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Looking for some places to buy non GW minis that I can use in 40k. Links and suggestions greatly appreciated

Honestly, just about anything can be used, though it's not always easy to convert fantasy-based models into a sci-fi setting... It's much easier to use non-gw models for WHFB, in my experience. Warmachine is a good place to look though, being as it's another major sci-fi wargame with similarly sized models. Beware: all WM models are metal.

Why would you want to? What've you got in mind?

I play guard and was looking for some different models

While Wal-Mart isn't a perfect place to look for mini's, I have yet to find any that are even near GW scale. Unless I can use a knockoff GI Joe as a counts-as Dreadnought.

Just remember not everyone likes playing with non-GW mini's too, plus official tourneys (if you go to them anyway) will laugh in your face and throw pie if you show up with non-gw mini's. Now I'm hungry.

Rezolution has some different looking sci-fi trooper models.

Specifically in the CSO faction.

Here is a link to the game's product list:
http://www.aberrantgames.com/rez/products.php

And here are some CSO minis that caught my eye as decent fill-ins for Guard.

http://www.aberrantgames.com/rez/products_detail.php?pID=2008
http://www.aberrantgames.com/rez/products_detail.php?pID=2020
http://www.aberrantgames.com/rez/products_detail.php?pID=2022
http://www.aberrantgames.com/rez/products_detail.php?pID=2018

Warzone minis are great: pack of 80 multi-part plastics for £17.99 on eBay UK (so, I guess about $30?); if I didn't have vast quantities of other infantry, I'd buy 'em (heck, still might for conscripts, even if they are dire).

For my force I use Urban Mammoth Viridians with Cadian bits, Future Tommies (I forget the manufacturer) for vets and Junker Penal Legionnairies.

A lot of folk use Pig Iron Heads but you could also check out West Wind productions line of ww2 heads and/or Secrets of the Third Reich figs.

http://www.perry-miniatures.com/index2.html

I think I've seen cheap 28mm Napoleonics on the site, or elsewhere...

Praetorians anyone?

I can't find exactly what I was looking at but I found a cheap box of 20 line infantry somewhere for like £10, they were plastic too!

Just find 28mm scale anything that looks close enough. WW2 or something might work best. I'm sure there are some WW2 minis that size out there. They have most of the weapons you would need I believe.

I'm an IG player and almost all my army is non-GW.

Make sure you take into account what insomniacpyro said about who you're playing against, but if you still fancy it, I use the aforementioned perry twins napoleonics (42 redcoats for £15, thank you!), ww1 british lancers from renegade minis for rough riders http://www.renegademiniatures.com/ww1br.htm. Perry twins also do a similar boxed set for ACW Infantry, and also gorgeous ACW & French Napoleonic Cavalry.
I get extra weapon swaps and accessories from the assault group http://www.theassaultgroup.co.uk/store/home.php?xid=136e212f74416673d8a9b0222188d778
and on top of that have hunted out many sites I'll eventually buy stuff from. Vitrix makes alternative cheap napoleonic plastics, almost as nice as Perry Miniatures for almost the same price. [url/]http://www.victrixlimited.co.uk/online_shop/index.php?cPath=32_33&osCsid=96392ac9f97e4f0f4213f89c8387dd53[/url] also available from various other online stockists.
There is a huge wealth of great WW2 28mm stuff, do a few Googles and see what you like. I, for example, love this guy http://www.askari-minis.com/webstore/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=155 and will use him as a Commissar at some point. There's some other cool stuff on that site too.
Wargames Foundry does an immense number of eras and armies, and they do complete army deals as well. all metal though. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/asp/nocookie.asp
I may one day turn one of these into a devil dog: http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/british-cromwell-mk-iv-cruiser-tank-1208-p.asp

And that, for now, is all I've got. Sorry for the data dump, been dying to go through that folder in my favourites again.

Best thing to do is pick a theme that'll work and stick with it. It's easy to get carried away once you get away from GW minis. Although joyfully IG can have various forms of auxiliaries, veteran squads etc so if you really want something you can wrangle it in to your army's feel.

Good luck and report back on what you end up buying!

Captain Roderick wrote:I'm an IG player and almost all my army is non-GW.

Make sure you take into account what insomniacpyro said about who you're playing against, but if you still fancy it, I use the aforementioned perry twins napoleonics (42 redcoats for £15, thank you!), ww1 british lancers from renegade minis for rough riders http://www.renegademiniatures.com/ww1br.htm. Perry twins also do a similar boxed set for ACW Infantry, and also gorgeous ACW & French Napoleonic Cavalry.
I get extra weapon swaps and accessories from the assault group http://www.theassaultgroup.co.uk/store/home.php?xid=136e212f74416673d8a9b0222188d778
and on top of that have hunted out many sites I'll eventually buy stuff from. Vitrix makes alternative cheap napoleonic plastics, almost as nice as Perry Miniatures for almost the same price. [url/]http://www.victrixlimited.co.uk/online_shop/index.php?cPath=32_33&osCsid=96392ac9f97e4f0f4213f89c8387dd53[/url] also available from various other online stockists.
There is a huge wealth of great WW2 28mm stuff, do a few Googles and see what you like. I, for example, love this guy http://www.askari-minis.com/webstore/product_info.php?cPath=42&products_id=155 and will use him as a Commissar at some point. There's some other cool stuff on that site too.
Wargames Foundry does an immense number of eras and armies, and they do complete army deals as well. all metal though. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/asp/nocookie.asp
I may one day turn one of these into a devil dog: http://shop.warlordgames.co.uk/british-cromwell-mk-iv-cruiser-tank-1208-p.asp

And that, for now, is all I've got. Sorry for the data dump, been dying to go through that folder in my favourites again.

