Monday, February 04, 2013

Musket and Tomahawk: which range?



Conquest figure


I finished my first French and Indian war figure at the weekend as it had been sitting around on the workbench for far too long.  It is one of the Conquest (now also Warlord) figures and is a very nice figure indeed, anatomically.  It is very "Perry" in style, size and proportions.  I've done a very simple colour scheme to get him finished quickly: no beading and no war paint.  When I bought these figures (off someone at Guildford Wargames Club) there weren't really any other FIW figures around.  Well, maybe Redoubt but I refuse to buy figures from a manufacturer who won't put photos up on their website and, anyway, they have a reputation for being very large. 




Now however, we have Galloping Major, North Star and Crusader.  There have been some posts on The Miniatures Page asking about comparisons between the sizes of the figures.  Well, as usual, I take no notice of people who say "X range works fine with Y range" as mostly people talk rubbish.  One person said that Conquest work fine with Galloping Major.  No they don't!  Here is my completed Conquest Indian with a Galloping major figure.  The size difference is huge!  The conquest figures is 24mm foot to eye and the Galloping major one is 28mm.  That's not compatible in my book!




So now I'm stuck as to how to proceed.  The Conquest figures are easily the nicest looking but the range is restricted and there is no clue that there will ever be any more.  I need certain types to carry on.  French and British regulars (including Highlanders for the British), canoes, French and British irregulars/militia, Indians for both sides (preferably differentiated) and civilians (armed and unarmed.  I don't think one firm currently provides everything.  


North Star Highlanders


Conquest are strong on civilians and irregulars.  Their regulars are famously posed wrongly and there are no highlanders.  Galloping Major are strong on irregulars, Indians and militia but have no regulars.  Their figures are a bit less refined than Conquest's too.  Some are very nice but some are a little awkward.  The Crusader figures come somewhere between Conquest and Galloping major in style but Crusader figures are often quite small so I doubt if they would go with Galloping Major.  It's not ranges of Indians that we are short of, anyway.  North Star are strong on irregulars and Indians but have no regulars (yet).  However they have announced some beautiful looking Highlanders sculpted by Mike Owen.  The problem with North Star is that, on the whole, they are selling their FIW figures as packs of around thirty figures.  You can buy one or two smaller packs so I suppose I will just have to order one (which will take weeks) to see what they are like as I have no idea of their size.  I've also heard that their figures are very large, maybe even bigger than Galloping Major.

Oh well, more research is needed I think!

6 comments:

  1. The Redoubt are large, but you should make your way to their website where there are pictures a-plenty..... I had some but replaced them with Minfigs some time ago as the size difference was not supportable, they were however vastly nicer scults and chock full of character.... may be some samples to see how they fit??

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  2. If you are coming along on Saturday for the open Day at Guildford I can bring along some North Star for you o look at

    Mike

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  3. Great start on your F&IW project. I may still delve into this period - for skirmish. Many cool figures and scenarios. Best, Dean

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  4. I am in a similar pickle. I am trying to build 15mm colonial armies, but the "complete" ranges either want me to by bags of too many figures without adequate online pics and the incomplete ranges aren't all that compatible with the ranges that fill the gaps.

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