28mm Figures for Medieval/Ren Africa

[Michael Orlando]

I’m trying..and failing..to find figures to recreate the armies of Songhai, Kanem-Bornu, the Mossi etc…. Appreciate if anyone can point me in the right direction, I can’t even find something as basic as Tuaregs.

[Mike]

These?

[Michael Orlando]

Thanks, its a start but I’m looking for more medieval Sahel figures. But right now anything in the right direction is great.

[paintpig]

Any illustrations to clue us (me) in, I’ll admit to not having the faintest idea of what to keep an eye out for. I am assuming some conversion work may be on the cards?

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[Michael Orlando]

PP,  I’m trying to avoid doing large scale conversions (I just got done modifying  a metric f@ckton of various Aventine cataphracts as Yar Lung Tibetans and my eyes are bleeding) right now. Sometimed I just want solid, accomplished figures right out of the box.

[Steve Johnson]

The only stuff that springs to mind are some of the Foundry Miniatures Darkest Africa ranges. Having met the Emir of Kano and seen his personal body guard up close, I doubt their dress has changed that much over the years. None of the Foundry stuff is perfect, but would be close to  the Tuareg and Buzu tribes as I think you will be able to get.

[Michael Orlando]

Steve, thanks for the Emir of Kano pointer….I’m going to have to mod a mix of Foundry and Gripping Beast Africans and Moors but it’s a good start. I’m not sure why this area is so underserved by manufacturers when it’s so wildly colorful: how many more EIR legionaires or Macedonian phalangites do we need?

 

Lagartija Mike

[Angel Barracks]

Michael Orlando wrote:

I’m not sure why this area is so underserved by manufacturers when it’s so wildly colorful: how many more EIR legionaires or Macedonian phalangites do we need?

Cash cash cash.
Not sure how much a 25mm figure costs to get sculpted, £100.00 maybe?
10 of those and with mould costs and so on and you are well over a £1000.00.
Say you make 50p on each figure, that is over 2000 figures just to break even.
That may well be too much of an ask for less popular periods.
Napoleonics’ is a massively popular period and as such you can bet on selling more units.

I had/have this problem with my 6mm sci-fi.
Mould costs are the same, sculpting costs are proportional.
Making 6mm sci-fi civilians and wildlife took about 2 years to break even.

Cash talks, unless you are not in the business for the money.

😀

[Michael Orlando]

For the last few years I’ve been booting around the idea of putting out a few ranges of my own. I’m a pretty fair sculptor but know less than zed about casting and moulds. Offbeat stuff.  I’ve yet to see, for instance, a truly impressive Mayan range, or authentic looking Uighurs or Blemmyes. Money’s always an issue, of course, but I’d be ok with.(eventually) breaking even.

[Mike]

If you want to drop me an e-mail about how to get your idea done for almost zero outlay please do.
This is assuming you can sculpt them yourself.

[Michael Orlando]

Will do. Sculpting isn’t the problem but casting is, at least as far as minatures go. I’m a metal worker/mechanic (and lapsed academic) by trade; summer’s my busy season but I”m hoping to get the miniatures thing rolling by late september or october. Where can I send the note?

 

Lagartija Mike

[Mike]

The e-mail on the contact us page is fine, or the very bottom of this page.

😀

[skipper torok]

Want  to know how to make a small fortune by sculpting, casting and selling wargame figures?

 

Start out with a large fortune.

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