"Wanted: Advice on Individually Based Space Fighters" Topic

I'm looking for space fighters to fit the criteria of:

(a) small (so to be reasonably in scale with a Firestorm Armada carrier)
(b) cheap – under $5 USD a model (preferably only a few $ea)
(c) reasonably crisp and detailed enough to be a stand-alone model on Full Thrust-style flight stands.

Basically, the size and detail of a Tumbling Dice WWII fighter would be awesome! (I've considered converting modern jets in 1/300 TD and 1/600 Magister/Ossy O if my search proves fruitless…)

Here are my findings so far:

---------------The big and pricey-------------

Citadel Epic 40k -(beautiful, detailed, murderously expensive $12+ each and rather too large)

Ral Partha/Iron Winds Aerotech -(nice designs, but $10 USD each and too large…)

EM4/Silent Death – (cheap, crisp, but rather uninspiring designs – also a little large)

--------------The Unknowns----------------------

Galactic Knights. I don't know much about these size-wise – Monday Knight Productions makes these – I think they are a re-vamped older line. Does anyone know anything about these? They seem affordable and a little more detailed than GZG minis.

DP9's Jovian Chronicles fighters. These are 5 for $10 USD which seems reasonable – does anyone have any info on these re: size/quality?

C in C makes FASA Renegade Legion interceptors. $5 USD each. Does anyone have these? I suspect they are over-large. They are also a little expensive in the quantity I require.

I also recall there being B5 fighter models but they are OOP now?

----------------Lacking detail------------------

GZG & Brigade (also Kallistra) all make excellently priced fighters but they are sometimes a little tiny/blobby as they are intended to be put in groups of 3-6 per base. However sometimes catalogues are deceptive (GZG has little in the way of photos)so I may be dismissing them to hastily.

However I know quality varies within ranges. I.e. do you especially recommend a model from any of the above 3 that is crisp, detailed, and could stand alone on its own merits(perhaps on a wire instead of the plastic pole?).

Are there any manufacturers I've missed?
Do you have any recommendations based on the criteria?

The Kallistra ones are unlikely to work, they are moulded with 6 on the circular ring and a solo one to stick on the central pin. You'd be buying a pack of seven to use one. As the epic ones are too big have you considered using Batlefleet Gothic craft?
link
On the second hand market you may be able to track down Babylon 5 ships. They come in 2 size ranges and may fit your needs.

The fighters, particularly the heavy ones, from Monday Knight Productions might work for you. They are larger than GZG fighters and a re somewhat detailed. Unfortunately I don't know how big your carrier is but of the items you've listed I think think the MKP figs would be among the most promising.

Rich

Buff – I think the BFG ones fall under the 'small and blobby' category and are also about 3 x more expensive than the GZG ones at $28 USD a pack… Thanks for the tip on Kallistra.

Thanks Richard – the MKP fighters did look bigger/more detailed but I have trouble comparing them to anything. Appreciate your feedback. Re: scale, my OP suggested the minis

(a) must be reasonably in scale with a Firestorm Armada carrier

irregularminiatures.co.uk do individual space fighters in their 6mm sf ranges
(codes 6SFFC1 to 6SFFC8). I would not buy them without seeing them as I have some from that range that are the best little fighters I have and others that are a waste of metal and could not tell you the code numbers of the good ones.

x42

Interesting x42 – I never even considered irregular! People say they paint up well – I tend to take that as a euphemism being 'blobby' but some of the fighters do look quite crisp.

How do they size up – would they handle being on a stand solo? They do seem bigger than the multi-fighter-per-stand GZG scale.

Studio Bergstrom has both 1" fighters and starships (which could be made to look like fighters), and fleetscale fighters. The fleetscale fighters might be a bit small, he lists sizes though, but if you look at the non SW or BSG ones, you'll find some interesting types.

I am working on mounting some BSG and SW ones now, onto the pins and bases he supplies, as multi-fighter stands, but they are good enough quality they could be mounted individually.

link

Chris

@evilleMonkeigh

Having several Kallistra fleet packs, I'd never seen the fighter swarms until just now, looking at images on the site.

I'll may well buy some for use with Full Thrust, using the die-in-the-center dodge, so I'd keep you in mind for possible spares, though probably not in numbers you wish.

