"15mm/18mm Three and Four Musketeers? - Place your Bets" Topic

Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets on which manufacturer(s) will step up and create this much needed range of minis, in dynamic action poses, so we can fight large battles on the tabletop, using superb buildings, palaces, and castle structures.

Possible manufacturer candidates (none have officially signed on to do this, so this is merely conjecture on my part) include:

Baueda
Blue Moon
Essex
Eureka Miniatures of Australia (using their 300 Club program)
Khurasan
Mirliton
Peter Pig
Rebel Minis
Venexia
Other

So feel free to place your bets as to which manufacturer(s) may step up and actually produce this range of minis below, and/or to add other candidates to the "other" category as well.

While we're at it, let's lay odds on when they'll first be available for sale too:

By this Christmas
By Spring of 2012
By Summer of 2012
By Christmas of 2012
2013
2014 and later
Never

Are you asking for a range of figures, or a range of scenics?

My guesses, expressed as %'s, but you can figure the odds by dividing the percentages into 100%, e.g. 5% = 20:1 odds, etc.:

Baueda – 5%
Essex – 5%
Blue Moon – 15%
Eureka Miniatures of Australia – 35% (using their 300 Club program)
Khurasan – 10%
Mirliton – 5%
Peter Pig – 5%
Rebel Minis – 10%
Venexia – 5%
Other – 5%

For delivery:

By this Christmas – 5%
By Spring of 2012 – 10%
By Summer of 2012 – 15%
By Christmas of 2012 – 35%
2013 – 20%
2014 and later – 15%
Never – 0%

Looking for figures primarily, on foot and horseback, and stuff to go with them, e.g. horse-drawn carriages (may already be produced by someone), damsels to rescue, ordinary citizens, a tavern or inn with liftoff roof and detailed interior, or scenics to go inside it, e.g. tables, chairs, bar, wagons, etc. to jump off of in epic style.

Mugs, plates, wine bottles, tankards of ale, etc. would all be very useful if using the free Eureka Minis Three Musketeers rules, which encourage throwing other items at opponents.

Blue Moon.

Ahhhhh, knew I was forgetting someone!

Will add them to the list.

Feel free to lobby the above manufacturers about this range, since it might help get them into production sooner.

Now, to send off a message to Nic at Eureka…..

Blue Moon in 18mm are the most likely to produce the range of figures and accessories that would make this work.

Cheers
Mark

Mako11;

All but the "primary" characters and the specialized buildings are already available.

Carriage – Essex, and available with a choice of passengers and driver.

Mounted Musketeer in cassock – Essex

Foot Musketeer firing musket and at least one "command" type figure on foot – Old Glory 15's

Assorted civilians, including "gentlefolk" and commoners – small from Peter Pig in their Pirate range, large from Blue Moon in their Pirate range.

Assorted tables, serving wenches, tavern keepers, etc, – Peter Pig, Blue Moon and Museum that I know of, probably others as well.

So, if you can get Nik at Eureka to do the specialized personality figures, you're set. The buildings you'll probably have to do yourself, or use some of the kit-form 15mm building products to make what you need.

Bill
Sir William the Aged
warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com

What, not Splintered Light? They at least deserve a mention what with their Robin Hood range. Don't hold your breath, though. Much as I'd love to see this range, the moribundity of this board mitigates against it. Sad, since clearly the boys with big toys (28 mm) are pretty well served.

So, if anyone will do it, I'd give my 1st vote to Blue Moon, and my 3rd vote to Splintered Light. What, I skipped a vote – you want to know my 2nd vote? Irregular Miniatures, of course – and perhaps the most likely to respond favorably to an inquiry. So, who is going to take it to them?

As to Eureka and the 300 turned 600 club? ha-ha-ha-ha! really? don't think so. what is the percentage of success there for request versus actual production? pretty low, I think. it was a good idea at 300, at 600 only the most common ideas are likely to fly – and they are already mostly well served (in my opinion anyway)

Interesting, the topic has had a 177 hits as of my posting. Maybe, it hints at an untapped potential. If I were to bet, I'd bet on Blue Moon by the Spring of 2012.

My outside bet – How about Copplestone?

Gentlemen;

Consider the production process. Most of the dedicated 15/18mm makers today use large spincast molds holding anywhere from 20 to 30 figures, some more. So let's consider our "cast of characters", assuming that the figures and coach I mentioned above will fill most other needs.

