khurasanminiatures | 31 Jul 2014 8:29 p.m. PST |
To commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the start of the war that toppled many European empires and ushered in the modern world (for better or worse), we are pleased to release 15mm models for the earthshaking 1914 campaigns, described by Winston Churchill as the most dramatic and monumental events in human history. Before the trenches, enormous armies manoeuvred on the open field on fronts measured in hundreds of miles, the stakes no less than the domination of Europe. Our first two ranges, appropriately enough, are the Germans and the French in 1914 uniforms. The Germans can be used until 1916 and the French until 1915. The Germans are in five codes ….
German infantry shooting
German infantry advancing
German infantry command (three non-coms, three unterroffiziers/offiziers, and one horn player)
German MG-08 heavy machine gun with five crew (machine guns had large crews in 1914)
German FK96 7.7cm gun with five crew The French get the same basic mix, but due to their very large infantry squads there are seven poses of infantry types rather than six.
French infantry shooting
French infantry advancing
French infantry command (two corporals, two sergeants with pistols, two subalterns/officers, and one horn player)
French Hotchkiss machine gun with five crew
French 75mm gun with five crew The BEF are well underway and almost completed sculpting; the dolly for the Russians has been made and they will be next, followed by the Austro-Hungarians. Please note that we are taking orders for these now but they will be shipping in about two weeks. Sculpted by Mike Broadbent, painted by Iain Colwell. On to Paris/Berlin! Available here: link |
IainAF | 31 Jul 2014 8:48 p.m. PST |
Well, I know what my next project will be – stunning looking figures. Any plans for 'plucky litle Belgians'? |
khurasanminiatures | 31 Jul 2014 8:51 p.m. PST |
Absolutely, but the major powers will come first. |
Doctor X | 31 Jul 2014 8:57 p.m. PST |
I have been trying hard not to get sucked into 15mm WW1. This makes it almost impossible. |
khurasanminiatures | 31 Jul 2014 8:59 p.m. PST |
The best thing about 1914 is the armies are still moving on the open field. It's not "storm forward, take the first trench line, hope you don't get thrown back." |
Stosstruppen | 31 Jul 2014 9:29 p.m. PST |
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McWong73 | 31 Jul 2014 11:17 p.m. PST |
congrats, these are superb. |
Dark Knights And Bloody Dawns | 01 Aug 2014 2:07 a.m. PST |
Fantastic work, early war here I come… |
boudin noir | 01 Aug 2014 2:43 a.m. PST |
By the time I get them painted up, the battles for the Frontier will be over. |
LorenzoMele | 01 Aug 2014 3:24 a.m. PST |
What ruleset do you suggest for playing 1914? |
Buckeye AKA Darryl | 01 Aug 2014 4:19 a.m. PST |
Curse you, Khurasan! I've already felt the pull for WWI, and was thinking about creating some of the Skirmish Campaigns Rommel book in 15mm (halving the table sizes), and then *BAM*, here you are releasing the perfect mix of figures needed for those scenarios. Perhaps this will be my self-birthday present today! |
Mallen | 01 Aug 2014 5:32 a.m. PST |
How do these compare in size to other WWI 15mm ranges? |
Bashytubits | 01 Aug 2014 6:03 a.m. PST |
Well, my wallet is doomed. |
Paul B | 01 Aug 2014 6:18 a.m. PST |
I really like the French – much prefer their advancing poses to the German set. |
Garand | 01 Aug 2014 6:27 a.m. PST |
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79thPA | 01 Aug 2014 6:57 a.m. PST |
I like the large MG crews. |
khurasanminiatures | 01 Aug 2014 7:10 a.m. PST |
Paul B, German infantry in 1914 carried their rifle at balance when advancing other than to contact (in other words, not charging). Viz:
I am history's slave, not its master. |
Ironsides | 01 Aug 2014 7:32 a.m. PST |
Will you be doing cavalry too? |
corporalpat | 01 Aug 2014 7:32 a.m. PST |
KHURASAAAAAAN!!!! |
khurasanminiatures | 01 Aug 2014 7:46 a.m. PST |
Ironsides, I assume you mean dismounted -- if interest in the range warrants I'll definitely make units like that. Right now it's the building blocks for the armies that need attention. |
Stepman3 | 01 Aug 2014 8:01 a.m. PST |
Dismounted…We want horses AND dismounted…Cavalry without horse is just infantry with really uncomfortable footwear for marching… |
Supercilius Maximus | 01 Aug 2014 8:09 a.m. PST |
