"15mm AWI: Experience with Polly Oliver?" Topic

I'm collecting 15mm figures for AWI. I am, to some degree, concerned with size compatibility. So far I have Peter Pig, which are on the smaller end, Essex, a little larger, Minifigs, about midland, and Blue Moon, which are tall. I am hoping someone out there who has experience with Polly Oliver will enlighten me as to where they would fit with these other 15mm figures, size-wise.

I have to imagine that current Polly's are pretty much the same size they've always been.

As such:

link

Hello KPinder,

Thanks for the reply. I had seen those comparison photos before and also some others but I still can't get a very accurate sense of Polly Oliver size, especially comparing them to Blue Moon. They seem to be well-proportioned figures and I like their look. Perhaps the only way to find out how they would fit in is to purchase a few.

I think that the BM figures are 18mm.

I had flirted with AWI some years back and kept an eye out for Polly's. I got a bunch at an Historicon flea market. They struck me as smallish, about on par with Musket and Valent.

It was about this time that PP and BM were introducing their AWI figs. I never got around to comparing them, but it was apparent that my Polly's were going to be redundant so I sold them on eBay.

I think you're right cooperman about Blue Moon. The thing is, some of the Blue Moon AWI are about the same size as Minifigs or Stone Mountain. Others are much taller. They're funny that way. Unfortunately, I have no experience regarding Polly Oliver. From the photos I've seen they look about like Essex with smaller heads. I was talking with someone the other day who thought Polly Oliver were about like Blue Moon, close to 18mm. Heck if I know. I suppose I might order some and maybe let TMP people know how it all works out. I could take photos and do my own size comparison.

KPinder, I'm hoping your right about Polly Oliver being smaller. That's how they look in the photos. They certainly are nice sculpts.

Fortunately at "Deep Fried Happy Mice" there are photos of several Polly Oliver 15mm AWI figures next to a ruler. So I used the magic of Photoshop to take an AWI Essex photo and combine it with the Polly Oliver one. I had to enlarge the Polly Oliver photo till the marks on the rulers matched. The results were that Polly Oliver is taller than Essex but not so tall as to be particularly noticeable. I expect that Polly Oliver is still shorter than Blue Moon.

I have units of both Polly Oliver and PP in my army and I think they are very compatible. Minifigs are a little bigger but I have some of them too. BM are very nice but just too big IMO.

Most of my 15mm AWI are Polly Oliver, but I have Essex militia figures, and used SYW Prussians for my Hessian officers (both foot and mounted officers), as well as using Prussian artillery for Hessian batteries. The Essex figures are just a bit more hefty than the leaner PO figures, but their heights are near-equal – very compatible I think. The FrieKorps 15s were also an option when I built my collection 25 years ago, they're lean like Polly Oliver, but a bit shorter (not sure if FK15s are still available). If you're exploring Polly Oliver figures, I think Essex are a compatible match.

Here's a picture showing Essex militia in front of Polly Oliver riflemen (which I painted up to look like Stockbridge Indians) –

FlyXwire, zardoz1957, your comments are very much appreciated. I have Essex, Peter Pig and Minifigs in my AWI collection and I recently took the plunge and ordered several Polly Oliver packs from Magister Militum. I haven't received them yet but I now have every confidence that they will fit in nicely. I plan to do side-by-side comparison photos for the AWI forum. I like doing these size comparisons and recently added one to the Renaissance Product Review board showing some Khurasan Louis XIV period figures next to other brands. It will be my pleasure to give the Polly Oliver offerings the same treatment.

Cheers!

Gallo

By the way, FlyXwire, great looking war game scenery!

Thanks Gallocelt! I'm hoping to get an AWI scenario organized for one of our local games day here in a month or two (we'll see). If I do, I'll get some AAR pics readied for posting on the forum.

In the meantime looking forward to seeing your 15mm figure comparison pictures!

Polly Oliver are more true 15mm. Blue Moon are much larger. I have seen both mixed in the same armies. Okay, perhaps, if in different units.

historygamer, thanks for you response. I believe I'm getting a clearer picture and it's looking better all the time. I find I do have some Blue Moon AWI at hand. You will see them standing side-by-side with the Polly Oliver, Essex, Minifigs and Peter Pig when I publish my comparison for the group. On the other hand, I'm in the USA and ordered from the UK so it might be a few more weeks.

btw: FlyXwire, are those serpent fences scratch built?!

I wish I could claim those, but they're resin pieces I bought from Battlefield Accessories USA (I'm not sure they're in business anymore?).

I tried to find the company you mentioned on the web without any luck. I was planning to scratch build them anyway but am always looking for ways to save myself some work! I have some regular post and rail fence from Stone Mountain but I can't seem to locate a source for serpentine.

Cheers!

Gallo

Gallo, if you've got the Stone Mountain fences I have, then you can bend those into serpentine fence angles.

On those terrain tiles you've seen above, I've now permanently attached rail fencing to, and all seen here in this photo are Stone Mountain-pewter fences bent at angles to make snake fencing with -

Hey, that looks pretty good! I will experiment with some of the sections of fence and see if I can get a good effect.

Thanks,

Gallo