Best thing to do is pick a theme that'll work and stick with it. It's easy to get carried away once you get away from GW minis. Although joyfully IG can have various forms of auxiliaries, veteran squads etc so if you really want something you can wrangle it in to your army's feel.

Good luck and report back on what you end up buying!

I love your selection there, and you found the Napoleonic soldiers I was thinking about

About Rough Riders, though those Brits are cool... I wonder if there are any Mongolian Lancers that people can get their hands on as RR knockoffs?

Henners91 wrote:

I love your selection there, and you found the Napoleonic soldiers I was thinking about

About Rough Riders, though those Brits are cool... I wonder if there are any Mongolian Lancers that people can get their hands on as RR knockoffs?

Wargames Factory is making some: http://www.wargamesfactory.com/BookingRetrieve.aspx?ID=49134

also, anyone making their own Rough Riders from other model ranges, the best and cheapest Hunting Lance stand-ins I've found are these from The Assault Group: http://www.theassaultgroup.co.uk/store/product.php?productid=371&cat=31&page=3 - a bit shorter than gw's but they have 'explosive tips' and come at £3.30 for 10.

Those lances are very nice... makes me think perhaps I could just use some Cadian bitz on some WHFB horses+rider legs or something.. can anyone recommend some legs that could be used for Cadians?

I also assume that would be the only way to make the models legal in-store?

I have no idea what the current GW policy on using non-gw bits in store, it used to be something like 75% of the mini has to be GW. That was about 6 years ago though so really haven't a clue.

I don't play in stores anyway, so it's not a worry for me, but then I'm very casual and only have 1 opponent. Memories of the odd characters to be found in GW has put us off 'public' playing.

Certainly all you more mainstream gamers may have difficulty with non-GW minis...

But yes, if you were to use them, there's a decent amount of variety around with WHFB plastic cavalry so you can have fun. Maybe some Cadians on Cold Ones?

Also I know there's some kind of legal issue W.R.T. using LotR minis in other GW games - part of the deal with New Line Cinema was that it's never ever allowed, so unfortunately they're all out of bounds.

Awesome thanks everyone for the suggestions. I am also looking for some guardwomen models if anyone know of a place to buy some

I have one old GW mini that is a female Guard mini. It's from Rogue Trader era. Not sure if more than the one exists though. Also not practical to get ahold of more. Shadowforge has some nice female minis. Not overly TnA, but actual regular style. Only problem is they are based in Australia and I've only found 2 importers so they aren't easy to get ahold of all of the time.

Chapterhouse are going to being doing a range of female guard heads soon, IIRC.

Check this thread for links to sites where you can get useful conversion items such as different heads.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/260250.page#1278103

Thanks again for the help everyone, I officially LOVE/HATE you all. lol I love you guys for all the great stuff, but I hate you because I WANT TO BUY IT ALL NOW!! lol


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Anyone have any idea what "N scale" size is BTW? Is that appropriate 40k vehicle size?

Check out Pig Iron for some great gaurd substitutes, especialy for unique heads.

N scale is a very small model railway scale. It's too small for 40K.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N_scale

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scale_model

28 mm or 25 mm heroic. Easiest thing is to add different heads or weapons. I believe a few people mentioned how you can buy packs of weapons that are similar sizes.

GW does need female IG models and by that I mean that they actually have to look decent...

@tigonesskay - yeah, not just Witch Elves with guns, for preference.

Check out em4 miniatures. They have a great line of troopers. They are inexpensive and well sculpted (by Mark Copplestone) and the shipping from UK isn't bad. The line has armed female figures as well. http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Future_Skirmish.html

The warzone plastics are great and cheap (about $. 50 each).

If you want non-GW options, there are alot out there. If it's inexpensive you want, you might be just as good buying used.

Pig iron is very useful I've found. They have great models for low cost ($13 Australian for 5 models) and the System troopers i've found to be perfect for my Adeptus Arbites army.

Eilif wrote:Check out em4 miniatures. They have a great line of troopers. They are inexpensive and well sculpted (by Mark Copplestone) and the shipping from UK isn't bad. The line has armed female figures as well. http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/Future_Skirmish.html

Those Scavengers are about to become Penal Legionnaires, thanks for the link

Glad to help. Check out their plastics as well. They aren't as nice as the metal, but their cheap and look good when painted.

Eilif wrote:Glad to help. Check out their plastics as well. They aren't as nice as the metal, but their cheap and look good when painted.

Those minis are nice, plastics as well you say??? Im a happy man now

The em4 plastics are here:
http://www.em4miniatures.com/acatalog/FANTASY.html
I did a review of the plastics and the plastic/metal upgrade kits a while back here:
http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=130510

I still prefer the warzone plastics for look and lower price
http://www.princeaugust.ie/target_games/tg2420-1.html
But I have both, and they both have thier uses.