Review: AB Broken Cannon Sets

In this review, we'll see AB Mexican-American War broken cannons. Why? Because they are basically British and French artillery. I'm not familiar with that war to any great extent, but I know the Mexican army was strongly influenced by the Napoleonic French army. I assume then the double tailed carriage is Mexican and the single tail gun is British.


The guns are a little large to scale, more closer to 20mm than 18mm that AB is known for. They work fine though since they're broken and not manned. The "British" guns have ramrods that are comically too large even for 20mm. I used a pair of clippers and clipped most of it away and left just a piece of it as debris.

All the guns for each side are in the same pose. Since these aren't used too often, no one will really notice this fact. The cannons are three pieces, one wheel needing to be glued on, the barrel needing to be glued to the carriage or could be put on the ground (which didn't occur to me until after it was painted!). The "British" guns also come with a half broken wheel, which adds detail because you can choose to add it or leave it.

A good solid set. I'm unaware of any company that makes shattered guns for using as markers. In retrospect, since these guns were $3 a piece, buying actual guns at $2.50 each might have been cheaper, but lacked the debris to add some detail. This set wouldn't work too well with the true 15mm scale, but if you're using larger figures such as AB and Old Glory, they fit nicely.

Continue reading other posts in March for more reviews of AB casualty sets for French and British figures.

Review: AB French Chasseur a Cheval Casualties

AB has come out with 3 different cavalry casualty sets. This review is for the only light cavalry one they produce. What isn't present on the left is the horse isn't dead, but wounded and flailing. One of the horse's rear legs is up in the air, which was a nice touch compared to just laying there dead. More puzzling is the rider which appears to have given up and is walking with his sabre at his side. The other set on the right is holding the reins as his horse appears to be getting back up slowly. Good figures, details and equipment were done correctly.


Here we have a dead chasseur and his horse. I rather like this one as it does convey a real sense of a casualty. The dead horse on the right could in a pinch be used as a cavalry casualty for my British or Spanish, whom AB does not yet have sets for.


Again, two more figures that I liked. The chasseur on the left seems to be recovering himself next to his horse. The wounded man on the right is clinching his chest. I think having him thrown back on his horse or completely hunched over would have been a better idea, but the figure is well sculpted and was a good idea in a cavalry casualty set because not everyone would be off their horse.

Over all, a good solid set with dynamic poses. One thing done here correctly that most manufacturers seem to forget is that covered shakos were common on campaign. Here we have some mixed in so everyone doesn't appear to be in parade dress on every occasion. I could have painted overalls or leather reinforcement to their pants, but didn't do so here. I used Games Workshop washes on the horses and Devlan Mud wash on the flesh. I would strongly recommend this set to anyone considering it.

Review: AB French Napoleonic Infantry Casualties

This review is of the 10 piece French Napoleonic infantry casualty set from AB. The casualties in this set seem to be a bit less dynamic than the British set and was disappointing in that respect only.


Here in this one we see two figures wounded and on their knees and a French voltiguer using his Charleville musket as a crutch. Fine figures. We have an Italian from the 5th line on the left, a line voltiguer in center and a Tirailleur Corse on the left. Since I have more exotic units in my army, I wanted casualty figures to represent them.


Here we have a dead line grenadier and a light infantry chasseur both on the ground. Of the set, the chasseur seemed to be my favorite.


Here we see a duplicate shot of the Coriscan, but also a voltigeur and line infantryman. The voltigeur is very much in the same pose as the subtle pose of the British infantryman with his hat falling off at the moment of impact from a round. The line infantryman I painted to match up with my 4th Polish line regiment.


Here we have another voltigeur and two dead fusiliers. All details are crisp and gear is present.

The set itself is excellent when compared to other companies. When compared to the British set, it is a clear second in dynamic poses. Still recommended over beads and tokens. I would have liked to have seen a couple of wounded officers and maybe a vivandiere distributing a drink of brandy to a wounded man. In any event, a great set that will suffice for their purpose.

Review: AB British Napoleonic Infantry Casualties

Too often people ignore less popular figures such as specialty or casualty figures because you cannot make units out of them. I wanted them for the purposes of displaying disorder or disruption. Some people use simply beads, tokens or whatever else is handy, but it does detract a little from the table. What I'm doing in this 4 part segment is show the various casualty and broken cannon produced by AB miniatures.

Since the Eureka website has photos of most of their figures except these, I figured I would save others the wonder of what these figures look like exactly. First up are the British infantry. The 3 man one to the right is my favorite here. Anthony Barton was creative in using what appears to be a private and NCO carry a wounded officer on a musket. The other two figures to the left I put together because they really did appear to work together. The wounded man is using his Brown Bess as a crutch and his buddy is carrying his equipment. All well sculpted and appear realistic.


Both figures here are walking wounded.


