"Who makes the best looking 28mm WW2 troops?" Topic

I am just getting back into the fold of WW2 gaming.

A few weeks ago, almost outta the blue, Skrapwelder wants to get into WW2 skirmishes in 28mm. With a small amount of 3W2 thrown in. (Guess he saw Captain America…)
Which is all right with me, as I have some 28mm laying about…

But I need to fill some gaps in my troops, so I need to ask…

In YOUR opinion, who makes the best looking WW2 troops ?

(btw… I will be fielding American or German troops… I have no interest in playing the Russians…)
Most of my 28mm figs right now are either Artizan, Black Tree or Victory Force…
So I am kinda wondering if there is any better figures out there…
Thanks!

No, I haven't seen it yet. But thanks for the geek vote of confidence.

Artizan's are by far the prettiest. Bolt Action are good too.

Bolt Action is great stuff at a great value. I'm also particular for Victory Force.

I like Artizan. I also have alot of Crusader.

Artizan

Bolt Action, Victory Force, Artizan are all really sharp looking figs.

Also Crusader.

I like VF Myself but I won't mix them with Bolt Action(I like BA too).
Most of Mine are Crusader, BTD, Artizan with some VF mixed in.

I always really liked the old lines of Black Tree, but Artizan, Bolt Action, and Crusader all rank just as high with me. Victory Force are fabulous, too, but are so much bigger than the other ones that they are in a league unto themselves.

That's why I just have a few select figures leading my troops

Mount any 20mm figure on a stack of 8 dimes and it'll look better than anything else in 28mm.

There is no absolute answer to this question. You will find people who insist old Airfix are the cat's meow.

Personally, I love Battle Honours more than the rest and Foundry second.

The rest are all great too. Renegade has what seem to be nice sculpts but are on the larger side of 28 similar to VF I guess. Take a look!

I would choose Artizan first.

Battle Hono(u)rs. A remarkable absence of Aardman Animations style grimaces.

Allen

Artizan and Bolt Action. Brigade Games has some nice Pac War stuff too. Some of the older Black Tree stuff is quite good too.

Ignoring the non relevant 20mm and dime post and back on the question which was I believe about 28mm, my personal favorites are Artizan, Black Tree, and Bolt Action. I do not mind Crusader either. I agree with Nazrat that the Victory Force are in a league and size all their own.

I second Allen's recommendation for Battle Honours – very nice sculpts – both the faces and the posing are spot on to my mind :-)

Here are some samples of Renegade:

Another nice thing about Battle Honors is that things like helmet shape are usually pretty good. The Renegade stahlhelms are a good example of the other end of the spectrum.

Allen

Bolt Action completely.

A remarkable absence of Aardman Animations style grimaces.

Around here we call that "characterful"!

I have Battle Honours models and I like them for their price and little things like Soviets with panzerfaust. The sculpting is decent, lots of folds in the clothing that makes them easy to paint up nicely. They are smaller than the more popular current ranges.
I don't like the size of the shoulder straps on them, though.

But aren't Battle Honors closer to 25mm than 28mm?

Bolt Action all the way, with some Artizan thrown in for variety.

Bolt Action for mass armies, Artizan for character models.

Ever since I've played with army men there has been a grenade throwing pose that usually gets one per sprue. We always called him Corporal Tosser.

Some Battle Honours:link

Well, Skrap… Col. Roll-a-one is filling in his troops…

Battle Honors being 25mm is one of more persistent and not very accurate rumors around here. Most of their ranges are 28mm and compare well with lines such as BAM and Artizan. The style is very different, so mixing will be up to individual taste. The French, Soviets, US, Early War Germans, SS, Italians, and Finns (I may be missing some) are all 28mm and sculpted by (IIRC) the same person. All very nice figs.

Some Battle Honors are smaller. Depends on the range, and they have one of the most extensive. Their smallest from the ones I have seen are their Late War Germans.

Berlin or bust by west wind --no matter what anyone says!! hands down the best!!
Regards
Russ dunaway

Some of their Sci-Fi figures may need some modifications, but Shadowforge for sure!

