"28mm Metal Napoleonics in the US?" Topic

Hey guys,

I'm looking to break into the glorious field of 25mm/28mm Napoleonics after spending some time with 15s; the very open-ended question is who makes good yet reasonably priced metal figures in this scale that are readily available in the US? I already have a couple of boxes of Perry, Victrix and Warlord plastics but that is enough to know that I loathe assembling plastic models (historicals at least) to a surprising degree so single piece metals are the way forward for me! I've painted a few Front Rank figures on commission in the past and I remember really liking them but how do they compare pricewise? Are the Old Glory 2 metals any good? I'm a former OG Army member and I would re-up my membership if the figures get a solid enough endorsement as they can't be beat pricewise. If they are kinda flaky quality-wise then I'm more than happy to look elsewhere as I very much enjoy painting so I want at least a fairly good quality of sculpt.

My primary opponent by the way will be using Perry British so something that doesn't look HORRENDOUSLY out of place against them would be cool :)

Bob

The Old Glory 2nd Edition are decent figures. I like them well enough to field some battalions. Most of my 28s are Old Glory 1st Edition, and they can be more spotty.

The list is long if go beyond US: Perry metal, Elite, Front Rank, Old Glory, Bicorne (the old Connoisseur figures) -- you will get lots of different opinions. Agree that plastics a bit of a pain to assemble. There are US distributors for some of these companies and I also just order and pay the currency conversion. If US limited, then Old Glory is best choice. 2nd Edition look best but very few poses. The 1st Editions are, as scomac says, "spotty" but I have lots and some are real favorites.

Try Brigade Games:

link

Thanks for the comments so far! Certainly not against ordering from the UK depending on the price/shipping policies etc. Looking at Front Rank, they seem to make a point of listing all their prices inclusive of VAT and the shipping page talks about calculating the shipping costs based on the VAT-inclusive prices; does this mean that the final price will be VAT *exclusive*? As I recall from various orders from Ground Zero Games in the past that comes close to making the shipping almost free…

Also, back when I lived the UK (fifteen years ago) Foundry were always regarded as among the best, is that still the case?

And be sure to check the TMP Manufacturers Directory. Triangle Miniatures is the US distributor for Front Rank, Calpe, and others – all of whom make excellent 28mm Napoleonic figures.

triangleminiatures.com

Jim

I love Elite and Calpe figures. Raised detail and a variety of uniforms make them a joy to paint.

Calpe are the best Napoleonic miniatures on the market, just my opinion.
ColCampbell beat me to it. Triangle carry Calpe and my second favourite, Front Rank.

I have some OG 2nd edition and am quite pleased with them. The biggest problem is that they only have cavalry so far. I've mixed Perry plastic and OG 2nd edition Russian infantry on the same base and you'd really have to squint to spot the difference (or just pick them up, but that would be cheating).

Doing the math on VAT discount versus S&H cost for mail order from the UK can sometimes hurt my brain. My usual trick is to put assemble the order with everything except my credit card number to get the 'all-inclusive' price. I'll often assemble an order a few times before I finally punch in the CC#.

Check before you submit, too. I've been tempted by Foundry a few times, but they don't deduct VAT which makes them less competitively priced than Perry or Front Rank. Free shipping offsets that a bit if you get the right order size. I think that Warlord doesn't deduct VAT either – I'd like to be wrong on that. Generally, with FR and Perry the VAT discount more or less offsets the S&H.

I love Old Glory. The price is right. Here's a couple entries:
link

and

link

Also, back when I lived the UK (fifteen years ago) Foundry were always regarded as among the best, is that still the case?

I don't think that's the case anymore. Foundry built their line over quite a bit of time, so some of the early stuff looks kind of rough compared to what's available today. A lot of it is that the sculptors have gotten better with practice, and casting methods have also gotten better.

For example, these guys were done by one of the Perry brothers:

Fine enough figures, but not nearly as nice as these more recent versions of the same thing, also done by a Perry:

Alec Brown's work over at Front Rank has also improved much of late. He is offering what he calls "reinforcement packs," which are really just a new line of Napleonic figures because he's had what, 15-20 years experience between his early stuff and today?

There's also Paul Hicks, whose stuff is some of the best and he is prolific. He did most of the Brigade Games line which I mentioned above.

Also look into Sash and Saber, in the US, they have a small line of 1809 French and Austrians. I believe that he is also the sculpter for Old Glory. Most of my Napoleonics are Elite and Sash and Saber.

I am a Front Rank convert . For large units they are a joy to paint, which makes them good value for money IMO.

I don't understand fully your reluctance with plastic . Perry Austrian Plastics for example are in just 3 pieces ie head, backpack and body. Assembled in no time at all.

I have painted well over 3000 28mm metal Napoleonics in the last 7-8 years.

I bought a few packs of OG ed 2 when I started and just did not like them.

I have painted quite a few Foundry, but if this is your choice you need to stick with just them especially for cavalry as they are much smaller then other lines. I have had a lot of broken bayonets and plumes.

FR does take off the VAT and do provide excellent service to NA, I find with their volume discount they are cheaper then buying in the US. It is not a mistake to go with them. Nice very sturdy figures.

It does depend though on what nation you are doing. They are really excellent figures out there.

France or Prussia or Saxony go with Calpe.

Saxony plus some bit and pieces from other nations go with Westphalia. If you want to do Kielmansege Jagers these are the best.

Poles go with Muraski Miniatures.

