So, after months and months of research (both history and rule systems), I finally decided to jump into "historical" miniature gaming (medieval). I put historical in quotes, because the games I'm preparing miniatures for are Warhammer Ancient Battles –OR- Kings of War Historical, and to a less extent Lion Rampant. All 3 would make a historian cringe, and I plan on bending rules enough to make them cringe further.
In any case, I decided to go with 1:72 miniatures for a number of reasons. First…because I can! For the first time I'm going to be playing games where I can get everything I want in 1:72. Second, it'll be something different…the seldom used in-between scale. Not as big as 28mm, not as small as 10 or 15mm. Third…if this goes nowhere, 1:72 miniatures are so cheap, it makes a miniature gamer laugh.
So, this is my first purchase, Strelets Hastings 1066 Norman Army. This cost me $40 USD (USD) and you get an outrageous 126 figures and 26 horses, or 100 foot soldiers, and 26 mounted soldiers. That means each miniature is about 26 cents! In summary, I got an entire army for the price of a single unit in 28mm….I know, not as impressive looking as 25/28mm for "showpieces", but perfectly serviceable table ready painted figures.
Now, I've just started painting these…hence the thread title (First Impressions). The first miniatures I prepared were the 30 archers. I washed, glued, and primed them…then randomly grabbed 10 to paint. This was both to test color scheme and to develop a technique to paint the whole shebang. Here is how they came out…
When I first started debating 1:72, I couldn't really figure out why, with the variety of figures and the price point, these plastics aren't more popular. Now that I've painted a few, I think I know the reasons why they aren't…but I also know the reasons why they definitely should be more popular as well.
There is a lot to like about 1:72, and some things not to like. Of course, your opinions may be different than mine based on your preferences. Also, this "review" is based on this set of miniatures, I've had some other 1:72s that have and haven't had the same "issues", and quality of sculpts and materials vary greatly from one manufacturer to another. When all is said and done, I'm really enjoying this new project, and despite the "dislikes" listed below, I'm enjoying painting the miniatures and I'm sure I will like the end result of the project.
Likes
1) Cheap as all get out!
2) Single cast posing with minimal gluing (and a large variety)
3) The size is really ideal for me…your mileage may very. I find 15mm too small for the visual game I want to present, but 28mm tend to be a bit of overkill, and these days they just have more detail than I feel is necessary when painting figures by the bucketful. Of all the miniatures I've painted, I enjoyed the look of my Battlelore (1st edition) game pieces the most. These were close to 1:72…but not quite, and nice and chunky.
4) I like these Strelets models because they aren't as realistically proportioned (or thin and lanky) as some 1:75…again, a bit more chunky.
5) They aren't fragile at all, even when painted. You will be hard pressed to damage these guys no matter how you store or transport them.
Dislikes
1) The plastic might be just a tad too soft, but not a deal breaker
2) Implied detail! This is the big one, and I don't know how else to describe it. When you first look at the miniatures it seems like there is a lot of detail…but as you paint, you begin to realize it's more like "implied detail"…I mean, there is a blob at the top of the quiver you KNOW are supposed to be arrow feathers, or a blob where you KNOW there is supposed to be a hand, or some bumps on what you know is a face. In other words, it's nothing like paining "regular" miniatures, in that you can't rely on the deep groves and raised area to guide your painting and shading. In other words, it's more work for less payback.
3) Fuzzy flash. There wasn't a ton of flash, but it tends to be sort of fuzzy when you leave any on, and even when you cut it off it leaves a sort of fuzz. Very hard to get rid of, fortunately you only see it on very close inspection.
4) Bumps and pits. I don't know why it is, maybe the molds are ancient…but there are super small bumps and groves and pock marks all over the miniatures. Again, you only really see it if magnified, but it makes painting a bit more of a challenge than it has to be.
5) They will look stupid if your opposing army isn't also 1:72