Martin Philpott
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2015
- Messages
- 200
Model Cellar 75mm Resin Figure – Last Stand at Gandamak #3
Catalogue Ref: MC75007.
Sculptor: Maurice Corry.
Box Art: Dave Maddox.
Price: $39 USD.
Availability: Direct from Model Cellar – http://modelcellar.com/
Forward.
Much has been written and documented regarding the First Afghan War and the subsequent events that led to what is known as The Last Stand of Gandamak, as a result I will keep this forward brief but strongly suggest for those unfamiliar with these horrific events there is much to be learnt from the vast information available in books and on the internet.
The statistics make for hard reading, at the commencement of the forced withdrawal from Kabul some 4,500 British and Indian troops along with an estimated 12,000 civilians including women, children and servants began what they assumed would be a safe passage to India along with the Shana Shuja tribespeople. Armed predominantly with just a very limited amount of Brown Bess Musket and bayonet they set off on the 6th January 1842 with a reassurance of safe passage against an estimated 30,000 Afghan and Ghilzai tribesman armed with swords and Jezail long barrelled Muskets.
By the time Gandamak was reached on the morning of 13th January 1842 just 20 Officers and 45 soldiers (mostly 44th Foot) were left. Many had perished en route in the cold, unprotected from the harsh elements and brutal terrain their numbers quickly dwindled. Many more starved or were murdered following constant attacks from the Afghans.
Surrounded on a hill top in snow and freezing conditions the Afghans deceived the remaining soldiers and assured them no harm would come to them. However snipers began picking the men off one by one and after a series of charges by the Afghans Captain Sourter wrapped the regimental colours around his body and was taken prisoner with just two or three others. The remainder were either shot or cut down with only six mounted Officers escaping. Of those six five were quickly caught and murdered and only the one survived making it to safety. The Afghans, the weather and the terrain had shown no mercy, the British and Indian forces had been wiped out.
Introduction.
This is my first review of a Model Cellar figure, everything I have seen and heard of the company indicates a strong and loyal following for their extensive and diverse range which includes figures, busts, dioramas and accessories with a special emphasis on subjects from The Great War 1914-1918.
Regarded by many as some of the best resin products available I was a tad excited to be given this opportunity. As indicated in the title this is currently the third release in the series of figures from Model Cellar which portray the events of the Last Stand at Gandamak. The series began with the very well received MC75001 Captain Souter figure and MC75003 44th Infantry Foot Solider figure, both of these can be seen in the reference photos below.
To my knowledge it is the intention of Model Cellar to produce a minimum of five figures that will complete this set, hopefully more news on that will follow this review but I’m sure you will agree more of the same to complement this third release would be most welcome.
First Impressions.
The kit consists of 7 pieces, main body, head, left and right arms, left and right boots and the Musket, all of the parts are cast in creamy yellow colour resin. My review sample was delivered safe and sound in A1 condition packaged inside a small cardboard box, no art work included but I did source this from the company website.
Inside the box and the individual parts were packaged together safely in a clear plastic re-sealable bag. I found no blemishes on any of the parts, the castings on first inspection looked very clean indeed. No painting instructions included but there is reference material online that can help you.
The Figure.
Head
With bandage wrapped around the forehead and tied in a knot at the back this head holds a great deal of character and beautiful detail. The face certainly tells a story with features that match the sheer desperation it portrays. Eyes, ears, hair, nose mouth and moustache have all been beautifully sculpted adding real quality to the figure. All nice and sharp it should look fantastic painted as the box art shows.
Main body
Well there is certainly a whole heap of glorious detail to be admired here. The uniform looks stunning starting with the traditional red tunic where the braiding and buttons contrast wonderfully. The sash which carries the regimental badge can just be seen as it carries across the front of the tunic and over the right shoulder, the 44th insignia clear to see.
Over the tunic is worn the traditional Afghan Posheen, that fur lined edging looks awesome and is going to show up a treat. The final top layers of greatcoat and shoulder cape are equally well detailed both back and front with buttons, button holes and the material of each looking very convincing in appearance.
Lastly the trousers while being plain and simple have the accurate detailing required to add to the authentic appeal of this figure.
