1:72 The Artillery Serving Staff for piece of ordnance of 17c

An artillery crew for a 17th-century gun

A set of figures from Mars in 1:72 scale capturing the crew of a 17th-century gun, that is the men who worked around the piece, not a battle line. With a gun of that day everyone had his own task and a shot was the result of a sequence of actions: clear the barrel after the previous round, insert the charge and push it home, bring up the ball, aim with the wedge under the barrel, apply fire and step aside before the recoil. The rate of fire was therefore decided by the teamwork of the men more than by the gun itself. Figures in such a set tend to be caught in the middle of a movement, and that is exactly what makes an artillery scene come alive.

How to use the set

In 1:72 scale an adult figure corresponds to roughly 24 mm. You can place the crew by a gun from another set of the same scale, by a piece from your own build, or divide it between two places: part at the barrel, part at the ammunition and the team in the second plane.

Painting and preparation

• Wash the figures in lukewarm soapy water before painting and let them dry.
• Apply the base coat thinly, so that it does not clog the shallow relief of the detail.
• Dirty the aprons, the sleeves and the leather parts with a dark glaze; a gun crew was never clean.
• Set the metal tools and loading implements apart from the wooden handles.
• Cut any flash at the base off with a sharp blade and sand the spot.

Who the set is for

For builders of battle and siege dioramas of the 17th century who are missing the men at the gun, and for collectors of historical figures.

Paints, glue and a base are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.