Elite have a nice line, very easy to paint but the poses are not liked by some.

Finally, I should say something about Perry metals, these are the nicest figures, and if you do not mind spending time cleaning them up (the junk stuck to them is terrible) they are also an excellent choice.

All the above will look good against Perry British.

John

ps you will put hours into painting these figures, I think making an economic decision with the original choice may in the long run be a false economy.

Thanks for all the great responses so far! John, I agree that I would rather spend more to begin with an enjoy my painting and looking at the end result rather than just saving a few bucks (especially at the rate I paint lol). I like willthepiper's method of taking a Front Rank order all the way to the card entry stage to check the final price, didn't know for sure if it calculated it at that point or was done manually so that's good to know.

"I don't understand fully your reluctance with plastic . Perry Austrian Plastics for example are in just 3 pieces ie head, backpack and body. Assembled in no time at all."

It's not just the assembly, it's also the cutting them off the sprue, so overall for a large unit it's a lot more work than just cleaning up some one-piece metals. I dunno, I just had a bad experience with assembling and painting some Perry plastic French a while back though in retrospect this was probably more linked to my Dad passing right around the same time than the quality of the minis themselves; maybe I need to try and generate some fresh memories, I do have a spare box or two in the garage. Perhaps I'll bust them out this weekend.

Our range is sculpted by Paul Hicks and we add to it every 4-8 weeks.

For reference both Murawski and BrigdeGames Napoleonics are sculpted by Paul. We will be releasing the Murawski poles for sale in the states shortly. We are just awaiting the molds to arrive form our molder.

Bob,

You're a lucky guy 'cos there's so much choice.

I have loads of figures of all manufactures but like you don't do plastics as the cost saving is outweighed by the intrinsic value of the painted article IMHO!

Not surprisingly, the best opponents for the Perry British would be the Perry French but I'm such a fan of Calpe that I'd opt for them instead.

They're a real joy to paint and not expensive.

All the very best with your collecting/painting/wargaming.

Cheers,

Paul

There is a list of manufacturers here…

link

I am not sure about availability in the US though.

If you click on 'Napoleonics' on the right-hand side you will see a load of comparison photos of figures from different manufacturers side by side.

I like the Offensive Miniatures stuff. It fits well with the Perrys, I think.

Foundry Napoleonics are nice figures but they are not true 28mm. Done by the Perry brothers. I prefer Perry's over Foundry. Yes, Brigade Games and Murawshi are both done by Paul Hicks. Very nice miniatures. Architects of War has the lowest prices on Perry plus they are having their free 10% off trial offer for the month of January. I still prefer metal over plastic unless you are on a budget.

Another vote for Old Glory. The 25mm line is pretty good, but not complete. The 28mm line is very complete. The figures may not look the best to start with, but they do paint up very well.

As for cost, if you join the OG Army for a year($50) a bag of 30 infantry only costs $21. USD You can make up the $50 USD quickly.

But my favorites are Front Rank, but hey are a bit pricey. I tend to use those for specialty figures or for an occasional unit just for fun.

Which ones are which when it comes to Old Glory? Are the original OG Napoleonics the 28mm and the OG2 ones the 25mm ones in raylev3's post above? Because for the 1815 French at least the OG2 line is a little thin…how well do the original OG minis match up to the new ones?

Yes, I've been a member of the OG army previously so I would just have to renew my account, can't argue with a 40% discount! Maybe I'll just renew it and grab a bag of each and see how they look, I already need some reinforcements from the Caesar's Gallic Wars line for a separate project so that might be something to look into.

The Front Rank figures are looking like my favorites but as pointed out they are on the expensive side for producing bulk forces. On the other hand, am I likely to paint them fast enough that I would need to buy them especially rapidly in the first place? Questions, questions lol.

Hi Bob I thought I would just come back again with Front Rank as you seem set on there.

Despite their costs I think they are an excellent choice. I am currently doing an Austrian Army with very large units which I have been told by guys on here that, that is the norm with Austrians.

I think they are worth every penny or in your case cent. You will find them a joy to paint as the details are well defined and not "fuzzy" like some other manufacturers. I think this is a very important requirement if doing large units. I believe Calpe are similar in this regard if you are doing Prussions .

But yes buy Front Rank with confidence for Naps.

The only downside if you have to buy them direct from the UK is going to be the cost of carriage. Front Rank are quite heavy figures :)

Front Rank are quite heavy figures :)

No, properly heavy figures!

We are talking BMIs in the mid 30s for many. But they vary so much in their proportions, largely with release date. "Reinforcements" are superb. Some cavalry have right arms thicker than their legs and not arising form the shoulder, but from the side of the thorax. Check the excellent website images

Triangle Miniatures in North Carolina has a web site and listings of all they carry here in the states..it is rather extensive

I've acquired Front Rank from Triangle and directly from the uk. With the VAT deduction and the higher shipping cost, it works about close to the same from Buddy at Triangle. both are excellent service.

Bicorne (Connoisseur) and Hinchliffe deduct the VAT also. (Hinchliffe's Foremost horse range is by far the best in my estimation. Prices are very competitive. I mount all my Front Rank and Connoisseur figures on Foremost horses.

I have a few Sash and Saber French battalions. I use Foundry mounted colonels for my units. Exact fit.

The Foremost range was quite hard to find on their website as it is not given a separate category and is embedded in the French horse section. I see what you mean about the horses pbishop12, they are very nice. BTW what is the general difference between the Bicorne and Connoisseur ranges in you opinion?