First off, apologies for the pictures not being quite as sharp as I would like. I'll retake them and substitute later, but I wanted to get the review posted.
4293 is the successor to several previous Sea Captains, 3936 and 3110 being the two most recent. These single figure sets are the next step up from Specials, at approximately twice the price, and contain larger furniture or more accessories than a Special usually has.
3936, according to one source, is
Hans Beck's favourite figure. I had thought it was a different pirate captain (3382, the first "fat" figure), but BASF's website shows Hans holding the 3936 figure.
3936 is a good figure, who could be an Admiral, or a senior Pirate. His grey hair & beard, wooden leg and eyepatch indicate a long tough life, but he has retained his youthful figure and vigour. The inclusion of navigational instruments indicate a man who carries some weight, while the makeshift table suggest he's seen better times.
3110 is clearly a senior Naval Officer, with his powdered wig and smart dress uniform with lots of gold braid. I particularly like the desk in this set, compact and ideal for a small ship's cabin, but also perfectly respectable for use on shore. The easel suggests to me that this figure is currently based on shore, as it wouldn't stay upright for a minute in a rolling ship, and the lack of navigational instruments back this up. I never understood the inclusion of a dove - maybe it's intended to carry messages?
4293 has retained the easel from 3110, for displaying his charts, but now has a sea chest to store his instruments (though I haven't checked it they actually fit). With chart, compass, dividers (or pair of compasses) and sextant he has all he needs to plot his ship's course. A chronometer to help determine longitude did not come into use until the latter half of the 18th Century.
This figure has a fat belly, and two-tone boots beneath his white trousers. The eyepatch on the left eye is a welcome change, though the printing is slightly smeared on my figure. The wears his hair in a ponytail as was common amongst sailors. The inclusion of the new-style rum bottle is welcome.
The skull and crossbones on his hat is a shame, I'd rather have a plain hat or one like the 3936 figure.
Overall a nice figure with useful accessories, especially the navigational instruments that rarely appear in other sets, and would be vital to any ship at sea.
