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"25mm Napoleonic Minifigs - compatible ranges?" Topic


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3,415 hits since 15 Aug 2020
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Comments or corrections?

Shardik16 Aug 2020 2:29 a.m. PST

I'm still building my French and Russian Minifigs armies that I began in my last year of school 40 years ago. Over the years I've tried to add figures of other manufacturers (eg Essex and Lancashire), but they're just too big.
Is there any other brand, available now, that is size compatible with 25mm Minifigs?

JMcCarroll16 Aug 2020 3:50 a.m. PST

Old Glory?

BillyNM16 Aug 2020 4:18 a.m. PST

I would think Old Glory are pretty big – I seem to recall Minifigs were at the smaller end of the range for 25mm figures and sort of confirmed at:

picture

Have you tried Warrior Miniatures? See for c.f. with S range Minifig:
link

Another comparison photo at:
link

Or Mirliton? They have a good range and old style look, although closer to Hinchliffe than Minifigs.

Even Irregular look a reasonable size match but figure quality varies a lot across the ranges – so be careful.

Florida Tory16 Aug 2020 4:30 a.m. PST

Hinchcliffe and Old Glory 2nd edition are probably the closest in size. Old Glory are noticeably bigger than the 2nd edition. The trade-off is that their poses are much more animated than Minifigs. (I am assuming you are using the newer Minifies casting from your date reference.)

I have thousands of Minifies, including the smaller earlier ones. I have learned to mix them happily (on a unit basis) with the modern figures, but it has caused a commensurate creep in my base sizes.

Rick

John Armatys16 Aug 2020 5:45 a.m. PST

You can still buy Minifigs…
link

Having said this my British Marlburian army started with Minifigs, I then added Strategem and Wargames Foundry figures (plus a few Dixons), they might not match but it is an army I am particularly pleased with (started 1978, finished 2019).

IronDuke596 Supporting Member of TMP16 Aug 2020 8:43 a.m. PST

@Shardik, I have a MS Word list of mostly Napoleonic 25mm Minifigs, and lessor amounts of Warrior, Lamming and Ross figures that I collected for over forty years but I will never get around to painting. They are for sale at a reasonable price.

Let me know here if your interested.

Shardik16 Aug 2020 2:13 p.m. PST

I've seen OG from other periods (crusades and ECW) and they would be too big. I've got a few Warrior, and while compatible size wise they tend to look a bit emaciated..

IronDuke, I'm in Australia so postage tends to be prohibitive!

I'll stick with Minifigs after all. I was just curious to see if there were any alternatives to fill in the gaps in the Minifigs range.

Shardik16 Aug 2020 2:13 p.m. PST

And thanks for the advice guys!

Jeffsueu16 Aug 2020 5:45 p.m. PST

IronDuke596

What do you have for Minifig Austrians (modern)?

Jeff

IronDuke596 Supporting Member of TMP16 Aug 2020 6:24 p.m. PST

@Jeffsueu; I am confused by your designation (modern) as they are Napoleonic. Nonetheless this is what I have in Napoleonic Austrians. Prices are in CAN $ plus postage.

Lot A-1 Infantry $ 17.00
2x AN 4 Grenadier Officer bearskin
1x AN 20 Grenadier drummer bearskin
2x AN 4 Grenadier Standard bearskin
2x AN 26 Line Hungarian Drummer– shako w oak sprig
2 x AN 27 Line Hungarian Standard – shako w oak sprig
2 x AN 19 Line Fusilier drummer crested helmet
1 x AN 21 Tyrolean Jaeger Bugler w slouch hat w oak sprig
2 x AN 25 Field Officer bicorn
1 x ANCX 1 General plumed bicorn w horse #6
2 x ANCX 2 General plumed bicorn carrying telescope (no horse)

Lot A-2 Artillery $10.00 USD
1 x AN 23 Foot Artillery officer bicorn
2 x AN 24 gunner pushing w plumed bicorn
2 x AN 13 gunner firing gun w plumed bicorn
2 x AN 12 gunner trail spike w plumed bicorn
2 x AN 11gunner rammer w plumed bicorn
1 x AN Set 15, 4 x gunners riding wurst gun w plumed bicorn
2 x ANC 17 artillery drivers (no horses)

Lot A-3 Cavalry no horses $15.00 USD
5 x ANC 4 Hussar Trooper w plumed shako
2x ANC 8 Hussar Officer raising plumed shako
2x ANC 12 Hussar Bugler w plumed shako
2 x ANC 16 Hussar Standard w plumed shako
2 x ANC 7 Uhlan Officer w plumed czapscka
2 x ANC 11 Uhlan bugler w plumed czapscka

BOOFER17 Aug 2020 1:01 a.m. PST

Minifigs cavalry is very small and difficult to match.
Pretty much all manufacturers are bigger.

