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First Glance: I have to say this figure does not look like the “gnomish” infantry I have come to expect from Essex. This is a very good thing. In my experience Essex are always beautifully cast, but their downfall was always the dwarfish nature of their sculpts. If I ever do AWI in 15 mm, these will definitely be on my list.
Anatomy: With other ranges, my issues with Essex have always been about the undersized legs and oversized other bits. In many cases heads or hands are hugely oversized, while the legs are always too short. This seems to be corrected in this range. Some of the hands are a bit large, true, but not as out of proportion as many other ranges. The faces are especially good (of course it doesn’t hurt to have a fabulous painter do the work for you!) even when shown blown up about 500%. Further, all of the joints are in the right place as well.
The Finer Things: Essex is known for high-contrast detail, and this range is no exception. Buttons and cuffs are distinctly raised from the surrounding surfaces - straps are well raised as well. The trade off is clear and distinct details at the expense of perhaps putting on every detail possible. Muskets, for example, are often smooth tubes, and the stock and barrel are not distinguished - you just need to learn to paint a straight line!
Second Chances: One of the real strong points of the Essex brand is their exceptional consistency. The figures match in size, detail, pose, and style. Hence the additional photos below do not change the overall verdict.
Every time I post an update I’m sure to hear from someone who can’t believe I don’t just love Essex figures. I still don’t but I like these a lot better than their kin. I’ve already said it many times, and every figure I see confirms it - if you like one Essex odds are very good you’ll like them all. The converse is usually equally true - if you don’t like one, you probably won’t like any.
Page last updated June 16, 2005 |
