reggie88 | 02 Aug 2014 11:14 a.m. PST |
In reading JJMicromegas's topic "The Latest Round of the 'Name that Miniature' Game"; he was asking for identification of the figure's manufacturer. Which got me to thinking "Which do most wargamers prefer; any manufacturer for their multi-unit armies, or one manufacturer? I personally prefer one manufacturer. Every figure would be the same size and height. It would be great if all of my 15mm Napoleonic units were Minifigs 2nd generation, but alas they don't make Minifigs 2nd gen anymore. I don't like Minifig 3rd gen, so I have settled on Battle Honors. I have seen that a lot of gamers that have AB figures, only want AB. In trying to get more Minifigs 2nd gen, I have talked to Dye4minis a couple of times, and he is a great guy. Which do you prefer? Any manufacturer, or just one? |
ColonelToffeeApple | 02 Aug 2014 11:23 a.m. PST |
Most of my armies in 15mm are Minifigs 2nd generation, and I always found that Battle Honours, OG, some Essex and Falcon Figures, if they are still made, mix in well. AB are too big. I have never really thought about sticking solely with one manufacturer but there is no reason in theory why not except for limitations in variety and boredom in painting if you want really big armies. In 28mm I tend to go for the larger more animated ranges and in 6mm it has been Adler. |
14Bore | 02 Aug 2014 11:31 a.m. PST |
Most of my Prussians and a large portion of my Russians are Minifigs 2nd generation, and I always found that Battle Honours, OG, mix in well. AB are too big (one of my Russian horse batteries). So to answer the question it's just mix and match. (is that plagiarism?) |
whill4 | 02 Aug 2014 11:56 a.m. PST |
I use Front Rank for all my Napoleonic armies |
Extra Crispy | 02 Aug 2014 12:29 p.m. PST |
My armies include most manufacturers. If I like the fig I buy them. So I have Blue Moon, Old Glory, Warmodelling, AB and many others, I'm kinda ty that way. |
Sparta | 02 Aug 2014 12:58 p.m. PST |
Adler all the way – only the finest will do :-) It was AB years ago when I did 15 mm. |
Widowson | 02 Aug 2014 1:00 p.m. PST |
My reason for using multiple mfrs was for pose variety. But nowadays the mfrs have got the hint and provide pretty good variation within their sets. |
Redcurrant | 02 Aug 2014 1:12 p.m. PST |
My Napoleonics are overwhelmingly AB, but for the 1813-15 era I use CGM. I also have some of the Blue Moon figures, and my Bavarians are from Chariot miniatures. They are smaller than the others but I wont replace them even though the majority of them are over 20 years old. For Ancients, I will use the best figures that I can, or that was available at the time. I have armies by (in no particular order): Xyston Legio Heroica Essex Donnington Splintered Light Khurasan Mini Figs Irregular Old Glory 15s (Timecast) Outpost Wargames Corvus Belli Eureka and several armies are due from the Forged in Battle kickstarter that I backed – although it may take another month or two for that to come to fruition. Steve J |
cavalry47 | 02 Aug 2014 1:42 p.m. PST |
for me it is AB for 90% of my army 5% Eureka (Brits in Belgic Shakos), and 5% CGM |
Testiculies | 02 Aug 2014 3:16 p.m. PST |
I play man scale, 28mm, and I buy what comes cheapest since I want tons of figs on the table. Currently perry plastics fit that bill. Go together quick and a dream to paint! And they didn't even pay me for this endorsement lol |
SJDonovan | 02 Aug 2014 4:06 p.m. PST |
For Napoleonics I use 2nd gen Minifigs and only 2nd gen Minifigs. |
JJMicromegas | 02 Aug 2014 4:24 p.m. PST |
I like to mix manufacturers in order to get an eclectic look to my Army. I never understood having them all the same size because humans are not the same size. |
optional field | 02 Aug 2014 4:40 p.m. PST |
I like a number of manufacturers in order to get a diverse range of poses. It also helps to disguise the difference between (for example) small 28s and large 28s if there are some midsize 28s betwixt and between them. |
Hampshire Hog | 03 Aug 2014 6:34 a.m. PST |
Adler all the way – only the finest will do :-) ……+1!! |
Decebalus | 03 Aug 2014 12:15 p.m. PST |
"I personally prefer one manufacturer. Every figure would be the same size and height. It would be great if all of my 15mm Napoleonic units were Minifigs 2nd generation," Have you just contradicted yourself? You like Minifig 2nd and not 3rd generation. So obviously you dont prefer ONE manufacturer. Many manufacturers and even miniature designers have scale creep or different sizes within their ranges. Foundry napoleonic austrians are smaller than Foundry napoleonic russians even they were both made by the Perry twins. |
SJDonovan | 04 Aug 2014 3:14 a.m. PST |
@Decebalus There is no contradiction in what Reggie said. He stated that he would like all his figures to be 2nd gen Minifigs. So he does, indeed, prefer one manufacturer. It doesn't follow that he has to like every range that manufacturer ever produced. There is nothing illogical in what Reggie said (and in my opinion it shows he is a man of good taste). |
OSchmidt | 04 Aug 2014 6:18 a.m. PST |
I game in 28 to 33 mm. Those are the scales and within them are Surens (willies) , Staddens, DPC, Greenwood and Ball, Scruby's, and half a dozen other makers. Once you put them in units and they're on the table you never notice the difference. My one criteria is a negative one. I don't like figures that are hugely fat, overstuffed, with huge feet and boots and squat no-neck heads. They look too much like gamers. Before the modern world soldiers were pretty thin. |