Three questions:- 1) Any plans for prone firing lines/casualty figures? 2) What about less "mainstream" infantry units, such as jaeger, Scots, French colonials? 3) Cavalry? (Much of the appeal of this period of the war is the availability of such troops in both mounted and dismounted roles.) My only negative comment is that the pickelhaubes look a touch too tall, more like pith helmets. Otherwise, they are easily the best animated 15/18/20mm WW1 figures I've seen – either new or existing ranges. |
javelin98 | 01 Aug 2014 8:15 a.m. PST |
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khurasanminiatures | 01 Aug 2014 9:08 a.m. PST |
I've just released about sixty poses of models and I've still got the basic troops for three more armies to go! I'll get to the other stuff eventually, but I think people want Austrian infantry before they want, say, French cavalry. My experience has been that gamers aren't crazy about prone models, but if the range is well-received I plan to make both prone models and charging models in separate packs. |
dragon6 | 01 Aug 2014 11:14 a.m. PST |
My experience has been that gamers aren't crazy about prone models They, prone figures, are more realistic but it's a game so spectacle is better In my opinion anyway |
Buckeye AKA Darryl | 01 Aug 2014 11:22 a.m. PST |
Some rules systems would allow using a prone figure as a marker to show that the entire unit was prone, which then makes prone figures handy, but I would think very low on the "must have" scale. Austrians and Serbs would be higher for me, although we do have several companies making both in 15mm. Regardless, these are crackin' good figs and I am glad to see you investing the money into such a range. Now if we could only get more folks buying your Chaco figures…that would be something! |
Dropship Horizon | 01 Aug 2014 11:32 a.m. PST |
I like the Pickelhaube! When i was a kid my next door neighbour had one as his father picked it up as a trophy in WW1. There's something about the Germans that looks like they've stepped out of photographs. Not sure Id agree with the comment about 'open warfare'. From the Aisne onwards it was bloddy attrition. Plus these troops can be used in 1915. Cheers Mark |
rvandusen | 01 Aug 2014 2:59 p.m. PST |
Great figures for the Great War. I've had a soft spot for WW1 since I was a mere lad. I found my grandfather's copy of the People's War Book and Atlas, copyright 1919. I started a WW1 project a few years ago and painted a few Eureka and Peter Pig Austrians. I'll have to break them out now and start this up again |
Centurian | 01 Aug 2014 3:06 p.m. PST |
I have a photo of my German grandfather posing with his machine gun crew a few years later (Verdun 1918). Except they are pictured wearing soft hats, their poses are exactly as shown in the Khurasan image above. These are great looking miniatures – the best WWI figures I have seen yet. My wife is going to be so upset when MORE miniatures begin showing up in the mail! |
Sigwald | 01 Aug 2014 5:39 p.m. PST |
Wow, nice sculpts. OK I'm in Cavalry? Much of the appeal of this period of the war is the availability of such troops in both mounted and dismounted roles. +1 : )
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Zwerch mit Ohren | 01 Aug 2014 6:32 p.m. PST |
Just Great figs, thanks for releasing them to the world :D Thats all I needed to change from 28mm to 15mm ww1. regarding (mounted)cavalry and jäger: I would really like to see them, for its always a "risk", to start a project, not knowing whether there are more minis to come. And it won`t help much to have four armys to chose from, as long as I only can do one at the time. And then can`t complete it, because there are just the "main" models available (I dont like mixing manufacturers a lot). But Austro-Ungarian troops sounds really great! I`d like to see them. One more question, will there be late war minis later on? regards Zwerch |
khurasanminiatures | 01 Aug 2014 10:26 p.m. PST |
regarding (mounted)cavalry and jäger: I would really like to see them, for its always a "risk", to start a project, not knowing whether there are more minis to come. Jagers will definitely be made. One thing to keep in mind is, It's much more of a risk for me to make models no one will buy. The risk is then thousands of dollars in losses. What I may do is Kickstarter it -- then we'll see firsthand how much interest there is in mounted cavalry. But that would have to happen once all the building blocks are made for the armies. |
Sigwald | 02 Aug 2014 8:31 a.m. PST |