"Battle Honors being 25mm is one of more persistent and not very accurate rumors around here. Most of their ranges are 28mm and compare well with lines such as BAM and Artizan. The style is very different, so mixing will be up to individual taste."

Yep. I got my BAM French from Si before he sold up. I supplemented them with Battle Honors. They work together fine for me.

Allen

Berlin or bust by west wind --no matter what anyone says!! hands down the best!!

This range is smaller in size(than standard 28mm) but worth a look as they have some items no one else makes. That said, they can be a bit awkward and the helmets need to be reworked as, in some instances, look as thought they were pulled down over the models head. Not an attractive look. Lol…

Does BH make partisans/collaborators?

I've enjoyed painting the Bolt Action and Crusader figures I've been paid to do. The Black Tree not as much.

Combatpainter: link

I have never seen the minis from the pack, but that is the only pack I think they have. Probably wouldn't work as Eastern Front partisans though.

Want to include Reaper Chronoscope on the list. They only have maybe a handful of figures, and they're rather tall compared to most everyone else's idea of 28mm.

link

Sgt. Mack Torrey (very much NOT Sgt. Rock) simply towers over the rest of his squad in my games. Like a good sergeant should.

Here is a whole page of BH French

link

You will get so many responses, you will be no less confused than when you started! Good luck! I have my likes and dislikes but will not add to the pile of suggestions already made.

You will get so many responses, you will be no less confused than when you started! Good luck! I have my likes and dislikes but will not add to the pile of suggestions already made.

This type of question elicits many responses.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pulp Figures!

I like the boltaction white metals, though the british are not quite as nice as the US or germans.
Crusaders range in nice, but little limited in scope. The figures are nice to paint.
Artizans have some figures which are I really like but then there are some which are a little too cartoony for my own taste. The renegade ones are nice, but bit big to fit with BAM, crusader.

I have so much BAM metal, that have one platoon going on ebay now, but will probably regret that.. i don't like the BAM plastics.. too fiddly, too bendy and no where near as durable for long term life span as the metals.

Jeffs JTFM figures are nice too. Hmm who have i left out??

Actually Mort, it has really cleared the air with me.

I was really looking for some recommendations for good looking figs, and LOL AND BEHOLD… TMPers know their stuff!
I really like the look of the Artizan, Crusader and Renegade figs. BAM is also on the short list.

I have some Battle Honors (which I forgot about til they were mentioned here, and dug them out last night…), and really did not like the look of them at all, IMO…

Thanks all!

Battle Honors hands down. Best sculpts, variety, cost by far, and they don't look like all the other clones out there!

Dunno who's are the best, but I really like the stuff that Crusader puts out: link

My 2 cents
I have Artizan,Black Tree,Crusader and BAM.Probably about 2000(maybe more) figs in all Brits, US,Itais,French,Germans of several flavors and a few Soviets.I think they are all nice and fit well enough together.
I had bought some Renegade but sold them (at a loss) and never painted them.IMHO the Renegade are awful,and I like their ECW and WW1.

My 2 cents worth. Love Battle Honors! Have a company of SS (3 full platoons with support weapons and pak 40's.) Crusader for Early war German infantry & Paras, British Paras and Late War infantry. Artizan for U.S. Paras and Late war U.S. troops, Late war German Paras and their DAK troops for Sicily, British Paras. Bolt Action for U.S. paras, German Paras & Love their Italians for Eastern Front & Sicily/Italy. Also Battle Honors for Early/Mid war Germans & U.S. paras.

The very first Germans and Russians produced by Harlequins (became Black tree) are just outstanding! They definitly rank first IMHO….
BAM'Waffen SS are on my painting table/ good poses, a few wrong minor details, too few gears on the figures (no rifles slings or bayonets…) but once painted look great!
One peacing off detail: the casting is poor!
Crusaders for early war, but not enough poses!
Artizan… well depend on the range! Bulky weapons sometimes and pulp faces and hands…
Good painting to all!