If You Were Starting a Range of Figures…

[Darryl Smith]

…and money was no object, what would you have created?

For myself, I love the obscure and the choices would be many, but I would start with a proper range of the Legion of the United States in 15/18mm. Blue Moon make them, but they are not 100% accurate nor is the range complete. Infantry, dragoons, properly attired artillery crew, King’s Howitzers, and tons of Indians with small arms…even the British 24th Foot for Fort Miamis.

http://foragecaps.blogspot.com/2016/02/a-summary-of-all-things-legion-part-one.html

But, I also would do a complete range of the Corps of Discovery (Lewis and Clark), in 15/18mm. Two figures for every member (nattily attired in uniform and then later when they were not so much in uniform).

One last range, First Bull Run. Specific figures for each unit with a painting guide for each. This is just some of the uniforms seen there:

Buckeye Six Actual
https://ambushedinthealley.blogspot.com/
http://foragecaps.blogspot.com/
http://germancolonialgaming.blogspot.com/

[ian pillay]

For me, I would create a range of true 20mm sized, science fiction and fantasy armies. the traditional Tolkien fir fantasy,  men, orcs, dwarves, elves. The sci-fi would be loosely based around action force type good guys and red skull bad guys….

Tally-Ho! Check out my blog at…..
http://steelcitywargaming.wordpress.com/

[General Slade]

I’m an obsessive collector of Minifigs 2nd gen 15mm figures so I would want to create a range that was stylistically identical to them but filled in the gaps in the various ranges. I’d start out with Napoleonic British infantry sergeants with half-pikes, Lithuanian Tartars and sword-armed guys for the second rank of all the lancer regiments.   Then I’d probably move on to expanding the AWI range.

It is the kind of thing I can spend hours pointlessly daydreaming about.

[Rod Robertson]

Daryl:

If cost is not a constraint then I would make my minis out of a durable memory-metal so that buyers could pose them in new ways and if they didn’t like the new poses then they just heat up the mini et voila, it’s back to its original pose. The line would be 25/28mm Gloranthan fantasy minis and then branching out to other fantasy realms.

A second line would be an ever updating contemporary line of 15mm troops, mercenaries, insurgents and guerrilas for the modern world and near-future conflicts. These too would be memory metal.

Cheers and good gaming.

Rod Robertson.

 

[Mike]

If money were not an issue I would make the complete range of licensed Star Wars in 6mm complete with infantry and vehicles and everything!!!

The attack on Hoth would be soooo cool.

[Ivan Sorensen]

Ww2 in 15mm.

But wait everyone does that.

Sure, but it’d be all about the poses.

Running, reloading, crouching, looking around, waving, signaling, fixing bayonet. 20 unique poses per nationality just for the rifles so I never have to skirmish with duplicates again

[Radar]

Ivan Sorensen wrote:

Ww2 in 15mm. But wait everyone does that. Sure, but it’d be all about the poses. Running, reloading, crouching, looking around, waving, signaling, fixing bayonet. 20 unique poses per nationality just for the rifles so I never have to skirmish with duplicates again

 

Peter Pig are heading down that road already. Factor in headswaps and you probably wouldn’t be far off your goal.

 

Like General Slade I have lots of proper 15mm figures (none of those 18mm to eye chaps) so would like the holes in my Heritage/ Naismith Napoleonic collection filling.

In the meantime I shall keep badgering Martin to fill the few holes in Peter Pig’s ECW range. (That goal is realistically achievable)

https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk

[Victoria Dickson]

Probably a comprehensive range of 15mm civilians for all periods.  Men, women, children, armed, unarmed, standing, sitting, whatever I could think of.

http://crazywargames.blogspot.co.uk/

[Rules Junkie Jim]

Generic figure types for 6mm modern: different helmet types, caps, berets, bareheaded, with AKs, SLRs, M16s,  bullpups (you can tell the difference with these figures I’m thinking of), and every post 1945 military vehicle and variant known to humanity.

I’d also produce 15mm (maybe even 28mm as I’m loaded in this scenario) goblins from the film Labyrinth. And all the ships from the battles of Navarino and Sinope in 1/1200th.

[willz]

If money was no object a range of 25/28mm 18th century figures that paint themselves or any wargame figures that paint themselves for that mater.

[McKinstry]

1/4800 naval from pre-dreadnought through Cold War.

I am fully aware that I would lose my shirt as I doubt a 1/4800 Brazilian battleship or US seaplane tender, much less destroyers would even sell enough to cover costs but I can dream.

 

The tree of Life is self pruning.

[crestabear]

An extensive range of retro scifi in 25 or 28mm for me, all the Flash Gordon stuff and more…

[Ivan Sorensen]

Oh, a big range of “totally not Rogue Trader era space marines” made to match the GZG 25mm figures.