It's much more of a risk for me to make models no one will buy. Lol. You release the nicest 1914 inf & spt weapons on the market and what do we do? ask about cavalry. I hear ya. That said, you could easily get by with one mounted trooper pose with lance and maybe an officer figure per nation. I agree with Super Max that having a unit of cav in reserve to threaten counter attack or to perform mounted infantry duties is a desired feature of gaming the early campaigns. Are these minis more like 18mm or true 15mm? You could always skip doing cav and refer us to say the minifigs range of true 15mm whose sculpts are no where near the level of your infantry but would suffice for the one or two cav units desired for a force if the scale was similar. Anyway I'm off to get some of the infantry now….. Order sent!! Thanks! |
Lion in the Stars | 02 Aug 2014 10:30 a.m. PST |
Wow, those are stunning, K!!! |
BlackWidowPilot | 02 Aug 2014 11:45 p.m. PST |
Very well done indeed, Mr. Khurasan! The Germans look da bomb right down to their appropriate position of the rifle while on the move, while the French are perfect for metropolitans, Chasseurs a pied, Marsouins, or Legion Etranger in 1914. So. Any chance you'll be producing 1914 Zouaves/Algerian Tirailleurs (Turcos)? Please say *oui!** evil grin* Leland R. Erickson Metal Express metal-express.net |
Vimy Ridge | 03 Aug 2014 7:02 a.m. PST |
I have 2 Regiments Infantry(for GWSH II) coming along with a regiment of artillery – have to see how these guys look amongst my own troops. I would buy into any additional stuff – Chasseur ALpine, Zouaves/Tirailleurs Algerian and the list goes on, including 155s Canon de Bange and Rimailhos, as well as the German stuff :) Shawn |
totalmech | 03 Aug 2014 2:48 p.m. PST |
I see mine French Foreign legion;)Good miniatures with bayonets. |
GrenadierAZ | 03 Aug 2014 4:16 p.m. PST |
While my two cents are likely sheer gratuitousness at this point, I feel compelled to point out how lovely the figures and paint jobs are. There goes my budget. If you want to do a kickstarter for cavalry, put me down for French Cuirassiers, French Dragoons, German Uhlans, and Austro-Hungarian Hussars. |
Supercilius Maximus | 04 Aug 2014 11:45 a.m. PST |
I've just released about sixty poses of models and I've still got the basic troops for three more armies to go! I'll get to the other stuff eventually, but I think people want Austrian infantry before they want, say, French cavalry. Fair enough – you've done very well so far, I must say. I wasn't "demanding" everything now, but it's always good to know that a manufacturer is going to do cavalry as these tend to define a range – not just the quality of the sculpting (horses are harder than humans to get right), but also the level of the company's commitment to the range. And as I said, cavalry were a significant aspect of the early part of the war – IMO not so much in a "charge with sabre and lance" context (though they did), but as reconnaissance troops and mixed "avante garde" formations (which is why I asked about the jaeger). Clearly others feel the same, so I suspect the risk is not so great as you may have originally thought (although obviously it is still there). |
khurasanminiatures | 05 Aug 2014 5:44 a.m. PST |
Then again, comments from a few people on an Internet forum do not translate into sales. I've released products that drew lots of praise and delight when released and then fell flat on their faces, and others released to little fanfare that sell and sell. Interestingly, there's a whole phenomenon on the Internet (the kids would call it "a thing") of people saying they want something made, not because they would buy it, but because it would be cool that it exists. Not too long ago a guy extremely active on forums began to heavily promote the idea that a certain kind of terrain piece be made. Seeing how popular this guy's posts were, one manufacturer stepped forward to make it. The guy who was so keen to see it made never bought it. There's another guy who, when I release something, says "now we need this and this and this." So he puts a spin on my release -- "Your release is inadequate." Interestingly, he's never bought anything from me. (And he's a competitor -- well, sort of. ) I should hasten to add that I don't mean to imply that you'd do anything like that, but rather to demonstrate that there's often a major disconnect between what people say on the Internet and what they actually buy. It's certainly true that 1914 is a great example of a war that can be fought at a very high level -- units can easily be divisions! -- and in that respect it makes sense to make cavalry. But right now it makes more sense to make British, Russian and Austrian infantry and guns. Then we can turn to cavalry and special infantry types. These are selling very well so far, at least for historicals (which don't sell as well as sci fi). So cheers for that guys! Pleased to see you like them. |
