Stellio "Firedrake" Salamandra

As the second day of the Show was winding up, the crowds in the Vendor Hall had thinned out enough so as to afford me some leisurely browsing through The Red Lancers' tables. I had already picked-up EVD's "Dragon Raider" bust (CB31 - based on Chris Achilleos' Celtic Queen), and then I stumbled upon the subject of this review.

I had first come across this unique offering on the pages of pF. Milit Model is a relatively new Italian company, apparently associated with EMI, that to date has been concentrating on [large] 54mm Italian subjects of the Great War.

Their first release (in 2009) was an Italian flammiere. Kudos to them for releasing such an esoteric--and interesting!!!--subject! Flamethrowers are hardly common in the marketplace, and I would venture to wager that this will be the first and last rendition of an Italian one in the First World War.

Which is a shame. While the subject matter is undeniably unique, the sculpting and casting leave much to be desired: it deserves better. The kit is a comprised of 13 pieces: one piece body, two arms, and a 4-pc. flamethrower--and six(!) pieces dedicated to the groundwork/ base. The sculpting is, shall we say, "unrefined" and "clunky", lacking in definition and finishing.

The casting? Anyone who has had any experience with EMI over the years would not be surprised. It is distorted; and with six pieces dedicated to the groundwork, it would not have been too much to ask that the flame-resistant hood (i.e., the head) be cast as a separate piece: this is severely skewed, as would be expected from the position of the head given the volume of the hood.

So, as an addition to the historical collection, it would not be a "good fit" with the current generation of historical miniatures. In fact, this piece would not look out of place with a miniature produced in the 70's or 80's! BUT. . . as a a subject from an alternate reality, this has virtually unlimited potential!

Allow me to introduce to you: Stellio "Firedrake" Salamandra. I am still working on the background story, but he will be a Victorian freelance "exterminator". . .

To date, I have begun reworking the hood, and have roughed-over the spindly (not quite SAS, but close!), puttee-wrapped lower legs into heavy postilion-style boots. I know I will add protective fire-resistant gauntlet/s; but beyond that, the final concept and design are still very much a work-in-progress. . .

Stay tuned!