Minifigs 20mm and S Range Gurkhas

This (above)  is CI 2 Gurkha Rifleman advancing from the Minifigs 20mm range while below is CI 2s, the same figure from the later S Range. Both are good figures and the photos demonstrate the differences between the ranges, the 20mm coming first and being replaced by the S Range.

Personally I like the Minifigs 20mm figure best, in light order as it is. Somehow you expect Gurkha figures to be slight, don't you?

A bit of a curiosity

Acquired recently from ebay, stripped and repainted, what I think must be a Minifigs 20mm/Alberken General's Coach. This is down to the driver figure and horses, which are too small for S Range. I do have an S Range open topped carriage - I haven't compared the two but this one seems a lot smaller than my memory of the other one.. However I haven't found any reference to a carriage in any Minifigs 20mm list.

A nice model, certainly unusual, and I was glad to find it.

Minifigs 20mm Colonial Cavalry

Another ebay find has been these Miniature Figurines 20mm colonial cavalry. There are already some photos of these two figures elsewhere on this blog - BCC 3 17th Lancer charging and CC 1 Bengal Lancer - but as these ones are painted in a pleasing glossy style and the Bengal Lancers have their original lances I thought it was worth putting them up here (and adding them to the previous posts).

Some Napoleonic Highlanders

Thanks to Tony of Prometheus in Aspic for these figures - two Minifigs 20mm, BN 9 Highlander advancing, or just possibly BN 6 Highlander on guard, and a first series Lamming BI/16, Highland infantry kneeling.

Alberken/Minifigs 20mm Swiss Battalion

Refurbishment of a fairly recent e-bay purchase, FN8 advancing fusiliers painted as Swiss, with the addition of officer and eagle bearer from the spares box.

Minifigs Standard Series B/1 and B/2: British Napoleonic Regimental Colours

These are a bit of a mystery and thanks to Tony for sending them to me. I think I remember these from my local shop in the 1970s - what I am not sure about is when Miniature Figurines brought them out, and whether they were originally intended for use with the HO/00 or 20mm figures, or for use with S Range figures. As they seem to scale out better for use with the 20mm figures I have posted them here rather than on the Lone S Ranger. Short of going through hundreds of old Minifigs adverts in Wargamers Newsletter the best way to find out seems to post them here and see if anyione knows.

Napoleonic Units - Polish Lancers

A recent e-bay purchase provided two ten man regiments of Polish (or possibly Dutch) Guard lancers from the Minifigs 20mm range, now painted as Polish line units. One of the problems with these figures are the over scale soft metal lances - all but one have miraculously survived. I removed the lance stub on the remaining figure and provided him with a sword.

I have a feeling that the Dutch Guard Lancers pennon falls forward, but I am unable to check this at the moment.

Napoleonic Units - French Light Infantry

French light infantry unit, Minifigs 20mm figures with Hinton Hunt eagle bearer

Napoleonic Units - French Infantry

Mainly Alberken FN8s, Line Fusilier advancing.

Napoleonic Units - Nassau Regiment

Alberken figures - early ones with the smaller base - painted as the Ist Nassau regiment c 1810 on service in Spain. I am intending to add a grenadier company eventually using Hinton Hunt Voltigeurs in Colpack.

English Civil War

Over on the Vintage Wargaming blog I've posted up a series of 6 articles on the English Civil War, by George Gush and from Miniature Warfare magazine in 1970. These articles are well illustrated with photographs of Miniature Figurines 20mm English Civil War figures - if this is one of your periods you might like to take a look.

Pictures from Miniature Warfare magazine: Miniature Figurines 20mm English Civil War

This picture shows part of George Gush's collection. In addition to his well known marathon series on Renaissance Warfare in Airfix Magazine from 1973-75, he had previously (1970) written a six part series on the English Civil War in Miniature Warfare, which will be appearing over on Vintage Wargaming.

