1:72 Turkish Siege Artillery. Mortar, 16th century

Turkish siege artillery, mortar, 16th century, figures 1:72 (Red Box)

Historical figures in 1:72 scale from the maker Red Box with the subject of Turkish siege artillery, a mortar in particular. The set is unassembled and unpainted.

What the set depicts

A mortar is a weapon with a steep trajectory, used in a siege against a target behind an obstacle. For a scene that leads to a specific brief: it does not belong in an open field among marching infantry but in a prepared emplacement away from the main axis. Within the line this is the most static set; the crew stays at one place and the scene lives by the detail of its surroundings rather than by the movement of the figures.

Assembly: the base and seating it in the terrain

A static weapon is given away by every contact with the groundwork that is not fully seated. A procedure that has proved itself: first mount the whole group onto a thin plate, then let the plate into a layer of putty or modeling compound so that the edge of the base disappears under the terrain. Press the wheels and the supporting parts lightly into the compound while it is still soft; the impression that results is more convincing than a shadow painted in afterward. Only once the terrain is dry do scatter material and dry pigment come into play, otherwise the compound will loosen while you work.

Who the set is for

• Builders of 16th century siege dioramas
• Players of historical tabletop games who need siege equipment
• Modelers working with terrain and sunken bases
• Collectors of figure sets on period artillery

The figures are supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints, terrain compounds and bases are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.