The very first product A Call To Arms ever produced was a set of 1/32 English Civil War figures. These have finally been reduced to 1/72 scale and form the heart of this command set. Both sides in the Civil War suffered from too many officers compared to the number of men, so it is particularly useful that this manufacturer has provided the officers separately so the customer may choose the proportions.

The set includes poses of a flag-bearer, sergeant, drummer, fifer, two officers and two musketeers. The flag-bearer, or ensign, comes in two parts, with his right arm and the flag attaching to the rest of him via a peg into his shoulder. The drummer has a separate drum. The ensign's arm is held securely in the hole, but the drum is not held on its mounting and requires gluing. In both cases however the result is pleasing. The sergeant appears to be leaning back awkwardly, and the fifer is playing his instrument resting on his chest, which makes it easy to mould but does not look realistic. The second and third figures in the bottom row have not previously been available in 1/32, but blend in well with the rest of the set.

In an age when there was little in the way of uniform, there was considerable scope for officers, ensigns and musicians to wear what they pleased. The figures here are all authentically attired, with several having expensive feathers and other ornaments. The ensign carries the standard on a short staff, which allowed flamboyant twirling displays in the field. The officer holds a partizan as a sign of his rank, and the sergeant has a halberd for the same purpose. The drummer has his drum arranged high on his hip in a typical fashion, and both the musketeers carry muskets with rests.

The main criticism of these figures is that they are quite stocky. This is not to say they seem unrealistic, but they do look quite chunky when put next to figures in other sets. The style of the sculptor is unusual and in our view not as good as that of later sets, though these are still quite usable. Detail is pretty good and there is no flash. These are quite interesting figures, and reflect a growing trend amongst smaller producers to provide separate command sets, which we feel is a positive step.