While resin minis are great if you want individual figures, they can be expensive if you need to buy them in bulk. Good for skirmish level, not so great for mass army games. For this and other reasons, my go-to for "third party" models is plastic, like on a sprue. Companies I can recommend that deal heavily in plastic: -Wargames Atlantic (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Adam and I agree on this one, just a fantastic company. Constantly expanding range. Plenty of models per kit. Gives discounts for buying the same kit in bulk. Often covers under-represented subject matter, like WWII French Partizans, or the upcoming Landsneckt Ogres set. Have free international shipping over $50, and have warehouses in America, Europe, and Australia. -Mantic Games (Fantasy, SF): Probably the big competitor for GW, and produces a lot of ranges that either stand in for them, or cover armies GW no longer makes. -Warlord Games (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Makers of Bolt Action, Pike & Shotte, Gates of Anteres, etc. -Fireforge Games (Historical, Fantasy): One of the better sources for plastic Knights (as in, the ones on horseback), for making a style-accurate Bretonnian army. Also probably one of the only sources of plastic peasants (for making an angry mob). -Victrix Ltd (Historical): Classical era, Roman (and their enemies), Dark Ages, and Napoleonics. Have a lot of kits. The kits give you a lot of models. -RGD Gaming (Historical, Fantasy): One of the companies that got its start with Wargames Atlantic's help. Best known for their Faun and Centaur kits (which, fun fact, have a bit of each other in their kits, so it's very easy to mix and match). As of this writing, they're expanding their range with a big (40 model) Satyr kit (so you can have the Beastmen Trifecta of Gors, Ungors, and Centigors), Scythians, Steppe Horsemen, and Amazons. They're a small company, but they fill a niche many do not, so I want to give them some attention. (For whatever reason, their site doesn't appear on Google searches, so you'll need to type rgdgaming dot com into your address bar directly). -North Star Military Figures (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Adam went over them already, but I want to focus on their Oathmark line. They have plastic kits for both dwarves and elves, and indeed multiple kits of both that are very flexible. You wouldn't think it, given their ubiquity in the fantasy space, but elf and dwarf wargaming figures in regimental sizes are surprisingly uncommon in plastic. At least outside of GW and Mantic. It's very weird. -Perry Miniatures (Historical): The Perry Brothers were among the sculptors that put Games Workshop on the map, years ago. They've been making a good selection of medieval, Napoleonic, and modern kits. Their medieval ones, for instance, are great for games like Frostgrave. And much of their range is mined extensively in the Turnip28 community for kitbashing parts (often mixing medieval and Napoleonic). Another helpful fact about Perry Miniatures is they sell certain sprues (usually command sprues) individually. So if you just need a couple guys, or a bunch of spare bits, you can order these sprues to bolster your collection. -Great Escape Games (Westerns): Produce a rather stunning couple plastic kits for western gunfighters. Allowing you to customize a team of cowboys, outlaws, homesteaders, or lawmen. Have both male and female gunfighter kits.
Big thumbs up on Mantic. Their fantasy models, for Kings of War, range from perfectly serviceable to genuinely gorgeous, and they are substantially cheaper than their GW counterparts. Mantic's armies cover most of GW's Old World Warhammer Fantasy armies, so they're great for One Page Rules, if a rank-and-flank game like Kings of War isn't your jam.
Praise the Omnissiah and may it's holy presence appease and soothe the honourable algorithmic spirit of this page and grant Atom a great surge in traffic.
Just this week I got some of those Frostgrave Cultists for exactly this reason. They make cool looking models for all sorts of games and I get a huge amount of bits left over for conversions/repairs. One thing that I didn't realise was that the sprue also contains some skeleton bits as a bonus. My childhood (80s) undead army is getting a bit of tlc right now.
I am just starting in miniatures and went with the Frostgrave Demons and Fireforge Zombies. Both I started painting and really enjoy thus far. Getting ready to play Frostgrave and Stargrave with my wife who's interested in painting and mini games too.
Toyshops are a great resource for dinosaurs, giants, and 'giant' insects. You may have to use a baby dino as an adult occasionally, but most players aren't going to care about minor issues in proportion, like that. It sure beats paying premium price, they're usually hard-wearing plastic, and no-one's going to freak if you convert them with a howdah, or tailspikes. Because such proxies are easy to find, it does my nut, when prepainted blister packs put a giant spider, dino, or easily proxyable generic monster like a zombie, instead of a more genre- or setting-specific creature.
I did not know that North star military figures had so much honestly. I think I saw a couple of their frostgrave models and thought that was it. I may end up visiting them more often.
A lot of people really worry about scale. I try not to think about it very much. At the end of the day, we are still pushing our fun toys across a table. These are some great ways to find models. I'm checking out Wargames Atlantic now. By the way, love the dice shirt. I have the same problem.
I'd say keep an eye out for anyone selling off models from board games as well, zombies from Zombicide for instance, to monsters or something sci-fi, especially for a skirmish game where you might only need 4-6 models.
For people looking for a friend with a 3D printed, don't forget to ask your local public library, it's not uncommon for libraries to have a 3D printer for their members these days. Also local "maker" spaces, there is some nerdy overlap and you may even find new folks to game with.
Victoria Miniatures has some cool figures, artillery and vehicles. It's mostly alternative 40K stuff/steampunk-esque. And just about everything has a male and female (non-spicy) version, which is where most companies fail.
Their sci-fi minis (Stargrave) come without a base, and it's a good thing, normally removing one it's a real pain, plus they're really well detailed, the plastic sprues are great for kitbashing & conversions.
