"Thoughts on the best Arthurian miniatures available" Topic

What with all of the Double Dux excitement in the next month or so, now seems like a good time to revive one of my older blog posts:

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Happy to receive input from others both here and on the blog. What manufacturers do you think make the best figures for this period? Cheers.

West wind productions 28 mm are amazing, inexpensive and the couple who run it are lovely; always ready for a chat at a show.

I will second Westwind, really good value when bought in regiment box-sets.

Raglan

I have a couple of the Westwind personality packs and use them for Welsh legend games.

Sounds like I might be taking another look at the rest of the range – it's a shame that not all of the packs online have photos showing the content, but hey, let's not go there in this thread…

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I very much like the Thunderbolt mountain figures too.

The Foundry figs are well worth looking at and with the recent price drop might even be worth buying.

I agree with the Thunderbolt miniatures, as I have a fair few, However my main Arthurians are West Wind and Foundry.

However for the historical Arthurian figures, I would have to agree with the aforementioned West Wind, lovely figures link

Gripping Beast are another stalwart, and toofatlardies are doing army deals of these. link

North Star carry the Artizan and Crusader ranges, all very nice too northstarfigures.com

I'm sure Musketeer carried some nice lines of Saxon and Goths, but their site is off-line musketeer-miniatures.com

I like MDS Saxons and Picts, and the price is right. Especially if bought as part of a warband deal.

Oh, now I'd never heard of MDS … Thanks!

That a right sweet price at MDS for the warband deal.

West wind here, but on saying that I do like the G/B figures!

Newlines arn't bad but Sean has declined to update pics for a lot of them.

I really like R.J. Eastland's Tanatus Dark Age line. I wish more 28mm mini's could be as well-proportioned and evocative as these.

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While not 25/28mm the Splittering Light range of 15mm Romo-Britians is worth a look.
VR
James Mattes

Beyond doubt Tom Meier's Thunderbolt Arthurian range is the best, but sadly they're true 25s not 28s and IMHO look silly next to many modern figures.

Gripping Beasts do look nice though and I believe they are true 28s

In 15mm I vote for Splintered Light. In 28mm there are many good contenders. Foundry are worth the investment. The Arthurians from Old Glory are, IMHO, one of their better ranges.

I don't have any Gripping Beast, but they look dynamite in photos.

I have a lot of Foundry (from the old days when Foundry was in Guernsey) and my friends too.

And we slowly buy some Gripping Beast and Westwind to expand our warbands. Gripping Beast minis are a bit bigger but very nice too; but I avoid Gripping Beast flags they look neo-celtic fantasy to me.

I didn't know MDS! I didn't know Tanatus! How do they compare with the other ranges?

The JR Eastland figures (see above) are stunning. I painted a few and sold them, as unfortunately they are pretty incompatible with most other ranges. Only Newline are comparably proportioned, while being less detailed However – the two ranges Eastland produce – Picts and Saxons – are not as far apart in style as most other ranges. The Picts have trousers for instance. If both nations were mixed, with the Picts making up the lower class warriors, they would make a fantastic 'Saxon' army. Newline Goths provide compatible 'Saxons', and they also do Picts, Irish and some 'Arthurian' heavy infantry and Cavalry. I like these, although the infantry are very late Roman looking. If I were starting again, I'd think of using these manufactures, along with the Artizan Arthurians, which also work with these figures. GB, and WW are chunkier. My Early Saxon warband uses GB (old and new versions), WW, Musketeer, and BTD.

BTD make some great Saxons and now seem to be a reliable source, after previous ordering hell. Problem is they mix up periods in their packs. You might get something for the 5th Century and something for the 11th in the same pack.

I also have to go with Splittering Light. The figures are great and the miniatures and buildings are easier on my wallet.

I just picked up some WestWind and Foundry Late Romans from eBay. The WestWind figures look like they will assemble into nice figures (and the separate heads help add variety) – but they are noticeably larger than the Foundry figures (which are just lovely). So I don't think you'd want to mix them in the same unit – but fine on the same table.

Unfortunately, I now realise that what I bought with the Foundry figures were 24 unarmoured, bareheaded chaps in two poses. I was planning to use these as a fairly regular civitates unit with the addition of some command figures from elsewhere – but I'm not too sure I want my unit to be that regular. Can anyone recommend a maker that will fit well with Foundry?

Have a look at the Musketeer miniatures site – musketeer-miniatures.com

Stunning figures.

Ill be having a look at westwind too.

Steve

I'd not seen the Musketeer Saxon range before so thanks to yorkie for posting the link. Does anyone know how they compare to Gripping Beast in size?

From comparison photos I have seen, Musketeer and GB are roughly the same size and compatible in style. Foundry are noticeably smaller.

Don't have any and am just checking out the market place myself.

Thanks huevans. The unreleased Hengist and Horsa figures look like must-haves.

Anyone got a photo of the Musketeers Late Roman cavalry? I'm thinking of treating myself to a new Dux Bellorum army using their figures….