I suppose the “money is no object” also includes legal fees 😀

[Victoria Dickson]

Ivan Sorensen wrote:

Oh, a big range of “totally not Rogue Trader era space marines” made to match the GZG 25mm figures. I suppose the “money is no object” also includes legal fees

 

Money no object, just buy Games Workshop. 

http://crazywargames.blogspot.co.uk/

[Ivan Sorensen]

LOL,true.

Well shoot, then I’d have them make them in 15mm instead, but with the same sculpting quality they use for their big figures.

[Mr. Average]

A full range of 3mm scale sci fi.  Including licensed 40k Space Marine material, as well as some of the more recent Onslaught offerings, in 3mm scale as well.  Plus 3mm scale terrain – especially cities.

Then, a full line of SF3D figures, preferably in 6mm, but also 15mm scale, including the tanks, the later Shutoral powered armor, the works.

[kyoteblue]

I would go with Civilians as well.

[Iain Fuller]

I’d bring out all the ‘missing’ 6mm Modern kit not covered by H&R or Scotia first, a full Piranha range with all the variants for example, and then re-do those that need re-doing – Vickers Mk.3 for a start – then I’d do a range of kit that didn’t go into production but would be useful to have, Vickers Mk.7 for example. Lots of infantry and support weapons options as suggested by Jim above would be a must too.

I’d also have a range of 18mm Confederation of the Rhine made for each country, even the small ones like Reuss a la the Perry’s range. And with skirmishing options from the off so people didn’t have to wait ages for them (hint, hint Blue Moon).

Not too bothered if any of them sell, they’d be for me really (although the Napoleonic line might I reckon).

[OB]

A few years ago I put aside the money to commission a range of 16th Century Irish figures in 15mm for the Nine Years War. While I hesitated at the last minute Khurasan released their range.  I was delighted and in pocket.  I’ve not felt the urge since though I am eagerly awaiting more Carlist War 15mm from QRF and Totentanz.

OB
http://withob.blogspot.co.uk/

[Who Asked This Joker]

Dark Age Britain figures – Picts, Britons, Saxons, Irish – in 1/72 scale and in plastic since there are no terribly decent figures out there.

John

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

--Abraham Lincoln

[Microworld Steve]

A fully licensed version of the old Chronopia Empires game in 6mm, I would love to do that.

I would love to do a really comprehensive 3mm fantasy range, not sure who would want to sculpt it though!

 

[Mike Headden]

Currently it would be a complete range of 6mm Early Bronze Age Near Eastern figures. Amorites, Elamites, Gutians, Maganites, Melukkhans, Old Kingdom Egyptians and the rest.

At the moment I am relying on 6mm being small enough that I can get away with “near enough” figures and “paintbrush conversions” 🙂

In terms of commercial viability, I suspect those of us interested in the complete range could have a get together in a phone box … if we could find one these days!! 😀

There are 100 types of people in the world, those who understand binary and those who can work from incomplete data

[John D Salt]

I would do a range of 15mm soft plastics. It would be good to have, say, the complete Airfix, Caesar, Hat, Pegasus, Revell, Waterloo 1815, and Zvezda 1/72nd WW2 ranges pantographed down to 15mm. Preferable would be a rationally-designed range covering all the major combatants (with additional sets for major differences in uniform, such as tropical, para, late-war) with a proper proportion of weaponry, including all the light and heavy wapons found within a battalion. Then we could add Cold War 1970s sets for the Americans, Belgians, British, Canadians, Danish, Dutch, French, Germans, and the East Germans, Poles and Russians.

All the best,

John.

[Gone Fishing]

Pulp in 54mm would definitely be my first choice. There would have to be a Not-Indy, other archaeological/explorer types, babes of various descriptions, Nazis in snappy but impractical uniforms, sinister Gestapo, tribals, cultists in pointy hats and an assortment of characterful villains. My eyes glaze a little just thinking about it. Seems to me the scale would be perfect for the genre.

My second choice would be Samurai in 54mm. Not for the Age of War but for the much more interesting (at least to my mind) Heike War. Think what could be done with kabutos and yoroi in that size. If fully allowed to follow my dream, I would have swappable heads and quite a few variants of armour styles to reflect bushi/warriors of different means. Oh, and monks would be a must.

Fun topic!

 

[Paul]

Oh, so many. Off the top of my head:

15mm Star Wars including vehicles.
15mm Red Dwarf crew
28mm versions of the entire cast of 13 Assassins (including the cannon fodder)
Ditto for Game of Thrones
28mm characters from Jagged Alliance pc game
15mm figures for the old Outwars pc game
28mm figures for the Pandorum film
28mm Johnny Cash, Meatloaf, and the Gallagher brothers from Oasis (including zombified versions).