Left and right boots
The attention to detail continues here , the creased and ruffled look of the garter material around the trouser leg looking really nice while there is well defined detail of the boots heel and sole. Only minimal clean up again with the removal of the very small casting lugs. The test fit I performed of the legs to the main body was a nice match.
Left and right arms
The left arm has the hand included, the hand is possibly just a tad soft but can easily be made sharper with just a little attention if you so desire. The arm itself has the sleeve of the greatcoat covering it with the distinctive turned cuff which is well defined. The right arm is exactly the same except for the fact it is purely the arm, the hand has been moulded onto the Musket it holds as you will see later in the review. Beautifully clean casting ensures all but the very minimal of clean up required and the test fit was exceptional.
Musket
My research tells me that almost certainly the type of Musket used at Gandamak would have been the East India Company (EIC) Flintlock Musket Baker Pattern. It would appear from the reference photo below that the kit offering is accurately portrayed and has enough detailing about it to show a good representation.
(Photo below) The correct Musket is the Baker Pattern shown at the bottom of this photo.
Very little in the way of clean-up will be required and although there was a small amount of warping this will very easily be rectified by way of placing the part in warm water for a short time.
Once all of that wonderful wood and metal has been highlighted the Musket will look fabulous and will obviously become a real feature of the finished piece. The figures right hand is moulded onto the Musket and while from the photo the detail looks a tiny bit soft this can easily be made sharper and will nonetheless look perfectly acceptable once painted.
Synopsis.
While in its own right this is a nice offering from the Model Cellar, clearly for anyone who has the previous releases from this set this latest addition is going to be welcome news indeed. As we have seen from the artwork the figure would look nice enough displayed on its own but imagine the impact it would create as a vignette posed with the Captain Souter and 44th Foot figures, now that really would make for a wonderful project.
Quality was excellent throughout with some of the cleanest casting I have seen, the price offers good value for money and the subject choice should prove popular, therefore I am happy indeed to award a highly recommended award in this instance. As mentioned at the beginning this has been my first review of a Model Cellar figure, I have been left mighty impressed and will definitely be looking at the rest of their range.
My sincere thanks to the Model Cellar for this review sample and the opportunity. For more information on other items within their range please follow the link I have included below for the company website.
Martin Philpott.
Model Cellar Media:
Website: http://modelcellar.com/
Catalogue Ref: MC75007.
Sculptor: Maurice Corry.
Box Art: Dave Maddox.
Price: $39 USD.
Availability: Direct from Model Cellar – http://modelcellar.com/
Forward.
Much has been written and documented regarding the First Afghan War and the subsequent events that led to what is known as The Last Stand of Gandamak, as a result I will keep this forward brief but strongly suggest for those unfamiliar with these horrific events there is much to be learnt from the vast information available in books and on the internet.
The statistics make for hard reading, at the commencement of the forced withdrawal from Kabul some 4,500 British and Indian troops along with an estimated 12,000 civilians including women, children and servants began what they assumed would be a safe passage to India along with the Shana Shuja tribespeople. Armed predominantly with just a very limited amount of Brown Bess Musket and bayonet they set off on the 6th January 1842 with a reassurance of safe passage against an estimated 30,000 Afghan and Ghilzai tribesman armed with swords and Jezail long barrelled Muskets.
By the time Gandamak was reached on the morning of 13th January 1842 just 20 Officers and 45 soldiers (mostly 44th Foot) were left. Many had perished en route in the cold, unprotected from the harsh elements and brutal terrain their numbers quickly dwindled. Many more starved or were murdered following constant attacks from the Afghans.
Surrounded on a hill top in snow and freezing conditions the Afghans deceived the remaining soldiers and assured them no harm would come to them. However snipers began picking the men off one by one and after a series of charges by the Afghans Captain Sourter wrapped the regimental colours around his body and was taken prisoner with just two or three others. The remainder were either shot or cut down with only six mounted Officers escaping. Of those six five were quickly caught and murdered and only the one survived making it to safety. The Afghans, the weather and the terrain had shown no mercy, the British and Indian forces had been wiped out.
Introduction.
This is my first review of a Model Cellar figure, everything I have seen and heard of the company indicates a strong and loyal following for their extensive and diverse range which includes figures, busts, dioramas and accessories with a special emphasis on subjects from The Great War 1914-1918.
