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New Kiwi range of 25mm miniatures to be produced by Mark Strachan.
(New pictures added on 15 December 2003)
Mark Strachan is a well-known wargamer and modeller from New Zealand. Since January, he has been working on a new range of 25mm figures. His aim is to cover the periods he enjoys, namely the mid-nineteenth century, Marlburian, Napoleonic and possibly WWI. Initially he will run with the American Civil War, Mexican War and Malburians.
Mark
has already completed about 160 Civil War masters covering infantry, cavalry
(mounted and dismounted), artillery and generals. He has another sixty
infantry and sixteen dismounted cavalry yet to complete for the first
release. The target is to have the new range up and running in the new
year.
"All the figures are in battle dress," says Mark, "You won't find a backpack on any of them. They are designed for both sides, just differentiated by hats and kepis - I have not put the Austrian knots on the arms of Confederate officers so that they can be used for either army."
The
packs are in three basic poses - marching, advancing and firing line.
Each pose is then divided into two pack types - basic (which includes
four command figures and eight rank and file) and reinforcement (which
is twelve rank and file). Each type is again divided into hat or kepi.
This way there will be 144 basic infantry figures, 32 mounted cavalry,
32 dismounted cavalry, 20 artillery crew, 16 generals and one wagon.
"With the artillery packs I am doing a pack which will include five crew, one gun (with four barrel options included - 6lb and 12lb smoothbores, 3-inch and 10lb Parrot Rifles), and one four-horse limber set. Artillery will be in loading and firing poses, hat and kepi."
Each pack will come with coloured flag sets for both sides. These same flags will be available for free download in low resolution or for purchase as high resolution. Mark will also run a customising service so that you can have your regimental names and battle honours printed on the flags.
Mark added, "I bought the DVD of Gods and Generals - the prequel to the film Gettysburg. It covers the Civil War from secession to the battle of Chancellorsville and centres on Jackson, Lee and Chamberlain. It has some excellent scenes from 1st Bull Run, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. The Frederickburg scenes have encouraged me to make some greatcoat figures." So subsequent releases will be: infantry in greatcoat (hat and kepi), infantry bareheaded and odd hats (reinforcement packs only), zouaves, and Iron Brigade/regulars.
Mark plans to have a website done in the next month or so with some photos of the masters. This sounds like a range to look forward to. For New Zealand wargamers, who normally have to order their figures from the other side of the world, with the incumbent shipping costs, it will be a boon to be able to purchase quality home-grown miniatures.
