The Cavalry Are Coming From Armies in Plastic

Armies in Plastic (AIP) have recently announced that they will be releasing two new mounted sets in 54mm plastic. Set one will be figures based on their earlier American War of independence figures (scheduled for May) and the second set will be of the Bengal Lancers (scheduled for June). It is great to hear of the release of 54mm Plastic figures in general, but to see well detailed figures that serve these two often overlooked periods is explicable welcome. I will concentrate for now on the AWE set as it shall be released first and hope to follow up on the Indian Lancer set at a later date.

Each set will contain 5 horse poses (poses are the same for both sets, the AWI being in brown, the Lancers in black). Saddles and figures are molded separately, allowing for various combination of horses and riders. I think that it is also safe to say that this will allow the horse to be reused in future sets, a sign of even more exciting mounted sets to come. Proportions of horse to rider and mounted figure to the earlier dismounted seem correct. I include a picture of one of the new mounted AWI figures below with an infantry from the earlier AWI infantry set.

The AWI set will have 5 poses: Officer, Bugler, Trooper with sword raised facing front, trooper with sword slashing to the side and a trooper firing his carbine to the side.

I have to make one comment about another review I have read complaining that the Bugler is "a wasted pose". While respecting that each person is entitled to his opinion, I can't help but think that these are certainly remarks of a person who would find fault with a sunny day. Collectors have long moaned the lack of command figures in sets in addition to moaning the lack of cavalrymen 54mm. Here is a maker who is listening and trying to deliver the figures people want, not just doing what has been done a hundred times before. I think AIP is to be applauded for taking the plunge into Cavalry and I look forward to their future sets.