"18th Century/OS/Imaginations in 20mm " Topic

When I first started gaming the figures we used where 20mm, originally Airfix, before moving on to early Minifigs and Hinton Hunt 20mm with the odd Les Higgins figure thrown in.

I was wondering with older figures such as the Wodensfeld 20mm French SYW range (available from John at link )and the newer ones from Lancer miniatures ( lancerminiatures.com )plus some of the plastic ranges and new rules like Maurice whether we are going to see an increase in 18th Century, Old School and Imagination gaming in 20mm.

Cheers

I'm not sure if the lancer 20mm figures will fit in with the other plastic SYW ranges eg Revell, Zvesda and hat. I did ask this when I first heard about the range and the owner said they are definately 20mm. The revell plastics I have are about 23.50/24mm while the Zvesda are almost 25mm. These plastic ranges do however fit in well with the metal Art Miniaturen range from Germany.

Plastic Soldier Review is great for finding the names of sets you might not have heard of, and for comparing sizes.

models2u in the UK are great for discount 1/72nd stuff, at least in my experience.

I use very nice Zvezda Great Northern War figures for my Imagi Nation.

princelupus.blogspot.co.uk

These are compatible with the Wodensfeld and also the newer ranges of figures John has available. I haven't yet seen the Lancers. If they are smaller they will fit nicely with true 20mm Marlburian figures that John has.

As mentioned the Zvezda fit in with Art Miniaturen, which are expensive but are great fillers for officers and also the odd battery as at:-

link

Got a few samples of the Lancer figures.

They are true 20mm. The detail is very good and should be easy to paint. I will post a comparison photos next to Wodensfled and some Zvezda artillery I have on my blog in the next few days

Cheers

Zvezda is also working on SYW Prussians with grenadiers and hussars produced so far.

Ah Pr Lupus, what a lovely blog. I am always amazed how many of these are lurking waiting to be discovered.

Bro and I started an Imagi project a couple of years back using the Zvezda – because (a) we could but (b) because they did a complete range – inf, cav and art – and for both sides. I went for 8 boxes of each to make up Wargame size units – 48 rank and file, full command, and a mounted officer from the cavalry set (two boxes of cavalry only needed 4 of the 6 command, so I ended up with spare officers (lose the standrad and gain a pointing officer).

My Swedes are in white, russians in red – bro went for some vahue greys and washed out grey/blue. Cavalry are blue and red. Artillery the same.

The guns, whilst looking delicate, are fairly strong, so I have no concerns, and I use the caisson as an extra limber.

The latest Russian dragoons provided general officers (lots of lace etc), and the Zvezda 7YW hussars have provided ADCs so far – I will raise hussars, but not yet.

On the agenda is a pontoon train (spare riders and engineers/pontooniers from the artillery sets and the HaT pontoon ste for the equipment).

But as you found, the challenge is to keep painting – I only managed 4 units of infantry a side, and 4 half units of calvary, and two guns each. So lots still to do.

But the Zvezda stuff is lovely, very cheap, and very useable. I may get some HaT 7yw (I purchased the Zvezda grenadiers) but not too fusseed – more likely i will just buy another 8 boxes each of teh Zvezda (and end up with my 48 grenadiers). But the Zvezda poses work pretty well for me in 8 box loads – £50.00 GBP or so and I get at least 6 units of infantry – cannot be bad :-)

Thanks Marc

Have you recorded your efforts on line?

Zvezda figures are really good. I only hope the expected Hat stuff is in a harder plastic than their recent Napoleonics.

I started with 48 men in a unit but found them just too big for my small home table so are now using 30s. I find the Zvezda pikemen better standard bearers than the one they put in the box so no shortage there.