I am trying to do some very off-the-wall "armies" in 28mm for the late Inter-war and early Second World War era (ca. 1937-1940). To do that means having to either create my own figures or at LEAST do some conversions, as no company or free-lancer makes all the figures I want in 28mm, and only one free-lancer I know of makes any figures at all for one of these "armies" in 28mm.
This is my first-ever foray into this realm. I have no idea about costs -- especially for trying to get whole figures designed, sculpted, and eventually cast. I have recently contacted one company that adverts doing this kind of work, but have heard zip-zilch back (yet, anyway). Truth-in-advertizing, if it's too expensive, the whole project "dies on the vine."
So, returning to my initial theme, I was thinking that there are some "acceptable," if not "fully suitable" figures out there already for other WW2 armies in 28mm that -- with a little effort -- could be converted to the two specific armies I am interested in portraying, if I can find enough "parts" to make the conversions believable (BTW, I game using Bolt Action!).
What I have settled on is that a small range of head-sculpts wearing the very distinctive helmets of the two armies should do the trick! The two armies I am desiring to create, and so, the two types of heads I am looking to get made up are:
1) First Czech Republic in the Munich Crisis of 1938 (and the era of increasing tension with Germany in the year before that). These heads would need to be cast in the distinctive Czech M1932 "Salad Bowl" helmet. Parenthetically, the Slovak Republic's army (allied with Germany) wore that same helmet in Russia, 1941-44 -- so more bang for the buck with that sculpt!
2) Denmark's army on 9 April 1940. These would need to be cast wearing the highly distinctive Danish M1923 helmet…
I would envisage these very much like the "sets" or sprues of four (4) sold by Empress Minis for converting other manufacturers' ranges to use with their Spanish Civil War range, which come four to a set. Similarly, there is the extensive range of four separate heads on sprues sold by Warlord Games for Bolt Action!, or likewise by West Wind for their Berlin or Bust!. That is, four heads in the stated headgear, but with enough variation of facial features or attributes to suggest four different persons -- when used on different poses, that should avoid the "Clone Syndrome."
My problem is that even if I had masters, I don't have the facilities or ability to cast. So… I would need to work with someone who could both design and cast in small batches. A good hard and durable resin is fine for the product -- the heads do not have to be in white metal…
So then… casting my bread upon the waters… as it were. Anyone who can help can please PM me. Cheers!
