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British Infantry:
Essex Miniatures

[AB Figures]
[
Battle Honors]
[
Chariot]
[Essex]
[
Falcon (UK)]
[
Fantassin]
[
Irregular]
[
Jacobite]
[
Lancashire]
[
Minifigs]
[
MJ Figures]
[
Museum]
[
Naismith]
[
Old Glory]
[
TableTop]
[
Warrior]
[
Wildly Inspired]

Essex seem to have a very high reputation, and I can see why. Reasonably priced and readily available, with a very wide range, they are a good choice for a gamer. They usually come packaged in bags of 8 figures, one pose per bag. While they have a nice level of detail, they seem particularly prone to “gnome-tis.”
Nap_15_Brit_SBS_Essex_1

In the detail department, they score reasonably well. Like Chariot, the goal here appears to be simple, easy to paint figures. For example, the musket has the flintlock and reinforcing bands detailed, but there is no edge between the stock and the barrel (I painted it in here). The canteen also is a simple disk. Compare it to an AB canteen with stopper, slats and the outer strap, and it appears almost too basic. But a disk is very easy to paint quickly. All of the equipment is also well arranged. In real life it would not all be so neatly separated. But this makes painting the figure much easier and faster and, after all, it doesn't look unrealistic. As such, I think the sculptor made a fine set of choices for his goal - a figure easy to paint yet with enough detail to meet most gamers’ standards.

Nap_15_Brit_SBS_Essex_2

As for proportions, once again we see legs shortened in order to allow for a longer torso. So once again the upper body is in relatively good proportion, as is the lower body. They just belong to two separate soldiers! While this particular soldier looks a bit on the chunky side to me, it is easy enough to assume he’s been lucky in finding rations and leave it at that.

As for pose, Essex come one pose to the bag (with a few exceptions such as command sets). I think this pose is pretty representative of what I have seen of Essex - pretty good. Realistic in that this soldier is obeying gravity and is not overbalanced. Aesthetically, I think this pose is pretty animated. The line of his body from his back foot to his left shoulder gives him a direction, which reflects the verb “advance.” This is certainly a much more energetic advance than many lines offer.

Overall a good line, especially considering the breadth of the company’s’ offering, assuming you are willing to live with the overall proportions of the figure.

Page Last Updated May 1, 2005

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