Which style of musketeers?

[Harry von Fleischmann]

I'm curious as to whether people are welded to the Dick Lester style musketeers, the tabard look, or if they are playing with more generic officer and armed gentlemen figures? I'm fond of the tabard look but suspect the Redoubt figures in that style will tower over my Warlord officers. I do have one warlord officer in tabard though.

I'd rather have a consistent scale as musketeers can then be used in battle

Meanwhile, if you saw the "next episode" bite for the next BBC episode, Rochefort now looks very much more like the 1970s version! Not surprised really, but I'm heading down spoiler boulevard so I'll shut up.

[Paul Richardson]

I suspect you're right that the Redoubt figures will tower over most others. I remember speaking to their sculptor (Brian Rigelsford), and he told me that the range was commissioned by a customer of Redoubt, and that customer wanted the Redoubt figures to match some other figures he already had. These other figures were bigger than 28mm.

[Harry von Fleischmann]

Thanks Paul, I think the word is merde!

[Lowtardog]

Brigade games have a range would fit with warlord and Tag and saw Ainsty are producing some too

[traveller]

Being a big fan of this theme I have most of the figures mentioned. I find the Redoubt ones, though a bit dated, the best available. I have also added Redoubt ECW musket armed figures with cassocks/tabards as reinforcements

[Dewbakuk]

Would the North Star/Copplestone Glory of the Sun range work too?

http://northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=123&page=1

I believe the Dutch invasion by Louis XIV was D'artagnan's last campaign as commander, which puts it at the end of the period but the clothing etched should be fine for the mid 1600's as well. I'm still amazed there isn't a pack of swashbuckling musketeers in that range, but I'd been considering it for 'extra' troops and Nobles etc.

Along with all the other projects...

[AndyW]

For my money, i went with the Richard Lester films, always made me smile and passed a fair few hours when little and even more when older. To that end had Phil at CompanyD work on some for me, some of which i've finally sent down to the casters.

[Malamute]

I own a fair few of the Redoubt figures and they don't mix with any other manufacturer. The range is pretty extensive, I can't think of much else you would need to add for the usual musketeers type game. Their ecw/thirty years war stuff blends in well.

I also have the Eureka Richard Lester inspired 40mm figures which are lovely. The only issue being there are only a handful of figures available and the range is not going to be extended.

[WillieB]

Another vote for the Redoubt Musketeers. They are indeed a fair bit larger than most if not all other musketeer figures, but you get a  very well sculpted and  extensive range. They are a joy to paint!

Many of the ECW figures can be used as well, especially the villagers, civilians and quite a few of the Scottish and Irish figures.

Frankly, I don't think any other range will ever be as complete as the Redoubt one.

[psullie]

the Ainsty ones are nice sculpts and match up with my Old Glory ECW figs pretty well...

[TheBlackCrane]

I'm also in favour of the Redoubt range. Lovely figures to paint, I much regret selling mine off some years ago!

[Harry von Fleischmann]

Well, thanks for all the advice! I must admit I'd forgotten the Ainsty ones. I will probably pick up some Redoubt simply for the sake of it! I've had a bit of an idea for my Warlord scale stuff - I was thinking of the Dumas version and the siege of La Rochelle and remembered that the Isle de Res was defended by Toiras - the same chap who in Flashing Blade, commands Casale. Now, part of his force in the TV series was a company of gentleman volunteers (under Flins?).
So, I've scraped up some officer types as some gentleman volunteers; they'll do duty both as that and as swashbuckling chaps in a skirmish game. No doubt if the Ainsty range include blokes in tabard with muskets well, I have some of them too.

And those figures in the pics above are very nice!

[Metternich]

Good thinking.  Officer dress for most English Civil War and Thirty Years War range should do nicely for gentlemen in Three Musketeers games  -  officers in the early and mid-17th century wore their own clothing anyway, not the uniforms supplied to rankers (in those regiments in which uniforms were even supplied). At that time, even the King's Musketeers (who were all gentlemen), wore their own clothing under the tabard (which probably would only be worn on duty, anyway).

[Paul Richardson]

I thought the Redoubt figures were marvellous when they came out. I had Kevin Dallimore paint some for me, which I've still got tucked away somewhere. The only weakness I remember was the heads - the two parts of the mould didn't always match up properly. Hopefully, that's no longer a problem.
There are ECW figures in cassocks around. I was looking at the Bicorne range the other day and they do some nice looking cavalry in cassocks.

[Captain Goode]

THe redoubt ones have the advantage that the costumes are designed according to the pattern books for France in the 1630s, complete with the voluminous breeches that were in fashion at the time and the particular panneled skirtings for the coats. For my money they are spot on. They also have poss that are drawn from the fencing manuals of the day. The main gauche is properly depicted. I particularly like one of the assassin figures that has the cloak draped over the left arm - another popular trick.  the other point with the redoubt figures is that the weaponry is correct and varied. The rapier blades are of a suitable length and fine-ness, and the come from a vaiety of guard types including a very fine schiavona style, wielded I think by the Aramis figure. If you really want to make it look right the figures will take the substitution of a flattened pin in place of the moulded on blade. I deeply regret that I decided that my collection had better go into store when I left europe.  I will get them back some day, but I don't know when at the moment.
Graham
Delhi
PS The Planchett figure is Roy Kinnear to a T