Warlord Plastic 28mm ECW Cavalry - First Impressions
I've got my paws on them at last and I'm impressed ! As a product I would award them 8/10. The box contains 12 riders and horses. The sprues are cleverly designed to allow you do a unit of men firing pistols or with drawn swords. There are also three carbines and three poleaxes in the box for variation. The head on each figure is cast with the lobster tail part of the helmet on. When putting the men in helmets the front part of the helmet fits on like a cap and visor. If you want them in the other hats that are provided these have been cast with extra hair attached to cover the lobster tail on the back of the figure's head. PLUS - A very wide variety of regiments is possible with these figures. You can assemble the men with a whole range of weapons or make your regiment entirely sword or pistol armed. - The riders are very well sculpted, with lots of etched detail that will come up nicely with a dry brush. - The figures are compatible with ranges such as Perry or Foundry. I tried a rider on a horse from each of these ranges and they look like they were made to go together. - The clever sprue design provides options with the horses too. The pistol holsters are cast separately so if, for example, you make up the rider with a right arm holding a pistol you can simply cut off the pistol grip from one of the holsters before glueing it to the horse. The empty holster is a lot harder to achieve with metal cast horses ! MINUS - in keeping with the Warlord infantry, the variations in the basic figures with, for example, two in breast plates and two without, mean that you will have to buy more than one box if you want to have an entire 12 fig regiment uniformly in buff coat or breast plate. However I suspect most people building an army will want more than one box... - The horses are oddly proportioned, having rather large heads and therefore looking ass-like. I know there is a certain debate about what British horses looked like at that time, and I don't see it as a huge problem but some people won't like them. All round though, a very good effort I think. EC

you're just trying to tempt me aren't you :hmm:

Mmm hmmm ! :) I think it's a great period. I haven't yet settled on a set of rules I like yet though... :hmm:

If the horses look anything like this they should be ok : http://www.nebostud.com/history.htm

That you can barely see... :devil:

They did seem reluctant to release pictures of the horses themselves, having trailed the riders sprue for a good few weeks.

As far as the new mounted figures go, what impresses me is that they're putting the dismounted figures right in the box with the dragoons.

Didn't realise they were doing dragoons too. Now that would be handy - dragoons would be very good for skirmish games (far more useful than pike).

Well, I was going to supply a link, but in looking for it I discovered the Dragoons are going to be metal. Rats.

EC, Giles and I had a Forlorn Hope run through last night that gave me the chance to see these in the flesh. I think 8/10 is a fair score. The only real issue was that I felt the horses to be a little short in the back ie just not quite long enough. However, once they have a rider and are in a game I'm sure they'll look good.

Ok, now they've utterly confused me. They're plastic after all, and you get 12 mounted and 12 foot. That's REALLY smart! Now if only one of our good plastics manufacturers would unplug his head and MAKE SOME FRRIGGIN' GUNS AND LIMBERS!!!!! You waited until I finished the bluddy Vikings, you bastardwads owe me! :soap: Oh yeah, the link: http://www.warlordgames.co.uk/?p=3265