"Pony Wars 15mm or 28mm?" Topic

Have just found (unread) my old set of Pony Wars rules and feel compelled to buy some soldiers to use them.
At the back of the book they "suggest" you need around 300 mounted Indians alone to run the campaign system with the card system.
I really like the look of the Irregular Miniatures 15mm range – are mounted 15mm really 60p and foot 30p! Just shows you how long ago I bought 15mm, think they were 6p for foot and 20p for horse.
Also have a enduring love for the old Peter Gilder ones in 28mm, but like the Dixon range as well.
Has anyone been down this road and what range and scale did they go for and why?
The one thing to bear in mind is that I have a 45 foot table to play with.
Thanks.

IM most HUMBLE opion, look at the 15mm Minifigs range! It may be the best 15mm range done by them. The detail is incredible and IIRC, (in Pony Wars- or B Troop ain't comming back), they have all for that set's features. The stagecoach was modeled after the John Wayne movie "Stagecoach" and features the Duke himself shooting back over the top of the stage in his "trademark-for-the-time" western shirt! Of course, you have Chill Wills driving the thing!

Great stuff!

Incredibly, I hadn't even thought of Minifigs – Dave Ryan would kill me for that! What are the Blue Moon figures like?

I've often thought of doing this in 15mm and would definitely use Minifigs and whatever else fitted with them. The QRF figures might do for example. Check out:

link

Still if you're doing this for others to play with 28mm might be best. I can't recall the make but I have seen some superb 28mm Pony wars figures at Salute in the past. Somebody must know who makes them.

If you do go down the 28mm road (and with a table that size why wouldn't you), I use the Foundry range, which I think is excellent

You can find a useful list of 15mm Plains Wars figures here: link

The Blue Moon stuff is gorgeous but a big large to fit well with Minifigs and much larger than Peter Pig.

I just recently did mine in 28mm. Old Glory which are cheaper 28mm figures. Also Foundry for their Apaches. They look really good on the table. I think it depends on what you want to do with them. I do 1 to 1 figure ratio and thus skirmish style games. But, if you wanted to do a bigger battle or attacks on villages then you need to think about the size of your table. My table really wouldn't work for 28mm with numerous figures being used. I would go with 15mm if I was to do that.

I use the RAFM 25mm (true) Boots & Saddles range. The figures ooze character. Simply reduce the scale of the actions, and use another set of tactical rules ( I use Long Knives). If you're worried about Indian numbers in any scale, recycle the dead 'uns.

Or…please don't jump on me….if you want an inexpensive way….use plastics. There are boxes of 1/72 "Custer's Last Stand" out there on ebay. I have picked up three over the last few years. After washing they paint well. Just a thought

The Blue Moon stuff is gorgeous but a big large to fit well with Minifigs and much larger than Peter Pig.

I'm confused. I recently saw a boatload of Blue Moon Pony Wars. They're the smallest 15mm figures I've ever seen; I mistook them for 12s, but the package said 15mm. They're smaller than Minifig. This puzzled me very much, because Blue Moon 28mm figures are huge.

I held them in my hand. The vendor said, "They're not that small, they're really 18mm figures." But they're a head shorter than Old Glory Zulus, I've held the figures side by side in the palm of my hand.

I went with 28s and Foundry. The figures are just great and full of character.

I have mostly QRF and some Peter Pig both are very nice and compatible.

I think 15mm on a 45 foot table would be a great recreation of how vast the West was.

Dye4minis,

In "Stagecoach", the driver was Andy Devine, not Chill Wills

Nice catch, Old Jarhead! Yes, you are right! He spoke in an unforgettable, high pitched whiny voice! Still, the kit is chocked with character! I have told Mr. Dave Higgs they are the best of the line bar none! There are matched versions of mounted and dismounted cowboys, U.S. Cav and Indians in the line. At GFI, I tried to match the cowboys into sets offering both versions in the mold. The buffalo and long horn cattle are among the best sculpts of animals out there in the scale. (We even had dogs to help those poor sheep herders keep their flocks together…there was a farm animal pack, too.) For variety, see Musket Miniatures below for additional wagons and accessories.)