Here we have one man with what appears to be a leg injury and the other is more subtle in what is wrong with him. What isn't apparent in my amateur photography is that his hat has been knocked back on his head and he's leaning backwards a bit. It appears the sculptor wanted to capture the moment of impact when a bullet rips into someone.


Here we see more common types of casualties: the ones who probably aren't going to make it. The dead Highlander was a nice jewel to the 10 figure set by AB.

This set lived up to all the standards AB has established over the years. Flash around the edges of the figures were typically nonexistent and detail clear. I used Games Workshop's Devland Mud wash on the flesh to give some shading and it worked well. The same effect would be given by watering down Dark Flesh or Snakebite Leather paints as well.

Review: Sabol Designs Spanish Villages

Now a review after having handled the buildings and compared them to scale. A while back I purchased five American Civil War civilians that I eventually got around to painting but had no use for. In this setting, they fit quite well. The colors are not too bright and cartoonish as Games Workshop scenery tends to be.


All the buildings here blend so well and look like the belong together. One can imagine this well being a centerpiece of village life for socializing. I think I'll order some Hovels monks to paint up and put outside the church.


One can really admire the skill used here in the weathering on the buildings, the depth of the shadowing between tiles and in the windows.


A creative touch was he added a small fenced in area. A long time ago I purchased some 15mm pigs, again for which I had no use at the time, but figured I would one day down the road. Works well here and gives it a touch of life. It can also serve as an objective marker for a hungry unit.


My Spanish Grenadier regiment. The scale is all well, the walls not being too high or too low.


Maybe a little out of focus here, but one can see the overall size here and imagine it being a real town or city and not just a couple of cheap buildings tossed on to a table.


Here my well was put to good use. I like the ruined wall section, gives it a look of age and not appearing to have just been put up. The tower on this village gives it a somewhat menacing look.


Again notice here, the weathering and growth is obvious and very life-like.


This piece is the JR Buildings French estate piece and a Hovels' single home. A good piece for those small little hamlets that exist on maps like a suburb. More excellent weathering effect.

In conclusion, the painting is simply superb and spot on. Matt was able to follow directions while I let him have plenty of artistic license in arranging the pieces as he saw fit. All of the villages can be picked up by any building without fear of it ripping off the sturdy base of some unknown material. These pieces are a bit heavy, but in the end it all is so sturdy and solid that it helps lend to the overall quality.

I provided all of the buildings, a well, a fountain and water spigot that was used in the pig pen. The cost was $200, which included the return shipping. In the end, it was a fair price and more importantly, a quick turn around time. I cannot find anything I would improve upon as it all is beyond anything normally seen at this scale and even above. In the future I hope to be able to attend a regional convention and I know these pieces will really catch the eye.

If you're looking to have some masterly painted and built terrain, contact Matt. http://www.sabolstudios.com/

Old Glory Comes Through

A while back I had purchased a bag of 15mm British light dragoons in shakos. When the time came to consider painting them up and forming them into a unit, I could see through the bag the casting lines were very visible and the horses had more flash then they would normally have. Probably the result some old moulds or not clamped properly.

After making a comment, Old Glory sent a replacement bag at their own expense and I'm happy to say they made up for it. It does appear I asked for the wrong bag, as I checked what correspondence, I added a number and got peninsular dragoons in helmets. That's actually better, so my mistake worked out. A good number of my figures are Old Glory, so I am happy they went to the effort of keeping a customer. Hopefully they will be on my painting agenda in the next couple of months.

Here's the British Light Dragoons. Probably cannot tell from the picture, but they are in shakos and have a bit too much flash to get through without spending a solid hour at work.


I really needed Peninsula theatre dragoons and that's what I received. A bit more animated and in the helmet that I prefer them in. It all worked out.

Sabol Designs Spanish Village Finished

I was going to wait and do a review and final pictures once I had the buildings, and still will do so. In the mean time, I was given the final pictures for my approval. The turn around time shocked me, only two days!? Shameful! It took me at least that long to paint the buildings and Matt at Sabol Designs not only repaints them to match the previous work, but builds walls and other cool add ons as well.


This section works out well and I didn't even request it. I have 15mm scale pigs that I've used in a make shift pig sty. Now my pigs can wallow in their filth in style.


My Hovels fountain is present. The church piece was the least detailed model in my opinion, of the entire Hovels Spanish 15mm range. After I had originally painted it, it never felt satisfying. That's all changed now.




Here is my Hovels well. The JR Miniatures French estate works well in this setting as well.


Even with a different manufacturer, it all blends so cleanly.




I like the curve in the wall beside the estate home. Just enough room to squeeze in some defenders. These two pieces here can be used as one village/town or two smaller separate pieces. The tower you see to the right seems to be no longer in production.

Just stunning work. This level of skill is typically only ever applied to 28mm terrain due to the larger visibility that exists.