@@darkhighwayman1757 I've found the quality to be variable from one line to another. Standard plastic usually is just okay, so I use those to practice new techniques it as a low risk speed paint. Bones Black and Bones USA have been really good from my experience and the metal figures have always been very good. It's a lot of options and that can make it tough as a buyer to know what you're getting.
@@briwindau4861 Agreed. Reapers' scultps aren't up to GW standards, nor are the details as sharp, but they're plenty good enough for the tabletop, and they're MUCH less expensive than GW and the other "premium" model companies. They're especially good for RPGs--which is their target market--and skirmish wargames like Frostgrave, Rangers of Shadowdeep, or Song of Blades and Heroes.
Mentioned in other comments, but Great Escape Games plastic kits are fantastic. I just picked up some of their gunfighters for some Firefly-themed Stargrave characters (just like everyone else it seems like). I would love to see them featured in a future video. I also want to plug a channel called "Obscrities in Miniature". It is a smaller channel, but features a lot of off the beaten path content for people not familiar with minis outside of GW. That's where I learned about Great Escape Games. Cheers.
totally agree about creativity, back in the day we didn't have as many ranges so we always had to use whatever figures were available, now you can buy the box that matches the lore/rules/stats, which is good too, so pro's and con's I guess
3D printing has opened up a new world for me when it comes to collecting stuff I normally wouldn't. It's also pushed me more into finding games that don't require me to use their minis.
Digital kitbashing is also a thing, A bit technical at first, but the world literally becomes your oyster. Taking parts from different 3D-models you own and create your own. Granted, sometimes you need to do some digital sculpting as well to make them fit, but hey. It took me about 20 hours or so to get the hang of it and absolutely love it.
@@davidlankester I am using Blender and Microsoft 3D Builder. Blender to "cut apart" pieces of models and assemble them in a new model, do if necessary some basic sculpting, then 3D Builder to repair any problems that might exist with my new model, to get it ready for printing. Then it is just a question of supporting it in your favourite slicer.
On the topic of scaling 3D models for printing: making some things true-scale means that they may be too thin to print successfully. I think that's why heroic-scale was invented in the first place, so things like weapons wouldn't fail to cast or be comically small compared to the rest of the model.
Michelangelo’s David is not true scale either. Real sculptors know the human form simply looks better when it’s adjusted for the scale. I think the whole infatuation with true scale came from scale modeling which is more of a technical hobby obsessed with accuracy rather than artistic expression. And besides the human figures in scale models are also often offscale and frequently frankly awful - they only really care about the vehicles.
I've purchased some nice, old school looking minis from Ramshackle Games. Their minis are mostly resin and occasionally need some clean up. I got a lot of their Robbed Cyborgs to use in Space Weirdos and Stargrave. They really do well with a nice grimdark paint style. Also Rebel Minis has a nice selection of horror/post apocalyptic style miniatures and some sci-fi. All their minis are metal as well. Mad Robot is like Anvil Industries. While their selection is not as large (I think Anvil has been around a bit longer) they still have a good amount of options and they allow you to select you own parts to custom create minis like Anvil Industries. Maelstrom's Edge, while having their own game associated with their minis, also has a nice selection of affordable sci-fi miniatures that would do well with games like Stargrave, Space Weirdos, or This Is Not A Test to name a few (plus they sell terrain packs). There is also Diehard Miniatures. A bit more expensive, but all metal, and all of them are designed to have that classic 1980s GW look without there being any space orcs or space dwarves.
How serendipitous of YT to recommend me this video while browsing to look for different options to introduce my kids and I into mini builds and painting. Watched several of your vids right now, and you're so methodical in your approach. Love it. Subbed!
I've been using kits from the Oathmark line for my various fantasy skirmish games (Frostgrave, Age of Fantasy, Song of Blades & Heroes, Dragon Rampant). The models are great looking, and reasonably priced. Some eBay sellers are even selling them by the sprue, so you don't need to invest in an entire boxed set in order to get some great, multi-pose miniatures.
I know this is really a niche thing (within a hobby that's already a niche), but I am a big fan of paper miniatures. I design and build my own and really enjoy the complete control I get over the finished product.
I caved in and got some Canon Fodder this week. I've got Star Wars rebel infantry proxies planned, as well as a Genestealer Cult Kill Team - those jumpsuits are begging to be painted bright orange with blood stains. And one figure will be converted into Isaac from Dead Space, wielding a 40k melta.
A UK mom and pop firm called Hasslefree Miniatures (because they don't want any hassle with their minis). They are creating awesome minis: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Steampunk, modern, post-apocalyptic, you name it. They also have quite a few minis look-a-like of your favourite heroes from films. You can also order weapons or heads, all sorts of things. They do resin and metal. ^^
As someone who has only really ever known GW (and more recently Mantic games) as the people who make miniatures this is a great resource. I never knew there was so much out there!
Black Site Studios, which you mentioned in your Adepticon Booty video, have a really great range. A lot of their stuff is IP-with-the-serial-numbers-filed-off, but they just released a bunch of new LUNAR miniatures which are very cool. I love the idea of chunky old-school astronauts in a game of Stargrave or something.
Miniature Market clearance is a good place to look for cheap minis. They've been selling Song of Ice and Fire minis for $14 for a box of 12-13 minis. Runewars, Wrath of Kings, The Others, Zombicide, KaosBall - lots of cheap plastic out there!
I agree with you on those North Star minis. I bought the three sets (Crew, Mercenaries,Troopers) after seeing them on TheCrafsman and I really like them. I don't even have a plan for them, but I went ahead and put 5 of the mercenaries together already just to play around. Pretty awesome kits.
