"Grenadier / Mirliton questions" Topic

So, I understand that the old Grenadier line was picked up by Mirliton, It.

I was at their website, and I saw that there's a "GRENADIER CLASSIC 25mm" section. They appear to be smaller 25mm figures. The rest are held to be 28mm.

1) Is pretty much all the figures at Mirliton the former Grenadier range from Springfield, PA, USA?

2) Are the Classic 25mm just earlier Grenadier models? Or are they a separate Grenadier line? Are they small enough to be comparable with Ral Partha 25mm figs?

3) I could swear that a bunch of the human figures are medieval figs that I have and use for Wars of the Roses. Are these also Grenadier figs, and did they do an historical line as well? I measured mine, and altho they are a bit bulky and solid looking, they are not tall, and I'd say they match with old Games Workshop figs.

4) Speaking of old GW figs, it seems like a lot of the Grenadier line were made to match old GW 4-5th ed figs, both in style, size, theme, etc. Was Grenadier trying to be an alternative GW line but in the USA? Some of the figs are so similar to GW sculpts, that I almost think they are old GW sculpts…

So, bit of wargaming figure history, bit of present day business, etc with this post!

I live near Springfield, PA, and no doubt have met and gamed with people who knew the original Grenadier guys, over the years.

I've bought two packages of the Mirliton figures from Badger Games in the USA, a package of Barbarian archers and a package of Amazon archers. Both lines were sold by Grenadier back in the later 1980s or early 1990s. The barbarians fit nicely with my 28 mm Vikings; the Amazons are smaller and might work with old Ral Partha. Barbarians back then were larger figures, anyway (like Robert E. Howard's Conan). So, for the size issue, it looks to be variable, and you would need to inquire about specific lines.

Grelber

3) I could swear that a bunch of the human figures are medieval figs that I have and use for Wars of the Roses. Are these also Grenadier figs, and did they do an historical line as well? I measured mine, and altho they are a bit bulky and solid looking, they are not tall, and I'd say they match with old Games Workshop figs.

In the early 1990's, Mark Copplestone (former GW/Citadel sculptor) did his own fantasy figure series for Grenadier (known as 1400-series from product codes, but officially labelled as Fantasy Warriors).

This series contains a number of human figures that are very much based on late 15th century European examples, and most of them would work for historical figures for that period, though there are a few that are clearly on the fantastical side.