His other publications included the Airfix Magazine Guide 28: The English Civil War, with Martin Windrow 1973; contributed much of the excellent little Discovering English Civil Wargaming, edited by John Tunstill (1973); WRG rules (1979) for 1420-1700 and army lists (1984); Guide to Wargaming (1980); and Renaissance Armies 1489-1650, based on his Airfix Magazine series (1982).

Alberken and Minifigs 20mm AN 1 Hungarian line fusilier on guard

A figure from both the original Alberken and later Minifigs 20mm range, and particularly useful for anyone wanting Austrian infantry in helmets. Alberken were pretty much the only option here as Marcus Hinton restricted himself to the later shako hatted troops. This newly acquired unit is awaiting some horse trading with the other Alberken Austrians I have to sort out officers between them.

Minifigs 20mm ANC 1 Austrian Dragoons

Another recent acquisition: a unit of ten Austrian Chevauxlegers (Dragoons). The sword problem is particularly evident on these figures, who seem to be armed with cutlery. The dilemma is whether to keep them in as near original condition as possible, or replace them.

Alberken and Minifigs 20mm FNC 3 Cuirassier

One of the original Alberken Napoleonics, carried forward into the Minifigs 20mm range, was this one piece casting French Cuirassier. These 20 figures representing the 1st Cuirassiers are a recent acquisition. They have been rebased,and some basic paint touching up. Additionally the sword arm was removed from the figure which had been painted as a trumpeter. This arm was donated to the Carabinier posted below, and replaced with a Tumbling Dice Crimean Wars trumpet arm. The stump of the accompanying officer's sword was removed and replaced with (I think) an RSM 25 heavy cavalry weapon.

The swords on these figures are problematic. The heavy cavalry swords usually lose around a quarter of their length from the tip; the figures may have a mass sword replacement programme to come. The same issue can be seen to an even greater degree on the Austrian Chevaulegers figures posted above.

Minifigs 20mm FNC 8 Polish Guard Lancer

A good example of a figure which was only ever a Minifigs 20mm, never an Alberken, as it was one of the later additions to the range. I haven't had time to compare the figure to FNC 11, Dutch Guard Lancer, and these may even be FNC 11s (I'm not sure of the differences without looking at the two figures side by side).

These two units are a recent e-bay acquisition. They have been rebased, paintwork on the horses and lances touched up. The soft metal cast lances are characteristic of Minifigs 20mm and seldom survive well. It is always a dilemma whether to replace them with wire - in general I will leave the originals if they look in reasonable condition. They simply don't stand up well to handling or storage. I did remove one broken lance and provided the figure with a replacement light cavalry sword, to provide an officer.

These two units are earmarked to provide a cavalry element to my (mainly Hinton Hunt) Grand Duchy of Warsaw figures.

French Carabinier

A bit of a mystery figure, assumed to be Minifigs 20mm but no Carabinier features on the list. This is one of the cavalry figures from Peter Gilder's collection so may have been heavily converted. The sword arm is a recent graft from a Minifigs 20mm Cuirassier - the donor figure being the trumpeter shown in the post below. The figure has been given some basic touching up, particularly on the horse's legs. Fortunately this is disguised by the fuzzy photo.

Miniature Figurines Ltd 20mm and 25mm military figures catalogue

I am making a number of posts showing the 20mm (HO/OO range) figures, from around 1967. This catalogue also contains lists of S Range figure, which will be added to the Lone S Ranger blog.

I intend to add some pictures of figures in due course. The Napoleonic range has been extensively covered by Ron at the LazyLimey's Wargaming Place, whose collection is far more comprehensive than the figures and pictures I have managed to assemble so far. I recommend visiting his site if you want to see more of the figures from this range.

I will also shortly be posting an Alberken catalogue from May 1965 to this blog. It is worth remembering while all Alberken figures also became Miniature Figurines 20mm range figures, sometimes with different code numbers, not all Minifigs 20mm figures were also Alberkens. If this seems complicated, the Minifigs 20mm list on VINTAGE 20MIL helpfully asterisks those which were previously available from Alberken.

Miniature Figurines 20mm range Marlburian range figures listing

Miniature Figurines 20mm range Marlburian range: Mal 1 Musketeer advancing