I devised a simple set of rules "Bite the Bullet" (….what I had to do to come up with a set of rules to use these guys with at the time that I could give away) along with the excellent 15mm range of western building from Musket Miniatures. Jim McCarron offered lots of really cool bits like a Ranch gate, hitching posts, watering troughs (gotta have a few to water the horses with and hide behind during shoot-outs in town!), Cactus, boxes, barrels and crates to name just a few.

Had a few fun games at my old store Attactix with the locals! (ALWAYS shoot the guy with the dynamite…he's always up to no good!) Glad to see some interest in doing the old west again in 15mm crop up!

Tom

When deciding on the scale for a theater, folks often forget how the terrain will work out.

For pony wars you really need to think about how the vast openness of the West is itself a character in the drama.

zippyfusenet then you were not looking at Blue Moon figures. They are 18mm, as the sculptor who did them is very straight forward on scale, and knows the difference between 10mm and 18mm figures.

Also, the things that Tom Dye mentions can all be found in the Blue Moon range for the old West, buildings, accessories, teepees,
Stage Coaches and wagons, and there will be some more coming. Plus, if you have the army card link it is a nice savings.

Blue Moon Old West line: link

My 15mm Plains Indians' collection was put together about a decade and a half ago and is composed of figures from Yellow Ribbon, Stone Mountain, and Minifig (I think the Minifig mounted Plains Indians are some of the nicest I've seen in that scale). My cavalry is mainly composed of Essex ACW figures. While I am very happy with the collection I have, if I was starting over I would probably give serious consideration to the Blue Moon 15mm/18mm line which I think might be called War Paint (not sure of name). You can see my figures in diorama form at link

Some excellent views and advice here, I have to day. I've tentatively gone 28mm route, but…LOL from my perspective, all good thoughts! Thanks so much everyone!! (And I didn't even ask the original question..45' table….really???)

In 15/18mm Blue Moon are the best in my opinion. For 1876 they are very historically accurate and very nice figures.

However, I do mine in 25mm using predominately Foundry figures which are beautiful and are very historically accurate for 1876. I do use some Old Glory Indians and the dismounted Custer's Last Stand set for the dead horses. I also use the Old Glory casualties.

Very pleased with that combination. For a stage coach I use Dixon which is a sight to behold.

Tom

Tom

Blue Moon infantry are larger than 15mm infantry. I own them plus a large variety of other. The Cavalry are closer to 15mm but are a little larger. Tom is correct. They are incredible!

I use 15/18mm for my larger battles. I own LOADS of 1/72 figs. However, there are not suitable dismounted Cav yet so mine languish. I also own RAFM, Old Glory and Frontier 25mm figs for it. I use those for my Old West games once in a while.

I think it does depend on what scale games you want to play.

War in 15mm has a website that everyone should visit. Simply awesome pics!

Thanks,

John

The fact that Blue Moon makes a US Infantry pack for Pony Wars was a huge factor in my going with them (that and the really cool Custer figs).

John, thank you. Richard

Thanks so much, lots to look at and think about.

Dave Jackson – yes the table is 45 x 6 foot, so there'll be plenty of space for expansive movement.

Hello Pony Wars gamers
My company is in the process of developing a US Cavalry & Indian range of 15/18mm figures. These figures are inspired by the John Ford (John Wayne)movies.
They will mix very well with the Blue Moon range that is currently available. Still waiting for the final batch of Indians to be molded before we release the entire range.
If any of you are interested is seeing some pre production pictures of this range send me your email address and I will send them.
send your requests to…

skipptrsn@aol.com

Regards,
-Skip

Legends In Time Skip, I went on the Legends In Time website and looked at Contact Us but I didn't see and email address. Forgive me if I have missed the obvious. Please give me directions or post the email address here because I am interested in seeing the Ford inspired 15/18mm pieces. Thanks. Richard

Hello Richard

You can contact me at…

skipptrsn@aol.com

or PM me here on TMP.

Thanks,

-Skip

Thanks Skip. I guess I did miss the obvious, but I'm afraid that speaks more to the way I read postings than the way you post. I'll write. Richard

I saw the Legends In Time John-Ford-inspired cavalry figures. They look good. I like the fact that a number of the troopers' hats were turned up front and back.