5390 - Roman Galley (link at playkingdoms)
Thanks for the spate of reviews, Tahra!
You have opened my eyes to the galley 5390, which is now definitely high on my wish list. It always has been a cool vessel, and now with the improved colour scheme even better than the original - good riddance to red masts, etc! Also the new ballista is a big improvement. However, I shall outfit my new ship with old shields, and rigging needs to be reinstalled.
A question about the disappearance of the canopy. Are there (unused) holes for the canopy supports in the hull (as in the original), or did they fix this in the mould for the reissue?
[Off topic:]
Galley 4276 marks an important juncture back in 2006 - historically accurate and all that, but taking liberties with physical accuracy that would never have occurred before. I mean the invisible rowers, of course. It makes sense, play-wise, and I don't complain, but this definitely marks a huge departure from what had been happening in design before. Perhaps for the better, because would old-style PM ever have produced an actual galley, rowers and all? [Back to topic:]
Finally, I don't fret too much about the exact duplication of the klickys - the 'new' roman sets were done with minimal investment in new moulds, so old types are reused also for the figures. Actually, it is nothing short of a miracle that any serious historical themes are still making it into the PM catalogue. Just look at current Lego Knights and see that Geobra are still doing history a favour (despite all that some sour collectors keep saying) - toy producers seem to expect little desire for historical accuracy in their target markets. Let's hope that actual sales will exceed forecasts, and Geobra may consider to invest more next time. Having said this, at least they could have varied a bit more with the colours.
Best wishes
StJohn