I’ve been trying to make rules for a Vietnam game I have soldiers for but minis for this era are hard to find but I did finally find some by rubicon models and they look fantastic
Artel W has some really great miniatures. Mortian has mostly vehicles, but they do have a few cool troop models, like their Cyber Rats and trench style ogres.
just jumped into 15mm going for agnostic gaming. A very cheap way to go. I have spent a few hundred dollars, but I've got enough buildings, vehicles, and miniatures to make an entire city. Khurasan is probably my favorite for 15mm, but other company's like Trilaterum and of course Alternative Armies make great stuff. Alternative Armies make the Laser Burn miniatures that I had as a kid so great nostalgia factor for myself!
I recognize that casting your own pewter miniatures is a bit of an acquired taste, but I do a fair amount of work using commercially prepared molds from Prince August. This is the same outfit that runs Mithril Miniatures (Tolkien subjects). They have three fantasy ranges from different periods of time. The first set of molds are “true 25” and blend best with things like vintage Ral Partha. (I’m old, so those are the ones I like best.) The second range of molds are more 28mm, and blend pretty well with stuff from the 90s, and the third range (just a handful of elf molds) are “32mm” and should blend with the even more modern figures. (I have few of those, so I haven’t bought them, not needing an army of elves the same height as my vintage ogres.) You mention Reaper with respect to miniature size; they have been in business for a long time now, and their oldest metal minis are significantly smaller than the recent Siocast Bones USA range. Whether that’s distracting or not, of course, will depend on what you already own and your personal tastes.
I should also add that casting your own figures is a quality vs quantity trade off. Once you have your molds properly vented, which can take some experience and time, you can get a lot of miniatures pretty quickly (say a hundred per hour using a few three cavity molds in a session). I figured, based on the metal prices extant a year or two ago, that the “true 25” older molds were costing me ~35 cents per figure, even using lead-free pewter. The downside is that the detail is softer than spincast metal figures, so the sweet spot for using molds is when you need a whole army of figures for a miniatures-agnostic battle scale game. (Dragon Rampant might be a reasonable example at the low end of that; my most recent casting was working towards doing some eccentric Oathsworn, but casting is a lot faster than painting, and I have been distracted. I’ve got a more recent set called Fantastic Battles to try out.)
Victoria Miniatures, although you gonna need some patience to build the models (the resin she uses is particularly delicate). Mad Robot miniatures has some funny options too (if you are an Imperial Guard fan).
I enjoy a real mix of Reaper and various vintage or vintagey metal lines: Leading Edge, Excalibur, Copplsetone Castings, Gripping Beast, Stonehaven, and the old Warzone. For Sci Fi skirmish games, Frostgrave, and some custom Blood Bowl players.
Its all about Miniature Agnostic games. My printer made it Infinitely fun to pair rules with models. One night I found this Biker skirmish game on WargameVault, I think I spent a good 3hrs of my life combing through my patreons/mmf for biker gang like models, then another hour picking out what models to put on the build plate - debating between fun to paint vs makes sense. The printer is like list building on steroids' because after I have my list in the next 5hrs I have the minis for said list. The instant gratification these printers provide cannot be understated, the ability to start painting units in your army in 5hrs is a big deal. What if halfway into the night your like "Goblins suck, I should of gone with an Elite army", np put goblins in box, and Elite Army on build plate. Wake up the next day shake off them Goblins and start in on those Elves. If it was retail I would of sucked it up.
Its why I buy up older metal or plastic miniatures for Battletech rather than the new Catalyst plastics. I prefer the older 6mm scale for that game. For Reign in Hell I have a fairly decent mix of older dnd miniatures, all the way through to modern wizkids ones and even a pile of Reaper Miniatures.
When I started with wargames, I used a set of 2D Pathfinder RPG character tokens to learn some skirmish rules. I got over 200 tokens for less than $50. These tokens still hit my table for games like "Five Leagues the Borderlands" when I am quickly making opposing forces for my little warband.
This one is the original digital prototype from 2015 (the words are in black - the screen printed version had white words) and I always wash my t-shirts inside out and then air dry them on a rack. That’s why it’s still in great shape. I’m thinking about re-releasing the design, though. Thanks for watching!
Uncle Atom, any chance you might be adding that wonderfully appropriate "that's how I roll" t-shirt to your Merch store anytime in the future? I could go for that...so appropriate to my dice rolling skills
Ha! Finally a term for the games I like most... Miniatures Agnostic Games. Thanks for revealing this ideal term. on a big can of Ed's THW rules and a few others. My taste in games has never conformed typical of the shelf minis games.
I'm glad to hear etsy has vendors that print stls. I didn't know that. I have some files from VoidRealm minis Curse Of The Spiral(based on the Junji Ito Uzumaki manga) that are going to make some fabulous demons for Reign In Hell!
Re the different scale problem; I use a standard basing process for all my minis that way models of differing heights look as though there part of the same team. Also if I need a Space Cowboy for Stargrave then I can just drop in one of my Dead Mans Hand minis and again it looks as if it’s part of the same crew.
Among my favourite non-GW figures are the Defiance Models United Americas Marine Corp (essentially Colonial Marines but sadly discontinued), Wargames Atlantics Ooh Rah (essentially Colonial Marines - Im seeing a pattern here), Ramjaeger, Bulldogs, Space Nam and Eisenkern Stormtroopers. Plus the Mantic GCPS Marines and the Stargrave miniatures (particularly the Troopers). I have also kitbashed some plastic Wild West gunslingers figures into SF "Firefly" inspired figures although it didnt need much as most of the characters use pretty much regular slug throwers in the show. The Frostgrave range also provides robed cultist types and extra character heads to personalise a ships crew or mercenary group. And, while i forget the name of the range, a bunch of plastic elves make decent aliens with a Mr Spock Vulcan vibe to them. I do wish that there were some more "organised" ships crew from Stargrave to go with the Troopers - not necessarily as clean cut as a Star Trek Federation crew but something along the lines of either Star Wars Imperial or Rebel fleet crew.
