"SYW Minifigs 15mm question" Topic

To a newbie to this period considering what range to use, I have been interested to see support for minifigs 15mm. Support expressed indicates them to be nicely sculpted and the poses 'regimented', in what I understand to be a SYW style. So quite promising.

Going to the Matchlock Miniatures site there seem to be two ranges: the minifigs 15mm SYW and minifigs Koenig Krieg 15mm. The latter is very limited, and I'm not even sure that they are a separate range as the only contain some infantry poses.

So, are they the same range? or if not, compatible? Why do they exist at all given their tiny numbers?

Have you considered OG15's link , or Lancashire figures for cheapness (they have a sale on!) link

The Koenig Krieg 15mm were a range started in Australia and then sold to Caliver Books who also owns the Minifig line. The Koenig Krieg line was not completed but can be used to provide some units. The Minifig line is complete and has an extensive offering. They are pretty well in identical poses and for the SYW that looks nice. They do not have as much detail as some figures but are among the most anatomically correct figures on the market. Whatever you decide to do I would not advise mixing manufacturers in the same unit.

I used mostly Old Glory for mine, with a sprinkling of Essex in their own units. Nothing wrong with Minifigs though.
We use the 7YW supplement in the original Shako. It's great; we already knew the rules!

Many thanks for those replies!

Herkybird: Useful – I did look at OG15s and the Lancashire offerings. I think I am after stylistically slightly different: I don't know SYW much but I have come from 1/72 Napoleonics which are slender. I saw 28mm Mindens, which seemed great but 28mm is not viable for me, so I guess I am after Mindens in 15/18mm! I have now looked at Eureka which seems promising, but more expensive.

DFLange: Great to know about the origins of Koenig Krieg thanks. I take it you don't think they should be mixed with Minifigs?

I do like the minifigs a lot, but I have yet to see a range that is complete! I guess that is an interpretation thing. I have seen that other ranges offer things like Russian Observation Corps which I understand is are musketeers / grenadiers in cavalry boots, which I couldn't see in Minifigs. Do you think the range contemplates using other figures for them? I just don't know the uniforms well enough. But the Minifigs range did seem pretty good.

d88mm1940 Good to know. Will check out Essex.

I never bought the Koenig Krieg figures so I cannot comment on their compatibility with Minifigs. Perhaps someone has both and can comment on them. On a whole, however, the safest bet is not to mix different manufacturers within a single unit.

Minifigs are bigger than KK. I like the Minifigs. They have proper length muskets and bayonets. I thought the SYW range was complete.

15mm Essex SYW look as though they are armed with carbines topped by a steak knife.

I love the standing firing pose of the Old Glory musketeers but the weapons are likely to break beyond the left hand.

I use Essex guns in my batteries. KK artillery is excellent and look right as battalion guns (except mine are on the left in my King of the Battlefield regiments ;-) ).

Have fun.

YMMV. Other ranges are available, etc.

I've tried Mike's Models, Freicorps, Essex, Old Glory, Eureka and Minifigs for 15mm SYW.

In the end I went with Minifigs as they have an extensive range and to me, look the Best.

The only shame is that Minifigs USA had a Prussian Musketeer in March attack which is no longer available.

The more I look at the minifigs, the more I like them. I gather they are true 15mm.

The cavalry poses seem identical, swords out & up. Which is fine but some relief might be needed. What cavalry would go with minifigs? I gather Eureka are too big.

Many thanks in advance.

The Eureka range has very nice figures, I find OG infantry work well with them as well, but not so the OG cavalry. Eureka cavalry are very large, certainly far too big to use alongside Minifigs.

I'm a little confused here about comments regarding limitations of the KK line of SYW 15mm. I have built and am adding to my collection of SYW and using KK, Old Glory and Blue Moon were also considered but KK offers a very large line with all major and some minor nationalities well represented. I've gotten Austrian, Prussian, and French, They also offer, Hanoverians, Russians, British as well as a nice variety and selection of guns. Other participants can be obtained by substituting, such as using Prussian for Hessian, the uniforms were virtually identical, especially in 15mm.

I also have a few French Minifig in 15mm, nice figures, but IMO lacking animation. They are noticeably smaller than KK side-by-side, so, like many have noted, don't mix figures within units. Now my Minifigs are about 12-15 years old and some of the my KK are 15-20 years old and some are new. But unless Minifig did a significant redesign of their figs, the Minifigs I have are noticeably smaller than the KK. Check out "Deep Fried Crispy Mice" for a number of side-by-side comparisons.

Minifig is no longer available through any US distributors that I could find. Now the other lines all look very nice and although I am sorely tempted I hate buying online without being able to touch and handle the items, call me old fashioned. Being an Aussie you almost certainly have different availability so if you can find a good local shop that carries different lines, check them out.
My main reason for not using Blue Moon, Old Glory, Essex, etc. is primarily logistics, they are not readily available here in Florida. Also, with the rules I am using, KK ver3, packaging is more convenient, 4 cavalry or 8 infantry per pack for $3.95 USD I can make up the correct unit compositions (12-18 figure inf battalions and 6, 12, 15, or 18 unit cavalry regiments) easier with less "wastage" and the price, I think, is quite reasonable. The biggest downside with the KK figs is that, despite their metal reformulation several years ago, they are still a little more fragile (brittle) than some other lines.

Oh, and the most important thing is, HAVE FUN!

Royston Papworth: I used Prussian Musketeers in March Attack from QRF in 15mm. They mix very well with Minifigs and all my guard units are these figures. They are slightly thicker bodied, but same height, proportions, etc.

Today, I just received SYW Prussian Hussars from QRF. They will also mix well with Minifigs cavalry. Note that Irregular Miniatures 15mm cavalry is a bit too big (tall) to mix with Minifigs.

Minifigs has added fusiliers advancing, #22V(A). I had some old figures from the now extinct Minifigs USA, and they made new molds and cast them for me. They were added to their line last year.