So, do you need to leave your past behind you? Do you need a new gaming adventure alongside your Legionnaire brothers? Then why not sign up for Eureka Miniatures' Légion étrangère?
"Marche ou crève!" - March or Die is the unofficial motto of the French Foreign Legion. Undoubtedly one of the world's most famous and distinctive elite units, embodying a military tradition dating back to its establishment in 1831 and sent to many conflict zones in France's post colonial sphere. Sculptor Kosta Heristanidis has recreated a comprehensive range of Modern French Foreign Legion in 28mm, wearing both beret and Kevlar helmet, and carrying the full array of current infantry platoon kit and weapons.
The beret-wearing figures are closely based on a series of photographs of lightly equipped Legionnaires from 2eme REI (Régiment Etranger d'Infantrie) on operations in Afghanistan in 2007, while the helmeted Legionnaires are fully kitted out in the very latest protective vest and load-bearing gear combinations (Eagle CIRAS) now being used in Afghanistan. For those who want their beret-wearing miniatures carrying a heavier load-out, we have extra personal equipment sets in the form of ammo pouches, water bottles and spare rifle grenades which customers can attach to the figures. (Although it should be noted that the lightly equipped, beret-wearing figures are perfectly accurate without this extra equipment. They are typical of the less aggressive appearance adopted by Legionnaires when patrolling 'low threat' zones).
Kosta has carefully represented all the small arms and infantry support weaponry carried by the modern French Foreign Legion, including both the familiar and the more unusual. Amongst the most distinctive is the 51mm Lance Grenade Individual (LGI), being operated by one member of the helmeted section. This lightweight indirect fire weapon is unique to the French military. Also, we have added a two-man LRAC 89mm anti-tank team to the range, a weapon which although superseded now, effectively allows gamers to use these figures for earlier deployments back in the 1990s. Those wanting to keep things ultramodern will, however, still find the AT-4 here (the replacement for the LRAC, and now the French Army's standard anti-tank weapon), as well as all the infantry section mainstays - including the shortened, or 'para', Minimi machinegun, the venerable FRF2 sniper rifle, and the famous FAMAS assault rifle.
Customers can equip their FAMAS-carrying figures with rifle grenades if they wish, by way of a small conversion using the spare rifle grenades included in the Extra Personal Gear set. The base of the rifle grenade fits over the barrel of the FAMAS, so simply snip off the FAMAS's barrel and drill a small hole to accept the rifle grenade. The completed conversion is shown below:
As well as the Foreign Legion in their green berets, it is of course possible to use these figures to represent many other French army units simply by picking out their berets in the appropriate colour. Kosta has painted some figures in this release as French paratroopers in their red berets, for example:
These new miniatures therefore allow the wargamer to field a variety of Foreign Legion and other French army units, with a range of visual styles, for deployments around Africa and the Middle East, all the way to current operations in Afghanistan.
Here are the codes and details for the new figures:
28mm Modern French Foreign Legion
Sculpted by Kosta Heristanidis
100MOD100 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in beret, with Para Minimi (3)
100MOD101 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in beret, with FR-F2 sniper rifle (1)
100MOD102 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in beret, with AT-4 rocket launcher (1)
100MOD103 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in beret, with FAMAS assault rifle (7)
100MOD104 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with Para Minimi (2)
100MOD105 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with FR-F2 sniper rifle (1)
100MOD106 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with AT-4 rocket launcher (1)
100MOD107 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with LGI 51mm grenade launcher (1)
100MOD108 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with radio (1)
100MOD109 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with FAMAS / M203 (1)
100MOD110 - French Foreign Legionnaire, in helmet, with FAMAS assault rifle (5)
100MOD111 - French Foreign Legion LRAC 89mm AntiTank rocket launcher, with crew in beret - 2 figure set (1)
1090MOD112 - Extra French Foreign Legion personal gear set: ammo/grenade pouches, water bottles, and rifle grenades
Customers in the U.S.A. or the U.K. can choose to order our figures from our representatives Eureka Miniatures U.S.A. or Fighting 15s respectively, as well as directly from us.