Many local game stores keep a "bits box" where they'll sell a loose bag of whatever pieces for a few dollars. It's a cool way to add some variety to your minis. Likewise, some sell ones that have been pre-painted (usually poorly) that can be soaked clean and re-built (again, adding and subtracting heads, gear, etc.)
Another great video, last weeks video had me downloading and listening to Roadside Picnic and immediately buying the Zona Alfa rule book. This week I’m gonna be ordering some minis for my Stalker team 😃👍🏼
Not sure if you have heard or even seen it, but there's a game called 'Weekend Warriors' which is miniature agnostic. It's designed by a 'Tabletop Skirmish Games' on TH-cam. It might be worth looking into.
Games Workshop! 🙂 You can actually use their miniatures for other games; And they come in plastic, and there's a huge range so lots of kitbashing options.
I could Wargame exclusive if you're looking for 40k like miniatures with high quality resin and details. Not to mention they've partnered with many Ukrainian miniatures company across the country which giving you more options in their website. And yes, they're Ukrainian company and somehow still be able to ship miniatures as I got my order during the first year. Currently they keep announcing new models almost every month at their Instagram account.
victoria miniatures, shield wolf and wargames exclusive are my main miniatures agnostic suppliers with some stuff from miniatures scenery. though mainly i am a 40k player till I get around to starting with one page rules and other agnostic minis games
When I'm playing miniature agnostic games I just use any mini's I already have, from GW to board games, if it fits I use it. I try not to spend any $$$ when I don't have too.
Gonna argue that OPR is actually miniatures agnostic, you don't need to use GW models or in many cases they have armies that simply aren't suited to GW miniatures. I have 3D printed entire armies for them using a variety of creators' minis, including but not limited to GW. They also produce their own lines of minis through patreon you can get - but that isn't mandatory or even recommended. It's just an option. In my opinion they're the most 'agnostic' of any company, they literally do not care what you use but in some cases using specific models may be easier.
I still haven’t got into 3D printed stuff yet, but I am considering ordering some 3D printed tanks for The Last War since my cardboard diy ones are a bit scary, lol. I have been living Wargames Atlantic! I also have the lizard men and I have started taking the plethora of extra heads and putting them on 1/72 knights I have to make goofy looking kobolds.
I mainly use 15mm and order from Rebel minis for packs of 25 for things but for individual I got to Khurasan, however they are a one man show and it can take a while to get your stuff but I'm always happy with what I get.
I'm gonna design a game where there aren't any miniatures. Call it a miniature atheistic game.
It's called Poker.
Historical minis- From Perry miniatures, Victrix, Gripping Beast etc are great places to get bits for fantasy kitbashing.
Wargames Atlantic and fireforge tend to be pretty wonderfully bits heavy too
Used pike and shotte models for free cities GW proxies.
Perry Miniatures is one of my go to places for historical minis
So glad I found gripping beast, I was finally able to build my araby army for old world
I'm old enough to remember when all games were miniatures-agnostic
Exactly!!!
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
While resin minis are great if you want individual figures, they can be expensive if you need to buy them in bulk. Good for skirmish level, not so great for mass army games. For this and other reasons, my go-to for "third party" models is plastic, like on a sprue.
Companies I can recommend that deal heavily in plastic:
-Wargames Atlantic (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Adam and I agree on this one, just a fantastic company. Constantly expanding range. Plenty of models per kit. Gives discounts for buying the same kit in bulk. Often covers under-represented subject matter, like WWII French Partizans, or the upcoming Landsneckt Ogres set. Have free international shipping over $50, and have warehouses in America, Europe, and Australia.
-Mantic Games (Fantasy, SF): Probably the big competitor for GW, and produces a lot of ranges that either stand in for them, or cover armies GW no longer makes.
-Warlord Games (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Makers of Bolt Action, Pike & Shotte, Gates of Anteres, etc.
-Fireforge Games (Historical, Fantasy): One of the better sources for plastic Knights (as in, the ones on horseback), for making a style-accurate Bretonnian army. Also probably one of the only sources of plastic peasants (for making an angry mob).
-Victrix Ltd (Historical): Classical era, Roman (and their enemies), Dark Ages, and Napoleonics. Have a lot of kits. The kits give you a lot of models.
-RGD Gaming (Historical, Fantasy): One of the companies that got its start with Wargames Atlantic's help. Best known for their Faun and Centaur kits (which, fun fact, have a bit of each other in their kits, so it's very easy to mix and match). As of this writing, they're expanding their range with a big (40 model) Satyr kit (so you can have the Beastmen Trifecta of Gors, Ungors, and Centigors), Scythians, Steppe Horsemen, and Amazons. They're a small company, but they fill a niche many do not, so I want to give them some attention. (For whatever reason, their site doesn't appear on Google searches, so you'll need to type rgdgaming dot com into your address bar directly).
-North Star Military Figures (Historical, Fantasy, SF): Adam went over them already, but I want to focus on their Oathmark line. They have plastic kits for both dwarves and elves, and indeed multiple kits of both that are very flexible. You wouldn't think it, given their ubiquity in the fantasy space, but elf and dwarf wargaming figures in regimental sizes are surprisingly uncommon in plastic. At least outside of GW and Mantic. It's very weird.
-Perry Miniatures (Historical): The Perry Brothers were among the sculptors that put Games Workshop on the map, years ago. They've been making a good selection of medieval, Napoleonic, and modern kits. Their medieval ones, for instance, are great for games like Frostgrave. And much of their range is mined extensively in the Turnip28 community for kitbashing parts (often mixing medieval and Napoleonic). Another helpful fact about Perry Miniatures is they sell certain sprues (usually command sprues) individually. So if you just need a couple guys, or a bunch of spare bits, you can order these sprues to bolster your collection.
