Greg's points are totally valid and now Ed, we're getting into the 'personal taste' issues. My opinion(and it is only that) is that the Dixons figures are preferable. Their cartoon-y anatomy lends itself well to a splendid paint job and I prefer the poses to those of the new Front Rank stuff. Front Rank are a first class manufacturer and the castings are always very high quality BUT, I am not a great lover of their stuff (particularly the SSW) For the following reasons:
1. I think the infantry poses(with the exceptions of personalities and officers) are too wooden and un natural.
2. I do not enjoy painting them as much as other ranges(particularly the faces)
When I said they were bigger I meant in all dimensions. A good comparison would be this: consider the average man to be say 5'7" (a Foundry or Dixons casting), well the Front Rank figure would look like a 6'2" American Football player beside him in proportion.
As to whether there is more scope in SSW or NYW well, the BIG FOUR : Blenheim, Oudenaarde, Ramillies and Malplaquet have been more or less done to death although there is a huge amount of other theatres and actions to cover. This period is only called the 'Marlburian Period' in the English speaking world and I think it is much more appropriate to refer to it as The War of the Spanish Succession. If you are not a huge devotee of Marlborough then I would probably recommend the NYW in preference. Why?
1.Big battles: Fleurus, Neerwinden(Landen), Walcourt,Steenkirk, Namur etc.
2.A French Army which is Hot to Trot with great commanders.
3.British Regiments with non standardised Colours(offering more variety)
4. Interesting subsidy troops
5. The 'bolt on' theatre of operations in Ireland
6. PIKES!
You can of course swap troops between both periods (only about 5 years between the end of one war and the beginning of the next - in fact it is almost like a soccer match with the first half NYW going to the French with a nice recovery by the Alliance in the second half - SSW!!!
)
Neither is mutually exclusive !
Enjoy, I have for nearly 15 years
B
