"28mm Medieval Army For Fantasy" Topic

So, I've been collecting Ral Partha's Fantasy Armies figures and I want to slowly transition my entire fantasy collection to metal in that style.

What I'm looking for is a early medieval European army that is in the same 28mm scale and style. Much as I love Grenadier's Fantasy Warriors, the availability and shipping are too high and they are not stylistically compatible.

I want knights in mail with barrel helms and heater shields and men at arms in pot helms and hauberks with glaives and fauchards. Peasants with spears and shields would also be nice. I already have many of Old Glory's Revolting peasants and I doubt there's a better range to cover the topic out there. In spite of the relatively crude sculpts.

And I want it all in metal. After years of focussing on plastics at my store I've gotten tired of assembling the darn things.

Any thoughts?

So you do know that Iron Wind (Ral Partha by any other name) produces historicals?

link

Have you looked at Barony Miniatures? They are the decendents of the old Metal Magic range. baronyminiatures.com

Black Tree Design 100 Years War mins go well with RP Fantasy armies.

Did you look at Old Glory "Mongols in Europe" range? If you want individual figures I would recommend Essex Feudal range and you can buy individual weapons from them.

Metal forever! I must have the heft, the weight to size ratio, in order to enjoy moving miniatures around. And assembly? Bah humbug!

I don't think that Old Glory are crude, just solidly stated. If I have one gripe about OG, it's the penchant for crouching poses.

Kite shields and nasal helms and mail hauberks. Yes. OG covers them all and goes up from there….

"So you do know that Iron Wind (Ral Partha by any other name) produces historicals?"

Yes and while they are lovely they are much smaller than the Fantasy Armies range. If they would produce the Collector's Series at a reasonable price elves, dwarves, and orcs, I'd buy those and never look back.

Even so, I do like the Fantasy Armies figures. In particular the elves and the orcs. I've got five orcs on DEATH JAWS. Which are about my favorite model of all time.

The Old Glory figures are about the right size and as I mentioned I can't help but love the Revolting Peasants. Even so, I'd like to match the look and particular style of the Fantasy Armies range. I've already got about a hundred of the Barbarians but I want knights and peasants and crossbow men.

If Tom Meir would do more of his Byzantines I'd go that route but the range is too small, though I want to get some of his orcs and elves. I'm not sure how well they'll fit but they're beautiful. His King Arthur stuff is beautiful but more in the older Ral Partha scale and style.

I can sculpt to a decent standard but I've never had much luck with casting. So I'm looking for stuff that's better than what I could do myself.

The Black Tree Design Hundred Years War figures do look pretty good. Not quite the sharp detail and proportions of the Ral Partha stuff but really we're talking about work by Chris Fitzpatrick and Bob Olley and you really can't expect that from just anyone. (Tom Meir and the Perrys are a bit ahead of them of course) I'm a bit concerned about Black Tree Design's reputation.

Any recent testimonials?

What about Crusader Byzantines?

Not bad but their late crusaders look closer to what I'm after. On the other hand they are in a bulkier style than the range I'm collecting. I'd have to see a few in person. I know it's a fiddly and fussy objective but I do like the Crusader figures. I may order a few to see how they match up.

I will second the Baroney miniatures. To me they have just the right feel. I have a bunch and livd them. They mix very well with my Old Glory revolting peasants , and the separate heads and weapons let you create a lot of variety. They are used as feudal humans in my "good guy" fantasy army right along side Sgt Major (ex Vendel) hill men and OG dwarves.