Review Pikeman from Altores Studio

[Nap]

Hi everybody

I like a challenge and one is to try and keep up with the explosion of releases from Altores Studio so its time to share another.

This time we have :

Here is the actual box art

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A PF member (Khorn) has also painted his version here:

http://www.planetfigure.com/threads/altores-studio-pikeman-17th-century.80762/

The ECW is a conflict that split family's and friends fighting for different sides in an often all too bloody battleground , new weapons came into use , cannon and siege warfare was used but one of the most famous soldiers is of course the pikeman .

Carrying a weapon 16' plus long but sometimes cut down fro ease of use , the pike had been in use for many years before including ancient times , the spanish used them of course and a body of pikeman was a lethal obstacle to cavalry .

Pikeman were strong , and dedicated soldiers , often proving themselves in battle at push of pike.

Some were fully armoured as in this release some were just given an outdated helmet , buff coats providing protection against sword cuts , with heavy leather gauntlets for protection against the pike shaft., some had swords of many types , some had just knives.

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Above figure made by Tony Barton ​

Books are of course plenty here are a few:

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Continued in next post

Nap

 

[Nap]

Lets get the Pikeman to the fore:

Details of the release:


Title: Pikeman 17th Century

Reference: F-75- 015

Scale: 1:24 or 75mm

Material: Gray Resin

No of pieces: 9

Sculptor: D Schvchuk

Box Art : Aleksandr Kataurov ( see figure in first part)


The model was as before packed in a good box with a colour pictures on the top , parts were packed in bags and sandwiched between foam layers for protection .

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Parts consist of the main figure , head , 2 arms , 2 parts to the pike , sash end, and a base

Prep...all parts have a small and easily removed casting plug or post ...a quick cut ( carefully done) sand and that's it.

You will need to fit the arms , head , sword, sah and pike to the figure.

On opening the box I initially thought the pike was broken into 2 , not so this allows the fit into the hand a lot easier .
My comment is that perhaps the pike might be better on a card backing as well.

On now to the pieces

Main Figure

Sculpted full body and leg with locating holes for the arms and the head , I like the way Altores looks at the location of parts ...or of course you could remove and fit without but why!!

Our soldier wears full armour so is very well protected , with breast plate and lower armour tassets perhaps he is a member of the London Trained Bands , sculpting is very sharp indeed with really good undercuts , nice rivet details m with the attachments being the same high quality.

At the neck we have fold down collar sitting well onto the armour , nice folds , across the chest we have the sash again very good work from the sculptor , at the waist there is a belt , good buckle work the sword frog is cast onto the model , with this and the sash having locating holes.

Trousers are very full and with good folds as expected , the sculptor clearly has done his research , moving down we have stockings held up at the knee by bows tied , the stocking has wrinkles , finally at the feet we have a fine pair of shoes again with bows .

Head

Wearing an older style helmet , very well formed with good rivet details around the lower edge , held on by a leather strap which has cheek scales on each side , again good undercuts are in evidence, at the back we have a plume holder so you could add one if you so wish using your chosen putty

Facial features are up to the previous quality of other releases and despite being under a helmet access to the eyes are good, hair is long and a little unkept and well defined

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Arms

Both are covered with the shoulder half moon on each , fit is simple using the pegs in situ . The left arm hangs down with the right holding the pike
Both arms have the correct folds in relation to the position and both have heavy gauntlets on , good work on the finger definition.



Sash

Fitting accurately into the main figure , a part full of folds showing good knowledge of the material used , with a fringe at the ends

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Weapons

The sword is a nice representation of what was just a simple sword , rank and file issue , nice shaping on the hilt, the grip is ringed all the way up with a pommel at the top. , again fit is simple to the main resin.

The pike consist of 2 pieces an lower and an upper , easy to locate into the hand itself , the end is a good shape , some might want to replace the shaft with a scale brass rod instead.



Base

A simple square , textured , with cutouts for the feet supports , most will I feel not use this or incorporate it within a larger base work.




Couple more views of the box art .....

Final Thoughts

A good subject with plenty of painting options not only in the ECW itself , conversion potential again is an option , perhaps adding equipt or maybe a plume.

As with previous releases a good sculptor in action here , nice box art , casting si a high quality bringing out the fine details.

Recommended

For details on both the individuals and double set and indeed more from them :

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.altores.com

They are also a member of Facebook and the forum here on PF

Thanks to for the review piece

Also to you all for looking in ...ENJOY the modelling

Nap

 

[Viking Bob]

Well researched Kev, nice to see ECW figures. The casting look's very well done

 

[Nap]

Well researched Kev, nice to see ECW figures. The casting look's very well done

It is indeed mate , casting is very good .

Thanks for commenting

Nap

 

[swralph]

Thanks for sharing another great review Nap.

 

[Richard Baxter]

Interesting that this is not presented as a British Civil War figure by the manufacturer (a significant part of this conflict took place in Scotland and Ireland, although the English battles get most of the attention), although as pointed out it does excellent duty for that conflict. It would do equally well as a soldier from other West European armies of the period.

 

[Wings5797]

Super review Kevin.
Again a brilliant sack full of information.
Many thanks Mate.
Keith

 

[alamac]

Altores are producing some magnificent figures at the moment , great subject matter
Cheers
Al

 

[franceso sbarile]

thanks for sharing this valuable review Nap, casting looks so good and if the subject is quite known it looks very actractive with a lot of different possible regiments to be paint.
Thanks again
Francesco

 

[Nap]

Hi Guys

Thanks for comments

Ralph...no problem always nice to have you look

Richard..You are right this has so many conversion opportunities of virtually all nations in the period

Keith...pleasure mate glad you enjoyed it with the info sometimes hard to stop!

Al..Thanks to you ..lots more great releases to follow I am sure !

Francesco ...appreciate your response , believe me that casting is good !

Thanks everyone

Happy painting or sculpting

Nap

 

[maui]

Very good!

Maurizio

 

[Tony Barton]

Since one of my 1/6th figures appears in the OP, perhaps I might make a couple of remarks.

Most illustrators, and regrettably some museum diplays , show the tasset plates with the right one( the wearer's right ) over the left. It should of course be the other way round, since the pikeman fights with his left towards the enemy, and if the left plate overlaps the right, it stops anything nasty sliding into the gap.... you probably can't do much about that with the casting as it is.

That's not a mortuary sword, sorry. A mortuary is a basket hilted cavalry broadsword, characteristically English. What you have here is just a simple sword., typical of the cheaper issue to rank and file : the sculptor has got it right.

Where he has wandered a bit is in the shoulder wings : they were part of the doublet or coat, and normally of the same fabric , and thus colour, as the rest of the coat. Although they could be rather elaborate on expensive garment, that was mostly back in 1600, whereas the style here is more of the 1630s or possibly 1640s.Among common soldiers they would be pretty plain, just a flat doubled strip of cloth sewn into the shoulder seam.
So perhaps repaint them green to match the coat ?

Otherwise a very fine figure, very well painted.

 

[Nap]

Hi Tony

Always good to have you commenting

My apologies thought I had credited you ...I will change the post ref this and sword .

Thank you for posting your great information ...appreciate that .

Nap