Winston Smith | 07 Aug 2015 7:35 a.m. PST |
I'm a grizzled old veteran wargamer from the 1970s. Back in the day, we EXPECTED to have to spend hours on the least enjoyable part of The Hobby. That is cleaning figures before painting. It was part of the price of doing business. I expected to spend time gouging out the space between a figure's weapon and chest. I expected to have to scrape or file heavy mold lines, to plane down sprue waste on the underside of the base, etc. Half an hour per infantry figure? Par for the course. Then I dropped out for about ten years. One if the first things I noticed was a vast improvement in casting quality. By an order of magnitude, at least. I still have to do some cleaning, of course. And then there is one range where I spent a maximum of five minutes inspecting a bag of 20 foot figures with my only pre-base work is straightening slightly bent muskets. I think I had to file one mold line on the hat. That line is Fife and Drum 28mm AWI. That is my choice for "Best cast line of wargaming figures". What's yours? |
Mick in Switzerland | 07 Aug 2015 7:36 a.m. PST |
Empress moderns are very good clean castings. |
Dynaman8789 | 07 Aug 2015 7:49 a.m. PST |
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Dentatus | 07 Aug 2015 7:56 a.m. PST |
Hasslefree. And I'll second Empress Moderns. |
Patrick Sexton | 07 Aug 2015 8:01 a.m. PST |
Hell, there are a lot of companies that would now fall into this category. So I will go back to two of the companies that first impressed me with their minimal need for clean up back when I actively started collecting again back in the '80s. Those would be Laserburn and Citadel/GW. |
Garand | 07 Aug 2015 8:02 a.m. PST |
I've been buying a lot of fantasy stuff lately, and Reaper is still tops for casting quality IMHO. Very small moldlines and rarely any flash of consequence. Also really like the molding on the Corvus Belli Infinity figures. I got a pack of Line Kazaks a week ago, and very little file-work required. Essex still casts up well too, though a bit more flash and moldlines on them than the former lines. Damon. |
Extrabio1947 | 07 Aug 2015 8:39 a.m. PST |
Anything from Griffin, such the Minden/Fife And Drum and Crann Tara product lines. Sharp detail, no flash, no mold lines…you can paint these castings as they pop out of the molds. |
wrgmr1 | 07 Aug 2015 9:11 a.m. PST |
Calpe and Front Rank, the best I've painted. |
ironicon | 07 Aug 2015 9:59 a.m. PST |
I have to say, and this is a little different, that the best figs for quality of casting I've come across are the castings from Privateer Press. That said, I got sick of the mis-packs and missing parts. They were still the most impressive figs. I've seen. I painted them off and on for ten years and I really think they made me a better painter. |
Ben Lacy | 07 Aug 2015 10:01 a.m. PST |
kingandcountry.com IMO, nothing beats the Toy Soldiers (60mm) made by King & Country. However, at $50 USD per figure, one had better stick to squad-sized actions. |
Feet up now | 07 Aug 2015 10:16 a.m. PST |
Do not really play Infinity but the odd figures I have bought have been excellent. Really like the Dropzone commander miniatures a lot too ,but only going by the base set and some PHR walkers. |
Coyotepunc and Hatshepsuut | 07 Aug 2015 10:34 a.m. PST |
Ironwind Metals, formerly Ral Partha. |
etotheipi | 07 Aug 2015 11:01 a.m. PST |
Never had any problems with Pulp Figures or Knuckleduster. |
Frederick | 07 Aug 2015 11:39 a.m. PST |
Another vote for Front Rank Love to paint those figs! |
Saber6 | 07 Aug 2015 11:51 a.m. PST |
Hobby Products 15mm (Demonworld). Ral Partha for 25mm |
Repiqueone | 07 Aug 2015 12:35 p.m. PST |
Ebor and Fronk Rank figures especially the late 17th to early 18th century lines. |
ochoin | 07 Aug 2015 1:05 p.m. PST |
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Darn Folly | 07 Aug 2015 1:51 p.m. PST |
15mm: Skytrex Command Decision 28mm: Corvus Belli Infinity |
Kevin C | 07 Aug 2015 8:38 p.m. PST |
Brigade Miniatures are among the best miniatures on the market. The ones that I have bought had no flash or mold lines. And the crisp detail is unbelievable. Also Pulp Figures miniatures have excellent detail as well. Kevin |
McWong73 | 08 Aug 2015 1:40 a.m. PST |
Legio Heroica's ranges, and the AB range from Eureka are all superbly cast. |
Militia Pete | 08 Aug 2015 4:05 a.m. PST |
Never had a problem with Crusader. |
Bellbottom | 08 Aug 2015 11:56 a.m. PST |
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Toronto48 | 08 Aug 2015 8:43 p.m. PST |
AB aka Tony Barton 15mm IMO cleanest casts in the field |
DWilliams | 11 Aug 2015 6:37 p.m. PST |
Winston Smith, I remember those days as a young teenager, and you might also add every figure was identical (except for the officer, drummer, and standard bearer). I cannot express my admiration enough for Chris Hughes's SASH & SABER line of figures. In particular, the 25mm ACW line is nothing short of amazing. The figures are so well proportioned and animated, plus they show a tremendous appreciation for uniform details. I should give an honorable mention to Russ Dunaway and the crew at Old Glory. They casting do the actual casting, and it is always superb. |