On the Workbench - Reivers

I've said before that I want to get my East Riding Miniatures 15mm Border Reivers finished before I go on holiday to Melrose in the summer. The problem is I can't sustain the enthusiasm. They just aren't very good figures.

I've had these minis half completed for some time now. How long? Well, a search on the archives of the HOTT Yahoogroup reveals that I had them part-painted in September 2003! As I recall even at that stage they'd been around for a while.

The problems with the figures include some rather muddy casting; in particular the separate arms on some of the mounted figures where hand and, rather blobby, lance blend into one another and where the arm and shoulder socket don't fit well. Also, some of the figures came with Essex Miniatures horses. These work very nicely and provide a variety of poses. The ERM horses, on the other hand have saddles with very high fronts and backs onto which the riders won't seat properly because of their cloaks. All of the painted figures in the picture above are on Essex horses.

Time, I guess, to read George MacDonald Fraser's The Steel Bonnets again in the hopes of firing what's left of my enthusiasm.