Flags of War - Border Wars Miniatures review Steve Wood reviews some fine figures from Flags of War. Having already recruited some of Flags of War’s (FoW) Fighting Irish for my late-medieval collection, I was keen to review some of the latest releases from the same manufacturer. Like the Irish, these new figures come from FoW’s Border Wars range, which focuses on the various English-Scottish ‘Reiver’ conflicts of the 17th Century. The first of the two packs for review is BW28 March Warden & Men (Dismounted). The three figures (seen right) are clearly dismounted versions of the mounted figures already available from Flags of War. They are crisply cast, and, although their dress is clearly designed for Elizabethan England, they would also make a useful Officer set for their Spanish counterparts. Wargames Atlantic Conquistadors spring to mind, particularly if the standard was replaced with an appropriate flag. The second pack (BW27 Queen’s Envoy Party - mounted - & Bishop) contains four mounted figures, with the Bishop (seen below) also being duplicated on foot. Once again, the casting is excellent, and there was little or no flash to clean off, with mould lines so fine as to be almost invisible. A quick scrape would be all that is required to get these models ready for priming. The figures themselves are very characterful, and, on first glance, seemed strangely familiar (more on that later)! The chap on the donkey, loaded down with equipment and caskets, looks particularly eye-cathcing. As with the March Warden & Men - whilst clearly wearing Elizabethan dress - they would make excellent officers for many of the European armies of the era - again, particularly the Spanish. These figures are, of course, inspired by the second series of the ̓80s TV comedy Blackadder. Who else would Queenie send to sort out the troublesome Border Reivers?! The Bishop is the spitting image of the babyeating Bishop of Bath and Wells character, who threatened to despatch Blackadder using a redhot poker! There’s an existing Queen’s Envoy Party available, with the three recognisable characters on foot, which is why only the Bishop has both options in the set. While designed with Flags of Wars’ skirmish game Border Wars in mind - in which having mounted and dismounted versions of the same models is very useful - these eight figures could be used in any wargame set in the 16th Century, across several different borders. Their extremely well-sculpted, well-cast, and characterful nature mean they will be a welcome addition to many gamers’ collections. Painting the bish When it came to painting the Flags of War Bishop, I initially went Googling to pull up images of Elizabethanera bishops. However, it soon became clear