However, my ordering is usually at a glacial pace, and shipping/transshipping on top suggests you should definitely find your own solution. ;->=

I've always considered 'Irregular Miniatures' a bit of a handicap for a name; I've found the designs relatively uninspired, but the quality/crispness I've experienced was excellent. Again, can't speak to fighters.

Doug

The MKP fighters are larger than the GZG fighters and the long and narrow ones like the Terran fighters are a bit over .5 inches long. The other races figthers are usually a bit more stubby.

Another source of 'larger than GZG fighters' is Armoury Hobbies. Their fighters are .5 to .75 inches long. The ones you see grouped 3 on a round base are on a 2 inch disk IIRC.
link

Ironwind makes small scale fighter copies of their larger fighters. Nicely detailed and usually .5 to .75 inches long. They are under their online exclusives section.
here: link

I think the BFG ones fall under the 'small and blobby' category and are also about 3 x more expensive than the GZG ones at $28.00 USD USD a pack…

$28! ouch. The fighters are £10.00 GBP for 30 here.

Possibly Silent Death if you are looking for larger fighters as well They are cheap and easy to find.
Reverisco makes similar ones as well,but a little pricier.
Cant go wrong with Studio Bergstrom's fighters either in either scale!

Take a look at my AAR's below as I use both Silent Death fightersmounted individually (as larger escort-type vessels) along with small fighters (3 per base.)

link
link

Hope this helps.

The Studio Bergstrom ones are great, and available for Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars.

Both the 1" minis, and smaller Fleet-scale minis are available. Prices are $1.25 USD each to 50 cents each.

Jim Fox produces some superb Fleet-scale BSG minis too, which are 50 cents each.

The Micromachines Star Wars minis are quite nice too. You can find those on eBay.

$28! ouch

Note that he's in Australia, despite the "USD" note on the price he gives. The US price is $17 USD for anywhere from 24 to 30 small craft.

Here is some pics of the Brigade fighters.
picture
picture
picture
picture

Re Irregular

Sorry about the delay.

The fighters are small 4mm to 8mm they don't mount well on a standard flight stand. I have individuals mounted on a short piece of wire (the end bit where I've shortened steel pikes to spears) fitted to a spare base bottom and it works well. There is a small hole in the bottom of most of the fighters that fit the wire.

x42

Might I suggest one other source which is StarBlazers Fleet Battle System.

The Fighters are in packs of 18 to 24 from the following races:

Earth(EDF)

Gamilon Empire

White Comet Empire

The EDF pack contains 2 types of fighters and some Aux craft while the others just have Fighters.

The packs are under $6.00 USD and they're pretty small but can't say exactly the size.

The other thing would be StarDate 3000 from Valiant Miniatures,which make Fighter craft as well.

Captain Gideon

@ Buff & Farstar

No, I meant $28 USD USD. AUD and USD are approximately the same – in fact the Aussie dollar since the financial crisis is worth more (1.01 USD to be precise!)

10 GBP is about $16 USD AUD. I had a kid from the UK in my class who was stunned at the prices here in Oz of GW – double elsewhere…

$50 USD USD = one pack of GW infantry!

I was looking at the GW-US site when I typed that. Imperial fighters, bombers, and assault boats.

And you should know by now that the real exchange rates have no bearing on what GW-Aus chooses to charge you…

Too true Farstar. 5-6 plastic terminators in a GW store are over $65 USD – for that, I can buy a GZG 15mm platoon tanks, gunships, infantry and air support. Or an impressive sci fi fleet….

Back on topic: thanks for all the great replies!

Iron Wind – I had no idea of the smaller minis – thanks patrick!

I recall seeing Studio Bergstrom but forgot the site so that is appreciated.

I didn't know Starblazers made fighters yet – I thought they were a 'pending' item…

And I've never heard of Valiant or Jim Fox… TMP is indeed the place to go for esoteric info!

I posted a comparison pic of seven of the ten Galactic Knights fighter types, along with their lengths, at my blog: link

I hope that helps.

DerertScrb – thanks for the pics and scale – it really helps (I am ordering some MKP as we speak)

The aerotech BT fleet scale models look good at 35c ea – very interested as they have unique designs

Starblazers look a little too small (GZG scale) but I haven't seen a good pic up close yet

Fox Minis don't seem to have an online store but that just may be ignorance showing… I'm emailing him to see if I can get a catalogue/pics.