The Forces of Good

D'Artagnon -foot
Athos – foot
Porthos – foot
Aramis – foot
At least 3 generic "other" dismounted musketeers
Monsieur de Treville on foot
Madame Bonacieux – assuming that one of the existing ladies can't be used, and that the sculptor can do justice to Raquel.
King Louis XIII on foot
Queen Anne on foot
D'Artagnon mounted
Athos mounted
Porthos mounted
Aramis mounted
At least 3 generic "other" musketeers mounted
Possibly the servant Planchet on foot

The Forces of Bad

Cardinal Richelieu on foot
M'Lady de Winter on foot
Comte de Rochefort on foot
At least 4, possibly 5 generic Cardinal's Guard on foot
M'Lady de Winter sitting, as a coach passenger
Comte de Rochefort mounted
4 to 5 Cardinal's Guard mounted

The Superfluous
The Duke of Buckingham on foot
A few local Fops and Duelists, just to add spice

So, some may disagree with my character selection, but it is probably fairly complete and would match the total number of figures required for specific scenarios.

This list gives us a total (at maximum) of 12 "Good" foot and 7 mounted; 10 "Bad" foot (or seated) and 6 mounted; plus whatever superfluous Fops and other characters the maker chooses to add. That is roughly two production molds for most makers, and it could be sold as a complete bagged set. That's actually somewhat reasonable, so now the question would be "How many such sets will said maker sell?" 100? 200? Even more? Most makers today, to re-coupe sculpting costs, master mold costs and production mold costs, not counting the actual cost of casting, would have to charge as much or more than a typical 28mm casting per 18mm figure to even break even.

So, it either has to be a "labor of love" (which actually do exist with some sculptors and makers) that the maker only hopes he/she will break even on, or it has to be a maker that could do it on a subscription basis. That would logically point to Nic at Eureka, but doesn't necessarily exclude folks like Dave at Museum or Ian Kay at Irregular, both of whom could do it on a bit of a "whim", and because the figures would fit with ranges they already produce. It would work for Old Glory 15's, but doesn't really fit their business model, nor Minifigs or Essex. It doesn't really fit Blue Moon because there is no tie-in with an existing range, nor Splintered Light that I'm aware of. It could, however, work for Khurasan or Testudo, both of whom have excellent TYW ranges that would tie in.

It is my opinion, and an opinion only, that this would not be a profitable venture for the maker, but might be done on a break even , or even cost-plus basis via a subscription. Would I like to see them and would I subscribe, heck yes! Even if I chose not to role-play them as the "famous" Musketeers, it would provide a wealth of new character figures to decorate my TYW and Eighty Years War armies with.

Regards;

Bill
Sir William the Aged
warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com

Many would also be useful for battles on the Spanish Main as well, I would think.

burlesonbill,

A very fine and well reasoned reply to this disucssion. I, for one, would happily pick up 3 or 4 sets as you describe if it would help to create this range. I wonder how many of the larger scale sets actually sold. I've only once ever seen a larger scale Musketeer game – and played it, a blast. Of course, to do this one justice we'd need several fairly detailed interiors. I plan to keep my hopes up despite what I said above. One of the few bits of figures I'd still like to add to my large collection of figures.

I'd love to see a dozen, or so Cardinal's guard figs as well, all in different poses (fighting, running, defending, casualties, and perhaps even firing a musket, or pistol), for those really big battles.

If you include the newest incarnation, I want the blimps.

I suggested the idea to a sculptor who seemed interested although he normally does 1/72 stuff. Only time will tell if the seed was planted well.

I am now firmly placing my bet on Blue Moon. But maybe I'm cheating. : )

Me as well, due to your posting.

Now, it's just a matter of when, hopefully.

Could be as early as Cold Wars which is but one week away – shouldn't be later than the end of 2012, apparently. Personally, I will be busy painting other things while waiting so no foul if takes into 2013.

So, now it's time to think about building Paris…?

Appears that Blue Moon is in the lead on this – just awaiting pics of some of the prototypes, and then info on when they will be available for general sale.

I hope they include some nice damsels, since we could use them for both the musketeers, and for pirate games as well.

Interesting, the topic has had a 177 hits as of my posting. Maybe, it hints at an untapped potential.

That's really not a very scientific method there, as a side note. People read threads on things they aren't interested in buying all the time.

(This does seem to be up Blue Moon's alley, but I note Rebel has some new pirates in the same scale, so it wouldn't be too far a leap to add some musketeer-types in there.) (Nevertheless, I wouldn't hold your breath.)

Scorpio;

If you haven't already, you might want to check this link ;-)

TMP link

Bill
Sir William the Aged
warsoflouisxiv.blogspot.com

Ok, *maybe.*

Heh.