"How much do you like mixing manufacturers?" Topic

1) I will not start a period unless one manufacturer covers all my needs.

2) I will only make units from one manufacturer. I may have more than one in the same army though.

3) Happily mix them on the same stand. The more the merrier. Irregular units like AWI militia or Gauls and Vikings really benefit from variety.

If I get samples before I plunge, I use them. See my Grant and Sherman tanks!

I am strictly 2.

I have a bunch of Old Glory Continentals I painted as Loyalists. I got some King's Mountain Continental officers that I liked so they will be officers for the OG men.

3 within reason

I don't really fit in the 3 options you offer. I don't mind mixing figures from different manufacturers in an army. But they have to be what I consider compatible. One example would be Old Glory 15s and Essex. they work well together, at least I like them. Peter Pig and Command Decision miniatures are my favorite mix for my WW2 forces. But to mix old Minifigs with troops from Essex or Old Glory is just not right, in my opinion.
But I have a force of 1882 Egyptians that are entirely made up of Old Glory 15s. So I don't mind all my figures being from one source. I just find I need to go to multiple sources in order to get all the variety I want.

2 and 3 depends if the figures are close enough to match. Otherwise many of my armies have units from different manufacturers.

Tally Ho!

I generally won't mix figures from different manufactuers in the same unit but otherwise I'm fairly 'broad church' about the issue.

3 within reason (height, weapons/gear and so on match somewhat match.

With my 40mm figures, I have units from Trident, Front Rank and Sash & Saber but I keep them in their own units although I could mix Front Rank and Trident together because they are so close in size and bulk.

4. I will happily mix them if they are similar enough in build. Otherwise they stay in their own proprietary units.

3 as long as they are close in size.

Pretty much option 2.

Erik

3. I mix on the same movement tray. Generally I like to make sure they are similar, but not always.

As many as I can as long as they fit well together. My Sohei army has Battleline, TAG, Kingsford, Perry, and 1st Corps.

Basically 2. I like one manufacturer has a Comprehensive range before starting an army, but I do like to add pieces of other firms provided they are compatible.
Marco

1 mostly…

3. Irregular troops benefit from using multiple manufacturers; except mounted because horse sculpts are so different.
I imagine that for WWII, I would stick to one manufacturer for a given tank type.

manufacturer matters less than sculptor.

I did a French and Indian game some years back. When I was putting the figures away, I found that I had used 23 different manufacturers.

3. Like most if it works I'll happily mix in most cases. However, there are some projects where I have not mixed the figures in the same unit and some where the manufacturer is the same for the whole army.

Christopher

2.5 I guess. Halfway between two and three.

I try to be a 2 but I am probably more of a 2.9

I'm a 3 all the way. I like a lot of variety in my units. As long as they are roughly the same size. So OG, Perry and Foundry all in the same unit no problem. Renegade might be a bit large.

It also depends on the period. I loved the Celt Army I made with 8 different manufacturers. When you looked at the army at table level there was a variation in the level of the heads across the army much like you would see in a crowd. It looked great.

Trident does make beautiful figures just like Front Rank. I would love to get into 40mm but they are just too expensive for me. I know Sash and Saber are cheaper especially if an Army card holder but I'm not exactly excited about the sculpts.

I don't care as long as they are broadly comparable in size and stature. Mix away.

1, mostly. A big exception would be commanders and heroes who are usually standing alone. I will use a cool figure for them no matter where I find it.

40mm are cheaper than Perry. And cheaper than many other comparable 28mm figures.

3 for figures
1 for vehicles

Horse and musket, ancients
A lot, everything that fits. Still as underneath for muskets.

Ww2 less, vehicles of same chassis unless obvious I cam, infantry very careful so as not to have " taylor made" mg42 of different sizes.

Option 4 as proposed by nazrat.

I generally stay with 2; however, for skirmish games I happily adopt 3 for more color / variation.

3 for irregular ancients, 2 for regular ancients except for the odd figures like officers, standard bearers and musicians, which are 3 again

Usually 2.

3 for me – the more the merrier!

I prefer to get everything from one manufacturer.

If I have to go to multiple manufacturers I will and do as long as they look good together.

Some periods you have no choice but to go to multiple manufacturers if you want to get what you need or you might not be able to have what you need.

My Carthaginians were a mixed lot.
The Libyan Spearmen were a mix of the Rsl Paryha and Mimifigs "Zulu Hoplite" figures. All based on the dubious Phil Barker drawing in AMPW.
The Spanish Scutarii were Hinchliffe, Garrison and Grenadier. (Yes, boys and girls. Grenadier once upon a time made historical figures!)
African veterans were RAFM Imitation Legionaires with various different heads.
Numidiab cavalry must have had 6 different manufacturers.
Elephants had two different types. The bareback riders were from Airfix Zoo set #2 with Numidians smooshed on the back. The tower elephants were Garrison, Naismith Design, Minifigs….
Gauls? At least 8 manufacturers.

And then my Scythians…..

5) Is it possible to not mix manufacturers?

I'll grab stuff from multiple companies since I like as much variety in poses and looks as possible. Vehicles tend to stick with one though, for consistency.

3/ For periods when gear was not mass produced

x42

3 for me.I really like mixing it up within reason.

Mostly 3 and sometimes 2.

The number of times I have found all the figures/poses I want from a single manufacturer for my interests can be counted on the fingers of one hand with fingers left over (not counting small unit skirmish games like IHMN,) so "1" would have stopped me dead in the beginning of my hobby experience.

Would prefer "1" as a realistic option in all cases? Heck, yes!

I find "2" achievable within reason today.

I am finding "3" less and less required as I reduce my armies in period, Genre, and scale/size. Also, by sheer number of manufacturers making the same period/genre I find "3" actually beneficial in at least one case.

3

Concur with Nazrat.
4. I will happily mix them if they are similar enough in build. Otherwise they stay in their own proprietary units.