ALL72044

A corsair was no more than a seafarer that had a licence to attack the ships of certain countries in time of war, but to the victims they were simply pirates, regardless of any piece of paper they might hold. When a corsair attacked another ship, the potential rewards could be many. First, of course, there could be coins or other precious metals that could easily be used, but in some circumstances a valuable cargo might also be of value to the pirate. In addition, there might be passengers or others that were worthy of ransom, some of the target ships' crew might be persuaded to join the pirates, or indeed the whole ship might be worth confiscating. In all cases there was no value in sinking the ship, at least during the initial assault, so the aim was to board and capture, and it would be useful to reduce the number of potential defenders by volleys of fire, which in a world without gunpowder means arrows. All these figures carry either a bow or a crossbow, apart from the larger weapon, so that must be what these are doing. As with the first set, there is little consistency in costume here, with most wear baggy breeches but otherwise a variety that defies any particular time period. The hair is mostly long and often tied in a knot or ponytail, or covered by a bandana, and most at least have full beards too.

The level of detail is good but can be a bit vague in some places, but the poses are well done. In particular the sculptor has managed to create a crossbowman aiming his weapon but without it being tilted so much as to look absurd. The large mounted crossbow is just two pieces - crossbow and support - and fits together well, while the two figures intended to be crew are actually reasonably appropriate as one seems to be drawing the bow while the other brings up more ammunition. On our example there was very little flash, although this did vary between sprues, but was still better than most. This set offers none of the action seafarers of the first set, and so is quite a different animal. As a result it lacks the appeal of the first set, yet is still well made and adds a dimension to your fantasy corsair ship's company.