Eureka Miniatures - BG 6
Eureka Miniatures
Toy Soldiers, Warrior Frogs, Warrior Tortoises and US Marines.
A fairly massive pile of lead from the prolific workshops at Eureka Miniatures has come my way this edition. I really feel that I should have left something out for the postman at Christmas; lugging this stuff around must be doing his back in, poor fella.
Nonetheless, let me harden my heart and get stuck right in.
Toy Soldiers
It does feel a bit recursive to be reviewing toy soldiers of toy soldiers, but here goes.
Adding to their Toy Town range, Eureka have produced a set of toy soldiers done as what looks like an homage to the traditional toy-makers art, imitating of the style of wooden “peg” soldiers.
There are two “sides” represented; on the one hand, the obviously good and kind bearskin-wearers and; and on the other, the obviously decadent and cowardly shako-wearers. The infantry come in marching and standing poses, both with command consisting of officer, drummer and standard-bearer. There are light (Lancers) and heavy (Cuirassiers) cavalry available to both sides with officers, standard-bearers and buglers available to both sides, and of course guns and gunners, as well as generals to lead from their noble hobby-horses.
There is a lot to like in this range – the cavalry mounted on little wheeled hobby-horses; the cannon that are made to resemble spring-loaded matchstick-firers; the resin building blocks with which to build barricades. I can see many a war gaming parent buying a few to paint “just for the kids” and then being unable to give them up!
A note of caution, the joint between the shako and plume of the “Shako” infantry and the light cavalry is a bit delicate. I snapped one off in handling the miniatures – you might want to consider drilling and pinning them for long-term durability.
Infantry retail at $AU2.75, Cavalry at $AU5.50, a gun and crew for $AU17.00
Warrior Frogs and Warrior Turtles (and Terrapins)
I never knew there was so much conflict among the bull rushes or in the ornamental pond. How very wrong I was.
To business: I was charmed by the Frogs goofy, flappy-footed and highly animated style. The very smooth finish of the castings invites the air-brush and inspires me to go hunting through my books in search of the most poisonous South American frog colour schemes I can find. These figures have a very amusing, vainglorious style that I find very likeable; I’m especially taken with the mallet-wielding troopers. All the better to crack a Turtle shell, I assume. In a macabre touch, the troopers all use tortoise shells as shields. I invite you to wonder what happened to the previous occupants...
Pick of the litter is the palanquin of the Frog King or Chief Batrachian. This is a well-engineered, multi-part kit with four proud bearers, a parasol (or leaf) bearer and the lounging Chief Batrachian himself. Fit of parts is very good, although I did have to use some persuasion to get the Chief's ankles to mate up with his feet which are cast as part of the palanquin. The bearer’s hands need drilling out to accept the brass rod that forms the palanquins’ carrying handles. The brass rod is a welcome idea from the point of view of the strength it will give the model. You’ll need to do some careful offering up before you drill to get the whole thing sitting nice and square, but your patience will be rewarded, I think.
The Turtles are currently a smaller range, and as befits their nature, are a dour bunch in rather more static poses than the Frogs. They are cast with very crisp detail and are sculpted more realistically than the Frogs. The shells are separate which ought to make painting easier.
Many of them are engaged in firing weapons, either bows or arquebus. A terrapin with a musket rest supports the barrel of his gunner. I was fond of the officer with the telescope who is resting one knee on the back of a rather put-upon looking terrapin.
Individual figures retail at $AU2.75, “teams” at $AU5.50, and the Palanquin goes for $AU30.00
US Marines
Fitting nicely with their WW2 Japanese and Australians come the US Marine Corps. These miniatures are just about exactly 15mm from foot to eye and, so it seems to me, aimed squarely at the “Flames of War” market. Individual figures retail at $AU0.75
This is a pretty comprehensive collection. There is an entire rifle squad in beautifully animated “moving” poses. There are grenadiers, officers and BAR gunners. There are both (really nice) air- and water-cooled Browning machine guns. There are troopers with tommy-guns, troopers with grease guns. There are casualties and bazooka teams. There’s a flame-thrower a team and a mortar team. There is an artillery crew. What more could you want?
Detail is clean and fine, weapons and uniforms are accurate, anatomy is accurate and as I’ve already said, I love the animation. The odd dangling helmet strap is a neat touch that John Wayne would approve of. No cigars screwed into the corners of mouths that I could see.
Take a look at Eureka Miniatures web site: www.eurekamin.com.au
Toy Soldiers, Warrior Frogs, Warrior Tortoises and US Marines.
