28mm Figure Review #2: Foundry & Front Rank

Following my trip to Warfare 2010 I thought it may be useful to review some of my purchases.  Most notably the Foundry Russian Grenadiers I picked up (at a very good price) from "Dave T" at the Perry Miniatures stand.

I am no expert when it comes to SYW Russians but I wanted something a bit different for IR.14 "Graf Zhlobin" and was looking for interesting miniatures at the show. These troopers with covered mitres look both flashy and battle hardened.  When coupled with Dave's knock-down price they are spot on!

As can be seen in the photo, they measure (base included) around 29mm to eye-level.  Depicted in the ever popular (and wargames friendly) "march attack" pose, they present a good martial air.  The faces display a good deal of character but nothing too eye-catching.  This in my opinion is a plus.  If a "character" figure with some colourful expression is featured repeatedly he gives your unit a comical air - not something I want.

I selected my figures from an "odds and sods" box but after visiting the Foundry site I have determined the majority are from codes SYWR10 and 28.  However, I cannot find all the variations, so perhaps Foundry have streamlined their catalogue?

I rate these figures very highly.  Excellent when it comes to detail and casting quality, the latter is a real bug-bear these days, they are clearly a superior product.

In addition to the Russkis, I picked up a few Front Rank  British and Austrians.   These are a mixture of their Jacobite and SYW figures (The chap on the left is an Austrian who came along for a portrait).

As usual with Alec Brown's work, they are solidly sculpted and well detailed - standing around 28mm.  The Jacobite era fellow on the extreme right is particularly nice having a fine "in-period" wig and haughty air.  As with the Grenadiers, I cannot vouch for authenticity of the fine-details but they look good after comparing with the illustrations in a few uniform books.

I am aware that some folks think Front Rank figures are "fat bodied" and have strange faces - I thoroughly disagree.  These castings, although many of the masters are well over a decade old, are still worth serious consideration for anyone planning a C18 army - Imagined or Historical.  Additionally there is a marked consistency in Front Rank's scaling.  Figures have (until the Marlburians) stayed at more or less a constant size, this makes ordering far less worrisome.

Something got their attention.  My aquarium perhaps?

Finally, I have posted a side-by-side shot of the Foundry and Front Rank samples.

I see no reason to avoid mixing these brands in an army or, dare I say it, why suitable figures could not be mixed within a table-top regiment.

All in all a nice little haul of metal.  I will not be marking these in the manner of my first review as I got to select them myself at a wargames show and many of the criteria are therefore not applicable.

Now I have to figure out why, as the five minute shoot progressed, my camera decided to reproduce the snaps with a nicotine wash...