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I'm asking to see if any dakkites know of good 28mm historicals from this age to use as stand ins for Empire, especially multipart plastics like the VicTrix napoleonics?

I'm especially keen to locate alternatives to the rediculously expensive 'goldswords'. On initial investigation the Perrys don't seem to cover this period in time and so I'll ask our historical dakkites if they know of alternative companies producing minis that would work well in this scale?

Wargames Factory ( http://www.wargamesfactory.com/webstore ) do 28mm Romans, though I don't know how they match up to GW figures, size wise.

Not Romans but Holy Roman Empire, sort hmmm, 15/16th century? High Gothic armour, Halbardiers and pistols. The period of time the Empire in fantasy is kinda based on (I seem to remember Blanche talking about A. Durer's artwork so about that time and location in real history.

ChrisAsmadi wrote:Wargames Factory ( http://www.wargamesfactory.com/webstore ) do 28mm Romans, though I don't know how they match up to GW figures, size wise.

Wrong Romans.

MGS, try http://www.oldgloryminiatures.com/products.asp?cat=199

U.S. based company. The miniatures might be a little smaller than your average GW fig, but you can get 30 metals minis for $30.00. Some people look down on Old Glory's quality, but I feel that they are worth getting. I haven't looked, but Foundry should have some too (expensive though).

Foundry do some nice Rennasissance stuff:

http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/collections/REN/3/index.asp
http://www.thewarstore.com/foundry28mmrennaiswar.html

Still a little on the pricey side though.

Cheap and cheerful are Irregular Miniatures do 25mm generic 1500's troops (a bit crap, but cheap) http://www.irregularminiatures.co.uk/

Old Glory do some: http://www.oldgloryuk.com/disp_items.php?m=4&sh=2

Vendel do some nice Elizabethans: http://vendelminiatures.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=10&zenid=d73c90821d04d793d83f27d04df59cf0

Warrior also do some, but at 25mm they may be a little small. Cheap enough to order a sampler to find out though: http://www.warrioronline.demon.co.uk/25mm/index.htm

I'll pop back if I can think of some more...

EDIT: Warlord Games "Pike and Shotte" range could do at a pinch: http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/28mm-pike-and-shotte-158-c.asp
EDIT: The Perry brothers also do a nice Border Reivers range that is the right period: http://www.perry-miniatures.com/index2.html
EDIT: Redoubt Enterprises do some decent stuff too: http://www.redoubtenterprises.com/shop/?page=shop/browse&category_id=f9fd45c04f67dee3f6ac9f422fe28fdc
EDIT: Some Stanks that could be "Empired up a bit" and cost a lot less than the GW stank: http://www.ironcladminiatures.co.uk/shop/category_9/Steam-tanks.html?shop_param=cid%3D%26

Thank you Gitkikka and Osbad, a wide selection to look over. It does seem the key in all this is the ability to produce plastics. The wargamesfoundry are certainly nice looking minis, but they average at £1.35 per mini compared to rank and file GW plastics at £1.17 for state soldiers and .88 for the Free company troops. I am thinking my best choice may be a wholesaler of GW or ebaying second hand and then using the gamezoneminiatures Empire range for my officers and specials.

Disappointing, I was hoping for a VicTrix style unit for this timeline, my thanks for looking though and adding some new addresses to my favourites list.

Depending how long you're willing to wait, Perry's are working on 100 year war plastic sets. It's a bit earlier than you're looking for, but should be easy enough to "warhammer up".
Black Tree Designs do some good 100yw too.

Did anyone mention BTD Miniatures yet?

http://www.blacktreedesign.com/northamerica/home.php

They do a lot of WFB compatible stuff for a price that's actually reasonable. I know my dwarves appreciate not having to hide their siege machines from the repo man now.

I must be getting old. When I saw your title I expected to see Burt Ward hawking the latest in ancient wargaming. I guess the lack of an exclamation mark should have clued me in.

"Holy Roman Empire 28mms recommendations!"

Neconilis wrote:Did anyone mention BTD Miniatures yet?
http://www.blacktreedesign.com/northamerica/home.php

Yeah, they were my first port of call, Black Tree do some excellent minis and are very very good value, but alas, their fantasy human range is perfect for Bretonnians not Empire and none of their historicals are in the right timeframe. The Black Tree Design guys are great blokes btw, we used to tabletop rp together back when they were in blighty.

Mastiff wrote:I must be getting old. When I saw your title I expected to see Burt Ward hawking the latest in ancient wargaming. I guess the lack of an exclamation mark should have clued me in.

"Holy Roman Empire 28mms recommendations!"

LOL.

Ah, sorry then MGS. Neat how you used to game with them though, what'd you guys used to play?

I was the storyteller for a tabletop RP game, Vampire the Masquerade.

Hi.
I though the Perry Minatures next project was '15-16th century' figures?(I swear I saw some greens on TMP.)
At £15 for 36 ish minatures it might be worth waiting for?

TTFN
Lanrak.

Hmmm, now that may be worth waiting for, I'll drop them a line. Cheers

Update from Alan Perry:

Sorry, no plans for the Holy Roman Empire I'm afraid, although the WOTR range is usable up to 1500 for quite a few nations. There will be a pack of plastic continental troops armed with pike, hand guns and crossbow.


That's Wars of the Roses for non-history folks, not War of the Ring...The Continental Troops pack sounds of interest.

Try Essex Miniatures

http://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/frames25ren.html

A type 'A' figure (basic infantry) is 95p.

Many manufacturers make suitable figures though there is very little in plastics as yet.

Depending on the look you are going for, there are lots of historical options between about 1450 and 1700. The Eastern nations (Russia, Persia, etc.) were slower than the west in dropping armour, archery and other antique equipment. Polish Winged Hussars still wore upper body plate armour in the 1650s.

Italian Wars are the most direct inspiration for the GW Empire range.

Very nice price, but at true 25mm, I think they would be too small, also they lack the detail I want (fussy I am). Thanks for the link Kil.

The Essex are bigger than true 25mm.

I'll do a size comparison pic.



Automatically Appended Next Post:
It's not a very good picture because I set it up quickly and shot it on my mobile phone. I wish Bluetooth was in my camera.



From left to right:

A Citadel ganger from the Judge Dredd range, with converted cap.
Steel Legion Commissar who has had his gun and sword cut off.
Essex knight of about 1250. He's leaning forwards a bit running. He actually measures 26mm to the eye-slits.
Elric (?) from Citadel Eternal Champion range.
A Gumshoe from Citadel Call of Cthulhu range.
Mark 1 plastic Beaky
A Hasslefree figure -- Dionne -- from the Adventurers range.
A Samurai which I think is from an early Citadel range.

My Essex WoTR figures are a bit bigger than this knight but they're all in Japan.

You might get a few of the Essex just to look at. As with Citadel, their figures have tended to grow with time, so the most recent ranges are the largest.

How do the Black Tree Design models compare size wise to GWs?

Ah, I used to have that Elric figure, painted him as a slaaneshi champion when the original Lost and the Damned came out. I think I will order some of the Essex figures, since at that price I can just take a look and have a think about suitability, many thanks for setting that up Kil, I think the photo will be of use for many.

Toxxic, the Black Tree design figs are on a good scale size with citadel, especially the older citadel ranges. Tony 'like an ent' Ackland designs for them.

Cool, Thanks MeanGreenStompa!

If you can get enough people to sign on, Wargames Factory will make the miniatures. That's how their Zombie Horde came about...

hm, black tree design might be how i bulk up my dwarf army