The most popular scale of these two is 28mm. Initially, 25mm dominated, but with wide use in RPGs, the slightly larger figures developed a following. This is particularly true with Games Workshop which has effectively straddled the line between RPGs and wargames. Compared to Ral Partha 25mm figures, Citadel figures looked like monsters. This also holds true for the Wargames Foundry range. Sadly, some of the earliest makers of 28mm like Archive Miniatures are no longer available but the scale they pioneered is dominant among new products.
The slightly shorter 25mm figures are still produced but when combined with 28mm, tend to look rather slight and unassuming, hardly what one would want in a miniature army. Some of the difference appears to be due to the bulkier size of the figure’s body. The larger 28mm figures tend to have larger limbs and torso. Like the Renaissance knights below, they look like tanks.
Large flamboyant figures in 28mm by Foundry, a group of Renaissance-era knights. The online Foundry site shows the armor brightly painted and I have not hesitated to follow suit.
People seem unduly impressed by the candy-stripe lances though the technique is pretty simple. Paint the pike the base color then cut a thin strip of masking tape and wrap it around the lance from base to point. Paint a nice contrasting color, let it dry, and remove the tape. Masking with tape is not too difficult and rather helpful with more intricate patterns on figures this large.
One helpful thing to keep in mind is that horse armor in the period was crafted in both leather and metal. These could be distinguished by the cords used to lace leather armor together, cords absent on metal armor. While metal armor was usually some metallic shade, leather armor was frequently painted in flamboyant colors. It is helpful to be able to spot the difference when painting horse armor from this era.
In its time, Hinchliffe produced some of the best historical ranges of figures available. Here are 2 rows of cavalry figures, medium cavalry in back, dragoons in the front. With cavalry, Hinchliffe offered a choice of horses, heavy or light, standing or running. Facial detail is limited but proportions are reasonable. By current standards, a bit toy like but still impressive.
These were painted around the time that acrylic paints began to replace enamels and oils. One of the most noticeable differences is the brilliance of the acrylics. The figures are now over 30 years old with decaying matt board bases and chips and bends but the brilliance of the original paint still shows through.
I have gone for economy and speed in assembling a force of larger scale ACW Confederate figures opting for hard plastic. The price is low especially if you can find someone discarding sets. Painting is as fast as I can make it si is somewhat rough.
A bunch of Perry miniatures from their Civil War infantry set painted as CSA infantry. These miniatures are hard plastic without the nice undercuts of metal miniatures but lighter and cheaper. Assembly is needed, attaching hats and occasionally arms. The figures are lighter and cheaper than metal and a few boxes provide a reasonable number of figures. I have yet to attach flags.A closer view of some of the Perry figures including a piece from the Civil War artillery set. The barrel of the gun is not attached and can be exchanged for other barrels provided.Continue reading →
A mix of figures from Old Glory and Foundry all appearing to be 28mm. Old Glory sculptors seem to revel in off-balance poses and dramatic expressions while the Foundry figures seem more nicely detailed and better proportioned. Except for a handful of Zouaves in the back row, all the figures are painted with acrylics on a black primed surface. The Zouaves in the back row are part of a large set of figures I bought, some of which were already painted. I did not have the heart to repaint the figures and though they are different from my style, I think they fit it well enough. They appear to be primed gray and painted with enamels.
Some Union infantry figures hidden away in a small box purchased at a time when i was looking at different manufacturers’ products. The Scruby figures were simple and solid. These days they are surprisingly hard to find.
The Call of Cthulhu RPG has had a long life and so has spawned a variety of suitable miniatures. The two licensed ranges were from Grenadier and RAFM. The RAFM figures are still available as of this entry.
The figures are 25mm with similar figures listed simply as ‘pulp’ figures ranging up to 28mm. Pulp refers to the pre-tv action/adventure/ horror tales published in cheap magazines made of the cheapest type of paper using pulp wood. The initial stories of the Cthulhu Mythos were published in Weird Tales.
The figures lend themselves well to a variety of RPGs and there are a range of rules to choose from. Needless to say, certain figures resembling Indiana Jones, Amelia Earhart, and Sam Spade appear as a recurrent theme. Monsters from a variety of ranges make suitable antagonists.
Several imported monsters of unknown manufacture listed as Cthulhu Wars. Nyarlathotep is the large blue figure in the back with Shub-Niggureth a bit to the left and the King in Yellow in the foreground.A Hong Kong Cthulhu War cultist alongside a Grenadier Call of Cthulhu investigator standing on a RAFM base. The scale seems close enough.A night gaunt from Hong Kong Cthulhu Wars and another from RAFM. Scale seems about the same.Plenty of other figures mesh with The Call of Cthulhu, here, Ral Partha ghosts.Continue reading →
Archive Miniatures short but productive run produced a range of interesting figures starting off with an historical range but gradually ebbing into fantasy and science fiction RPG figures. Their Middle Earth range offered an entertaining take on the forces of evil.
The figures are immediately recognizable as Archive products through their octagonal base but also through the humor and detail in the figures. The lower orcan army as they are listed in Archive catalogs have an undersized torso with large Mickey Mouse shoes and big dinosaur like heads. They will likely inspire the most jaded figure painter with their combination of whimsy and menace.
This also demonstrates one of the hazards of collecting miniatures as the figures were available for a relatively short time as Archive Miniatures became only sporadically available after this offering. Happily, I have more of these on hand not yet painted but of course it would be nice if the molds were still producing. These offer a nice alternative to the more somber offerings of other companies.
Here are some old figures from the Rogue Trader era. The Space Orcs had a curious Nazi biker quality to them. Citadel’s earlier use of metal figures as opposed to plastic seemed to allow a scope to added personality that seems lost now. The newer plastic figures draw variety from interchangeable heads and arms.
Perhaps even more interesting are the Squats. There used to be a nice range of these figures, cleverly sculpted with lots of personality. However, Games Workshop decided to shelve the Squats apparently because they did not mesh with the 40K world and possibly because they gave the game the appearance of a light work-over of the original Warhammer universe now simply dressed up in spacesuits.
