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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: Wilgut Spleens on February 21, 2025, 07:35:27 PM

Title: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on February 21, 2025, 07:35:27 PM
Here is my blog about the new WA serjeants https://wilgut.blogspot.com/2025/02/wargames-atlantic-serjeants-1150-1320.html
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Maxromek on February 21, 2025, 09:13:09 PM
I really like all these from WA, but I think they missed a bit by putting all of the non-gambesoned bodies in surcoats, with no bare maille bodies.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Ogrob on February 21, 2025, 09:25:49 PM
You've done a great job building and painting those.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: ulverston on February 22, 2025, 06:07:24 AM
Well that exceeded any expectations I may have had! Fantastic painting and I very much appreciate you listing the colours you used. A fantastic review... now to look around the rest of your blog, a great way to start the day.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Phil Portway on February 22, 2025, 07:33:18 AM
Great Review and very nice Blog!

WA are great figures

Now I have to buy a box of each for some kit bashing!
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: RedRowan on February 22, 2025, 09:00:57 AM
Great review and some lovely painting.

Steve
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Captain Blood on February 22, 2025, 09:30:14 PM
Nice review Mike, nice painting, and not bad figures. I’m torn between the rash of WA releases and the rash of Victrix releases for this early medieval ‘feudal’ period. I already have a fair number of Fireforge-made small retinues (with some kitbashed extras). Perhaps I’ll go to one of the frame resellers and just get one frame of each of the many new sets  :D
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on February 23, 2025, 07:17:40 AM
Thanks folks for the lovely comments.

Thank you Richard they are rather nice, better I think than the Fireforge, less chunky and very well propotioned. The only thing that concerns me is that they are not Renedra but some Chinese manufacturer and not quite as flexible or sturdy as I have become used to. I had several breakages while cleaning swords , scabbards, spears etc.These breakages appeared to my mind almost as fault lines as if there were a thin or hollow spot in the plastic. This was not a common enough problem to deter me from buying them again.

I hav not tried Victrix yet but I am very tempted by the Islamic sets and as you suggest may venture to buy some as indiviudal frames
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Ogrob on February 23, 2025, 08:24:29 AM
As far as I know, WGA moved their production from China to the US a few years back. The chinese manufacturer they used was quite unreliable and everything was always out of stick.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on February 24, 2025, 09:00:31 PM
Oh that's interesting!
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Melnibonean on February 24, 2025, 10:40:33 PM
A great review. I already have quite a lot of the Fireforge plastic sergeants but I'm sure I could add some more of these chaps to the mix. WA are really bringing out some great new sets of figures.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: mweaver on February 25, 2025, 12:17:48 AM
Thanks for the review, and I really enjoyed seeing what you did with the box. The Guy figure probably is my favorite.

-Michael
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: gregmita on February 25, 2025, 08:08:53 AM
These look very nice. How do they compare size-wise to Fireforge?
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on February 26, 2025, 02:58:13 PM
These look very nice. How do they compare size-wise to Fireforge?

They are the same height but less chunky, they kitbash together well enough
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Mick_in_Switzerland on February 26, 2025, 03:35:33 PM
Thank-you for the really good review.  :)
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Captain Blood on February 26, 2025, 04:23:32 PM
Well, I went ahead and bought a few frames - The WA/Footsore foot knights and foot serjeants, and the Victrix mounted knights.

The WA figures are a lot smaller than the Victrix figures. If you put near identical barrel helms from either set side by side, the Victrix ones are fully 25% larger. The WA heads in particular are really titchy. Having just compared with some Fireforge early medieval frames, I'd say FF are somewhere between the two in size and stature, although closer to the Victrix size. I think kitbashing the WA and Victrix sets would be possible when it comes to the arms, but perhaps not the heads.

The other thing I notice is that the detail on the WA sets is much softer and less defined. The moulding on the Victrix set, particularly on the mail, is a lot better defined and sharper. I've noticed before that Wargames Atlantic seem to mould their sets in a hard, shiny grey plastic. You'd think this would result in a sharper figure. Actually, the opposite seems to be the case. Their plastic figures always have a slightly 'soft' look to them, at odds with the apparent hardness of the material.

All that said, they are pretty nice, and I will definitely build a few to add to my Feudal collection (gallery here: https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=gallery;su=user;cat=755;u=577)

To me, the Victrix figures are superior, despite the excessive creasing in their surcoats - a longstanding issue I have with Victrix's otherwise excellent models. The caparisoned horses are rather brilliant though - bigger and more dynamic than the Fireforge equivalents. I'm now looking forward to the Victrix foot knights and serjeants.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on February 27, 2025, 02:05:23 PM
The other thing I notice is that the detail on the WA sets is much softer and less defined. The moulding on the Victrix set, particularly on the mail, is a lot better defined and sharper. I've noticed before that Wargames Atlantic seem to mould their sets in a hard, shiny grey plastic. You'd think this would result in a sharper figure. Actually, the opposite seems to be the case. Their plastic figures always have a slightly 'soft' look to them, at odds with the apparent hardness of the material.

I agree, its not a lack of definition  so much as just, very subtle. They are quite tricky to paint well. I like the depiction of the mail, its very realistic but does lack a certain crispness.

I sahll certainly have a look at the mounted equivelents when they appear
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: valleyboy on February 27, 2025, 05:59:56 PM
what a superb review - very informative - thank you
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Dolnikan on March 01, 2025, 09:45:59 AM
Thank you very much for this great review. I'm definitely going to be getting these (along with basically anything else they produce in the same scale). So far, my experiences with WA are pretty good and the one issue I had so far is more in terms of boxing. I kind of already have a lot of foot knights and would rather not get another 24 of them (plus what Victrix is making). But in the long run, they might fit in again.
Title: Re: WA Serjeants a figure review
Post by: Wilgut Spleens on March 02, 2025, 09:51:08 AM
Thanks guys for your kind words