-Great Escape Games (Westerns): Produce a rather stunning couple plastic kits for western gunfighters. Allowing you to customize a team of cowboys, outlaws, homesteaders, or lawmen. Have both male and female gunfighter kits.
Big thumbs up on Mantic. Their fantasy models, for Kings of War, range from perfectly serviceable to genuinely gorgeous, and they are substantially cheaper than their GW counterparts. Mantic's armies cover most of GW's Old World Warhammer Fantasy armies, so they're great for One Page Rules, if a rank-and-flank game like Kings of War isn't your jam.
Wargame exclusive is great start at looking resin miniatures which can be 40k specific or any sci fi type.
Praise the Omnissiah and may it's holy presence appease and soothe the honourable algorithmic spirit of this page and grant Atom a great surge in traffic.
Just this week I got some of those Frostgrave Cultists for exactly this reason. They make cool looking models for all sorts of games and I get a huge amount of bits left over for conversions/repairs. One thing that I didn't realise was that the sprue also contains some skeleton bits as a bonus. My childhood (80s) undead army is getting a bit of tlc right now.
Frostgrave sprues are lovely, lots of bits and most are interchangable.
They make the best villains.
Wait, there're CULTISTS?!
Dang, got to look into those.
Thanks.
I am just starting in miniatures and went with the Frostgrave Demons and Fireforge Zombies. Both I started painting and really enjoy thus far. Getting ready to play Frostgrave and Stargrave with my wife who's interested in painting and mini games too.
@@CaptainRoss That sounds like a very sensible way to get into the hobby. Congratulations on your choices.
Toyshops are a great resource for dinosaurs, giants, and 'giant' insects.
You may have to use a baby dino as an adult occasionally, but most players aren't going to care about minor issues in proportion, like that.
It sure beats paying premium price, they're usually hard-wearing plastic, and no-one's going to freak if you convert them with a howdah, or tailspikes.
Because such proxies are easy to find, it does my nut, when prepainted blister packs put a giant spider, dino, or easily proxyable generic monster like a zombie, instead of a more genre- or setting-specific creature.
I did not know that North star military figures had so much honestly. I think I saw a couple of their frostgrave models and thought that was it. I may end up visiting them more often.
A lot of people really worry about scale. I try not to think about it very much. At the end of the day, we are still pushing our fun toys across a table. These are some great ways to find models. I'm checking out Wargames Atlantic now. By the way, love the dice shirt. I have the same problem.
I'd say keep an eye out for anyone selling off models from board games as well, zombies from Zombicide for instance, to monsters or something sci-fi, especially for a skirmish game where you might only need 4-6 models.
For people looking for a friend with a 3D printed, don't forget to ask your local public library, it's not uncommon for libraries to have a 3D printer for their members these days. Also local "maker" spaces, there is some nerdy overlap and you may even find new folks to game with.
Victoria Miniatures has some cool figures, artillery and vehicles. It's mostly alternative 40K stuff/steampunk-esque. And just about everything has a male and female (non-spicy) version, which is where most companies fail.
I love the metal minis from North Star, really easy to work with and nicely detailed.
Sturdy I assume? Nothing worse then a miniature that metal fatigues easily and snaps at the extremities
@@mr.fantastic7756 yes! Very sturdy.
Their sci-fi minis (Stargrave) come without a base, and it's a good thing, normally removing one it's a real pain, plus they're really well detailed, the plastic sprues are great for kitbashing & conversions.
Love that your covering miniature agnostic games and different sources for miniatures. Great vedio, thank you.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
Reaper minies are great to practice painting on. I have used tons of them.
if they are of the Bones black line they can be really excellent models i just avoid the mushy details of the "classic" bones models
The quality is pretty bad on reaper minis from what I've painted
@@darkhighwayman1757 I've found the quality to be variable from one line to another. Standard plastic usually is just okay, so I use those to practice new techniques it as a low risk speed paint. Bones Black and Bones USA have been really good from my experience and the metal figures have always been very good. It's a lot of options and that can make it tough as a buyer to know what you're getting.
@@briwindau4861 Agreed. Reapers' scultps aren't up to GW standards, nor are the details as sharp, but they're plenty good enough for the tabletop, and they're MUCH less expensive than GW and the other "premium" model companies. They're especially good for RPGs--which is their target market--and skirmish wargames like Frostgrave, Rangers of Shadowdeep, or Song of Blades and Heroes.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
Mentioned in other comments, but Great Escape Games plastic kits are fantastic. I just picked up some of their gunfighters for some Firefly-themed Stargrave characters (just like everyone else it seems like). I would love to see them featured in a future video.
I also want to plug a channel called "Obscrities in Miniature". It is a smaller channel, but features a lot of off the beaten path content for people not familiar with minis outside of GW. That's where I learned about Great Escape Games.
Cheers.
totally agree about creativity, back in the day we didn't have as many ranges so we always had to use whatever figures were available, now you can buy the box that matches the lore/rules/stats, which is good too, so pro's and con's I guess
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
3D printing has opened up a new world for me when it comes to collecting stuff I normally wouldn't. It's also pushed me more into finding games that don't require me to use their minis.
Digital kitbashing is also a thing, A bit technical at first, but the world literally becomes your oyster. Taking parts from different 3D-models you own and create your own. Granted, sometimes you need to do some digital sculpting as well to make them fit, but hey. It took me about 20 hours or so to get the hang of it and absolutely love it.
I'm finally serious about thinking about getting into 3D printing. I can thank Games Workshop for pricing the Ash Wastes box at $300 for waking me up.
