Patrick Carroll
Member
OK, it's been a long time since I've looked into miniatures. My last purchase was a regiment's worth of Hinchliffe 25mm figures, which I bought in 1976, partially painted, and then stored away.
What I'm interested in doing now will disgust many miniaturists, but here goes anyway:
I'm into DBA and the Humberside Extension & other variants (which enable DBA to cover all periods of history, as well as fantasy & sci-fi). And I want to create "generic" elements for this expanded game (e.g., Blades, Spears, Muskets, Cavalry, etc.). To do that, I'll need miniatures from every period--ancient thru modern.
I want a consistent look, though, so it'd be best to choose just one manufacturer and stick with it. So, first off, I'm looking for a manufacturer who makes a wide range of miniatures--virtually all periods.
What scale? Right now I'm thinking 15mm, because it's the biggest figure that will work well on a standard 2'x2' DBA table. (But that might be an awkward scale for WWII/Modern; GHQ Microarmor might look better than big tanks on a little table.)
Now for the "disgusting" part:
I'm not a painter, and I don't particularly like the look of painted miniatures. I'm making game pieces, and I have no intention of trying to make the figures look lifelike. I'll prime them and paint them in solid contrasting colors--and that's it. They'll end up looking like the unpainted figures that come in the game Battle Cry.
Since I'm not painting, I need figures that look good just as sculptures. I won't even consider 6mm figures, because even the best ones look like nondescript lumps of lead when unpainted. Same with most 10mm figures I've seen.
One last thing: I greatly prefer "serious"-looking figures. Some miniaturists (especially fantasy gamers) like a more cartoonish look--lots of detail and movement. I don't. I hate that. I just want the figures to be good representations of the soldier, uniform, and weapon of a given period. If the representation is a little "stiff," that's fine with me, as long as it's well proportioned.
Loose ends: Must be metal, not plastic (plastic is too light; I want a nice hefty feel to my game pieces). Should be reasonably priced (don't want to go overboard, since I'm not even painting up a real army). Good customer service is always a plus.
What I'm interested in doing now will disgust many miniaturists, but here goes anyway:
I'm into DBA and the Humberside Extension & other variants (which enable DBA to cover all periods of history, as well as fantasy & sci-fi). And I want to create "generic" elements for this expanded game (e.g., Blades, Spears, Muskets, Cavalry, etc.). To do that, I'll need miniatures from every period--ancient thru modern.
I want a consistent look, though, so it'd be best to choose just one manufacturer and stick with it. So, first off, I'm looking for a manufacturer who makes a wide range of miniatures--virtually all periods.
What scale? Right now I'm thinking 15mm, because it's the biggest figure that will work well on a standard 2'x2' DBA table. (But that might be an awkward scale for WWII/Modern; GHQ Microarmor might look better than big tanks on a little table.)
Now for the "disgusting" part:
I'm not a painter, and I don't particularly like the look of painted miniatures. I'm making game pieces, and I have no intention of trying to make the figures look lifelike. I'll prime them and paint them in solid contrasting colors--and that's it. They'll end up looking like the unpainted figures that come in the game Battle Cry.
Since I'm not painting, I need figures that look good just as sculptures. I won't even consider 6mm figures, because even the best ones look like nondescript lumps of lead when unpainted. Same with most 10mm figures I've seen.
One last thing: I greatly prefer "serious"-looking figures. Some miniaturists (especially fantasy gamers) like a more cartoonish look--lots of detail and movement. I don't. I hate that. I just want the figures to be good representations of the soldier, uniform, and weapon of a given period. If the representation is a little "stiff," that's fine with me, as long as it's well proportioned.
Loose ends: Must be metal, not plastic (plastic is too light; I want a nice hefty feel to my game pieces). Should be reasonably priced (don't want to go overboard, since I'm not even painting up a real army). Good customer service is always a plus.