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Reviews of Old Glory 25mm Miniatures

Tim Donovan on Old Glory Irish

Old Glory will give you two options and some extras. First they cover the Irish for the War of the Roses but the Irish changed little from say 1100 -1500 and are perfectly portrayed here. These figures are way above the average OG in quality while still retaining their typical variety and animation.

Later Irish

WOR-19 Irish Kerns --- 30 beautiful figures, barefoot, short tunics, no cloaks, oval wicker shields covered with leather, you provide the javelins. I have 96 painted expertly in saffron tunics' dubbed the "fabio" brigade these figures are some of OG's best.

WOR-20 Irish Galloglaich -- 30 big nasty axe wielding figures in chainmail and heavy leather padding axes. Fit the bill for Galloglaich perfectly. I fear these come in a little later than your period (Early Irish) but could do as Ostmen with little imagination.

WOR-21 Irish Cavalry -- 10 figures, 7 should be bearded with nasal helms, look like fuzzy faced Normans and we use for mounted Saxon Huscarls, Viking raiders and other mounted dark ages infantry. The helm has a slight curve to its bottom, once again I fear these come in a little later than your period but could do as Leaders, mounted Ostmen or very rich Irish allies for the Anglo-Normans.

Early Irish Option

These are new figures for the Arthurian period but would work fine for Kern and Bonnachts for your period.

PAA-12 Irish Upper Class warriors -- Once again 30 barefoot, short tunics, with cloaks, oval wicker shields covered with leather, you provide the javelins. Not as good as the WOR but coupled with PAA 13 gives the greatest variety of all ranges and manufacturers.

PAA-13 Irish Lower Class warriors -- Not as good as the Upper class warriors, typical OG quality but good variety of bare chested, trews, tunics and tunic cloak combinations that give good variety for the swarms of Kern.

Also Old Glory Vikings are excellent and make for the best Ostmen from any manufacturer. Concentrate on DA-01 (Huscarls w/Axe) with DA-07 (Saxon Carls) only if greater variety is needed.

Tim Donovan on OG 100YW Figures

I had not planned on jumping into this era so soon but with the release of this figure line by Old Glory I just had to place an order. I justified buying by adhering to the "common knowledge" that Old Glory figure quality sometimes declines from the initial release, often suffering from too much flash and blurring detail. I do not know the casting process but guess this is from the molds getting old ?

Anyway, I am planning a campaign centered around fighting the Wars of the Edward's or the "Bruces Wars" to include the Feudal English, Scots Common, Scots Isles, Anglo-Irish, Welsh and my own favorite Medieval Irish circa 1290-1320. My current collection centers about 300 years earlier in the same lands with about 1200 Vikings, Saxons, Scots, Irish, Normans and Welsh. I mix Old Glory, Foundry, and Gripping Beast and can say I am totally impartial in comparing them having been most often impressed and occasionally disappointed by all three. Here is what I think of the following with my own grading scale. Excuse my lack of proper terminology for all the equipage.

A Superlative figures, I highly recommend buying.
B Good figures, I confidently recommend as most will agree they do their job well.
C Average figures, will work but go elsewhere if possible.
D Use only if there is no alternative.
F Scrap metal, melt down and sell.

HCW-1 English Longbows: 30 figures, 6 different action poses with variation in heads and helms and armor to give almost 30 unique figures. Most are in tunic with close fitting leggings, high boots, and bare-headed and firing. There are 10 in aketon (padded leather) with helm and chain coif around the neck. My personal favorite three figures giving the standard 2 finger "up yours" classic. Great animation, detail and variety. Rating A+

HCW-3 Mounted English Knights: 10 figures, 5 poses, variable hands and weapons, heater shields. Riders have chain and plate, most in open "bascinet" helms, 2 with "duck bill" helms. face detail is a little scant and may be hard to paint. Lances are huge, thick, tapered; look great as do the new oversize horses. Horses are not barded but have heavy saddles and fittings, 5 with small pieces of plate on their snouts, however they are standing not charging, would like a little more animation. Overall rating B

HCW-5 Mounted Hobilar: 10 figures, 5 poses, heater shields. Riders have aketon and conical helms 2 with small round helms. Once again face detail is a little scant and may be hard to paint. Horses are not barded and smaller but more animated. Overall rating B.