@@travelminipainter what software do you recommend for digital bashing? Really like the idea of giving that a go.
@@davidlankester I use Blender, Meshmixer, and the 3D Builder software that comes with Windows, depending on what I'm trying to do.
@@davidlankester I am using Blender and Microsoft 3D Builder.
Blender to "cut apart" pieces of models and assemble them in a new model, do if necessary some basic sculpting, then 3D Builder to repair any problems that might exist with my new model, to get it ready for printing.
Then it is just a question of supporting it in your favourite slicer.
On the topic of scaling 3D models for printing: making some things true-scale means that they may be too thin to print successfully. I think that's why heroic-scale was invented in the first place, so things like weapons wouldn't fail to cast or be comically small compared to the rest of the model.
I called down 15mm to 10mm for Napoleonic and the muskets were thin, but I used a flexible resin, so no breakage
Michelangelo’s David is not true scale either. Real sculptors know the human form simply looks better when it’s adjusted for the scale.
I think the whole infatuation with true scale came from scale modeling which is more of a technical hobby obsessed with accuracy rather than artistic expression. And besides the human figures in scale models are also often offscale and frequently frankly awful - they only really care about the vehicles.
I've purchased some nice, old school looking minis from Ramshackle Games. Their minis are mostly resin and occasionally need some clean up. I got a lot of their Robbed Cyborgs to use in Space Weirdos and Stargrave. They really do well with a nice grimdark paint style. Also Rebel Minis has a nice selection of horror/post apocalyptic style miniatures and some sci-fi. All their minis are metal as well. Mad Robot is like Anvil Industries. While their selection is not as large (I think Anvil has been around a bit longer) they still have a good amount of options and they allow you to select you own parts to custom create minis like Anvil Industries. Maelstrom's Edge, while having their own game associated with their minis, also has a nice selection of affordable sci-fi miniatures that would do well with games like Stargrave, Space Weirdos, or This Is Not A Test to name a few (plus they sell terrain packs). There is also Diehard Miniatures. A bit more expensive, but all metal, and all of them are designed to have that classic 1980s GW look without there being any space orcs or space dwarves.
Oh man thank you so much, i couldn't for the life of me remember the name of maelstrom's edge!
Rolls a Divine Intervention and calls it unfortunate. Must Be an Infernal.
How serendipitous of YT to recommend me this video while browsing to look for different options to introduce my kids and I into mini builds and painting. Watched several of your vids right now, and you're so methodical in your approach. Love it. Subbed!
Every video you do is so entertaining. Thanks for just doing what you do.
I've been using kits from the Oathmark line for my various fantasy skirmish games (Frostgrave, Age of Fantasy, Song of Blades & Heroes, Dragon Rampant).
The models are great looking, and reasonably priced. Some eBay sellers are even selling them by the sprue, so you don't need to invest in an entire boxed set in order to get some great, multi-pose miniatures.
I know this is really a niche thing (within a hobby that's already a niche), but I am a big fan of paper miniatures. I design and build my own and really enjoy the complete control I get over the finished product.
Diehard Miniatures has a chunky old hammer feel
I LOVE WARGAMES ATLANTIC
I caved in and got some Canon Fodder this week. I've got Star Wars rebel infantry proxies planned, as well as a Genestealer Cult Kill Team - those jumpsuits are begging to be painted bright orange with blood stains. And one figure will be converted into Isaac from Dead Space, wielding a 40k melta.
A UK mom and pop firm called Hasslefree Miniatures (because they don't want any hassle with their minis). They are creating awesome minis: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Steampunk, modern, post-apocalyptic, you name it. They also have quite a few minis look-a-like of your favourite heroes from films. You can also order weapons or heads, all sorts of things. They do resin and metal. ^^
As someone who has only really ever known GW (and more recently Mantic games) as the people who make miniatures this is a great resource. I never knew there was so much out there!
Black Site Studios, which you mentioned in your Adepticon Booty video, have a really great range. A lot of their stuff is IP-with-the-serial-numbers-filed-off, but they just released a bunch of new LUNAR miniatures which are very cool. I love the idea of chunky old-school astronauts in a game of Stargrave or something.
Creature Caster has amazing miniatures (though at a premium). Old or incomplete board games can sometimes be a useful resource for miniatures as well.
Miniature Market clearance is a good place to look for cheap minis. They've been selling Song of Ice and Fire minis for $14 for a box of 12-13 minis. Runewars, Wrath of Kings, The Others, Zombicide, KaosBall - lots of cheap plastic out there!
Just got some mini's from Diehard Miniatures. Lovely classic 'metal' sculpts of undead spacemen for Stargrave. Highly recommend.
I agree with you on those North Star minis. I bought the three sets (Crew, Mercenaries,Troopers) after seeing them on TheCrafsman and I really like them. I don't even have a plan for them, but I went ahead and put 5 of the mercenaries together already just to play around. Pretty awesome kits.
I’ve been trying to make rules for a Vietnam game I have soldiers for but minis for this era are hard to find but I did finally find some by rubicon models and they look fantastic
Have you tried 'Empress Miniatures', they're 28mm metal figures , covering Anzac, French American , Viet cong , North and South Vietnamese armies
Artel W has some really great miniatures. Mortian has mostly vehicles, but they do have a few cool troop models, like their Cyber Rats and trench style ogres.
just jumped into 15mm going for agnostic gaming. A very cheap way to go. I have spent a few hundred dollars, but I've got enough buildings, vehicles, and miniatures to make an entire city. Khurasan is probably my favorite for 15mm, but other company's like Trilaterum and of course Alternative Armies make great stuff. Alternative Armies make the Laser Burn miniatures that I had as a kid so great nostalgia factor for myself!
