Fife & Drum Miniatures is a range of 1/56 scale figures (approximately 30mm in height) sculpted by Richard Ansell, and is devoted to the American War of Independence. The figures may be purchased from Der Alte Fritz through this blog, using Paypal for payment. Click on the page tabs for Crown Forces, American forces and artillery equipment to see pictures of the individual figures.

Winner of the "Best Historical Miniatures Range of 2011" by The Miniatures Page.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Continentals & British Guards Castings Arrive!

This afternoon I came home from work and found a large box sitting on the front hall table in my house, and much to my great surprise, it contained a ton of new Fife & Drum Miniatures hot off the casting machines at Griffin Designs in the UK. Needless to say, I was very excited and opened the box with a great sense of anticipation. The castings are beautiful and they are very crisp and clean, just as one would expect from anything done by Griffins.

The British Brigade of Guards
First of all, we have eight castings to represent the British Brigade of Guards circa 1776-1777, both centre and flank company headgear. To my knowledge, no one else has ever designed the Guards Brigade in the 28/30mm size. So this is quite a first. I will post pictures and stock numbers for the Guards over the coming weekend, so keep on coming back for a visit.

B10 Guards Officer marching with fusil
B11 Guards Drummer - centre company
B12 Guards NCO - centre company
B13 Guards centre company man marching
B14 Guards centre company man standing firing
B15 Guards centre company man cocking musket
B16 Guards flank company NCO/Officer in cap
B17 Guards flank company man in cap marching

The centre company officers, drummer and rank and file are all wearing brimmed hats, turned up on the right side with a feather in the hat. I suppose that in a pinch, you could use these figures as line infantry figures. The primary difference between Guards and Line is that the Guards have a bayonet scabbard and a wooden canteen (think St Bernard Whiskey canteen). The Line would not have the bayonet scabbard and would have a round canteen.

The flank company figures are wearing a sort of jockey style cap with a front plate and a brim, with roach/plume on the top and back of the cap. You can paint the flank company figures as either grenadiers or light company men simply by painting a grenade or a hunting horn on the front plate. The Guards did not carry standards during the AWI so there are no standard bearers with this batch.

Stay tuned for pictures over the weekend. I hope to have some samples painted by then.

The Continentals
Next we have the American Continentals in tricorn hats, with a nice assortment of marching and skirmishing poses. The first four poses are being worked into moulds, but they have not been shipped to me in the first shipment. They should follow shortly. The other 8 foot and the officer sets are now available.

A20 Officer marching                  NOT AVAILABLE YET
A21 Drummer marching                "         "                      "
A22 Standard bearer marching      "         "                      "
A23 NCO marching                      "         "                      "

A24 Continental man standing firing
A25 Continental man standing at the ready
A26 Continental man loading musket with ram rod
A27 Continental man cocking his musket

A28 Continental man marching (breeches, tumpline, half gaitors)
A29 Continental man marching (breeches, tumpline)
A30 Continental man marching (trousers, blanket roll across chest)
A31 Continental man marching (breeches, tumpline)

AC1 Mounted general with horse  ($5.00 including horse and rider)
AC2 Mounted officer or ADC with horse ($5.00 including horse and rider)

All infantry figures are $1.80 per figure, sold as individual figures. All mounted figures come with the horse (2-piece castings of rider and horse) and are $5.00 per set.