"Empress and Gringo 40s size comparison to older ranges" Topic

How do Empress and Gringo 40s compare in size to older ranges?

Your input on figure size and bulk and ,more important, weapon size.

I thought my Vietnam collection was complete until these two ranges came out. Currently, I have the following figures:

West Wind

Baker Company

TAG – none of the squad weapon or AK-47 since they appear to large.

London War room – a few SKS armed troops.

Vince, I would say that the Gringo 40s figures are larger than the others by at least a couple mm. I always liked the Baker Co. models, probably my favorite until these came along.

A photo might help to reinforce that. I can only speak for Gringos40 and Empress and let me show two figures from each in identical poses (Gringos painted obviously). I do not think the two can easily be combined, but I do hope to use a couple of prone and one kneeling figure from Empress where the disparity is less obvious. A couple of the standing figures have also been chopped around and are now KIA, so now very prone alas;

You could use the older smaller Vietnam War miniatures as your South Vietnamese troops, and Baker, Empress, and Gringo as your American troops.

I have a pile of unpainted FOA TAG and Westwind figures to complete my collection and would also like to add some more figures as there are gaps I'd like to fill. I suspect that Empress would be smaller and the Gringos too large though. Hope that someone can post some photos as that would be really useful.

The idea of making them into ARVN is something I considered too. But the snag is they just do not have the "classical look" of South Vietnamese Army Infantry.

Little guys yes, but dwarfed by their US M1 helmet, which, like their weaponry, cannot shrink. No Mitchell cloth cover on the helmet. Very tight trousers/pants/overalls without patch pockets. Maybe a flak jacket if they were lucky…that is the image, even if not universal obviously.

You could use the older smaller Vietnam War miniatures as your South Vietnamese troops, and Baker, Empress, and Gringo as your American troops.

that is one great idea!

Looking at the side by side comparison I don't think that you could use the Empress and Gringo40's together as was suggested for as your American troops. The size difference is very noticeable. Gringo40's do look great but it is a shame that they don't match Empress.

How do the new Crucible Crush Vietnam troops compare? (It's a horror range, but most is just historical Vietnam troops)

link

Thanks, repaint!

Sounds like my order will only go to Empress. It's a shame the Gringos are so large.

Thanks to all, especially deadhead for the side by side shots.

Vince

Are you basing them individually or in groups on larger bases?

If the former, then the disparity will be far less obvious. I just collect the figures, mostly in small dioramas, where the difference is a problem The larger size suited me as I was just starting out and it does allow packing in of detail.

If you did want to experiment, I would suggest MAR02, the first one I ever saw and my favourite, MAR 09 the sniper team (which are slightly smaller figures anyway and unusual) or MAR 12 Captain Christmas and his RTO. Worth a try as adds variety

Actually, the main thing that attracted me was the "Mule". I that case the only standing figure was the loader (you need a big guy for that job anyway). I may just take you up on the other suggestions.

Thanks,

Vince

Had thought about the Mule myself. The temptation would be to dismount the recoilless rifle, but not sure how easy the scratchbuilding would be.

Right now however I am concentrating on a wall on a Hue street (a much posher one than the last, but almost equally knocked about).

I got my recoilless rifles from the West Wind support weapon sets.

The Gringos are clearly excellent figures but don't fit with the Empress models which is unfortunate. I might buy some as WH40K imperial guard proxies, but I'll continue to expand my Vietnam range using the Hicks Empress models.

There is a disparity in size, no doubt. If you have a significant collection of Empress Marines already, then Gringos figures could not used "side by side" with Empress, well in my opinion anyway.

The larger figures in Gringos certainly make painting that bit easier and the detail on weapons is quite exceptional. Their faces I think have the edge of the two makes. I would love to mix and match, it is a shame. I used a few Empress Marines in the Dong Ba Tower diorama, making sure they were slightly separated from Gringos' because I do love the animation of some. When they take cover they really do hug the ground and that chap lying prone while lifting an MG belt off his shoulder is just brilliant.

Hicks Saxon Napoleonic cavalry are bigger figures and, no doubt here, the best in my collection. I really did not want the Zastrow Cuirassiers, just the Garde du Corps, but simply had to have them in the end.