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
I recognize that casting your own pewter miniatures is a bit of an acquired taste, but I do a fair amount of work using commercially prepared molds from Prince August. This is the same outfit that runs Mithril Miniatures (Tolkien subjects). They have three fantasy ranges from different periods of time. The first set of molds are “true 25” and blend best with things like vintage Ral Partha. (I’m old, so those are the ones I like best.) The second range of molds are more 28mm, and blend pretty well with stuff from the 90s, and the third range (just a handful of elf molds) are “32mm” and should blend with the even more modern figures. (I have few of those, so I haven’t bought them, not needing an army of elves the same height as my vintage ogres.)
You mention Reaper with respect to miniature size; they have been in business for a long time now, and their oldest metal minis are significantly smaller than the recent Siocast Bones USA range. Whether that’s distracting or not, of course, will depend on what you already own and your personal tastes.
I should also add that casting your own figures is a quality vs quantity trade off. Once you have your molds properly vented, which can take some experience and time, you can get a lot of miniatures pretty quickly (say a hundred per hour using a few three cavity molds in a session). I figured, based on the metal prices extant a year or two ago, that the “true 25” older molds were costing me ~35 cents per figure, even using lead-free pewter. The downside is that the detail is softer than spincast metal figures, so the sweet spot for using molds is when you need a whole army of figures for a miniatures-agnostic battle scale game. (Dragon Rampant might be a reasonable example at the low end of that; my most recent casting was working towards doing some eccentric Oathsworn, but casting is a lot faster than painting, and I have been distracted. I’ve got a more recent set called Fantastic Battles to try out.)
Thanks for this, always good to add shop bookmarks for hunting down special parts...
I have the hardest time finding empty hands for kitbashing Blood Bowl
I like games like frostgrave and oathmark that have minis but are technically miniature agnostic
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
Victoria Miniatures, although you gonna need some patience to build the models (the resin she uses is particularly delicate). Mad Robot miniatures has some funny options too (if you are an Imperial Guard fan).
I picked up the Frostgrave Wizards 2 pack last week after Brent/Goobertown Hobbies praise of it recently. Haven't built any yet, but I am impressed.
I enjoy a real mix of Reaper and various vintage or vintagey metal lines: Leading Edge, Excalibur, Copplsetone Castings, Gripping Beast, Stonehaven, and the old Warzone. For Sci Fi skirmish games, Frostgrave, and some custom Blood Bowl players.
Terrific video! Obscurities in Miniature here on TH-cam is a tremendous place to see scads of different models, also!
Very informative video. Keep up the good work.
Fun Fact: I started playing GW games with Legos and my collection of Ral Partha DnD figures back in 1990.
Its all about Miniature Agnostic games. My printer made it Infinitely fun to pair rules with models. One night I found this Biker skirmish game on WargameVault, I think I spent a good 3hrs of my life combing through my patreons/mmf for biker gang like models, then another hour picking out what models to put on the build plate - debating between fun to paint vs makes sense. The printer is like list building on steroids' because after I have my list in the next 5hrs I have the minis for said list. The instant gratification these printers provide cannot be understated, the ability to start painting units in your army in 5hrs is a big deal. What if halfway into the night your like "Goblins suck, I should of gone with an Elite army", np put goblins in box, and Elite Army on build plate. Wake up the next day shake off them Goblins and start in on those Elves. If it was retail I would of sucked it up.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
Its why I buy up older metal or plastic miniatures for Battletech rather than the new Catalyst plastics. I prefer the older 6mm scale for that game.
For Reign in Hell I have a fairly decent mix of older dnd miniatures, all the way through to modern wizkids ones and even a pile of Reaper Miniatures.
When I started with wargames, I used a set of 2D Pathfinder RPG character tokens to learn some skirmish rules. I got over 200 tokens for less than $50. These tokens still hit my table for games like "Five Leagues the Borderlands" when I am quickly making opposing forces for my little warband.
Some great Dragons and other miniatures are available from Bad Suiddo games,
Yay!! Thank you!
Now that is my favorite Tabletop Minions t-shirt! Mine is wearing out. Yours looks brand new. 😃
This one is the original digital prototype from 2015 (the words are in black - the screen printed version had white words) and I always wash my t-shirts inside out and then air dry them on a rack. That’s why it’s still in great shape. I’m thinking about re-releasing the design, though. Thanks for watching!
I immediately went to the the shop and was disappointed to not find it there.
@@tabletopminions Please do, I would very much like one of those shirts.
Uncle Atom, any chance you might be adding that wonderfully appropriate "that's how I roll" t-shirt to your Merch store anytime in the future? I could go for that...so appropriate to my dice rolling skills
It is in progress, actually. This one in the video is from 2015, but new one is coming soon. Thanks for watching!
Christ bless you, thank you so much for showing me ETSY. I don't have a 3d printer and wanted to make the hobby cheaper. Again, THANK YOU!
Alternative armies is a good place for all kinds of scales. For smaller scalesyou have rebel mini's and Khurasan just to name a couple.
Ha! Finally a term for the games I like most... Miniatures Agnostic Games. Thanks for revealing this ideal term. on a big can of Ed's THW rules and a few others. My taste in games has never conformed typical of the shelf minis games.
Second-hand miniature heavy Kickstarter projects that people no longer want.
Yeah Wargames Atlantic & North Star do great stuff
We are printing up an OPR Jackals warband as a crew for Stargrave.
Damn, they are a perfect fit! The scavenged weapons fit the setting so well.
13:23 I see what you did there ^-^ LOL
I'm glad to hear etsy has vendors that print stls. I didn't know that. I have some files from VoidRealm minis Curse Of The Spiral(based on the Junji Ito Uzumaki manga) that are going to make some fabulous demons for Reign In Hell!