A fairly massive pile of lead from the prolific workshops at Eureka Miniatures has come my way this edition. I really feel that I should have left something out for the postman at Christmas; lugging this stuff around must be doing his back in, poor fella.
Nonetheless, let me harden my heart and get stuck right in.
Toy Soldiers
It does feel a bit recursive to be reviewing toy soldiers of toy soldiers, but here goes.
Adding to their Toy Town range, Eureka have produced a set of toy soldiers done as what looks like an homage to the traditional toy-makers art, imitating of the style of wooden “peg” soldiers.
There are two “sides” represented; on the one hand, the obviously good and kind bearskin-wearers and; and on the other, the obviously decadent and cowardly shako-wearers. The infantry come in marching and standing poses, both with command consisting of officer, drummer and standard-bearer. There are light (Lancers) and heavy (Cuirassiers) cavalry available to both sides with officers, standard-bearers and buglers available to both sides, and of course guns and gunners, as well as generals to lead from their noble hobby-horses.
There is a lot to like in this range – the cavalry mounted on little wheeled hobby-horses; the cannon that are made to resemble spring-loaded matchstick-firers; the resin building blocks with which to build barricades. I can see many a war gaming parent buying a few to paint “just for the kids” and then being unable to give them up!
A note of caution, the joint between the shako and plume of the “Shako” infantry and the light cavalry is a bit delicate. I snapped one off in handling the miniatures – you might want to consider drilling and pinning them for long-term durability.
Infantry retail at $AU2.75, Cavalry at $AU5.50, a gun and crew for $AU17.00
Warrior Frogs and Warrior Turtles (and Terrapins)
I never knew there was so much conflict among the bull rushes or in the ornamental pond. How very wrong I was.
To business: I was charmed by the Frogs goofy, flappy-footed and highly animated style. The very smooth finish of the castings invites the air-brush and inspires me to go hunting through my books in search of the most poisonous South American frog colour schemes I can find. These figures have a very amusing, vainglorious style that I find very likeable; I’m especially taken with the mallet-wielding troopers. All the better to crack a Turtle shell, I assume. In a macabre touch, the troopers all use tortoise shells as shields. I invite you to wonder what happened to the previous occupants...
Pick of the litter is the palanquin of the Frog King or Chief Batrachian. This is a well-engineered, multi-part kit with four proud bearers, a parasol (or leaf) bearer and the lounging Chief Batrachian himself. Fit of parts is very good, although I did have to use some persuasion to get the Chief's ankles to mate up with his feet which are cast as part of the palanquin. The bearer’s hands need drilling out to accept the brass rod that forms the palanquins’ carrying handles. The brass rod is a welcome idea from the point of view of the strength it will give the model. You’ll need to do some careful offering up before you drill to get the whole thing sitting nice and square, but your patience will be rewarded, I think.
The Turtles are currently a smaller range, and as befits their nature, are a dour bunch in rather more static poses than the Frogs. They are cast with very crisp detail and are sculpted more realistically than the Frogs. The shells are separate which ought to make painting easier.
Many of them are engaged in firing weapons, either bows or arquebus. A terrapin with a musket rest supports the barrel of his gunner. I was fond of the officer with the telescope who is resting one knee on the back of a rather put-upon looking terrapin.
Individual figures retail at $AU2.75, “teams” at $AU5.50, and the Palanquin goes for $AU30.00
US Marines
Fitting nicely with their WW2 Japanese and Australians come the US Marine Corps. These miniatures are just about exactly 15mm from foot to eye and, so it seems to me, aimed squarely at the “Flames of War” market. Individual figures retail at $AU0.75
This is a pretty comprehensive collection. There is an entire rifle squad in beautifully animated “moving” poses. There are grenadiers, officers and BAR gunners. There are both (really nice) air- and water-cooled Browning machine guns. There are troopers with tommy-guns, troopers with grease guns. There are casualties and bazooka teams. There’s a flame-thrower a team and a mortar team. There is an artillery crew. What more could you want?
Detail is clean and fine, weapons and uniforms are accurate, anatomy is accurate and as I’ve already said, I love the animation. The odd dangling helmet strap is a neat touch that John Wayne would approve of. No cigars screwed into the corners of mouths that I could see.
Take a look at Eureka Miniatures web site: www.eurekamin.com.au
Labels: Toy Soldiers, US Marines, Warrior Frogs, Warrior Tortoises
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