Vendel Miniatures

28mm Macedonian Command

Painted and sculpted by Colin Patten

Vendel are small company specializing in both historical and fantasy ranges. Under review here is a pack of figures from their Macedonian range.
M26 Phalangite Command comprising Officers, standard bearers and supernumeraries and is priced at £6.50. For this you get 8 figures loosely comprising of two officers, two standard bearers a trumpeter, and three of the supernumeraries. Included are two standard poles and four shields.

First impressions are good, the figures are nicely detailed and cleanly cast, necessitating only a cursory cleaning up with a craft knife and needle files. They were then glued onto bottle tops using PVA. I find this the best way to handle figures during the painting process. Next a thinned wash of Miniature Paints Black Primer was applied to lift the detail for digital imaging as shown in the images below.

Starting (from left to right) with the first group we have one of the supernumeraries holding a small flag. There is not really much to say and my only complaint about this figure, apart from the fact he would look a little odd in a Phalanx, is his rather stubby feet. Next we have one of the standard bearers to which I have attached one of the standard poles. Apart from the seemingly standard mini feet, he is a fairly good sculpture, grasping his sword hilt with his left hand. His shield, already embossed with a Macedonian Star to ease painting, is cast onto his back. Moving onto the officer, he is drawing his sword while moving forward rather odd, uncomfortable looking, manner. Nevertheless, he looks suitably impressive to lead any Phalanx. Finally in this image we have another supernumerary. Although he looks a bit glum, with his arms crossed tightly across his chest, a closer look at his face reveals a nicely detailed fierce snarl, just the attitude needed to fight the Persian hordes!

Kicking off the next group we have another supernumerary, this time holding a staff topped off with a hand, a nice addition to any command group. Moving onto the officer, with his sword already drawn he is adopting a suitably dramatic pose. Eager for action, he is clearly pointing the way to the enemy. The next figure is my favorite from this pack. The second standard bearer again comes with cast on shield with the Macedonian Star already detailed. With his long flowing cloak and shield resting on the ground his pose is immediately reminiscent of the style found in Greek frieze or pottery art. The final figure is the only musician in the pack. Blowing a horn his puffed up cheeks are another example of the details to be found on these figures.

Overall there are a few design features common to all figures in the Vendel ranges. The figures are rather stocky, though still measuring 28mm from base of foot to eye line. They also tend to be designed in a fashion that can only be described as 'smooth', for instance cloth folds are under emphasized. If you are still unsure what I am getting at compare them with other manufacturers where folds and lines are usually over emphasized to add depth. This can actually work to the advantage of the painter, as I will discuss in more depth next time when I look at the Persian Command. They are perhaps not the most striking figures on the market, but are very competitively priced and represent excellent value for money.

Vendel Miniatures5 Fen Road, Pakenham,
Bury Saint Edmund,
England IP32 2LT
http://www.vendelminiatures.co.uk/

Martin Robson

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