Ligniere | 04 Aug 2014 6:48 a.m. PST |
I most commonly game using 28's. I've been collecting for a bunch of years, and my collections reflect the availability of the different manufacturer's over those years. Hence, I have a pretty varied mix of manufacturer's on the tabletop at any one time, particularly within my Napoleonic collections. My only compromise is to attempt to ensure that the individual units are representative of one manufacturer alone, but I'm not worried about a millimeter here or there difference in height, even within the same units. As others have stated, soldiers tend to come in different sizes, so I have no issues reflecting that with my miniature collections too. Occasionally I've been forced to mix manufacturers in a single unit, but when this happens, I try to avoid pairing Foundry with Front Rank, but have no qualms about mixing Perry with Warlord. |
Murvihill | 04 Aug 2014 10:10 a.m. PST |
Mine are an eclectic mix of 15mm figures from the last 35-40 years. The only ones that bug me are the Minifigs 1st generation "stick figure" Prussian and Russian cuirassiers who look like children riding ponies compared to most other figures. They don't bug me enough to replace them though, why paint the same figure over again when you can paint something different? Besides, as already mentioned when you put them down on the table in a mass of 30-40 figs it's not so noticeable. |
Sebastian Palmer | 05 Aug 2014 11:14 a.m. PST |
Can someone clarify for me what '2nd Gen. Minifigs' means. I know it means the second generation of figures from Minifigs. But what I want to know is how one identifies them. As a teenager, some time ago now, I had a French Napoleonic 15mm army that was 90% Minifigs. I would have bought them circa. 1986-90. Would that make them 2nd generation? The other figures I had were some Essex (didn't really like these: bought sight unseen, and way too chubby), and some splendid Anthony Barton designed Battle Honours figures. Had I carried on I would probably have switched to,Battle Honours all the way. Like Sparta, I'm know doing 6mm (& 10mm as well; I have Magister Militum, Pendraken and OG in 10mm), and I would rather just have Adler, 'cause, to my eyes, they're the best. But I've bought some Baccus and Heroics & Ros as well. I only really got the Baccus and H&R to fill in gaps or get different poses. I wish Adler would do cavalry without raised swords! I bought the Baccus cavalry 'cause the poses match the poses of most of my infantry, who are predominantly in mnarch' as opposed to 'advance' position. Adler and Baccus mix fine, to my eyes, but H&R are too small and lacking in detail by comparison. Re Heroics & Ros: some people, like the guy in the US with the 1:1 a Waterloo armies, and Bruce Weigle, another American, have superb H&R collections. But I think they work precisely 'cause they're just H&R. I don't know if my H&R units (Imp. Guard band, Imp. Guard engineers; pontoon train, etc.) will work on the battlefield/table with the Adler & Baccus… If money and space weren't limitations, I'd love to have vast armies of AB figures. Anthony Barton is my hero, sculptor-wise. Of course the Perry Twins are geniuses as well, and if I was as rich as their buddy Peter LOTR Jackson I might even be doing my Russia 1812 armies in 25/8mm! I have just ordered all their Retreat From Russia figures!!! |
SJDonovan | 05 Aug 2014 11:51 a.m. PST |
Hi Sebastian, Judging by the dates you bought your figures I would guess they are 2nd gen. If you have a look at the catalogue on this link you can see what 2nd gen figures looked like: PDF link It is quite easy to tell 2nd gen figures because both infantry and horses have thickish, rectangular bases unlike the current 3rd gen figures where the infantry are on thin polygonal bases and the horses are on very narrow, irregularly-shaped bases. Also the 2nd gen horses are in walking poses while the 3rd gen ones are generally charging. The 1st gen figures were smaller and slightly cruder sculpts and they came mounted 5 on a strip for infantry and 3 on a strip for cavalry. |
Sebastian Palmer | 05 Aug 2014 1:06 p.m. PST |
SJD: thanks for the PDF link, I'll take a look. I kind of have a yen to buy some old Minifigs, for 'old times sake'! Wish I hadn't sold them. :-/ Does anyone know if 2nd Gen Minifigs moulds still exist, or if the figs can still be bought new anywhere? I'm assuming the current Caliver-Minifigs must be the newer 3rd Gen… But please someone correct me if I'm wrong!? |
SJDonovan | 05 Aug 2014 1:33 p.m. PST |
Sadly the moulds were destroyed long ago; apparently because they didn't have the storage space for them. Caliver are indeed the 3rd gen figures and though they do seem to occasionally unearth the moulds for odd figures from the old fantasy ranges I think it is very unlikely that any 2nd gen 15s will ever see the light of day again. The good news is that they were produced in massive quantities back in the day and so they regularly turn up on eBay. Sometimes the bidding can get out of hand but generally they can be picked up for roughly the same as you would pay for new figures. They were also produced under licence in the States and I buy a lot of figures from there. But the company that produced them wasn't big on quality control and figures from the US will generally have far more flash on them than those from the UK. (I am referring to the figues produced in Pine Plains NY, not the ones later produced by Tom Dye at GFI/Minifigs – which I believe were 3rd gen) |
reggie88 | 05 Aug 2014 3:40 p.m. PST |
Thank you for the kind words,SJDonovan. |