"Are blue moon now the definitve 15/18mm range?" Topic

So I got my first BM ACW figures, and they look great, I got some BH figures, and while they are good, I think everything is better on the BM figures, the range also seem to be very expancive.

So is it the defintive range now?

They are some of the nicest figs I've seen in a long time, but they are really 18/20 (and I'd guess closer to 20). There's no 15mm about them in any way, shape or form!

Generally, they are the same heigt as AB's which are markets as 18s, but can be 16-19mm but commonly used along side 15s, which the original OG were marketed as but are 15-18mm and on and on we go. They all fit fine together on the tabltop in my oponion.
Once again, I bring up the word "GENRE" --all fuigures in any scale/range vary 1-4 or so MMs but are of the same "GENRE".
regards
Russ Dunaway

I still prefer Battle Honors, which look more realistic to me but lack pose variety. IMO the Blue Moon look too cartoon-like, but have more variety. AB are the best, but just upsized BH, though I worry about BH mould quality. I also rate Peter Pig above BM.

Bottom line, just buy what you like at your price point and sculpting style, and forget this who is best silliness.

I would say that they are the definitive range! They already have more variety than any other manufacturer and they have a lot more to come! I like them a lot! Keep up the good work, Russ!

CPBelt, AB are not the best. Since the sculptor has not added to them in a while, they are an old line of miniatures that has not grown. So, if you want to include old lines, the best line of ACW miniatures ever is the first Old Glory figures sculpted by Dave Alesop. AB's frying pan size kepis don't even come close! That's my opinion and I'm not backing down from it! Although I like AB's too! For Currently produced miniatures, Blue Moon are the Best for many reasons!

How can they be 15 and 18mm?

I compeard my BH to BM, and the size is not the great, no problem having them on the same table, but not the same unit.

How can they be 15 and 18mm

Schrodinger's scale.

As with all figures/scales ------------ "GENRE"

Regards
Russ Dunaway

Eureka still has the nicest 18mm figures out there. Their Mexican-American War range is top notch, even if they are still missing a few important items. But, having said that, I do like the Blue Moon figures I have (Great War and French & Indian War). I plan on buying more of the Blue Moon, especially if they cover the Middle East during the Great War…I need Turks!

Blue Moon is also covering A LOT of periods in 15/18mm, which gives them the edge in terms of more complete company since Eureka just has a few periods in 18mm.

I wish I could see what others see in Blue Moon. I think they are some of the ugliest figures around.

Well we all have our agendas and thoughts --sometimes painfully obvious -- The blue moon ranges seem to be holding their own in the "best figure range" poll though and sell are really great --so --love them or hate them is a matter of taste. I find the AB's Napoleonisc terribly flat castings --some love them. When I built my first napoleonic armies I was casting the AB's so had access to both AB and OG and I still 90% of my army was OG.
TO EACH THEIR OWN.
Regards.
Russ Dunaway

BM ACWremind me of Sash& Saber's 28mm ACW. That's high praise.

"BM ACWremind me of Sash& Saber's 28mm ACW. That's high praise."

Thats very true, havn't thought about that, but thats very true!

I've painted Napoleonic armies of all the above mentioned ranges and I've yet to find a range as good a value as BM18 are. I also get the impression from comments made in this thread that some people haven't seen this range first-hand!No offense to Russ and Theresa, but the photos on the web-site don't do justice to these figures! I look forward to the release the 1812 Russian Cavalry(c'mon Russ!!)soon. I'll be picking up a few packs of these!

i was a bit holding back from buying the BM acw stuff, due to the "18mm" tag members here put on them. also, tbh, i was holding out for iron brigade figures, and when russ released them, i had to put up or shut up, as they say.
they are tall. every bit of those 18mm. which ,tbh again, i'm kinda not a fan of. mean to say, 15mm does'nt have to be 15mm, but it should'nt be 18mm+. heck, i still like stone mountain simply because i've been using them for years and they paint up nice and they look good based up. same goes for my musket miniatures. and i love my old glory figures(i was at the penn harris inn when dave first sold them in the zip lock bags, 100(plus some casulties) for $15. USD
but i just put another order in to BM because the figures look just plain great. when based up, and put on the table with the other manufactorers, they don't look out of place. i will be buying a great deal more of these tall drinks of water. after i recover from my holiday buying, lol!

