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Mark Copplestone makes great figures, particularly his Future Wars range.

Here is a comparison of his Neo-Soviet figures with the standard IG we know and love.


from left to right we have IG Steel Legion, IG valhalla, the Neo-Soviet figure (note the integral base), Plastic Cadian, and Plastic Catachan.

My opinion (if you care), is that the Copplestone figure is a great match for the metal IG in terms of heft and height, and just needs the integral base hidden (or removed).

I will post more pictures later once I get a sample painted.

give them a lasgun and your good to go!

IMO, the helmet, gun and integral metal base part are really bad. Im sorry but give me GW over that anyday

Squig_herder wrote:IMO, the helmet, gun and integral metal base part are really bad. Im sorry but give me GW over that anyday

The integral base is a bit of an archaism that I hope more companies would eschew in the future. Plastic bases offer so much more freedom and gaming potential.

As for the rest of your criticism, I cannot really agree. The GW range is nothing special and to me this particular mini isn't staggeringly below par as it is for you. The painter picture makes them look rather nice, in fact. You could make a nice IG army off those NeoSoviets.

Squig_herder wrote:IMO, the helmet, gun and integral metal base part are really bad. Im sorry but give me GW over that anyday

Chacun son gout. I like the Neo-Sov figures and I'm going to get some for Kommandos for my Pig Iron Kolony force.

The metal base is the way wargame figures are traditionally made so they can be attached easily to whatever size/shape of base the user want. The majority of histiorical wargames are played with multiple-figure bases and variable size bases, so they need the flexibility to put the figures on in different patterns.

There are several ways to deal with it if you want to use them on GW type bases.

1. Don't use a GW base, use your own base or a base from another company. (Litko do traditional bases, and slotta bases incidentally.)
2. Use the figure as shown and build up the base with putty.
3. Saw off the base at the level of the soles.

I actually used a third option with some Foundry figures that are mounted on integral flat metal bases of their own. I made a hole in the GW base, stuck the metal base into the hole so that the top was on level with plastic one, and glued it there. Afterwards, I filled up the gaps.

Good idea!

I never thought of that.

Varying the height of the figures by using different thickness bases or raising or counter sinking the bases is helpful in making slightly different scale figures work together.

The future wars range has loads of great stuff. Their civilians are great.

Female guardsmen?

I agree the copplestone range looks good. I was tempted to do a guard army using some coppletone and em-4 minis. I wouldn't change the weapons around at all. I think their automatic weapons could simply count as lasguns.

Having done this in the past I've found that It's not too difficult to remove the integral base of these minis. What you need is a pair of heavy wire cutters. Simply cut off all the big pieces you can around and in-between the feet of the figure with your cutters (you'll quickly ruin a smaller pair of precision cutters). What you have left looks like a figure wearing platform boots. Then use the cutters to snap off the extra material under the feet. Careful though, sometimes when you cut off metal bits like this they'll go flying across the room at high velocity. Aim the figure in a safe direction! Finally get yourself a good metal file and run the figure back and forth to smooth out the feet. You can then superglue the figure onto GW standard round base. The non-slotted variety (which I beleive GW is finally making available again, yay).

It really only works with figures that are more or less standing (or at least one foot firmly planted). A figure that is running or in another dynamic pose would be much harder to do.

I've found that removing the integral base is more trouble than its worth. I use litko aerosystems thin plywood rounds and superglue the integral base to the plywood. Then I apply some pumice paste to conceal the base and I primer as normal. I'm less concerned about the beveled edge than I am about the base being round.

I have a pile of Copplestone's Future War guys, plus his older Grenadier (Now EM-4) Future War guys (essentially a lot of the same sculpts but with slottas instead). They're great stuff, well sculpted and very well cast.

Integral bases aren't that big a deal. A little pumice paste as ground texture (or plastic wood, or even a thin putty, like Squadron green) hides it pretty well. I've mounted 'em on GW style 25mm plastics with no troubles.