"Genre vs. Game" Topic

When buying minis, do you look for them by genre or by game?

Yeah, I know, size, scale, style, phase of the moon under which they were cast … and so on. This question assumes you have other criteria, but wants to know which of these you use. Do you look for a specific game or look for figures based on a genre?

Those are not the most important criteria for me, but as between them, I lean toward game over genre: will the miniature work in Traveller, as opposed to generic hard-ish science fiction?

Traveller has such a broad scope that a lot of things will work for it, or can be made to work with slight modifications.

The genre comes before the game. There are a number of games out there but they are not in a genre that I like. So I do not play the game or buy the minis. Examples would be fantasy RPG, zombies, pirates or 28mm SF.

I'm not sure what you mean by genre. For example, big battle vs. skirmish? That's a consideration for periods in which I game both, but the period and nationalities/tribes are the most important criteria for me.

Rick

Game, as in "Will these work for my Warmaster armies? Will those work for Ogre/GEV, etc."

But if the game is generic enough, genre, or even setting, rises to the top.

A medium tank is a medium tank, it doesn't matter which game it's marketed for. Unless you are getting into specific historical periods.

Genre, as my genre continues to grow I still haven't decided on my rules

Genre -- even this is quite loose (see below).

I play fantasy, so the requirement parameters, are very flexible. I am more concerned with size, and style, than with the game rules. If the figures are close to the design I am needing/looking for, I will press them into service.

I recently bought some Heroclix Giganta figures (70 mm tall human female figures) to use as female Storm Giants. I re-based them, and now I am re-painting them, to look the part. They came in animal-skin, two piece clothing, which fits the motif -- only their skin needs to be painted, and the base textured/decorated. They were the correct size needed, as well.

I've pressed into service other figures, which met the design requirements, and the size requirements, as well: 54 mm tall Cave Men, serve as Hill Giants; 60 mm tall Cherilea Vikings serve as Frost Giants.

I don't care who makes the figures, or what game they are intended for. If they meet the design needs, and the scale sizes required, they are perfect for my needs. Cheers!

I feel this may be a question aimed more at the fantasy/Sci-Fi player.

As a historical wargamer, I don't really understand. I want Vikings, I buy Vikings…

I guess the question for you would be: do you buy "Look out! Viking Raiders!"(tm) minis for the "Look out! Viking Raiders!"(tm) rules, or do you buy any olde vikings that look cool?

Well, the answer to that is easy. Any old Vikings I like the look of…