal components - but don't be alarmed. If you take your time popping out the components and have the picture from the website to hand, it is pretty easy to see what goes where by looking at how the pieces are set out on the sheet. The assembled product really looks the part and the value cannot be beaten. I heartily recommend this bundle to anyone who is even considering it - and while you're there, check out the rest of Warbases' webstore. You'll be surprised at just how much you find there!

XL605-5 Tabletop-Laser.com Reviewed by Matt Moran

I'm going to make a bold statement here. Tabletop-Laser.com are better than Father Christmas. Why, you ask suspiciously, and how could they beat out old Kris Kringle? Because not only does their new XL650-5 come with batteries included - so that it works out of the box - it has three spare batteries too! Currently selling for E29.90 on Amazon.eu, I think it might make its way into more than a few wargamers' Christmas stockings this year! However, enough about my childhood disappointments. What is the XL650-5? At first it looks like any other class 1 laser pointer (and therefore free of legal restriction in most jurisdictions), albeit compressed to the size of my little finger and provided in a rather nice display tin emblazoned with some near future stormtrooper scanning the street with a massively over sized version. The true genius of the product comes when you switch it on. Line-of-sight has been a thorny issue in wargames ever since I started playing them at the tender age of ten. Laser pointers were thought to be an answer, but they still require bending over a supremely awkward spot on the tabletop, squinting for "model's eye view", firing it and trusting someone else to look down on the table and say whether the beam is interrupted. This is particularly important in 1:1 skirmish battles, like most ultra-modern wargames are. Not with the XL650-5. By some scientific sorcery, the beam does not fire straight out of the pen in a Mission Impossible-style beam. Instead, it comes out sideways. Yes, sideways. From the tiny nozzle at one end of the pointer (the other is the on switch) comes a beam shining perpendicular to its source. Why is this genius? Because now my ruined back and the backs of many other wargamers can be saved the creaking journey to their models' point of view by simply holding the XL650-5 over the table, turning one end toward the firer and the other end toward the target. Does the line dissipate between them? Line of sight blocked. Need to check if your valiant marksman can see under the the broad overhang of an ancient oak tree? Aim the pointer at an angle! It really is that simple, and will work in almost any light conditions, even those where the ambient light is bright - a godsend to those of us already in glasses. It does not work so well for hills and hollows as it does buildings and trees, but since most game systems have specific rules for how to handle line of sight across natural rises and depressions, that should not concern too many gamers. I will be the first to admit that I was unimpressed when I was first shown this product, but within an hour I had cleared a space in my regular gaming box for it. It was perhaps unavoidable that as our armed forces pick up laser scopes we wargamers should trundle along behind, picking up lasers to help our own attempts to seek out, close with and destroy - but to my mind (and more importantly, my aching joints!) a new paradigm has been forged in helping dispel and prevent arguments about line of sight. On with the gaming, down with the creaking, and hurrah for Tabletop-Laser.com!

Prelude to Waterloo: The French Perspective by Andrew W Field www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Reviewed by John Stallard Andrew Field, a retired British army officer, recently published a splendid book on Waterloo, "The French perspective." Using many new or rarely published French accounts of the great battle he has gone back to Quatre Bras and used his research, military knowledge and critical thinking to cover the engagement on the 16th June that was the prelude to the great clash at Waterloo.

He studies the battle in great detail, breaking it down into manageable portions, that really do help the reader keep up with events, as the battle was in no way a set piece affair and was in constant ebb and flow as reinforcements poured on to the field for the hard pressed Allies. The extraordinary debacle of the French 1st Corps, D'Erlon's 20,000 men, who marched and counter marched from the crossroads nearly to Ligny and back is thoroughly explored and conclusions drawn. He is not afraid of making assertions on the character of the main protagonists, not sparing even the sainted Wellington, but with his criticism comes exploration and a great insight to back his claims. Overwhelmingly, Ney is the key subject of this book the "Bravest of the Brave" who showed typical heroism on the day but some staggering pig headedness, lack of overview and temper tantrums. Arguably he was so overwhelmed and depressed he was seeking a death on the battlefield, not the actions needed in a man in command of one third of the French army. Whilst the strategies of the Generals are well examined, Mr Field also, obligingly for the war gamer, gives us comprehensive army rosters, helpful maps of the battlefield and best of all, unit dispositions, making a table top re-enactment of this ever changing and exciting battle so much easier. He also looks into the tactics used at Quatre Bras and examines the strengths and weaknesses of the protagonists. The famous Cuirassier charge that punches a hole in the British line is well covered as is Pire's earlier light cavalry attacks, all viciously developed, often coming as a bolt from the blue to the infantry standing in up to 7 ft of grain stalks. He also relates how the brave charge of the 8th and 11th Cuirassiers melted away and eventually turned into a panicked rout that spread throughout the French rear area leading to the train cutting their traces and fleeing for miles. Without giving a blow by blow account of the mistakes and blunders of the day, the writer convincingly explains the madness of entrusting a whole army wing to a man who just a few weeks before has declared himself that he would bring Napoleon back to Paris in a cage. Napoleon appointing Ney was a popular decision, not a sensible one. He had no time to organise a functioning staff or understand and bond with his troops, so few orders were given and confusion all round. A French colonel Jolyet claiming "One never knew who commanded, we never saw a single general, no direction, we felt abandoned." A useful book and a must for a Quatre Bras war gamer. So, with Waterloo and Quatre Bras covered from a French perspective maybe the larger battle of the 16th, Ligny, may be next on our Mr Field's list?