I'm just so happy we had 159 manufacturers in this contest ! Great for the hobby, hope they all have enough economic success to still be around for the next contest.
I totally agree - the competing medieval ranges from Victrix and Wargames Atlantic are just incredible. Yarkshire Gamer has a preference for large, massed battles so his audience may prefer older metal sculptors.
To be honest this was just a bit of fun and not intended to be taken seriously, as Ken said. Half the time lots of people didn't even use companies they were voting for.
Fair points and I am being a little over dramatic in the vid lol. However, I shall have you know full grown adults playing with toys is VERY serious business.
My one complaint about victrix is the scale of their cavalry. However, maybe I am wrong, but I think Perry hasn't brought out much plastic this year. Which might justify victrix with the win. Wargames atlantic is a bit of a mess in my opinion. Their range is almost a random mixture of incomplete and sparce time periods, etc.
Yes I agree on all counts. Victrix cavalry (IMHO the riders mainly are the problem, they are taller than their infantry if you line them up). Yes Wargames Atlantics seems to radically change direction every 3 months in terms of their focus and ranges. Introduce potential products, tease them, and then abandon them. Also why release Bronze Age chariots without chariot crew??? Bizarre.
With the amount of time it takes to design plastic minis, fit them to sprues, and make the sprue moulds, I can't see how companies can quickly push a set out to beat a competitor without a year or so of warning before hand. But it is sad to see companies drop ranges before completing them due to competition. Competition is always good. It was great to see Victrix win after such a fantastic few years with their new full ranges of great minis. But to me Perry Miniatures is still very much the go to place for Black Powder era wars.
I agree the Perry Napoleonic stuff is better than victrix after painting some of both. The Perrys definitely payed a lot of attention and detail to the sculpting to make their French considerably easier to paint and get on the table faster. It is sad to see companies drop their ranges so fast... still waiting for those wargames Atlantic Franks teased so long ago... my guess is their Romans and Goths did not sell as well a they may have hoped.
I think that's reasonable criticism. Their style has definitely evolved over the years and they do lack scale consistency. On the other hand I feel like they are the only historical plastic manufacturer actually trying to push the industry forward.
Where Wargames Atlantic succeeded was whenever they did weird stuff like the Conquistadors, Aztecs and Ogres. I think it's smart for them to jump into the 10mm sphere cause that scale is pretty untapped and I doubt Victrix would follow them there.
For me it depends on the period of the project and the price. Being stuck on the dark side of the Rest of the World for shipping, I cannot afford the 25% shipping that quite a few of the manufacturers from the UK charge...unless you drop 300GBP, which is more than a mortgage payment. Great Escape Games does Dead mans hand and some WW2 fringe armies and I am kind of surprised they didnt get a spot on the playoff tree. Victrix has been my go to for the past year because of the good value for money for their ancients. I am interested in seeing how their 28mm WW2 looks. Hopefully, the competition in scale and periods will force everyone to up their games.
Great points! And global shipping sucks I can empathize. Your shippings costs are obviously, worse, but shipping costs from the UK to the US are also disgusting these days. Good points on great escape games - Dead Mans hand and the associated minis seem to be very popular.
GHQ all day for modern historical but victrix have the right look for my tastes across the time frames. For golden horde & soviet, zvesda in 1/72 and 1/100 for historical accuracy.
Great video overview of the different manufactures. Like many, I have a little bit of everything and IMHO I think it depends of what you want to do, will dictate which plastic is best for you. I think Gripping Beast needs to dial up their mold/detail to match Victrix. Perry has been focusing on other periods like Franco-Prussian and what not. So it depends on the period. Again good video overview!
Thanks man! I'm definitely a mix and match guy and have my own fair share of Gripping Beast plastics. I often stick Victrix heads on them to evaluate the designs.
@@TriariusWarGaming No prob! I also forgot about Deus Vult - FireForge Games...they have a lot of cool plastics as well...have you seen or bought them yet?