Stepman3 | 05 Aug 2014 10:13 a.m. PST |
Im not a manufacturer, nor do I know or understand anything about the business of making a wargame figure, jusy know what I like…But If you already have the horse sculpts from other ranges and you have german figures from your WWI range as well as brits and french…coldn't you do some slight sculpting to the horse furniture and add rider legs to some torsos of aformentioned figures and come up with cavalry? This period of time the uniforms from cav and infanty were very similar… |
Etranger | 05 Aug 2014 10:43 p.m. PST |
Jon doesn't do the sculpting himself. Horse furniture varied a lot, so 'donor' horses would have to be very carefully selected. The French and German cavalry wore distinctively different uniforms from their infantry, at least in 1914 (Cuirassiers, including breast plates, Uhlans with lances and Czapka, Hussars with busbies); the British not quite so much. So you couldn't get away with it for the French or Germans anyway. |
Gunner Dunbar | 06 Aug 2014 8:49 p.m. PST |
wow, missed this, damn I bought a huge lot of Blue moon WWI figs recently, oh well, I guess I will have to do early WWI as well. |
Vimy Ridge | 06 Aug 2014 10:40 p.m. PST |
Good call Gunner. I saw these and had to buy some – there is not a great amount of early war French at the moment and these look spectacular! As do the Germans of course but PP has some early war Germans and so do a couple others. |
khurasanminiatures | 07 Aug 2014 7:32 a.m. PST |
Well, cavalry will definitely be made, in response to those still suggesting it, but really I have to make the basic fighting forces first. Even in 1914 cavalry were an unusual troop type in comparison to the huge infantry forces and so the infantry and basic heavy weapons (MGs and field guns) are the first priority. I will probably make at first French Dragoons, German Uhlans, Russian Cossacks, and Austrian and British Hussars -- respectively I think the most common cavalry in each army (although I'm not sure about the German Uhlans). My understanding is that the British weapons sets (MG and FG) are coming along, then it's on to Mother Russia! The Russian infantry dolly is made. I'm thinking that sets will be made of Russian infantry that are missing various pieces of basic equipment, due to supply issues, then having those sets modified to add all of the equipment missing from the first sets, to represent the Guards, well-equipped units, and units at the start of the war -- which I understand were largely well-equipped, it being a myth that the Russians began 1914 with badly equipped units. As the war went on Russia had supply issues. I may even make a separate pack (a few poses) of men without rifles, waiting for someone to snuff it so that they can grab a weapon. The Russians pretty much looked the same throughout the war so these could probably be used all the way up to the end of the RCW and even into the Russo-Polish War. |
Zwerch mit Ohren | 07 Aug 2014 3:14 p.m. PST |
cavalry sounds great! Uhlans for the Germans should be fine. Lancers in Pickelaube would be accurate too I think. But to be honest, Cavalry with tschapka looks much better than one only in Picklhaube. So Uhlans are the better choice I think. regards Zwerch |
Bashytubits | 07 Aug 2014 6:04 p.m. PST |
Do the Russians next please! For the record I have bought lots of Khurasan stuff! Most of it Sci Fi . These figures have me chomping at the bit , absolutely top rate stuff. |
Dropship Horizon | 10 Aug 2014 2:18 p.m. PST |
Oh no Jon! I just popped over to buy 1914 Germans on the back of episode one of BBC Three's cracking Our War docu-drama…. And found you're "travelling!" As soon as the action started (bridge at Nimy) I was visualising your figures on the tabletop. Cheers Mark |
totalmech | 25 Aug 2014 6:12 a.m. PST |
Iv got mine French today they are awesome;) |
Maggot | 26 Aug 2014 6:42 p.m. PST |
Hmmm….placed my order at the beginning of the month and still no figs. Anyone know when Khurusan will return from holiday? |