General de Brigade

Theo · Rifleman Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Posts: 477 Location: Hellas

Hi guys,
I have a good mind to paint a dozen or so AWI battalions for use with BG, and I was wondering whether any of you know where(if anywhere) I can get my hands on some Polly Oliver AWI. I saw a pic of one of these minis on the Brookhurst website and they look fab. Very Happy

Alternatively, can anyone recommend another 15mm range(other than Old Glory). Are Essex any good? I am asking this in a rather tentative manner as I very much like their dark ages/medieval stuff (selected packs only-some of their Vikings/Lombards/Chinese/Byzantines etc) but I get a rash with their Napoleonics. I have seen some piccies of them on their website and they look slightly more proportional than their Napoleonics. Does anyone have any comments to offer on this? Idea

AWI of course is ideal for 28mm but frankly I lack the time to do this project in the larger scale. I am only in my third 28mm AWI battalion and at this rate it will take me 6 years to finish twelve battalions... Crying or Very sad

Moreover my considerable collection of terrain is all in 15mm and starting it all over again in 28mm does not appeal either to my adventurous spirit or my wallet to be honest.

Thanks for any and all replies,
Have fun,
Theofanis

ps. and just because I am a weak human being and I can't resist I wanted to say:
GO HELLAS!!!!!!! (none too subtle reference to the Euro 2004 football tournament for those of you who are wondering)
or maybe I should say...
VIVE LE GRECE!!! Twisted Evil

Swampster · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 4:22 pm Post subject:

Theo,
I don't think Polly Oliver are still in production. I believe there is some convoluted history involved about why they are out of production. Doing a search onGoogle found lots of people looking for them!
You asked for options other than Old Glory? Is this because you don't like the figures or just knew what they were like and wanted other options. The AWI range is one of their newest and very nice - I'm currently (under duress Evil or Very Mad

) painting some of their SYW range which were released about the same time. Much nicer IMHO than their Napoleonics. Still have big bag syndrome though Sad

Some OG bags are now 50s but a}not AWI and b)who wants even 50 American Hunting Short Command.
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Swampster

Theo · Rifleman Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Posts: 477 Location: Hellas

Swampy,
thank you; it is rather bad news that Polly Oliver is no longer available. Does anyone know where these molds are and if there is any possibility at all of them being made available once again?
with regards to Old Glory the answer is yes to both your questions. Yes I do have a bag of their AWI-continentals in full uniform- (as well as three of their French SYW, one Napoleonics and one of their ottomans) so I know what they look like and it is the same case of "oops that big bad stone tripped me again; I seem to be falling forward..." (that is not animation in a figure; it is the force of gravity affecting only the upper torso of the figure Wink

), not to mention their horses. Even their Nizams who were BEAUTIFULLY sculpted, on par with the best of minis out there, suffered from poor proportions(for me). So yes again I don't like OG in general (there might be a range they have which is outstanding; I am just not inclined to dig any more). For people who like OG please don't take offence; it is perfectly logical that different people see different things in the figures they use. And if it makes any sense, I can and do admire OG when they are painted, I just don't enjoy painting them myself (in fact I can't-maybe it has to do with painting techniques for eg. they might require washing and drybrushing and I use layering with drybrushing reserved for painting highlights on hair, manes, chainmail etc. or maybe I just have to admire a fig to actually put in the effort to paint it).
Swampy I have given all my other OG bags away but I still have a pack of SYW French cavalry lurking around(somewhere...). If you want them I would be glad to send them over to you (needless to say no charge), where at least they will be put to use and enjoyed.

With regards to AWI and if this query comes to naught then I might have to join your 6mm brigade. 8) or just concentrate on my Nappies and the occasional DBA army I paint for fun and light relief.
Regards,
Theofanis

Eclaireur · Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:33 pm Post subject:

Theo,
Polly Oliver figs were really nice - I must have painted 300-400 of them when I rediscovered the hobby about 8 years ago. I've since sold them all which perhaps was unwise given the rarity value...
They were very nice figs, but they weren't multi-pose as such. There were limitations. They only got around to campaign Brit uniforms just before they went under.
I'd go for OG if I were you. I've actually got a couple of bags of their 15mm AWI which I picked up cheap. I got some Hessians in case I wanted to do Suvorov 1799 type units, which are basically identical uniforms. They are crisp mouldings, with variations etc. They're nice enough. A bit 'formal' for my taste - ie not too many campaign looking figs but you can probably get that look from different American bags. Just use the sluch hat LI for campaign look British line.
I certainly wouldn't bother with Freikorps. Essex might be worth a sample, but probably same odd proportions as their other ranges.
regards
EC

terry haney · Joined: 07 Mar 2004 Posts: 107 Location: Atlanta Georgia

Theo,

I agree with EC & you about OG. If you're to use any - the ones in slouch hats are the historically accurate. My interest in AWI is the Southern Campaigns.