Actually I think it is a major achievement to top the Perries their fan boys vote for them regardless of the relevance of the survey. I thought the Perries focus is mainly Napoleonic's not noticed much else from them. I was surprised that Footsore didn't do better as they have a very new popular range of early medieval figures I didn't think the survey was limited to plastics rather than any historical manufacturer?
Yeah it was any manufacturer, I just thought it notable that the top finalists were plastics. I also think by volume plastics are probably the most sold.
Hmmmm, seems like the forgot about Fireforge as far as plastic historicals go. I think all companies take time to really learn how to make good plastic kits. I'm in favor of Pendraken and Empress representing the metals to the last stage.
I am glad to see the plastics companies come in and make their money. I just think that in 15 years the same thing will happen with 3D printing and if wargames Atlantic is still around by then they’ll be the ones laughing to the bank.
3D printing is definitely a major frontier, but somethings will definitely have to change with it. Right now 3D prints seem to be way pricier and made of less durable material. Lots of potential in that area but I'm not sure how much of a game changer they will be. Like for me I don't have the room or the inclination to really get into 3D printing stuff for myself - dealing with the trial and error etc.
I really do not feel as if this is an accurate reflection of where we are at in historical miniature wargaming, but more so in what period a group in the hobby is into at the moment and who has nice sculpts.
@@TriariusWarGaming yeah the list was called Plastic Wars but they had Pendraken in there which is all metal so it threw me off. Armorium and Aquillam has some great looking ancients too, I saw them looking up Gauls a couple years ago and then again recently for Sassanians and Parthians
Heroics and Ros are really cheap mostly due to their scale, fairly decent 6mm metals(and resin for larger models) at really cheap prices. you could probably build a cold war battalion for the price of a plastic box. Baccus on the other hand probably make some of the best 6mm models though last i checked they only do infintry and cav, so tanks and such. Surprised ghq wasn't on the chart as they are one of the other good 6mm miniature makers. As for all the epic scale stuff, smaller models are just better imo and they are going for scales where you can put details on.
Their newer sets such as Normans/vikings and new Greeks are disgusting and unrealistic. Overly ‘dynamic’ posing, horrible scaling, oversized, look very computer generated and fantastical. Compared to their original EIR and their realistic detailing it’s ridiculous
I think that Victrix's newer stuff looks okay but I do agree that computer sculpted minis really lack the soul and character of a talented sculptor. I have Wargames Foundry and Victrix ancients and I'll always prefer Foundry, they just ooze with character and style.
I find with Victrix sets , vikings,Normans,celts and dark age stuff seem to use the same kind of boring poses. Nice to paint up but i much prefer true scale 28mm. And there has been a scale creep . The horses in the earlier sets are like ponies , the roman command on horses look ridiculous as the riders look massive compared to the horses.
@@paulgreen4835 your pose critique is 100% true, there is a real lack of variety that those kits suffer from. Can't say anything about the horses because I think I only own the perisan armored cav kit, but I've heard others echo your comments of the horses on forums.
@@dw5723 Yeah i think more variety of poses would be good , i have quite a few sets and they use the same pose over and over esp the dark age stuff . I can understand the poses being similar with napoleonics and ancients being more of the same pose. Yeah the later sets the horses are much better.
I agree that their EIR set is one of their best in terms of proportions and design. I think they are leaning into the dynamic posing for the sake of skirmish games.
I'm just so happy we had 159 manufacturers in this contest ! Great for the hobby, hope they all have enough economic success to still be around for the next contest.
Definitely agree with that! Definitely a golden age for company diversity.
I totally agree - the competing medieval ranges from Victrix and Wargames Atlantic are just incredible. Yarkshire Gamer has a preference for large, massed battles so his audience may prefer older metal sculptors.
To be honest this was just a bit of fun and not intended to be taken seriously, as Ken said. Half the time lots of people didn't even use companies they were voting for.
Fair points and I am being a little over dramatic in the vid lol. However, I shall have you know full grown adults playing with toys is VERY serious business.
@@TriariusWarGaming I won't argue with that.
My one complaint about victrix is the scale of their cavalry. However, maybe I am wrong, but I think Perry hasn't brought out much plastic this year. Which might justify victrix with the win. Wargames atlantic is a bit of a mess in my opinion. Their range is almost a random mixture of incomplete and sparce time periods, etc.
instructions would be nice too.
