"Traveller Miniatures request" Topic

So I just sent an email to the guys at Pig Iron productions asking if they would consider doing some powered armor/battledress style figs that I could use for Traveller Imperial Marines or battledress troops.

I was then thinking that if any of you were interested in the same, that emailing them to that effect might be a good way of stimulating their interest.

Here's their email if you are so inclined enquiries@pig-iron-productions.com

Maybe someone will produce some of these style of figs in 28mm much like GZG has in 25mm.

Hmmmm… I'd like to see that, but the issue is whether they can get a license from Marc Miller and that would cost money.

I imagine they could do some troops in battledress that would not infringe on copyrighted figures, but that would sell well.

A number of other companies have done that.

I would prefer to see them in 25mm, so they go with all of the other stuff that is in the marketplace.

I wasn't aware that there was an 'image' of traveller Imperial marines and their equipment… I played Traveller extensively back in the day, and one of the great things about it was the necessity of having an imagination. Mind you i last played when the little black books were all you had!

There are 25mm Traveller Imperial Marines that look a bit like GZG UNSC troops…but whether they are the 'official look', I have no idea.

I sent them an e-mail request.

I'd like to see some crew figures done for spaceships and dropships too, since those are almost non-existant. Seated, and standing variants would be nice, plus some firing weapons, and/or running, in order to try to resist troops trying to take over their craft.

Inso – are you stalking me?

Yeah, well, there are some official pictures/drawings of Traveller Imperial Marines, as well as the Grenadier minis.

However, GZG has come close enough without infringement, so that's all I'm going for personally.

I'd also like to see some ship crew/navy/scouts/merchants models that would have a decent smattering of guns and gear.

The Infinity range has some decent figs that have the more contoured Traveller-esque battledress style without the typical GW marines look.

Besides, the Traveller marines tear drop helmet is based on the medieval sallet helm design for which no one has a copy right…

Definitely needed are some of the seated crewmembers for dropships, and spaceships, on those reclining-style seats, to help with high-G takeoffs, and other maneuvers.

A few empty crew chairs wouldn't hurt, either….

denizenminiatures.co.uk

SF 26, 27, 47, 49, 50

Gracias,

Glenn

Hi Glenn,

Thanks. I have seen those, but they are about the only ones I have run across thus far.

Best regards,

Rob

Instead of requesting them of manufacturers, why not hire one of the up and coming amateur sculptors to do create them? You could have them cast and sell them yourself.

I hear people get rich selling miniatures.

Well WeeSparky, that's because all of my free time is going into writing my skirmish game and not into selling minis. I have considered commissioned sculpting and that is still and option, but I'd prefer the easier route of buying models from a pre-existing range.

Theres plenty of 15mm Imperial marines floating around ebay, so just a question of scaling them up, I'd imagine.

@ Brandlin: "Inso – are you stalking me?"

No…but rest assured, if I was…I'd probably be sat on your settee eating crisps and there would be nothing you could do about it…well, apart from tell me to stop crunching so load and to tell me to get out of course ;)…

I could also send them some scanned pics or they could just poke around on the numerous Traveller sights.

Hasslefree & Heresy have done some figs that are useable as adventurers or free traders/scouts etc.

But I think there is a definite market for some generic ship crew and adventurer models.

Doesn't have to be specific to any game or movie milieu either.

I'm no longer alone in the wilderness, yea. I have been a similar self styled crusade, for Traveller miniatures for a while. In fact, a friend thought I had changed my name to Faust. Desperate for "new" miniatures, I have decided to start sculpting myself, there are not pretty, but I'm going to find out of I have ability and talent. I'm real good with the conversions, so that helps.

Scale is a big issue, for me, not just because of sculpting, but in collecting as well. IMHO, if you make true 25mm figures you are condemning yourself to the ‘old school market," people using older figures mainly because, there are no new figures being manufactured legally. Are there exceptions, sure 1st Corps, Stargrunt and older Shadow run figures, but these lines are not expanding.

As much as I love Reaper Miniatures, they are not above criticism, after all they are about the only one's giving use generic Sci-fi figures, their scale 28mm Heroic scale are nice, but thus far they are closer to 30mm. We are faced with a conundrum, we have three options. One, we have Reaper product line that is alive and expanding, in 30mm, as well as a few other 30mm SF miniatures. 28mm figures of Hasslefree and Heresy miniatures, which I love, but they have a limited selection with only the slight possibility of more SF figures to come, or we can stay with the dwindling 25mm scale.

I say embrace the future, support the new scale, while living with the old until they can be updated. 30mm seems the way to go.

I will consider other scales, if the figures look nice, are reasonably priced, and there is a decent selection of poses to choose from, so that the forces don't look like clone troops.

However, I would prefer that they are made in 25mm scale, since they can be used with a wide array of readily available troops, e.g. those from GZG, among others.

See, I wants its in 28mms my precious…

I just picked up an email reply from Simon at Pig Iron. He says that he's had powered armor on his agenda for awhile now, but hasn't been able to get to it. He'll keep me posted when he does.

I sent him a pic of Battledress and will scan a few more for his reference.

Feel free to do the same.

Faust

Well if your wedded to 28mm then there is no good looks like.

Now, in 15mm GZGs UNSC make passable Imp Marines.

I am a Traveller purest though, 15mm it the one true Traveller scale.8-)

My skirmish game won't comfortably accommodate 15mm.

I too am using GZG 15mm UNSC for wargaming. I'll like it more if those Astrins and Intrepids come to fruition. However, most of the RPGers I know won't play with anything smaller than 25mm, so I'd have to throw my support behind anyone who can produce "official" Imperial (and Zhodani) troops in that scale or larger.

I put the same question about powered armor troops with a Traveller feel to Mark Copplestone. I'll let y'all know what he says.

So what did he say?

"My skirmish game won't comfortably accommodate 15mm."

What a fascinating statement.

@GypsyComet: Sure, if your skirmish game requires being able to tell the difference between weapons at tabletop distances.

While 15mm minis can and usually do tell the difference between weapons up close, it's very hard to tell the difference between an obvious-up-close M16 and M249 3+ feet away.

For example, Infinity doesn't work well with 15mm minis, you can't tell the weapons apart well enough.

Interesting. I've never played infinity in 15mm but there was some talk of them making a 15mm game which I've lost track of.

Have you tried it?

Nah, played games like Ambush Alley in 15mm and found I needed to color-code my bases for support weapons.

Still no news on an actual CB 15mm game, but there is a big 'changing the way you play Infinity' coming up in ~April next year.

That will be interesting. I haven't played 3rd edition at all. We stayed away from it because it seemed to put too much focus on close combat.

What do you suppose the change is going to be?