SHINY STUFF - PLASTIC 28mm REVIEWS

Well, not exactly "shiny stuff" - none of the figures are recently released, and all of them are plastic. However, Anton's Wargames Blog, one of the blogs on our Blog List (to the right of these posts) has compiled an extensive (and lavishly illustrated) list of reviews of a lot of the 28mm figure releases over the last few years from the Perries, Wargames Factory, Wargames Atlantic, Victrix etc. - see HERE. Definitely the most useful (and best illustrated) list of reviews available on the web, even if a lot of the sets are not specifically relevant to the VBCW. Those that are, however:

(1). German Sentries

Most obviously useful, with appropriate "side cap heads", as BUF or, in original helmets, as "German Auxiliaries". See HERE and Anton's photographs and review HERE.

(2). French Resistance

Drop the Sten Guns and Schmeissers, replace the Bren Guns with Lewis Guns (if you're fastidious), avoid the French style berets and stick with the plentiful "bowlers, caps and trilbies" heads - and there's lots of scope for various types of VBCW militia in 1930s civilian clothing. See HERE and Anton's photographs and review HERE.

(3). WW2 Italians

Mussolini's "Ice Cream Intervention" in the Hereford VBCW is, of course, well known - this set is perfect for assembling an "Italian Intervention Force". See Anton's photographs and review HERE.

(4). French Infantry 1916 - 1940

VBCW Anglicans tend to be "French uniformed and equipped", so this set is especially useful for the Anglican League. See Anton's photographs and review HERE.

Otherwise, browsing amongst the sets that are not obviously useful for the VBCW can always throw up ideas or information. Anton's "Plastic Horse Size Comparison" PHOTO is useful, and for those building a "VBCW "Non Aligned Farmer's Force", the Great Escape Games' "Gunfighters Set" (with dynamite sticks, shotguns, long coats, waistcoats etc.) looks eminently convertible, possibly with some replacement heads, for "Leaders, Characters and Specialists".........

Gunfighters Sprue. Photo from Anton's Wargames Blog