Yes I agree on all counts. Victrix cavalry (IMHO the riders mainly are the problem, they are taller than their infantry if you line them up). Yes Wargames Atlantics seems to radically change direction every 3 months in terms of their focus and ranges. Introduce potential products, tease them, and then abandon them. Also why release Bronze Age chariots without chariot crew??? Bizarre.
@@TriariusWarGaming your put it better than me haha
With the amount of time it takes to design plastic minis, fit them to sprues, and make the sprue moulds, I can't see how companies can quickly push a set out to beat a competitor without a year or so of warning before hand. But it is sad to see companies drop ranges before completing them due to competition. Competition is always good. It was great to see Victrix win after such a fantastic few years with their new full ranges of great minis. But to me Perry Miniatures is still very much the go to place for Black Powder era wars.
I agree the Perry Napoleonic stuff is better than victrix after painting some of both. The Perrys definitely payed a lot of attention and detail to the sculpting to make their French considerably easier to paint and get on the table faster. It is sad to see companies drop their ranges so fast... still waiting for those wargames Atlantic Franks teased so long ago... my guess is their Romans and Goths did not sell as well a they may have hoped.
I recently bought some 28mm Medieval Knights from Victrix and they are excellent. I will be buying more from Victrix if that Medieval line expands.
Those knights look great! Looks like they have big plans for the medieval range.
I'm in the camp of those disappointed with Victrix's inconsistent scaling, but applaud them for getting whole ranges done in plastic.
I think that's reasonable criticism. Their style has definitely evolved over the years and they do lack scale consistency. On the other hand I feel like they are the only historical plastic manufacturer actually trying to push the industry forward.
Where Wargames Atlantic succeeded was whenever they did weird stuff like the Conquistadors, Aztecs and Ogres. I think it's smart for them to jump into the 10mm sphere cause that scale is pretty untapped and I doubt Victrix would follow them there.
Good points, they seem to have a lot of success in the knock-off Warhammer 40k market as well.
For me it depends on the period of the project and the price. Being stuck on the dark side of the Rest of the World for shipping, I cannot afford the 25% shipping that quite a few of the manufacturers from the UK charge...unless you drop 300GBP, which is more than a mortgage payment. Great Escape Games does Dead mans hand and some WW2 fringe armies and I am kind of surprised they didnt get a spot on the playoff tree. Victrix has been my go to for the past year because of the good value for money for their ancients. I am interested in seeing how their 28mm WW2 looks. Hopefully, the competition in scale and periods will force everyone to up their games.
Great points! And global shipping sucks I can empathize. Your shippings costs are obviously, worse, but shipping costs from the UK to the US are also disgusting these days. Good points on great escape games - Dead Mans hand and the associated minis seem to be very popular.
GHQ all day for modern historical but victrix have the right look for my tastes across the time frames. For golden horde & soviet, zvesda in 1/72 and 1/100 for historical accuracy.
I think the survey definitely had a 28mm bias for sure
Great video overview of the different manufactures. Like many, I have a little bit of everything and IMHO I think it depends of what you want to do, will dictate which plastic is best for you. I think Gripping Beast needs to dial up their mold/detail to match Victrix. Perry has been focusing on other periods like Franco-Prussian and what not. So it depends on the period. Again good video overview!
Thanks man! I'm definitely a mix and match guy and have my own fair share of Gripping Beast plastics. I often stick Victrix heads on them to evaluate the designs.
@@TriariusWarGaming No prob! I also forgot about Deus Vult - FireForge Games...they have a lot of cool plastics as well...have you seen or bought them yet?
@@redmist1122 Haven't bought any fire forge tbh, they kinda seem pricey for plastic and what you get.
@@TriariusWarGaming I hear ya...plus most of their line or at least the Mongol stuff is a weird resin hey used...but yes a lil pricey.
