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Friday, September 26, 2025

EFM Border Reivers -A Review

 


As part of my Flodden Project I ordered some packs of 15mm figures from East Front Miniatures. The service was excellent and the figures arrived within days including a 10% Discount offer on a future purchase. EFM also gave me a free mounted Long Bow man figure.

In terms of size these figures sit easily with QRF, Minifigs Essex. They are mounted on ponies as they should be. I count 4 pony variants. Not bad at all.

I present all of them to you painted. You can see them unpainted at EFM.


LS24- Scottish Swordsmen, 8 figures with two variants. Two interesting figures. Both might do service with Cortez or such like. Paint the fellow with targe as having bare legs and he could join a Highland clan array. Consider his Trunk Hose as Cannions. As Borderers they are perfect. 

There is also an English Swordsmen pack of two different figures. Both packs could supply English Targeteers for the Nine Years War in Ireland. Obviously they can be used as dismounted borderers.


LS35- Lancers in Bonnets, 4 figures. 2 Lancers with separate arm that can be glued lance up, lance charged. This is rather good. For Borderers pistoling see the blue cloak figure below. Two horse poses for all 4.


LS33 -The Heidman and the lads, 4 one piece casting figures of The Heidman, a Lancer, a mounted Archer (not shown) bow in quiver and a Borderer firing a pistol or Dag as they used to say.  The Heidman is the star of the show for me. 

Also, the pistoleer, he is wearing an Irish style Brat cloak. Interesting and not an unlikely detail. It is not often recalled that Borderers served on the Irish side in the Nine Years War.



LS31- A pack of 8 hounds and two handlers. Very nice and intended for a Hot Trod on the trail of miscreants. You get 4 big dogs and 4 smaller ones. The big dogs are Bloodhounds the smaller ones Beagles. Useful, the big ones,  as Spanish war dogs in Mexico or Peru.

EFM also offer a pack of English Crossbowmen and ditto Scots. These are going to serve with my Colonial Spanish. They are appropriately equipped and half of them are a perfect size fit with my Khurasan Colonial Spanish and with Grumpy Portuguese. The other half won't being stockier. All of them are good for Border Gaming.

There is also a pack of 8 Civilians, 2 children, 2 women, 4 men all in Tudor clothes. Handy for scenarios.

To recap these figures would work in other conflicts. As themselves in the Tudor  Wars. As colonial Spanish or Portuguese. Not the mounted archer figures of course but the others are quite serviceable.

If you fancy reiving and feuding along the Anglo-Scots Border in 15mm look no further.

11 comments:

  1. Never come across these figures before but they look really good and you have done a fine job on the painting of them, really good work. Great service from them too, always good to get a quick turnaround and a freebie too!

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    1. Yeah, they have character Donnie. The same outfit has some Transylvanians in the same style. I nearly bought some.

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  2. Another excellent batch of recruits OB and with a multitude of potential uses!

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    1. Thanks Keith. I forgot to mention what i did with the stockier crossbow men. They joined my Valois French Army.

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    1. Thanks Richard. They would be good for the Border chapter of Billhooks Deluxe I think.

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  4. I have also bought from ERM, great service

    I really like the style and they paint well ...their Eastern European and El Cid ranges are also really good

    I'd also recommend Essex miniatures early renaissance figures definitely worth a look

    Regards

    Perkin

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    1. I could wish that EFM would expand their Cid range. There's not much to it as it stands.

      Yes on Essex. I have a fair few. Speaking of wishes it has proved to be a struggle to get 15mm figures to match Stuart M's Army Royal Valois infantry.

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  5. Excellent looking border reivers! It's difficult for all us mortals to match Stuart Ms Army Royal anything!
    Best Iain

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