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Recently I placed my first order with Eureka Miniatures from Australia. Eureka has a wide variety of figures in many scales covering many periods of history. Having a strong interest in colonial gaming, I decided to order the 28mm 1880s U.S. Marines (along with some other figures for a later review). I have wanted to order these Marines for some time now, but I am not a fan of figures with tabbed bases, which these figures have. Placing an order with Eureka was easy, one can order right from their website using a credit card. I received an email confirmation of my order, as well as an email as to when the figures were shipped. About a week later I had a package waiting for me when I arrived home from work.
The pack I ordered (100COL03) contains four figures, all in their own unique pose. The figures have several similar features: tall sun helmets, moustaches, cross belts holding haversacks on the left hip and canteens on the right, bayonet scabbards suspended from waist belts, and pointed cuffs on their shirts. The four poses are: standing firing, advancing with rifle at 45°, advancing with rifle horizontal, and kneeling with rifle at 45°. These Marines would work nicely for just about any late Nineteeth Century conflict, and look very suitable for Samoa (1899).
The figures are cleanly cast, with very little flash (the standing firing figure had some flash between his arm and rifle, but it was easily removed). They are cast with tabbed bases, but also come with slotted stands to insert the tabbed bases into (you‘ll have to do a bit of trimming as the tabs are deeper than the slots). These are properly proportioned and well detailed figures, measuring 26M on the Barrett Scale, and making them easily used with other 28mm manufacturers. In looking at the picture on the Eureka website, I would have to say the photo does not do the quality of these figures justice.
The only true downside to the Eureka figures is the current cost. A year or two ago a gamer in the States could get the 28mm figures for under $1.50 each, but since the U.S. dollar went to crap, the cost of a 28mm figure is now $2.17 USD. Shipping to the States also felt the hit of the falling dollar, my particular order was $11.13 for the postage alone. However, Eureka is bringing the gamer a wide variety of high quality figures, many that are not being made by any other company. Many of these figures are a result of Eureka’s 100 and 300 Clubs, a service in which a gamer can have those “oddball” figures made (as I believe these Marines were).
Overall I would rate these figures as excellent and definitely would recommend Eureka’s products and service
Yanks Up the Yangtze Discussion group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/YangtzeYanks
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] |
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