"Irregular Miniatures - Italians" Topic

Finally I had the chance to paint some of the WW2 miniatures from Irregular Miniatures. I knew what I was getting into, but really, I was very dissapointed of the quality of many of the miniatures. I like the designs of some of them, and that I can find miniatures that are rare, like Sahariana for the Italians, but in terms of money and quality I would choose Scotia Grendel and then H&R. Does anybody use these miniatures? What are your experiences with them?

M13/40

Semovente 13/40 L90 SPG

other minis painted:
link

I quite like the figures – a lot of "impression" packed into a small space, and quite robust – but I am afraid I have always thought the vehicles looked terrible.

I agree with colkitto. The figures are imaginative and varied. Usually each group (code number) has between 2 and 6 different stands. I am presently painting some modern 3rd worlders and for the base units I must have at least 4 different bases. Sometimes the figures vary in design, equipment or position and combined with variations of scenery of the bases themselves I have a lot of variety.

Then it comes down to paintability and "life". I have not been disappointed. Sure H&R and especially GHQ look better but not at the 2 feet away where we play most games.

To me the only downside, and it is minor, is the figures are already based in groups from 3 to 5 for infantry and usually 2 for cavalry and some civilians. If you are trying to match specific units at 1:1 you could still cut the bases between figures.

But yes the vehicles, mostly, leave a lot to be desired IF someone else makes them. I do have some Spanish Civil War trucks carrying troops and home brewed armoured trucks. Not GHQ but lively and imaginative and just fine on the table.

Actually now that you remind me of the 2ft rule, even Valerian's photos look OK at a distance. "Lively and imaginative and just fine in the table" is bang on; perhaps it is the time of year, but I find myself in charitable mood. It doesn't do to be too precious about one's toys.

My experience with Irregular Vehicles is good. They've very sturdy, and the variety of each code means I get the real-life phenomenon of identical vehicles in slightly different modes--recognition flags on the rear, commanders in the turret, stray comfort items strapped to the outside--or not.

GHQ are certainly more finely cast and the guns more to scale, but I don't get that variety, and my enthusiasm for replacing broken guns with brass rod is limited.

I've bought from both, and others. but Irregular vehicles are usually my first choice. I'll confess I'm not equally thrilled by Irregular's skirmish infantry in microscale, which tends to be a little weak at the ankles.

If anyone makes a perfect range of microscale figures and vehicles equally to the taste of all miniature wargamers, please post here, and PM me just to be safe.

I have a small army's worth of their Ottomans. Casting quality is something like "blobs of metal."

@colkitto – the same here and I like the word "impression", it quite defines this range of miniatures. No matter the distance, I like my miniatures to be scale miniatures and not caricatures as some look to me, from this manufacturer (though I respect the work and time invested by Irregular Miniatures to gold so many ranges of miniatures).

@stephen m – I have also this problem with infantry miniatures. I base my soldiers on 1:1. So I need to figure how can I cut the figures out of the base, because the base looks quite sturdy, but not the miniatures on it. I tend to collect Scotia Grendel and H&R, and a few of GHQ and Butler's Printed Models (these last two manufacturers have not so good prices).

@robert piepenbrink – I did not know that for each code of miniatures there is a variety of ways to represent it. This may be interesting and result, as you've said, in a good & accurate battlefield. I also have a problem with those feebles guns, I tend not to touch them to many times and stick to whatever result I end up with, than with nothing at all (thought you will easily find your critics because you post photos with something like snakes instead of guns ). As for the challenge of finding a microscale figures and vehicles for all miniature wargamers, of course this is not achievable, but maybe more will point to the H&R.

@doubleones – ‌

"@stephen m – I have also this problem with infantry miniatures. I base my soldiers on 1:1. So I need to figure how can I cut the figures out of the base, because the base looks quite sturdy, but not the miniatures on it. I tend to collect Scotia Grendel and H&R, and a few of GHQ and Butler's Printed Models (these last two manufacturers have not so good prices)."

Yes, quality of figures is quite variable and the lack of pictures and even those that are there are usually very small is an issue. Myself I have taken to order one of a few things just to see how they are.

As for slicing the bases I would recommend slicing the base as opposed to the figure off the base. Less risk. Myself I am using these with rules which are more flexible wrt basing unit sizes.

I have very mixed results with scotia. Many figures are just standing at attention, not action at all. Others seem more lively. Again as above you could order a minimum quantity of each to decide. I also admit the poorer figures could be very old as I bought quite a few decades ago and hardly any recently. Does anyone have opinions on recent releases? My wooden indians were WWII French, modern South Africans and sci fi.

I have some SCW Italians I can post pictures of. If I remember correctly you can't post them here so I will have to work that out then post a link here.

Thanks for the advice to slice the base. I will try it. It will be some work to do, because the base is actually a little hill, quite sturdy, but definetely is less risky this way.
Yes, from what I know you need to post first somewhere and then check TMP's FAQ.
Until you place you photos, I will include some links here with Scotia Grendel infantry:
Polish Infantry link
Japan Infantry with Command link
It looks a little bit bigger than 6mm, maybe 7-8mm, but if these miniatures are mixed with other 6mm soldiers it will turn the 6mm infantry into slightly more of a realistic army.

Here is a link to the Irregular 6mm SCW Italians. Last 2 posts.

link

Yes, many of the bases are quite substantial. If you are so inclined you could separate the figures as above then thin the bases somehow. I was going to suggest a belt sander but that would make it easy to have the figure zoom out of your hand and into the ether.

Myself I am just going to use the bases as provided. Whether use a single base to represent a multi trooper unit or match the number of figures over a quantity of bases to match the number of troopers for the unit.

Thank you for the links. I will look over the Polish troopers closely. They look more "lively" than some of my past purchases and seem to match my recent buys for life.

Thnak you, stephen m!
I will take some risks to see exactly. The weight of the base is a little bit too much for just three soldiers, I think it is well more than an abrams or leopard 2.
This reminds me of another attempt, left until now without success, of trying to cut individual soldiers from PICO/Oddzial Osmy 1/600 British infantry bases

To me the bases make them useable as is for game purposes. You could attach a few of them to a larger base as I described above. Thinking on handling 6mm infantry for the past few years I am inclined to have a "stick" of some sort vertically from the bases to pick them up by and thereby reduce handling and damage to the figures themselves. I am thinking 3/4" to 1" long common nails painted to identify the unit and the tips in easy to see colours to avoid stabbing yourself when picking them up.

Just by accident, I was working on some Irregular 6mm Valentines and Rolls-Royce AC's today. One of the Valentine molds was clearly near the end of its service life, but each Irregular vehicle code had three variants, which gets me somewhere nearer AFVs as I remember them.

This is an interesting point, a code for a miniature with different variants. I think Irregular Miniatures is the only manufacturer who does this. I am curious, do you or someone else have images as an example for a code?