"Franznap 20mm Napoleonics" Topic

No post appears but I would like to give a shout-out for Franznap 20mm Napoleonics. Their figures are amongst the best proportioned and detailed minis in any scale I have seen. They are reasonably priced IMHO for what you get and still stay within many wargamers of the period's price range. Massimo Costa is another master craftsman/sculptor in this scale, also from Europe.

It will be interesting to see if anyone from the west side of the Great Pond admits to having any from either or both manufacturers. I have examples from both and they are awesome and can be used interchangeably in the same units.

They look superb but are they designed more for collectors and diorama makers, rather than wargaming? Those bayonets look awfully brittle.

Not my scale but they do look great : link

I've ordered a command set for the Austrians.

Indeed, Duc de Brouilly is right in that they are primarily for diorama use. Dioramica II featured literally thousands of 20mm figures all in diorama settings. I will be using mine to supplement my Zevzda and Revell and Italeri armies. Despite nobody near me game naps in that scale that "I" have located, the detail is too good not to be used in my armies.

I wish there was a faction here in the USA that made 20mm dioramas for show.

I'm in the USA, and while I have yet to get any, Franznap are definitely on my horizon. I don't know for which brand(s) Massimo Costa sculpts, or where I might turn to buy those figures.

The polyethylene medium in which most 1/72 figures are produced lends itself to more realistic proportions, which may be a factor in metal figures also bucking the popular trend to greater exaggeration.

The smaller ("18mm" size) models from AB miniatures, sculpted by Anthony Barton, also impress me, and — along with similar lines for other periods — are available from Eureka Miniatures USA with pricing per figure. The ability to order exactly how many one wants of a given type (albeit not of a specific variation on the sculpt) is attractive to me, compared with buying lots composed by the vendor!

The 1/72 plastics field has some notable weaknesses so far. Carelessness in accuracy seems unfortunately common. Boxes often include pose choices, or have ratios of types, that are more awkward for gamers than for dioramists.

Metal lines might be more attractive with more attention to filling gaps that otherwise call for conversion work on plastics, rather than duplication of already covered subjects. However, the real war between Russia and Ukraine is impacting availability of prior releases in plastic (and some of those anyhow left much to be desired).

I have an abiding affection for the scale, and would be pleased to help people doing good work in it get more business!

Hi, Phillip. Massimo Costa is the designer/owner of 42nd Black Watch Miniatures.

He has many periods available- many obscure in 20mm plastics as well as more popular periods. Worth a look at his offerings which should be his web site here: link

Hope you enjoy the tour he has posted.

I have just received an order from Franznap and agree they are lovely figures. There are some separate arms which are a bit fiddly to glue on, but overall I am very impressed with the clean castings. They also do a useful range of horses and various saddles/cloths, which I have used to complete a unit of Hinton Hunt Light Dragoons.

I have also recently bought some figures from Art Miniaturen, and can recommend them as well. No problem dealing with either company although I am in the UK.

Just recivied the Franznap 20mm Ausrtian command pack, beautiful and alillte delicate, in the mail as I'am trying to type this.