Plastic Soldier Review - A Call To Arms Zulus

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A Call To Arms

Set 56

Zulus

All figures are supplied unpainted (Numbers of each pose in brackets)

Stats

Date Released	2001
Contents	32 figures
Poses	8 poses
Material	Plastic (Medium Consistency)
Colours	Light Tan

Average Height

22 mm (= 1.58 m)

Review

By the time this set was released, A Call To Arms had already released eight Zulu figures in 1:32 scale, and a further four have since appeared, so clearly they like their Zulus. It was therefore no surprise to see this set of scaled down warriors.

The figures are superb, armed with a mixture of stabbing spears and knobkerrys (clubs), plus a handful of rifles that would have been obtained either from European traders or perhaps from some unfortunate British soldier. Clothing is of course minimal, but the loincloths and headgear are correctly sculpted, though it is slightly disappointing that no chieftain is included as they would have had a more magnificent headdress.

The poses are excellent, but the shields present something of a problem. On the 1:32 figures, the shields fixed onto a peg on the warrior's hand, and were very secure. No attempt has been made to duplicate that here, so there is nothing to hold the shields to any figure, making gluing the only option. As a result, they may not stand up well to rough handling. However, this does mean there is no compromise like the Esci figures had, where the shields were secure but had a gaping hole in the middle of each one.

In short, an excellent set. Eight poses is sometimes quoted as the minimum for a decent infantry set, but each one is beautifully sculpted. Put them together in large numbers to recreate one of the much-feared Zulu impis.

Ratings

Historical Accuracy	10
Pose Quality	10
Pose Number	5
Sculpting	9
Mould	10