Firelock Games have shown off the renders of the new multi-part plastic kits that will be a feature of the new Blood & Plunder starter set for Raise the Black. These sailors are built as English Sea Dogs upgraded to each carry a brace of pistols and one model is armed with explosives and a blunderbuss as well.

British Tricorne with a brace of pistols //Firelock Games

Tricorne Lloyd Shot // Firelock Games

First up we have a sailor festooned with pistols when a brace isn't enough make sure you have a third to fall back on with a cutlass in reserve! I imagine the ability to fire for multiple activations before having to concern yourself with reloading will be potent indeed, especially in a tight ship to ship boarding action or on land making headway into a town.

Wool Cap with pistol & sword // Firelock Games

A more standard loadout but it allows you to see the detailing on the face of the sailor and I like the almost distasteful grimace on his face as he puts a shot into someone rolling on the ground bleeding out or perhaps a civilian hiding behind a stack of boxes.. regardless they're dead now. One of my favourite parts of this render has got to be the clay pipe tucked into his shirt, it's the realistic touches that really set the designs off.

Grenadier // Raise the Black

Grenadier Lloyd // Blood & Plunder

The final render I want to take a look at is this gentleman who apparently has all the black powder. I don't know if he is supposed to be a grenadier but he certainly strikes me as suck with the mitre hat and brass-buttoned tunic he is the most professional looking of the renders. With rifle, pistols and grenades this one-man boarding party is ready to remove any obstacle you may face onboard ship and the wicked-looking axe slung at his hip makes me think he isn't going to be a pushover in melee either.

Blood & Plunder: Raise the Black is stepping up to be an exciting Kickstarter as they push the game period forward and with the introduction of infantry and ships I imagine it may attract a whole new swathe of players as the cost of entry lowers. The quality of the renders for the plastics is excellent and I suspect based on their previous releases that the final product will be superb. Plastic pirates will find a way of migrating into a lot of other games as well, they're clever like that.

Will you be raising the Black in October?