Initially I was going to write a rambling monolog about my 30 plus-year involvement with 15s. Thank God, I came to my senses and erased all that. The long and short of it comes down to "see what works and be grateful for the options." Like Mr. Dunaway, the bulk of my 6,000 plus Civil War collection is Old Glory (thanks Russ), but it includes stuff from Minifigs, Essex, and Battle Honours as well. I've been waiting decades for a Civil War field hospital and Blue Moon has provided it (thanks Russ), and it is going to look great with my Old Glory stuff and the ambulances will look fine on the same board with my Minifig ambulances, the Old Glory limbers and the Peter Pig supply wagons. A couple decades ago Old Glory changed my hobby for the better and today I am extremely appreciative of the fact that Blue Moon has breathed some new life into 15s(18s). I'm going to make the most of it (thanks Russ). Damn. I rambled anyway. Sorry about that. Richard

one thing you have to give Russ/Old Glory 25s/Blue Moon credit for; when he does something he does it ALL. Most comprehensive ranges and relatively quickly released… at least there is a continuous flow.
And he is doing multiple line releases simultaneously…ACW, Napoleonics, MAW, 1812, AWI, etc etc…
Not fast enough for me, but that's how one learns patience [Danish Napoleonics Russ!! please, by Historicon 2014].
hat's off to you BM/Russ.

Without a doubt, Blue Moon are my choice for 15mm ACW. They are the best quality ACW figures in that scale, they are super cheap, and the range includes almost everything a gamer could ask for.

Yes, they are a little larger than the other 15mm lines. They are definitely NOT 20mm. They do not stick out next to other, smaller figures. And they will fit comfortably on standard bases.

I put a ruler next to a marching figure, and they are just under 18mm from boot sole to eye. link

I also took some pictures of based Blue Moon figures next to some of my other based figures. link I have no problem mixing them into my army, so long as they are in separate units.

I use very small bases for my 15mm troops, just 1" wide and 15mm deep, with three figures per base. As you can see from these pictures link , the figures fit very well on these small bases.

When I have fielded Blue Moon during games, no one has noticed any difference in size. Here are some pictures of a Regimental Fire and Fury game I held that included several regiments of Blue Moon figures. link You really will not be able to find the Blue Moon figures unless you know the sculpts very well.

BM almost has me wanting to get back into 15mm again…
ALMOST!
I've ALWAYS been a fan of 15mm OG from day one. Spent literally thousands on their ACQ,AWI,Nappy ranges through the years. So much so,Russ gave me a shirt at one Historicon cuz I was buying so much! LOL!

I'm buying some of the ACW range for a diorama project and I must say,WOW!

IF he starts making Mexican War,I'm all IN! LOL!

Bob

Well, to some extent it depends on how you define 'definitive' in this context. Certainly, the BM ACW range (taking into account what's in the pipeline) has pretty much all you could ask for in terms of options. And the sculpts are nice looking to boot.

Debating what range is the most attractive won't accomplish much. It'll always come done to the indefinable something that one person really likes and another doesn't. That said, I'll echo abelp01 and say that the BM figures look a lot better in person than they do on the computer screen. But that seems to be the case with most OG/BM products.

If we go by "genre" then models which are 18-19mm tall would certainly be marketed as 20mm rather than 15mm…

I don't know, Caesar. All my "20mm" figures actually measure between 22mm and 23mm, foot to eye. The Blue Moon figures fit very well on 15mm basing schemes, and they do not look out of place with other "15mm" figures, which usually measure between 16-18mm foot to eye.