For historical, just really 15mm askaris and dayak headhunters.

Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let's go kill them!

[Angel Barracks]

Mr. Average wrote:

a full line of SF3D figures, preferably in 6mm….

THIS  ^^

[Shahbahraz]

Hmm..  how about some Danish Cold War kit in 15mm… of course, Geoff at QRF will get to it one day 😉

--An occasional wargames blog: http://aleadodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/ --

[Radar]

Just a question, not loaded, no snobbery intended: why the fascination with ranges made in plastic?

 

I can really see the benefit (price, weight) of 28mm plastics, but 15mm those benefits wouldn’t be quite so noticeable. Plus of course it also opens the whole can of worms that is ‘what is 15mm’ (to top of head, to eye, heroic 18mm to eye etc etc)

https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk

[Ivan Sorensen]

I don’t have a huge preference either way, but I sometimes find plastic figures more pleasant to paint.
Not sure I can quite explain why.

[Bill Alexander]

Firstly I go for rereleasing/remaking the Minifigs 2nd ed Napoleonic’s, with maybe a few gaps filled.

Secondly, a range of 40mm SYW, same level of detail as the Prince August moulds, but full round rather than their semi flat, and not the IMHO rather silly looking lunging pose!

[Northern Monkey]

I would do both Star wars and Middle Earth (unoriginal I know) but do them in 6mm and 15mm so I can switch from big battles to skirmish, would be tempted by a 15mm, original 1980’s TV  “V” range too.

My attempt at a Blog: http://ablogofwar.blogspot.co.uk/

[kyoteblue]

Now that I think about it, Raggedy Ass Marines for Guadalcanal in 15mm.

[Ivan Sorensen]

Great coated Americans for Archangelsk 1918

[DM]

Korean turtle ships and contemporaries in 1/600. I’ve had the rules for these for ages but no models 🙁

[Iain Fuller]

Bill Alexander wrote:

Firstly I go for rereleasing/remaking the Minifigs 2nd ed Napoleonic’s, with maybe a few gaps filled. 

YES!

[Radar]

Strange that considering the love for 2nd gen Minifigs they aren’t in production. (The horses were available for a short time, but the link on their site is now a cyclical dead end).

So the slight deviation from the OP, I’d like to resurrect Heritage Napoleonettes. The moulds were in Texas, but there must have been a set in the UK as Hinchliffe and Skytrex sold them.

https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk

[General Slade]

Radar wrote:

Strange that considering the love for 2nd gen Minifigs they aren’t in production. (The horses were available for a short time, but the link on their site is now a cyclical dead end). So the slight deviation from the OP, I’d like to resurrect Heritage Napoleonettes. The moulds were in Texas, but there must have been a set in the UK as Hinchliffe and Skytrex sold them.

As far as I am aware the molds for 2nd gen Minifigs Napoleonics were destroyed (though I think Tom Dye of GFI who had the licence to make the range in the US may still have some).  I emailed Dave Ryan at Caliver about the 2nd gen horses a while ago and it turned out that they had been misidentified (they weren’t 2nd gen after all) but because of a complication with the Minifigs website they are unable to remove them completely.

 

[Darryl Smith]

I agree about the Heritage/Empire ranges, particularly the Nappies and ACW. About five years ago I contacted a lady via Facebook who told me she was selling packs from all ranges (15mm) for $9.95 per pack. I did not buy any (thoughts the price was a bit steep for such old figures) and have since lost the contact info…but as a few years ago they were still out there!

Buckeye Six Actual
https://ambushedinthealley.blogspot.com/
http://foragecaps.blogspot.com/
http://germancolonialgaming.blogspot.com/

[Radar]

I tried to get hold of a few important packs that I was missing from her (mainly personality packs) but never got a reply. Shame really as they are very well regarded sculpts,  couple of years back there were a lot of unopened packs on fleabay. They went for silly money.

 

Fortunately I downloaded her images of the Napoleonettes catalogue before her profile disappeared.

https://www.keepyourpowderdry.co.uk

[Patrice]

(I play 28mm skirmish / RPG adventures)

— More civilians for all historical periods (and non-historical also, why not).

— “Soudan Occidental” (“Western Sudan” : today Mali and surrounding countries) in the 1880’s. Some miniatures exist but I feel that this has a lot of gaming and adventure potential and is not known enough; books written by people who where present there in this time are fascinating but are not well-known – totally forgotten I should say – because of the difficult relation to the French colonial past.

http://www.argad-bzh.fr/argad/en.html
https://www.anargader.net/

[Author]

Posts