Infantry is again small but my group uses in different units the following, which all slightly larger,
Foundry – French Russian Bavarian
Old Glory and OG 2nd edition
Sash and Sabre
Connoisseur, and
Hinchliffe.

Artillery again hard to match.

BOOFER17 Aug 2020 1:12 a.m. PST

Now I have no idea what is going on.

Anyway Firing Line are only slightly larger but have a very limited range.

Personal logo Bobgnar Supporting Member of TMP17 Aug 2020 4:06 p.m. PST

I have about 10,000 painted Napoleonics from the 1970-1990s. 90% are MiniFigs. Some Hinchliffe but I see them as a bit too big. Biggest percentage of others are Warrior and Scruby. Some Kriegspielers and Hinton Hunt but generally too small. Nice to see Ross Figures mentioned. I have only 5-6 but liked them. Grenadier figures seem to fit well enough also. These figures are based for Column Line and Square with big battalions so price was important. Back then Warrior were about the least expensive so I have a few Austrian 60-figurre battalions. Nothing made since 1995 seems to fit.

SHaT198401 Sep 2020 3:48 p.m. PST

I was not going to comment, but really, what kind of binoculars are you guys using?

Shardik- I'm like you, but happy to stick with Minifigs because I've modelled some unique figures along with lots of customised ones, and of course 'out of the box' just nicely.

What I decided when it came to creating my 'opponent' army- the Austrians from Austerlitz, was to get Wargames Foundry. Still painting them to this day.

As to the other comments- Minifigs 25mm are not small- the 1980 catalogued range are true 25mm and constant. I don't know why they are described otherwise.

- yes there were apparently some 'smaller' types from a different master in I think the '70s; those must be extremely rare by now and I've never seen them for sale.

- Hinchliffe, a broadly mixed range and certainly, some of them ARE noticeably smaller even than Minifigs- I have a CaC command that is really tiny, more like 20mm. They need to sit in the background to get any credibility.

- Hinchliffe, Newer redesigns, by this I mean the ?90's remodelling, are way bigger- 28mm at least and not at all compatible in units of Minifigs. The 'Allies' just fit in with 28mm WF. The Foremost range is 30mm plus so don't even go there.

- I am however resurrecting a box of 'donated' figures (see my other posts) and using some of these 'compatible figures' to use as Russians to go with the WF Austrians, again merely a token force, not an army.

- From the samples I have, I'd say Dixon are the closest both in size and poses/ style, but they're a limited range IIRC.

Minifigs has been supplying me newer figures over last two years, some moulds are getting badly damaged and producing really poor castings and I've raised an issue with them about these without result.

The work I have to put in to 'clean' models (of all brands) of excess metal isn't at all comforting, but I do enjoy producing the outcomes I want from them, eventually. I know if I don't do the prelim work, I will not be satisfied with the painted result.

My fervour in last few months ended up breaking the legs (off bases) of two virtually finished models, so I've created my own misery- both have been resurrected with metallic putty mix and grinding back to proportions. One will only be good for a downed dying/ injured horse vignette.

Trust this also helps, regards
davew cup

Beagle06 Sep 2020 6:21 p.m. PST

I believe Hinton Hunt were actually 1/72 = about 22mm.

spontoon18 Sep 2020 2:33 p.m. PST

RAFM

Trockledockle05 Jan 2023 1:03 p.m. PST

Shardik,

These are a pretty good fit but only infantry. I should warn you that the sizes do vary within the ranges.

link

Personal logo 4th Cuirassier Supporting Member of TMP06 Jan 2023 1:53 a.m. PST

Zombie thread

FWIW the Prince August homecasts were very Minifigs-compatible back in the day.

Marc the plastics fan10 May 2023 1:25 p.m. PST

I've never heard of Mick Yarrow figures before. Where are these from – does anyone know?

Dave Holden21 Jun 2023 2:49 a.m. PST

The MY Figures Napoleonic range was originally The Revo range sold by Whittelsey Miniatures back in the late '80s. They are nicely detailed and sit well between Minifigs S Range and current sculpts in size.

The website is old fashioned but Mick is very helpful if you email him.

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