"BM ACWremind me of Sash& Saber's 28mm ACW. That's high praise."

That is probably because Chris Hughes does both S & S and many of the Blue Moon lines. They are indeed great models.

In my mind, the answer to the question posed in this thread is a definite 'yes.' I don't see any other line that comes close to what is currently offered (and what is still planned to be released)in this series.

My opinion is very much influenced by the fact that I am a big fan of variety in my armies. I like lots of different poses, head and hat variants, etc. in the ranks of my miniatures. This is the aspect of Blue Moon that sets them apart from the other manufacturers (many of which offer some beautiful figures, no doubt). There is just so much that you can do with this range in this regard, and it is only going to get more interesting as Russ releases yet more figures in the coming year.

Yes from me too, by the way, and what DSC said on the whole!

I can't say I micro measured the heights, but use the bicorne French for French Rev and they are almost a head higher. Good sculpts that are now visible.

Makes me reconsider my interest in pursuing 25mm. I always felt 15mm was too small. Wargames should have never forfeited 20mm to plastics.

I suppose I could post that image again, where a 6' tall American is *shorter* than a Japanese man, but it's really not worth it.

The only thing that matters to me about the size of minis is the kit. You know, all the stuff that is exactly the same size no matter who is carrying it. If the Peter Pig rifles are the same size/bulk as the head-taller ABs, then they're going to look OK together on the table.

scomac says blue moon are "super cheap"? well Old Glory UK prices are not "super cheap" £13.00 GBP + p&p for their Field Forge and Battery Wagon for example. Anyway figures are 7' tall in 15mm. Look like bigger and crisper castings of Old Glory 15mm.

Pete, for those of us in the US we can join the Old Glory Army and get 40% off all OG and Blue Moon products. So yes, they are indeed "super cheap". It's unfortunate they don't offer our brothers across the sea the same deal.

Old Pete, I own both Old Glory and Blue Moon, and the ranges look nothing alike.

I am sorry that they cost more in Britain than they do in the states, but usually it goes the other way, you know.

scomac sorry to disagree but Blue Moon ARE bigger and crisper castings of Old Glory style 15mm figures. I have a huge number of Old Glory figures and a fair number of Blue Moon as well. Are they small 20mm figures rayher than 15mm?

Old Pete,

Russ can likely chime in and say it with authority but yeah, you're wrong.

The Blue Moon sculpts are not Old Glory 15s. Old Glory proper sold their 15mm line to 19th Century Miniatures who maintains it and sells it presently. In the recent past Old Glory proper went back to selling 15mm figures and does so under the brand name Blue Moon, they did't buy back their old molds, they sculpted new figures.

Cheers,

The Bandit

Bandit

Sorry I DID NOT say the used the same sculptures, I said they were the same style but much bigger and crisper castings. I am well aware they would have used different molds. Are Blue Moon small 20mm figures rather than 15mm?

Regards

Old Pete

They are the new 15mm, which is to say, 18mm. So neither fish nor foul… 8)=

Old Pete, I do not much mind if you don't like the Blue Moon figures. But here is a picture of Old Glory and Blue Moon side by side. The styles are nothing alike.

scomac we will agree to disagree, paint work is excellent and I like your web site. nazrat glad you agree they are nearer to 20mm than 15mm. Bye the way I never said I did not like the figures, however they are way to big to use with most other ranges, even scomac's cleverly shot photograph does not hide this fact.

Many regards from Scotland!

I noticed that the base height is different. No wonder that the ones on the right look taller. The base thickness makes a lot of difference.

Lol, they are nothing alike… different size, different sculptor, different styles…..

Are Blue Moon small 20mm figures rather than 15mm?

Only if you're gaming kids playing dress-up. BM figures would be about 4'3" tall.

20mm figures are closer to 23mm (+-2) tall, and scale out to roughly 1/72 (1"=6'). A 1/100 scale _me_ would be 18mm tall.