Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Spong on May 15, 2010, 09:08:48 PM
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Hi all,
I'm very interested in Giants lately, I think it's in part due to the fact I got Hellboy Volume 9: The Wild Hunt for my birthday (really great book by the way) in which Hellboy hunts a gang of six giants and I really liked the style of giant Fegredo and Mignola have come up with.
Here's a few screens:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_Q2_ID6hflJQ/S07yD43d8MI/AAAAAAAABVo/787zxJy4uUE/s640/Hellboy-Wild-Hunt-002-09.jpg)
(http://images.darkhorse.com/common/salestools/previews/hbywh4/hbywh4p1.jpg)
Aside from a few specific points (The Roman-esque Plate Armour and the predominant use of swords and polearms to be exact) there's something about their design that really fits with my idea of how a giant should look. I've been scouring the web for some time now looking for a suitable giant mini and the new Hellboy book has put me on another surge of investigation but I seem to keep coming up short (if you'll excuse the pun).
I guess I see giants as tribal, hunter-gatherers almost, but with some fairly primitive stuff. I'm not a fan of the extensively 'salvaged/cobbled equipment and booty from humans' theme that so many of them have. I prefer them to have crude leather and fur clothing or armour, clubs and maces for weaponry etc. Very Dark Ages in appearance perhaps with some basic metalwork going on.
I've looked at quite a variety of both current and oop miniatures designed as giants, larger-scale humanoid miniatures from 54mm (bit too small really but plenty of choice) to 200mm (Gauls, Celts, Barbarians, Gladiators, Neanderthals), action figures, toys, figurines and statues (Incredible Hulk, Conan, Kratos), some with a mind to convert and resculpt certain features. However, despite all this I still haven't come up with anything I'm really happy with.
I rather like the Reaper Frost Giant Warrior sculpted by Tre Manor but I'm not sure how big it is (ie: if its big enough as many of the Reaper minis are made with an eye to DnD scale and DnD giants aren't much bigger than your typical Ogre) and I haven't found any UK Reaper stockists who actually have this guy. I think if he was the right size and I could actually get hold of the mini a weapon change would make him spot-on.
(http://www.reapermini.com/graphics/gallery/4/65100_frost_giant_warrior_af_front.jpg)
Another one I think would be suitable is the old Chainmail WOTC Hill Giant (albeit with a bit of converting) but he is long out of production and ebay searches turn up nothing. Again though with this one I'm not sure of the size as he is still a DnD mini.
(http://warpaintstudio.homestead.com/wotccentaur.html)
This DnD Fomorian interested me, but again not sure of the size:
(http://minitool.darktavern.de/dd/img/giants%20of%20legend/69.jpg)
I also thought the Reaper Fire Giant could, at a push, be used as a Giant Chieftan or noble, or some other very wealthy giant as he has some metal armour but not complete Full-Plate as seems to be so common in the portrayal of Fire Giants. Weapon swap would be needed methinks. Once again, no idea of size or UK availability for this one.
(http://www.reapermini.com/graphics/gallery/4/65070_w_1.jpg)
Does anyone know the size of any of these minis or where I can get them in the UK? Any size comparison pics perhaps?
I found the Majestic Bear Giant but he looks a bit too feral and skinny. I love their Treemen though.
http://www.majesticbear.net/images/products/2/GP15a.JPG (http://www.majesticbear.net/images/products/2/GP15a.JPG)
The new Otherworld giant is a great sculpt but in terms of looks he's just not what I'm after - too much 'human' clothing - he's also a bit out of my price range. The Frost giant with some conversion work is a possiblity but he's not the biggest fellow out there.
http://www.otherworld.me.uk/images/otherworldgiantpaint1.jpg (http://www.otherworld.me.uk/images/otherworldgiantpaint1.jpg)
I was also looking at the Ultraforge Giant but he too is a bit pricey.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/ultraforge/ultragiant1.jpg (http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/ultraforge/ultragiant1.jpg)
I suppose there is always the option of using the Citadel plastic Warhammer Giant kit with some resculpting and conversion work.
If anyone has any suggestions on suitable giant miniatures, toys, statues and so on please do post here and let me know. Also any size and scale comparison pics would be great, both of giants next to 25-28mm minis and of different giants relative to each other.
Perhaps consider this a general resource thread for all things Giant-related?
Cheers,
Paul.
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The D&D Fomorian is really big, if you want a big-ass giant you should go for that. The D&D minis follow a basing standard; small, medium, large and huge are the most commonly used. The Fomorian is on a huge base. I don't have the actual base size in centimetres available, but the base is about 7 cm in diameter.
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I have this plastic toy set: conan and the frost giant's daughter
From memory, the giants are at least 20cm I think.
(http://www.comicsbulletin.com/news/images/0410/conanpvc.jpg)
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I think the HB giants look more like Giant Orcs, and a quick Google search picked up this conversion which may work! See;
http://www.razormage.com/giant.html
Tony
http://dampfpanzerwagon.blogspot.com/
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Fantastic stuff so far guys, thank you. I found the Fomorian on ebay for £5 so I've put a bid in for him.