HCW-6 Dismounted Hobilar: 30 figures, 4 poses, heater or small target shields. All thirty are in aketon (padded leather) with helm and chain coif around the neck, half have sword others divided between a glaive and mallet. Once again face detail is a little scant and may be hard to paint. Overall rating B.

HCW-6 Dismounted Command: 22 figures, 11 poses, heater shields. Most in plate, 4 in very thick aketon and 2 trumpeters. Mix of bascinet and open or closed duck bill helms, with axes, swords, maces, pick awls (nasty long pointed mace) Most are nice with a few excellent figures, a mix of a few A and mainly B, overall B+.

HCW-10 Mounted English Command: 10 figures, 5 poses, variable hands and small melee weapons, heater shields, 2 unarmored hooded trumpeters. Plate and chain, 6 figures in open bascinet helms 2 with duck bill helms. Most of the horses, except 2 for the trumpeters, are barded with slight differences in pose but all are standing. Nothing makes them stand out as commanders, very much like standard knights but with barded horses. Overall rating B.

HCW-9 English Personalities. WOW! 6 figures, 6 poses, variable hands and weapons, lances or melee, heater shields, 4 wild decorated kettle helms, one with crown, one with bascinet, horses are barded. True lordly commanders, Rating A+.

HCW- 24 Scottish Mounted Knights Very similar HCW3, English knights, 2 A+ figures with morningstars, others B, overall B.

HCW -27 Scots Highlanders and Isleman. Real variable quality, most are ribaulds, unarmored in kilt and cloak with sword or axe, legs are horribly chunky. I was expecting some Galloglaich heavies in aketon with conical helm and large axe while Barker of DBM said highlanders were typically archers in chain with sword or axe. These are definitely the scruffs, a disappointing D-. For tough Islemen go with Irish Galloglaich (rating A) from the WOTR range, big nasties in aketon and chain with big nasty axes while Foundry and Gripping Beast Scots and Picts make much better unarmored "highlanders."

Overall I am happy with the figures. I did have higher expectations based on the superlative WOTR figures I had bought impulsively at "Fall In" 2 years ago. I have the WOTR Irish horse, Bonnachts and Galloglaich and Scottish Pike and rate all of those at A+ with the Welsh a solid B and will stick with them for the Scots Common, Scots Isles, and Irish.

Since I will be building Feudal English and Anglo-Irish armies and not a true 100YW army I will also most likely use the Old Glory Crusader range Heavy Spear and Heavy Crossbow for the majority of the English and Anglo-Irish foot for this slightly earlier era while using the HYW Mounted and Foot Command, Longbow, Knights and both of the Hobilars to give the army a more high medieval look. The local gaming store had a sale on Foundry 100YW figures and Old Glory is definely better than these dated models.

Overall B, standing for good but could have been better.

Eric Lindberg on Old Glory 25mm Samurai

I have a large collection of Old Glory's 25mm Samurai. Along with Foundry, I strongly recommend Old Glory's lines. They usually sell figures inexpensively (well, relatively so) in bags of 30 infantry or 10 cavalry. The Samurai have plenty of variation between figures, usually with five or six different poses per bag. Though I haven't bought them (yet), the recently released Renaissance line looks to be of similar quality. Best of all, there is little difference in size between Old Glory and Foundry.

KennyK on 25mm Old Glory

The bags have a variety of poses. The Dark ages line has a good selection in each bag, about 10 poses. However, be a little wary of some of the newer ranges. These are called "phase 10" and, although I love Old Glory, they have far fewer poses. For example, my Greek Light Infantry had a total of 3 poses and I have been told that the Velites contain only 1. I own all of the Crusaders bags, and the Viking bags, and most of the Norman bags and could not be happier.

Old Glory 25mm Assyrians and NKE Pharaoh

Courtesy of Craig Einhorn at Pharoah's Guard, here are scans of selected Old Glory 25mm Assyrians and an NKE Pharoah:

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Last Updated: Oct. 20, 2001

Comments, suggested additions, and/or critiques welcome. Direct them to Chris Brantley at brant@erols.com.