Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Irregular Warbands - Not Very Fast


Pictured below are some of RAFM's second-generation Space:1889 Canal Martian miniatures - I say "second" because they seem to have come along after GDW closed and Space:1889 first went out of print. They supplement the original miniatures released by GDW in the late 80's.


Happily, Space 1889 is back in print and available from Heliograph, Inc. online. RAFM is doing their bit by continuing to make the miniatures available.



These guys are great, and are useful in depicting "irregular" Martians outside the Martian Legions; civilians, bandits, even the auxiliaries we read about but have never seen.

 The one in the Lenape-style hairdo looks a lot like Wes Studi from Last of the Mohicans, down to the expression of contempt for "les anglais"...


The other figure wears trousers, cap and even a scarf, perhaps reflecting the cold of Mars at night.

Animation: 4
Detail: 5
Proportions: 5
Variety: 3

Overall: 4.25 out of 5.  Individually the figures rate somewhat higher, but the limitations of the line are also taken into account, and two figures in the same pose lose points on variety and animation.

- finis -

3 comments:

  1. Great post.
    The RAFM Colonial Infantry line has a wider range of poses. I am using a defrocked colonial NCO to lead my Hill Martian skirmishers.

    One minor note - the RAFM figures are 25mm not 28mm. This doesn't matter much for the Martians but the British troop may be a little undersized compared to more recent offerings.

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  2. Good point, Pat. I think they might be "big 25's", in that they fit in with Old Glory colonials better than they do with Ral Partha or old Frontiers.

    I'll do a size comparison when I get back tonight.

    Thanks!
    Keith

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  3. Pat - you're absolutely right. The Martians scale well with 28mm only because they're supposed to be taller.

    The RAFM colonials are not quite as big, but they seem to mix well with Old Glory, and certainly Askari.

    K-

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