L to R: The Assault Group Swedish Pikeman, Warlord Games, Swedish pikeman, Renegade ECW Pikeman
Despite my better judgement (I really don't need to start another period) I recently bought a box of Warlord Games Thirty Years War Swedish. I first became interested in this period when I bought some of the Revell 1/72 figures. I then started to buy some 20mm metals to gain extra troop types but gave up on the whole project eventually. It was only when the beautiful Renegade ECW figures appeared that I started to paint 28mm 17th century figures.
Given my Swedish connections it was inevitable that I should return to the Thirty Years War at some point and a year or so ago I bought some of the amazingly comprehensive The Assault Group range which are also sculpted by Nick Collier who did such a great job on the Renegade figures. However, I don't really like them because they are a throw-back anatomy wise with, to my mind, overly large heads.
When the Warlord figures came out I thought they were lovely and anatomically excvellent but by this point I'd painted two big 48 man ECW regiments using Renegade figures and realised that the two ranges were completely incompatible. The new Warlord Thirty Years War figures use their ECW sprues with a few metal bits (particularly helmets). Now fashions for the Thirty Years War and the ECW were not the same but I guess they are close enough and they are packaged beautifully.
My biggest problem with the Warlord box (apart from the fact that you really need to buy seperate metal pikemen in tassets) is the number of components in the box and the fact that there are no instructions as to which arms produce which pose (something the Perries tell you, in contrast). So I have been put off starting them as they aren't that easy to work out. Fortunately several of the pikemen are one piece castings (except for the helmet) so it is simple to compare them to TAG and Renegade figures. I, personally, don't think they are compatible but the latest TAG command figures on TMP look a little better anatomy wise. Renegade are beefier than Warlord but could work in the same unit.
I'm due to visit Stockholm next month so, no doubt will get all enthused about the Thirty Years War again!
