Zvezda

1/72 French Infantry 100 Years War

Kit Number: 8053

Reviewed by  Paul Bradley, IPMS# 35554

MSRP: $12.00 Dragon Models USA Web Site: dragonmodelsusa.com Back in my callow youth, one of my favourite past-times was the ancient and noble art of wargaming. I had two armies - a 1939-40 British and the army of a fictitious Diadochoi, circa 300BC. I wasn't very good, but I enjoyed studying the history behind the battles, something I carry to this day even though my days of marshalling miniature armies have passed. Another period that fascinated me was the Hundred Years War, the 118-year period of English and French history that saw the final triumph of the French, ejecting the English from mainland Europe and ending their dreams of European hegemony in the 15th Century. I've visited many of the castles and battlefields of the War, and the day I write this is the anniversary of the execution of Jeanne d'Arc in 1431, she being the French martyr who did so much to ignite her countrymen's will to succeed. So it is appropriate that I, an aviation modeller by inclination, should receive this figure set for review. The French armies of the beginning of the period, such as they were, were made up of two major components; the feudal knights and their levies, and the urban militias. Towards the end of the War, advances in infantry weaponry had changed the emphasis of military organization, and more focus was placed on a standing army of many arms, supplemented by mercenaries. This set seems to reflect a later period given a couple of features - the windlass-operated crossbow and the appearance of the sallet, a later helmet that started to replace the bascinet; both are introduced in the late 15th century. The armor is a mix of mail and padded tunics, the helmets are mostly a mix of bascinets and kettle hats, both common to the period. Weapons are a good mix of spears, bows, and the crossbow preferred by the French over the longbow of the English; these were often Italian mercenaries. This set consists of 43 figures in 12 different poses: · Standard bearer, commander and trumpeter · Crossbowmen and archers · Mercenaries with various weapons · Infantrymen with spears and pole arms The figures are nicely sculpted with good detail and are very well proportioned. Most have separated arms or weapons and so can be more randomly posed - good for dioramas and war games units which can otherwise look too uniform and somewhat stilted. The soft plastic fits together quite well and stays together without gluing, though I might be tempted to use glue if I were using these for war games. This is a nice little set and, for all you war gamers, a good addition to the medieval arsenal. My thanks to Dragon Models USA for the review sample. Zvezda products are available directly from Dragon Models USA and from leading hobby retailers.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.