The Conan figures look really good, I would need to modify them a bit and my only concern is all the flowing hair and beards as I would probably want to resculpt the heads to be more brutish. I dare say I could file down the hair though or perhaps make it into some kind of bearskin cloak/wrap. I've found this set for £20 online so at £10 a giant on the same scale as the Ultraforge fella that is pretty darn good.
I'm still thinking about the WH Giant, I probably wouldn't do quite as much to it as that guy did but certainly a reworking of the legs would be in order, I'd also want to try and do something to his left arm as I don't really like the 'Empire Shield Bracer' he's got going on. Still undecided on that one though.
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Do you like the older metal WH giant? Not sure if it is what you are after but I prefere it to the current plastic one.
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Do you mean the one just before the current plastic kit with the tombstone club?
(http://coolminiornot.com/173496)
Or the old Citadel/Marauder Giant?
http://www.warseer.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=60356&d=1243283792 (http://www.warseer.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=60356&d=1243283792)
If it's the former then yeah I like him (with the non-dragon-jaw head anyway) but he seems to be as rare as hen's teeth these days - if the Reaper and WoTC/Chainmail giants are the size I think they are then he would scale well with them but probably not so much the massive Fomorian and Conan figurines (although they could be promoted to Titan or something I suppose). If it's the latter then I've actually owned one of those since the mid 90's and although I like him as a collector's piece he's not the right style for what I'm currently after.
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I like both of those. Hate the new one.
Wish they kept the last one, but the one before was something else.
What about these? They are gigantic...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260596706904&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT
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We were discussing some of the minis pictured in WFB3 rulebook and I remarked on the big orange giants in the big battle scenes early on - Erny kindly enlightened me as to what they were -
I believe they are 60mm plastic Fighting Fantasy Ogers used quite frequently as Giants in 25mm.
http://www.solegends.com/citfightfant/fly8505-bfx-33.htm
I've heard they often come up on Ebay, but I've never seen them.
Any use?
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@ Rob: They are nice but crikey they are expensive!
@ Thantsants: I can't find any actual photos of those fellas and I'm always a bit wary of catalogue line-drawings but I'll certainly keep an eye out for these ones just in case.
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Yeah drawings aren't always great for inspiring confidence in the actual mini - 'spose I've got the advantage of having seen the cool colour photos in the WFB 3rd ed. rule book, which I'd happily scan in for you if my scanner wasn't bust... >:(
Found this link with a small grainy black and white pic of one of the ogres that would work well -
http://fightingfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Fighting_Fantasy_Figure
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Do you remember these (http://www.sodemons.com/dhurst/albgiants/index.htm) fellows? Pretty tribal looking if you ask me ('though a bit gangly perhaps). They still crop up (http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=Albion+Giants&_sacat=See-All-Categories) on ebay from time-to-time.
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Did anybody mention this one from Black Hat already?
(http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_shop/images/t-giant2.jpg)
http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_shop/index.php?cPath=121_123_154&osCsid=45c29f5cf1ac6eb6edb5a12b0482606a
Says its 105mm tall.
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Is this the face of the one you think will suit you?
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/6/1912_17_05_10_5_34_04.JPG)
One of these days I will get round to finishing this one.
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Yup, that guy is awesome.
Didn't win the bid for the Fomorian, I've found an online store that sells them for £8 though. Also found another large scale (7") Conan figure for £10 that might go well with the two from the Frost Giant's Daughter pack.
http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Starstore_Catalogue_CONAN_ACTION_FIGURES_3223.html (http://www.starstore.com/acatalog/Starstore_Catalogue_CONAN_ACTION_FIGURES_3223.html)
(3rd one down)
I've also emailed Tre, the sculptor of the Reaper Frost Giant Warrior (and of Red Box Games) and asked him if he recalls how tall the big frosty fella was.
I could really do with finding out how big the DnD Fomorian is, from my googling I found a rough estimation of 'Huge' scale DnD minis being about 90mm which would put him in about the same scale as both the old metal Marauder/Citadel giants, and, if my guess is correct, the Reaper and Otherworld giants.
If I manage to find out a couple of these sizes are what I suspect, then it presents something of a distinct choice between three 7" mega giants from the Conan figures or a series of smaller 90-100mm DnD scale giants from Reaper and WOTC.
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I always loved this one:
(http://www.majesticbear.net/images/products/2/GP1a.JPG)
From majestic bear. He got 2 heads and 2 sets of hands.
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I forgot about that company. He has the best tree-men I have ever seen. :)
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That second set of hands better be holding half a coconut in each. =)
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Did anybody mention "Otherworld" miniatures?
http://www.otherworld.me.uk/
Check out the giants, they are great, old-school looking ones.
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That second set of hands better be holding half a coconut in each. =)
You just gave me the best idea for a flintloque halfling!!!! lol
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And we are back on to python:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFXG3r_0B8 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHFXG3r_0B8)
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Why not try looking at the large scale figures that Verlinden etc do?
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These may not be what you are looking for but they are the largest giants I know of....
with various multipart options I understand
http://www.thebattleforge.co.uk/giants_10.html
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I have the female Fire Giant from Reaper:
http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/giant/latest/03168
She's 55mm to the eyeline, 68mm to the top of her hair. Your average 28mm scale figure would come up to around her upper thigh. Not the exact mini you were looking at, I know, but assuming the other giants are in scale with one another it gives a ballpark idea, at least. Hope that helps.