A manufacturer in Georgia of all places. Mostly fantasy figures and those primarily in 15mm/18mm. There is also a range of 15mm figures from the Dark Ages and a couple of fantasy rule sets.
the figures are easy to paint with detail at a reasonable level and well set off. If you are looking for the elusive army of squirrels or ducks, they have it.
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.
A lost labor of love from a couple who had apparently written novels about the fantasy world. Mike Gilbert also illustrated many of FGU’s earlier titles. The rules appear to strive for a simple medieval world combat system albeit with firearms and magic. There are also simple rules for ship battles.
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.
 |
 |
Warhammer first edition seems a surprisingly common item. It contains 3 rulebooks as seemed mandated by D&D and has options for both role-playing and wargaming. Compared to what was to come, the look is surprisingly drab.
Next to it is the very colorful 3rd edition which seems to have gotten things together pretty well, with full coverage of the wargaming rules.
 |
 |
Here is the 6th edition. Games Workshop discovered the benefits of planned obsolescence and rulebooks will soon go out of date so there are always more to come. There is a shift here to a handy paperback format and next to it is a very nice short rulebook which removes a lot of the fluff in the big book. These are usually included in large introductory game packs.
 |
 |
By now, every type of army has its own special book. That was one of the beauties of Warhammer, the complexity was in the chrome rather than the underlying core ruleset. At this stage, though, even the chrome was limited especially with what appears to be the first book of army lists, Ravening Hordes which was soon followed by a more plush book Warhammer Armies.
Army lists allow a player to determine a suitable makeup for an army providing troop types, statistics and point values. With Warhammer, this usually means some figures will be mandated, others optional with point values determining just how many options are available. Point values also are meant to insure army equity so that 2 players can feel reasonably certain that if the points values are equal, the armies will be. Additionally, increasing total points will usually increase the complexity and length of a game.
Likely an abortive attempt to sell the Warhammer fortress, there is a big book of siege rules that cover both Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. There is no compelling need to use the rules with the fortress. A 2-dimensional layout should do just as well.