Valiant ships seem realistic, cylindrical, and somwehat lacking in cool factor but their pics were not the best so I may be harsh here…

Note I see Ravenstar is mentioned as a big player in the BSG
stakes but I don't see any fighters in their catalogues :-(
link

I also recall seeing some Stargate fighters somewhere – I do like the X305 as they would be a good near future fighter. The aggressor planes tended to look like a minivan though, as I recall.

Note: I don't terribly want ships with a strong IP as I always feel a bit weird when I given them an alernate paint scheme and back story. I.e. TIE fighters and Vipers instantly evoke their franchises when anyone sees them and it is hard to say to a newcomer "oh these are some Rigellian Octopod mercenaries raiding a convoy of AI symbiote freedom fighters" – and then my wife says "so that's why you painted your Vipers purple?"

PS: Does anyone own the 'fleet scale' Jovian chronicles fighters? (i.e. their 1/350 scale?) link

You told about 1/600 WW2 fighters…

Ho-229 Flying Wing from Raiden Miniatures Luft 46 range

picture

& Tumbling Dice: Me 163 Komet

I think they would stand as cool sci-fi fighters

I like the idea – it could be 'Space 1946' a la Hardvacuum.

…Modified Allied P80s and Meteors clash with weird Nazi spaceplanes as the allies attempt to capture the orbital nazi satellite bases…

Glad I could assist you in your purchasing decision. Once you get them painted up, you'll have to post pics of them next to the carrier.

By the way, which fighters did you order?

@DesertScribe – …A pack of 10 of each :-)

I also am looking into the Ral Partha small scale (35c/ea) aerospace fighters as they have really unique designs.

Also leaning toward some BSG models even though I'm not sold in having such a famous 'universe' and prefer generic models.

I need a larger carrier than my GZG ones so I'm getting Firestorm Armada's new range. They have some nice ships which are rather big and thus scale well with fighters.

Deserter though gave me an idea for a WWII-in-space version which I will probably go through with as I love Tumbling Dice's cheap yet detailed models. I loved the idea of Hard Vacuum, just not the complex vector dials restructing you to 2-6 fighters per side.

Rule-wise, I am 99% in favour of "Lightning Strike" by DP9. They a very well thought out and presented set of rules. A 10c tour if you have missed this excellent rules-set.

Fighters move
(a) a set distance with a free 90d turn at any time
(b) half distance but can make up to 180d turn
(c) may make a 90d turn at the start of the move, then move double distance
(d) use 'evasive action' to make themselves a small target
(e) may aim carefully, doing extra damage but taking extra damage if hit in return

With no hexes needed, this is super simple yet offers lots of tactical choices each time you pick up a fighter to move.

I like the simple 'dazed pilot-damaged-exploded' damage which fits with all sci fi movies I have seen, rather than SD-style hitboxes to tick off.

Also fighters can react and fire back if fired upon from the front arc, offering a good reason to 'get on their tail.'

Although fighters are tactical yet super-simple, ships are more complex than say, Full Thrust as you can target components individually if you are close enough (and risk flak) but since I ainticipate only 3-4 per side it's not a big deal.

Pilots have varying skill levels and 'perks' which give them unique, heroic abilities.

This ruleset has inspired me to get into Gundam as well as the mecha rules are unique and simulate their agility in an unusual yet effective way.

Got a link to the Ral Partha fighters???

link

OK didnt realize the Ral Partha ones were Aerotech from IWM--thanks.

Received the MKP fighters. They are a step up from GZG with regards to size and detail, but still don't scratch the itch for a fighter that has detail and is worth basing individually, yet not ridiculously large compared to a capital ship.

Does anyone know where one may obtain B5/ACTA minis? Some of the smaller ACTA fleet scale minis look reasonably detailed…

Waiting on IWM aerotech fighters but got the DP9 fighter/mechs (fleetscale) today. Quite impressed, but they were pricey. $20 USD for what is in effect 10 15mm figs is not cheap…

I'll get some B5 fighters soon (FA and 1")

link

Rommell, promoting your product twice in the same thread, without contributing to said thread, is somewhat tiresome FYI.