Let's be careful out there!

Let’s face it, almost anything a group of so-called “adventurers” do is likely to bring them into contact with law enforcement in one fashion or another. Whether they’re an elite group of supernatural monster hunters, shadowy hired mercenaries, or just run-of-the mill vigilantes, it’s a fair bet that when the balloon goes up, Johnny Law will be on the scene in short order.

With this in mind, it’s always baffled me that there seem to be so few minis out there for basic beat cops, the guys who are most likely to be the first on the scene of whatever fracas the PCs have either caused or gotten involved with. Whether as allies or antagonists, any modern-era campaign will have a need for some good police officers.

West Wind looks to help out with this pack of four cops, each in a unique pose. They look to be in a somewhat “heroic” 28mm scale, which makes them a bit on the large size next to conventional 25mm or “true” 28mm figs. While the difference is noticeable in side-by-side comparison, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for all but the most obsessive gamers.

Detail is generally good, with nicely sculpted folds of cloth in the uniforms. Each figure really looks like it’s really wearing clothes that drape properly on their bodies instead of clinging skin-tight as sometimes happens. The faces are somewhat generic, but anatomically correct, with the full compliment of eyes, ears, and noses all well-delineated.

The varied poses are nice and action-oriented for the most part, but #2 looks a bit odd in a half-crouch with his gun held low and his head cocked awkwardly to one side. Best of the lot is probably #4, who is actually using the proper Weaver stance to aim his weapon (presumably) at a suspect.

Freeze! Or I'll hit you with my giant flashlight!

There are a few problems with the gear the cops carry, however. The officers’ guns are generic automatics, and a bit crude-looking. A bit more attention and some good photographic references would have helped a great deal. Also, the flashlight held by #3 is wildly out of scale. In real life, it would be nearly a yard long, which seems awfully big even for the big multi-cell Maglites carried by some officers.

Other details are a bit baffling as well. Considering these guys all theoretically work for the same department, logic would seem to dictate they would all have basically the same uniforms and equipment, but nothing could be further from the truth. #1 has only a pistol holster on his belt. #2 has a holster and handcuff case. #3 has a holster and a totally different-looking handcuff case that might also be a magazine pouch. #4 has a holster and handcuff case that looks similar to #2. None have a radio or extra ammo holders, except possibly #3, who would be without his cuffs if he’s packing extra clips. The lack of uniformity continues to their shoulder patches, which appear variously on the left arm, both arms, or not at all depending on the individual mini.

Minor detail quibbles aside, these are some decent figs, especially considering that they’re far more likely to see service as antagonists or background characters rather than PCs. None of the minor imperfections are really noticeable on the tabletop except the giant flashlight. Best of all they are priced quite modestly at about $2.25 per figure. For that kind of money you can easily afford to add these coppers to your collection and be ready to turn up the heat the next time the players get a little out of control.

Pros: Good poses, nice variety of sculpts, reasonably priced

Cons: Inconsistent details, oddly huge flashlight

Final Verdict: 3/5

Source: Purchased from Old Glory 25s

MSRP: $9

Popularity: 11% [?]

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