James Fisher has a fascinating blog on Napoleonics. James asked me about Warrior Miniatures. Now I will say at this point Warrior Miniatures and I go back to the mid 1970’s, however my association has only ever been as a paying customer. So any effusive comments about them is simply reflecting my enthusiasm for their products.
So James wondered about plastics and the metals from Warrior Miniatures which I would add, shown here, are from their advertised 25mm range.
Now I have chosen to show the figures randomly arranged. Previously I have posted with some attempt to show exact height difference. Yet I think that ultimately it is the opinion that matters not the maths. So do they look ok?
First up the plastics – L to R Hat Russian Militia, Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 Artillery and then Strelets 1877 Russian Artillery. Note thin strelets bases probably make between 1-2 mm height difference. The austrians have been on short rations while the green russians look rather too well fed……….The blue strelets are slightly shorter and as they are furtherest from the camera this is enhanced. unless you game with all troops in one neat row view exactly side on then that comparison is false. So my slightly layered approach is more suited to judging if figures will “mix well”. L-R Hat Russian Militia; Strelets Russian 1877 Artillery then Strelets ACW Union in attack converted with Hat stove pipe hats and finally Hat Napoleonic Austrian Landwehr L-R strelets 1877 russians; converted strelets attacking union ACW infantry, Hat austrian landwehr and far right Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry, again thin strelets bases and they being shorter yet squatter mean they could be easily 2mm shorter. I think it will be fine.Warrior Napoleonic 25mm range L-R irregular spanish, then a sole British Napoleonic Light Infantryman BN10 I think and finally spanish line troops (these are the standard 4 poses you get with Warrior along with a firing pose. To me they are active and uncomplicated – great for gaming pieces – not so good if you are producing perfect rembrandtsWarrior Napoleonics SN8, SN6, SN9, SN5 irregular spanish infantryWarrior Napoleonics Spanish SN5; British Light Infantry BN10 – with shoulder pads!; Spanish Line Infantry SN1 and SN4Warrior 25mm Napoleonics – 4 of the 5 standard poses – firing pose not shownwarrior and waterloo 1815 figures interposedWarrior and Waterloo1815 figures interposedWarrior and converted Hat figures interposed (conversion from kepi to stove pipe has added almost 2mm to top of figure)Warrior and Hat Landwehr interposedWarrior and Strelets 1877 russians interposedWarrior and Russian Militia interposed
Just for fun here are some other figure comparisons – I think hinds and caliver books still run these “retro” minifig/hinchliffe lines. I have posted elsewhere the gross sculpture change Greenwood & Ball did between their Garrison Normans and Vikings. I think the bigger more detailed Vikings shown here sunk without trace – while the older G&B figures were rerun for a time into the 2000’s?
1970 era Hinchliffe persian, Greenwood and Ball Garrison Viking, Minifig ECW, Hinchliffe Assyrian and Minifig 7YW french musketeer – minifigs tended to be shorter and fatter1970’s metals interposed with strelets russians1970’s metals interposed with Austrain Landwehr Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with Russian Militia Hat figures1970’s metals interposed with strelets ACW conversions1970’s metals interposed with Waterloo1815 Austrian 1859 infantry
Here is another oddity – again a short life production from Minifigs
a persian horseman for the Cyrus the Great era who dwarfs a standard 1970’s minifig horse which was all that was offered then! The figures were completely oversizing the existing ranges when they came out. again I think they sank without traceI quite liked the figure at the time – but they never got beyond my by then favoured black undercoat and some block paintingmagnificant helmet comb……….with skirts – they deserve painting one day……….
Now I have dug out a later 25mm 1700 grenadier – I think its a foundry chap with practically no base.
base starts at 10cmeyes at 28mm and grenadier cap tops out at 34mmso how does he match up?Warrior examples with two 25/28mm figures – the chap on the left is more 25mm but still above 25mm foot to eye.Bulk is one issue – warrior are campaign figures so half starved whereas most 28mm figures are obviously garrison based and well fed warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs 7YW musketeer and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe assyrian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside hinchliffe persian and 25/28mm grenadierwarrior napoleonics alongside Greenwood and Ball Garrison viking and 25/28mm grenadier. I actually think the vikings cut the mustard in the 25/28mm sector but 45 years too early!warrior napoleonics alongside minifigs ECW and 25/28mm grenadier
Now some finished and based figures to compare against
Warrior Napoleonics and minifig austrian 7YW very very fat figures – the frei corps figure I hated even painted as it turns out and still don’t like even today. Yet they have done good service on the gaming table.Warrior Napoleonics and Hinchliffe Bavarians who match well for campaign slightness while height is fine in my viewWarrior Napoleonics and Zvezda 1/72 Great Northern War Russian Infantry in some inexplicable uniform from the mythical world of Fauxterre of course. With thinner bases the Zvezda figures are physique wise taller. Zvezda have produced some significant variations in their historical ranges which puts certain figures in the 25/28mm categoryALL Warrior Napoleonics and their french counterparts with painting 45 years apart! clearly there is a very stiff breeze blowing……Warrior Napoleonics and Tradition 25mm Russian Guard. Slender style matches and as guardsmen they are just a bit taller to eye level.Warrior Napoleonics and early minifig french napoleonic line infantry
To sum up, when it comes to height, I have become ever more tolerant and actually it is anatomy which jarrs my view. This is why I struggle with Perry figures – they are just so perfect. Which shows you just can’t please some people.
Some beautiful plastic 28mm Perrys from my stalled Wars of the Roses project with a metal tumbling dice norman (1/72) thrown in
Finally a book which started my wargaming in earnest and is a celebration of fantasy gaming – I kid you not!
This books celebrates fantasy gaming
I leave you with this image from that book – published in 1967 – when it really probably was bad form not to have the correct facings or turnback colours etc. Lawford and Young said “play fantasy” and in the game photos they showed that scale was not a big issue. These look like 30mm figures rubbing shoulders with 45mm figures?????
The lancers smallness is offset by their horse size while the bearskin wearer looks almost 20th century parade dress with a decididly 18th century chap next to him…. who cares….the game was a cracker.
Above all if it looks right to you then it is fine – play* away.
*tournament players will not be so lucky methinks.
The Wargaming Erratic 