Actually I think it is a major achievement to top the Perries their fan boys vote for them regardless of the relevance of the survey. I thought the Perries focus is mainly Napoleonic's not noticed much else from them. I was surprised that Footsore didn't do better as they have a very new popular range of early medieval figures I didn't think the survey was limited to plastics rather than any historical manufacturer?
Yeah it was any manufacturer, I just thought it notable that the top finalists were plastics. I also think by volume plastics are probably the most sold.
Hmmmm, seems like the forgot about Fireforge as far as plastic historicals go. I think all companies take time to really learn how to make good plastic kits. I'm in favor of Pendraken and Empress representing the metals to the last stage.
I'm a big fan of empress, haven't had any experience with Pendraken but heard they are good
I am glad to see the plastics companies come in and make their money. I just think that in 15 years the same thing will happen with 3D printing and if wargames Atlantic is still around by then they’ll be the ones laughing to the bank.
3D printing is definitely a major frontier, but somethings will definitely have to change with it. Right now 3D prints seem to be way pricier and made of less durable material. Lots of potential in that area but I'm not sure how much of a game changer they will be. Like for me I don't have the room or the inclination to really get into 3D printing stuff for myself - dealing with the trial and error etc.
Wargames Atlantic stuff is affordable but their miniature style has never really done it for me
It's the leg posing for me. Just something slightly unnatural about it.
@@TriariusWarGaming i’ve seen some people make comments that for some of the kits the arms and bodies don’t fit quite right either
Where is Essex Miniatures? One of the biggest ranges and longest established suppliers.
Valid.
I really do not feel as if this is an accurate reflection of where we are at in historical miniature wargaming, but more so in what period a group in the hobby is into at the moment and who has nice sculpts.
I think that is a very fair assessment!
Khurasan didn't even make the list, but they are also US and not UK based so that may be why
Yeah some of my favorites didn't make it either, like Aventine Miniatures.
@@TriariusWarGaming yeah the list was called Plastic Wars but they had Pendraken in there which is all metal so it threw me off. Armorium and Aquillam has some great looking ancients too, I saw them looking up Gauls a couple years ago and then again recently for Sassanians and Parthians
Heroics and Ros are really cheap mostly due to their scale, fairly decent 6mm metals(and resin for larger models) at really cheap prices. you could probably build a cold war battalion for the price of a plastic box.
Baccus on the other hand probably make some of the best 6mm models though last i checked they only do infintry and cav, so tanks and such.
Surprised ghq wasn't on the chart as they are one of the other good 6mm miniature makers.
As for all the epic scale stuff, smaller models are just better imo and they are going for scales where you can put details on.
Definitely 28mm bias in the survey!
METALS 4 EVA
Metals are definitely my preference but I could not do the projects I want to on a grand scale without going plastic.
Comparing apples to oranges, utterly meaningless.
Well they are all miniatures and it's fun to stir the drama pot.
Their newer sets such as Normans/vikings and new Greeks are disgusting and unrealistic. Overly ‘dynamic’ posing, horrible scaling, oversized, look very computer generated and fantastical.
Compared to their original EIR and their realistic detailing it’s ridiculous
I think that Victrix's newer stuff looks okay but I do agree that computer sculpted minis really lack the soul and character of a talented sculptor. I have Wargames Foundry and Victrix ancients and I'll always prefer Foundry, they just ooze with character and style.
I find with Victrix sets , vikings,Normans,celts and dark age stuff seem to use the same kind of boring poses. Nice to paint up but i much prefer true scale 28mm. And there has been a scale creep . The horses in the earlier sets are like ponies , the roman command on horses look ridiculous as the riders look massive compared to the horses.
@@paulgreen4835 your pose critique is 100% true, there is a real lack of variety that those kits suffer from. Can't say anything about the horses because I think I only own the perisan armored cav kit, but I've heard others echo your comments of the horses on forums.
@@dw5723 Yeah i think more variety of poses would be good , i have quite a few sets and they use the same pose over and over esp the dark age stuff . I can understand the poses being similar with napoleonics and ancients being more of the same pose. Yeah the later sets the horses are much better.
I agree that their EIR set is one of their best in terms of proportions and design. I think they are leaning into the dynamic posing for the sake of skirmish games.