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Knuckleduster make the Gunfighters Ball

range of 32mm Western gunfight figures which are distributed outside of the US by Caliver. They sent me a pack of one of the latest factions called the Avenging Angels.

Cast in white metal with an MDF slot base, the pack contains six figures who go by the names of Liver Eating Johnson, Diedre, Buzzard Cohorn, Johnny Welsh, Danny and Evans. The figures are all very well sculpted, digital models and some of them – like other factions in the range (the ‘not the Magnificent Seven’ pack I reviewed recently springs to mind) – are obviously based on cinematic legends with the names changed to avoid those pesky law suits. The trouble is I don’t watch enough western movies so I’m not always sure who is who... Evans looks a lot like The Duke (rifle, hat, neckerchief and his whole stance) and Johnny Welsh has a definite ‘Eastwood’ vibe about him. Similarly Diedre could easily be Sharon Stone in The Quick and the Dead but I’m not sure of Danny and Buzzard Cohorn, although they are both excellent figures.

Liver Eating Johnson appears to reference a real, historical figure rather than a movie one: sure he looks like Gabby Hayes with a big knife but... Jeremiah Johnson (or John Johnston) achieved his epithet for his supposed culinary inclinations during a lengthy feud with the Crow Indians in Montana and Wyoming. The figure has something in his left hand that could be a bag but – then again – I guess it could be lunch...

All in all – and Gabby substitute aside – they are a well defined bunch of classic, western film hard men (and a woman). Sculpting is proportional and all were pretty much fault-free castings. Impressive models.