Sunday 23 September 2012

Foundry Mercenary Fire Team

I have yet more unseen Foundry goodness for you as I continue to plough my way through their range of 28mm scale Street Violence figures. This time I'm reviewing set SV014 Mercenary Fire Team. This is a team of French mercenaries, but don't let that put you off. I'm sure these aren't "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" to quote Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson! I have copied the colour scheme from the Foundry website, which is clearly very Gallic-influenced, and I must admit, it would not have been my first choice of a colour scheme. I'd have gone for more earthy-looking tones but seeing as they are meant to be French mercenaries, (well according to the names and colour scheme given to them by Foundry) this colour scheme is spot on.
We start off at the far left with Emil Dussolier, who is armed with a 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5A3 Sub-Machine Gun. Note that this figure is left-handed, which is unusual in miniature figures. Also, note the hand grenade on the right side of his belt.
To his left is Javier Japrisot and he is armed with a 5.56mm Steyr AUG Assault Carbine. The carbine has a much shorter barrel than the rifle. Javier is also equipped with a hand grenade. He is the person I have nominated as team leader. To be honest, you could choose any one of this team as the leader.
In the centre of the group is "Mr. Muscles" aka Jean-Pierre Monthieux. He has removed his T-shirt in order to show off his rippling muscles (poser!) and he is the heavy weapons trooper of the team. He wields a 5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) with a long belt of ammo wrapped around his torso. He also carries a 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5KA5 Machine Pistol as a back-up weapon.
Anne-Marie Dreyfus totes some serious firepower as well. She holds a 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5KA5 Machine Pistol in her left hand and she has a M72A4 Light Anti-tank Weapon slung over her right shoulder. The M72A4 is a one-shot disposable rocket launcher that fires a HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) warhead.
Finally, is Pilar Laurant, who is also armed with a 9mm Heckler and Koch MP5KA5 Machine Pistol. Slung over her back is a MK19 MOD3 Grenade Launcher, which holds 32 rounds in a drum. Note how she holds the Machine Pistol in both hands in order to reduce recoil.
As with most Foundry Street Violence sets, this team is very well armed with a wide variety of weapons. The figures vary in height, which I approve of. The two females are 28mm tall, whilst Emil and Javier are 30mm tall and the huge Jean-Pierre is 35mm tall. Mercenaries are very common amongst figure companies, but French Mercenaries are exceedingly rare. Okay, with a different paint job you could make these any nationality you want. I was happy to go along with the French connection, as it is quirky and different. Also, being mercenaries, they could turn up anywhere in the world... even in Mayhem City! This set of five figures retails at £10.00 on the Foundry webstore.

20 comments:

  1. Nice work Bryan. Its great you showing the rear view. I had no idea that the lady on the end had a grenade launcher slung. Nice work mate especially the camouflage on the trousers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When presenting figures it pays to show the front and back view. A good case in point is the female you mentioned. From the front it is impossible to tell what she has tucked away behind her.

      Delete
  2. Another great Foundry set. They are on my short list of sets to acquire from Foundry's SV range. Not sure if I'd paint them up as French mercs or generic earth toned ones. Yours look great.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Adam. If you do paint them differently, I'd certainly like to see them.

      Delete
  3. Good team! Though they are french...

    Pretty nice camo pants for them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, mine are French, Johnny. Yours could be, oh, let's say Danish, for example!

      Delete
  4. Nice work Bryan, great work on the camo!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice work my friend but, honestly, they look more Russian sailors to me... ;P

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can see what you mean, Gnotta. However, Foundry gave them all French names and Western weapons.

      Delete
  6. Great figures as always :)
    I think they could be used as the Irish mercenaries from the Sin City movie.
    The gun the muscle guy is wielding looks more like a M60 to me, and that Grenade Launcher could be a Milkor MGL or MM1, the Mk19 is actually a tripod-mounted support weapon :)
    It's also really disappointing that the miniatures don't all have a baguette under their arms and a Gauloises cigarette in their mouths! ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I bow down to your gun knowledge, Robert. It has been such a long time since I watched "Sin City" that I forgot all about the Irish Mercenaries. If these guys really were French Mercenaries then at least one of them ought to have a string of onions wrapped around his neck!

      Delete
    2. And a bucket full of frogs... As a "cheese-eating surrender monkey", I'd never wear my string of onions without a matching bucket of frogs, it would be a "faute de goût"...

      Delete
  7. Another well painted squad!

    I really like the street of violence range!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There is a lot of good stuff in the Street Violence range, Zerloon.

      Delete