Regarded by many as some of the best resin products available I was a tad excited to be given this opportunity. As indicated in the title this is currently the third release in the series of figures from Model Cellar which portray the events of the Last Stand at Gandamak. The series began with the very well received MC75001 Captain Souter figure and MC75003 44th Infantry Foot Solider figure, both of these can be seen in the reference photos below.
To my knowledge it is the intention of Model Cellar to produce a minimum of five figures that will complete this set, hopefully more news on that will follow this review but I’m sure you will agree more of the same to complement this third release would be most welcome.
First Impressions.
The kit consists of 7 pieces, main body, head, left and right arms, left and right boots and the Musket, all of the parts are cast in creamy yellow colour resin. My review sample was delivered safe and sound in A1 condition packaged inside a small cardboard box, no art work included but I did source this from the company website.
Inside the box and the individual parts were packaged together safely in a clear plastic re-sealable bag. I found no blemishes on any of the parts, the castings on first inspection looked very clean indeed. No painting instructions included but there is reference material online that can help you.
The Figure.
Head
With bandage wrapped around the forehead and tied in a knot at the back this head holds a great deal of character and beautiful detail. The face certainly tells a story with features that match the sheer desperation it portrays. Eyes, ears, hair, nose mouth and moustache have all been beautifully sculpted adding real quality to the figure. All nice and sharp it should look fantastic painted as the box art shows.
Main body
Well there is certainly a whole heap of glorious detail to be admired here. The uniform looks stunning starting with the traditional red tunic where the braiding and buttons contrast wonderfully. The sash which carries the regimental badge can just be seen as it carries across the front of the tunic and over the right shoulder, the 44th insignia clear to see.
Over the tunic is worn the traditional Afghan Posheen, that fur lined edging looks awesome and is going to show up a treat. The final top layers of greatcoat and shoulder cape are equally well detailed both back and front with buttons, button holes and the material of each looking very convincing in appearance.
Lastly the trousers while being plain and simple have the accurate detailing required to add to the authentic appeal of this figure.
Left and right boots
The attention to detail continues here , the creased and ruffled look of the garter material around the trouser leg looking really nice while there is well defined detail of the boots heel and sole. Only minimal clean up again with the removal of the very small casting lugs. The test fit I performed of the legs to the main body was a nice match.
Left and right arms
The left arm has the hand included, the hand is possibly just a tad soft but can easily be made sharper with just a little attention if you so desire. The arm itself has the sleeve of the greatcoat covering it with the distinctive turned cuff which is well defined. The right arm is exactly the same except for the fact it is purely the arm, the hand has been moulded onto the Musket it holds as you will see later in the review. Beautifully clean casting ensures all but the very minimal of clean up required and the test fit was exceptional.
Musket
My research tells me that almost certainly the type of Musket used at Gandamak would have been the East India Company (EIC) Flintlock Musket Baker Pattern. It would appear from the reference photo below that the kit offering is accurately portrayed and has enough detailing about it to show a good representation.
(Photo below) The correct Musket is the Baker Pattern shown at the bottom of this photo.
Very little in the way of clean-up will be required and although there was a small amount of warping this will very easily be rectified by way of placing the part in warm water for a short time.
Once all of that wonderful wood and metal has been highlighted the Musket will look fabulous and will obviously become a real feature of the finished piece. The figures right hand is moulded onto the Musket and while from the photo the detail looks a tiny bit soft this can easily be made sharper and will nonetheless look perfectly acceptable once painted.
Synopsis.
While in its own right this is a nice offering from the Model Cellar, clearly for anyone who has the previous releases from this set this latest addition is going to be welcome news indeed. As we have seen from the artwork the figure would look nice enough displayed on its own but imagine the impact it would create as a vignette posed with the Captain Souter and 44th Foot figures, now that really would make for a wonderful project.
Quality was excellent throughout with some of the cleanest casting I have seen, the price offers good value for money and the subject choice should prove popular, therefore I am happy indeed to award a highly recommended award in this instance. As mentioned at the beginning this has been my first review of a Model Cellar figure, I have been left mighty impressed and will definitely be looking at the rest of their range.
My sincere thanks to the Model Cellar for this review sample and the opportunity. For more information on other items within their range please follow the link I have included below for the company website.
Martin Philpott.
Model Cellar Media:
Website: http://modelcellar.com/