"Any News on Frontier Miniatures?" Topic

Anybody heard any word of the comeback of Frontier Miniatures?

Last I remember the current owner was talking about funding the line back into existence via a Kickstarter. Did this ever happen? Anybody have any idea as to what is going on?

Thanks,
Frank

No clue – I sent some pictures in to help out

There is a facebook page – but no activity recently – last post was August of 2020

You're not holding your breath, are you?

No but hopeful – would love to round out some of units

I think some wandering gypsy put a hex on that line, I was so wanting to get some figures but at this point I am going to unload all my 25s and switch to 28mm colonials.

I had been one of the long suffering Frontier return hopefuls. I started 25mm Zulu back in the '80s using Ral Partha, and the only compatible figs, that were any good, were Frontier.

Then Frontier went dark. Year after year, nothing.

Then, around 2013, 2 guys show up with big plastic tubs full of Frontier 25s at a Fredericksburg Historicon, with the hopeful news that the widow of the last owner was up to her eyeballs in old figs, looking to restart. They had FPWs and some other stuff, but no Zulu War figs.

I examined some of what they had and was stricken how dated they looked. 25/28s really have come a long way over the years.

Old lines do sometimes come back. Grenadier becomes Mirliton. Polly Oliver returns via Magister Militum. Sometimes they don't. Hanger 18 is still gone. The slim hope that TCS may emerge from its slumber took a hard turn last year when their long inert website finally died. Frontier may someday renew. But, after all these years, you may not like it as well as much anymore.

Plus not following through with announcements on their progress or putting out even a little product is going to make success much more difficult. Wargamers are not fans of over promise and under deliver.

Cynicism is in order here.

HMS Exeter you have a good point on the quality of the figures. Some just aren't as good as we remember others though have molds that are worn and need to be remastered, no small task.

I also think that a Kickstarter would help for both the manufacturer and the consumer. Pick a range, chat it up online, start casting a few. Even if the Kickstarter fails you would have a idea of how many people were willing to buy some figures and you could let them know you have some inventory.

Many of these lines were probably bought by someone looking for a side business but then other parts of life got in the way.

I miss Historical Products Company but admit that little more that I would buy isn't going to bring them back. TCS had some great stuff as well, not the quality of some companies but better than I could make myself and a good price.

I was thinking about these guys a few days ago. Unfortunately, it does appear to be nothing more than a flash in the pan. Personally, I doubt if the range has any marketability. You see guys who need 12 of these or 6 of those to complete units for their decades-old armies, but is anyone really going to start a new period and build armies with these figures? Unless you are an old-school figure fan, just about everything made today is better than these figures.

Exactly. I could use a unit of the Punjab Pioneers, or whatever they're called. That's about it that I need.
20 years ago, the go-to range for Colonial armies was "true 25mm". Who is left? You have to go through hoops to find Ral Partha, and when you find them, they're much more expensive than 28mm. It's an abandoned scale. All the others are long gone.

Anyone starting to build a Colonial army would automatically go to the very high quality, and most importantly AVAILABLE 28mm figures. Which are often far cheaper.
"True 25mm" is now nothing but a nostalgic curiosity.

Nonsense, Bashtubits! Miniature wargamers are GREAT fans of "overpromise and underdeliver." Watch how often we fall for the same empty promises. Follow the threads excited about yet another rule set no one has actually seen, let along played.

If we really objected to being led down the garden path again, dealers would have to start showing and delivering products to stir up interest.

LOL – Good point Robert..How true.

It was an exciting line back in the day – guess it is destined to stay back in the day – and I agree the guy could have communicated a bit more than he did.

I would say another one bites the dust – but that dust settled 20 years ago. Still got the memories :)

My colonials are still the same old "true 25mm" I started out with. Ral Partha, Frontier and a few whose names I forget.
As I said above, I would just be adding to what I already have.

For someone to start a new Colonial project, these would have to be VERY price competitive with the superior castings available now. I don't see how they could be, to be honest.
Your best hope now is to ask someone at a flea market what he has under the table.