Re the different scale problem; I use a standard basing process for all my minis that way models of differing heights look as though there part of the same team. Also if I need a Space Cowboy for Stargrave then I can just drop in one of my Dead Mans Hand minis and again it looks as if it’s part of the same crew.
Stargrave miniatures from Northwind are so awesome
I actually got about 90 of those troopers in the pic that I am trying to offload at the moment.
Khurushan makes great stuff in 15mm. Stock a huge range of scifi
I'm a miniature collector patron to One Page Rules, they've been releasing STL files for incredible looking armies.
Speaking of miniature agnostic games have you seen Savage Blades? It’s a real one page fantasy skirmish game by Neuicon. It’s so simple and super fun.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
Among my favourite non-GW figures are the Defiance Models United Americas Marine Corp (essentially Colonial Marines but sadly discontinued), Wargames Atlantics Ooh Rah (essentially Colonial Marines - Im seeing a pattern here), Ramjaeger, Bulldogs, Space Nam and Eisenkern Stormtroopers. Plus the Mantic GCPS Marines and the Stargrave miniatures (particularly the Troopers).
I have also kitbashed some plastic Wild West gunslingers figures into SF "Firefly" inspired figures although it didnt need much as most of the characters use pretty much regular slug throwers in the show.
The Frostgrave range also provides robed cultist types and extra character heads to personalise a ships crew or mercenary group. And, while i forget the name of the range, a bunch of plastic elves make decent aliens with a Mr Spock Vulcan vibe to them.
I do wish that there were some more "organised" ships crew from Stargrave to go with the Troopers - not necessarily as clean cut as a Star Trek Federation crew but something along the lines of either Star Wars Imperial or Rebel fleet crew.
Desktophero 3d and (soonish) Titancraft are also a decent option. Get a pack, and you can combine them to limitless STLs for no extra cost.
One Page Rules!
this is so excellent. thank you!
Wargames atlantic works great for blood and valor.
Many local game stores keep a "bits box" where they'll sell a loose bag of whatever pieces for a few dollars. It's a cool way to add some variety to your minis. Likewise, some sell ones that have been pre-painted (usually poorly) that can be soaked clean and re-built (again, adding and subtracting heads, gear, etc.)
I haven't ordered them, but Victoria Miniatures have some very interesting models. Stargave possibly, but maybe to uniform.
Another great video, last weeks video had me downloading and listening to Roadside Picnic and immediately buying the Zona Alfa rule book.
This week I’m gonna be ordering some minis for my Stalker team 😃👍🏼
Yeah normally i dont say anything but i really like that shirt. Thats a good one.
Victoria miniatures. The best one out there for futuristic miniatures that can be used to make Astra militarum regiments
Not sure if you have heard or even seen it, but there's a game called 'Weekend Warriors' which is miniature agnostic. It's designed by a 'Tabletop Skirmish Games' on TH-cam.
It might be worth looking into.
Games Workshop! 🙂 You can actually use their miniatures for other games; And they come in plastic, and there's a huge range so lots of kitbashing options.
Great stuff friend 👏 👍
Oyster people vs robot squirrels!
Remember to like and comment to appease the almighty algorithm 😁❤️👍🏻
Dang thought I was 2nd
This video is one of the most helpful I've seen!
Great video!
Adam is 6.2.... i never knew he was primaris size
I thought Primaris were like eight feet tall BEFORE the armor? Thanks for watching!
I could Wargame exclusive if you're looking for 40k like miniatures with high quality resin and details. Not to mention they've partnered with many Ukrainian miniatures company across the country which giving you more options in their website. And yes, they're Ukrainian company and somehow still be able to ship miniatures as I got my order during the first year. Currently they keep announcing new models almost every month at their Instagram account.
My FLGS has a print on demand service, from a catalog of .STL's they subscribe to at the merchant level on Patreon.
victoria miniatures, shield wolf and wargames exclusive are my main miniatures agnostic suppliers with some stuff from miniatures scenery. though mainly i am a 40k player till I get around to starting with one page rules and other agnostic minis games
When I'm playing miniature agnostic games I just use any mini's I already have, from GW to board games, if it fits I use it. I try not to spend any $$$ when I don't have too.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
One page rules works for me.🙂
Gonna argue that OPR is actually miniatures agnostic, you don't need to use GW models or in many cases they have armies that simply aren't suited to GW miniatures. I have 3D printed entire armies for them using a variety of creators' minis, including but not limited to GW. They also produce their own lines of minis through patreon you can get - but that isn't mandatory or even recommended. It's just an option. In my opinion they're the most 'agnostic' of any company, they literally do not care what you use but in some cases using specific models may be easier.
“Miniature agnostic” = the way things were everywhere before WH .
a.k.a. orthodoxy
I have some of those Shock Troopers. I really wish they were still in production.
I still haven’t got into 3D printed stuff yet, but I am considering ordering some 3D printed tanks for The Last War since my cardboard diy ones are a bit scary, lol. I have been living Wargames Atlantic! I also have the lizard men and I have started taking the plethora of extra heads and putting them on 1/72 knights I have to make goofy looking kobolds.
Outstanding video. Great resources.
I mainly use 15mm and order from Rebel minis for packs of 25 for things but for individual I got to Khurasan, however they are a one man show and it can take a while to get your stuff but I'm always happy with what I get.
Google is most assuredly, absolutely NOT your very best friend.
It is however quite good at helping you find things you want to buy.
Khurasan miniatures does a bunch of 15mm and a bit of 28
I want to get into 3d printing with how painful most models are anymore.
its a sad commentary that we've reached a point in gaming where a video like this has to be made.