I got most of my AWI armies by buying used armies, mainly from Mr GAJO(US), www.snow.prohosting.com. The OG British Legion bag is a good buy, 1/2 infantry & 1/2 cavalry.

Terry

Swampster · Posted: Wed Jun 30, 2004 4:54 pm Post subject:

Theo,
Thanks for the offer of the French. I very much doubt that I would put them to any use though - I'm painting SYW for part of a big club game (at a show near you, soon - unless you happen to be in Thessalonika that is Confused

).
I'm not expecting to do any more for myself (famous last words!). If I did, I'd probably do British + Alies, as I still don't have a British army of any sort.
I know what you mean about the pose. I'd have liked to seen Prussians with a nice cadenced step, or goose stepping Russians (am I right in thinking the Prussians later copied the step from the Russkis?). I'm sure there are practical reasons against this though Sad

Swampster
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Swampster

Theo · Rifleman Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Posts: 477 Location: Hellas

Eclaireur and Terry,
Thank you for your contributions. I don't think I can go with OG; their style just clashes with me. On the positive side I have ordered a few samples from Minifigs. All the Minifigs I have(SYW and WSS mostly with a smattering of Napoelonics) are very very nice and clean little figures. Simple yet nice, and their static nature might be just the thing for AWI.

Swampy,
a big club game! so that's what you meant when you said you were painting under duress Very Happy

my sympathies mate, though I have to confess I am a tad jealous as I will be unable to attend. I left the UK for good back in September and I returned home to Thessaloniki(finished my studies in the UK). Of course now I am in Thebes doing my army spell Crying or Very sad

but I was home on honorary leave only a few days ago. Wink

I hope you have a great time at the show (btw what show is it at this time of the year? Attack 04' ? Broadsword if I recall correctly is earlier in June)
Thanks again guys,
Theofanis

Swampster · Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:18 pm Post subject:

Theo,
I'd have thought they'd have had you and all the other new conscripts on guard duty while all the longer serving chaps were watching the fotball Twisted Evil

I think we plan to put the game on at a number of shows starting with the second Partizan in September. We are going to do a much smaller version with no particular historical background at the Old Glory shop in Evesham a week Saturday.

Swampster
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Swampster

Theo · Rifleman Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Posts: 477 Location: Hellas

Well best of luck at the shows mate and take a piccie or two for us folks over here Wink

.

As for extra guard duty for new conscripts, I have to say they allow us to go to bed a couple of hours later at aroundabouts 11.40 (though in the morning we still wake up at 6.15) so that we may watch the matches with our national squad playing. Probably something to do with morale, country and flag Rolling Eyes

Not to mention that at the moment I am not a conscript, I am in the process of being turned into a lethal weapon Shocked

(insert heeeeaaavy dose of sarcasm here). 8) Laughing

Have fun guys,
Theofanis

Eclaireur · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 4:04 pm Post subject:

Theo,
judging by the amount of time you get to spend on the net, army service doesn't seem too bad Wink

Your post has set me thinking. There really is a big AWI thing going these days and the Polly Oliver moulds are apparently sitting unused in a barn somewhere. There really ought to be a manufacturer or distributor willing to take on the range - they are such high quality after all, and some of them would be very useful for 1790s battles too Twisted Evil

I have made inquiries with someone who knows who has the moulds and will report back.
EC

Theo · Rifleman Joined: 26 Apr 2002 Posts: 477 Location: Hellas

Eclaireur · Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 6:33 pm Post subject:

Weeeeeeeeell Theo,
concerning Polly Oliver and the Nap/Rev period...
- the Hessians are perfect for Suvorov's army
- some of the Brits would work fine for 1793 Flanders types
- the French wear the 1779 regs uniform which is what 'les blancs' were wearing in the early revolutionnary battles
- some of the raggedy continentals are great for Spanish Junta types, French 1813 conscripts (I have some PO figs of this type serving in my Marie Louise units...) and so on.
Let's just hope we can get them made again !
EC

Cornet · Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 11:27 pm Post subject:

Eclaireur · Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:52 am Post subject:

No - in essence word came back that Polly Oliver's son, who retains the moulds does not believe that re-starting production is worth his while. One or two other people have been active on this question since though and you never know, the issue may get re-opened. After all, it just takes one collector with deep pockets to under-write a new production and they might reappear...
EC

Ronan the Librarian · Major Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 830

IMO, it would also require a sculptor to complete the range as there are too many gaps, which is a shame, as a lot of effort went into the initial releases - even down to British Fusiliers in the slightly smaller bearskin caps (that they probably never wore in action!). Cavalry was a bit weak though, not terrible, but lowered the overall standard of the range I think.
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