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Lancashire Games
25mm Dacians
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I better start by stating that I am no expert on the Ancient periods. My flirtation with these periods ended with the publication of the WRG 6th Edition, which for me was an edition too far. However I was pleased to receive this selection of new releases for review from the prolific moulds of Lancashire Games.
The Dacians occupied the area of the Balkans that we now know as Rumania. They were of the same racial and cultural stock as the Thracians, who had played so important a part in the warfare of ancient Greece and Macedon. Far from being barbarians the Dacians had an advanced and cultured society based on trade, agriculture and metal working, and had developed a number of strongly fortified cities. it was these that provided the main defence against the Roman invasions in the early 2nd century.
Each civilization seems to have a weapon that is seen as strangely their own. The English longbow, the Highland Claidheah- mor, the Japanese katana. For the Dacians it was the "falx", a vicious two handed cutting weapon, the heavy curved blade fixed to a wooden handle and wielded by tough, energetic mountainmen could easily hew limb and heads from the unhappy enemy.
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The figures sent for review contain the usual mix of poses and dress provided by Lancashire Games, enabling the wargamer or diorama maker to ring the changes in their units, making non regular units look far , far more realistic. All the models are of the solid chunky style that marks out Lancashire Games figures (obviously based on the handsome and muscular frames of typical Northerners). The detail is good and deeply cut, if not as finely defined as on much more expensive models, but then these are figures for the average wargamer seeking to build good looking armies at a decent cost.
If I have to point out a fault it is that the casting on some of the bases was faulty, making it difficult to get the figures to stand alone, and in one case that part of a foot was missing. But really these are minor grievances.
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The models themselves depict spear or javelin men in the act of casting their weapons, and a very nice mix they make. There are also a whole range of falx men, wielding their favoured weapons in a variety of different poses. These men are also in a range of dress or undress, and I am sure that when painted these will make an effective and fearsome unit.
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There are also command figures, with an officer and a horn player, as well as a choice of Dragon Standard to be carried by one of the models. Shields are also available for the spearsmen, and are very nicely detailed, if a little thickly cast and heavy which may cause some problems in gluing them in place.
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All in all another excellent range from Lancashire Games and a welcome addition for the ancient gamer.
JOS 17/8/02
