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Miniatures Adventure => The Second World War => Topic started by: Mr.J on June 24, 2013, 11:55:58 PM

Title: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Mr.J on June 24, 2013, 11:55:58 PM
I was just wondering if anyone on here knows what happened to the Mike Owen sculpts that he did for BEF Miniatures? I know the vehicles wound up at Warlord Games but they don't seem to have the minis there. They seem to have a bit of a habit of buying up ranges (e.g. Bolt Action) and replacing excellent sculpts (e.g. Paul Hicks) with less then excellent (but still good) sculpts and I hope that these minis have not been lost.

Any ideas anyone?
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: fitterpete on June 25, 2013, 12:24:06 AM
I'd like to know if you can still get them too.
They were on my " to buy" list. Paul from Warlord said on TMP that they had been "retired".
What I'd really like to get are the originals  before they butcherd them with their separate head system.I bought the Germans but the heads fit kinda silly(read pin heads) on them.
Pete
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Helen on June 25, 2013, 05:20:45 AM
My guess is to place an ad for wanting these miniatures. As mention I bought the Germans and Belgians and the separate heads are wee smaller than the body.

Cheers,

Helen
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Ray Earle on June 25, 2013, 09:45:36 AM
I'd put an ad in the (WANTED) thread a little while back, there are very few about. I think the current Warlord games sculpts are mainly the old sculpts with the heads chopped off and new ones sculpted. The support weapons definitely are.

It looks like there are some additional sculpts there too and some that have been discontinued.

I'm tempted to contact Mike and see if he'll sculpt some heads for the British so I can get them to match....
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: jtrnka on June 25, 2013, 11:40:30 AM
I was just wondering if anyone on here knows what happened to the Mike Owen sculpts that he did for BEF Miniatures? I know the vehicles wound up at Warlord Games but they don't seem to have the minis there.

Those vehicles also went to JTFM Enterpises/Die Waffenkammer and Company B.

I've emailed Mike Owen about the old BEF miniatures and he no longer has the rights as I was hoping to purchase those rights....
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Mainly28s on June 25, 2013, 02:06:56 PM
I'm probably going to be labelled a "hater" for this, but I really don't like the way Warlord "retire" perfectly good figures, and then replace them with "improved" "remastered" ones. The re-sculpts don't usually look better than the older figures, and in many cases look worse, and, more importantly, don't match the style of the original figures. This is especially noticeable in the way the clothing is draped- the creases and folds of the newer sculpts are completely different.
The overall style has become a lot more cartoon-like (think Battle or Commando), and has gone (IMHO) downhill. The other part of the retire/re-sculpt/re-release cycle I don't like is that some figures never see the light of day again.

Would it not make sense to keep the older ones in production, and add the new sculpts/re-sculpts as additional options to a range?
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Mr.J on June 25, 2013, 02:25:52 PM
I agree with pretty much everything you have said there Mainly28s. I don't see why they bought the ranges in the first place if they don't intend on using the minis.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Adam on June 25, 2013, 03:52:17 PM
I'm probably going to be labelled a "hater" for this

Certainly not by me, though. I could kick myself for not getting some while I had the chance for VBCW.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Ray Earle on June 25, 2013, 05:20:40 PM
Not by me either.

I'd always meant to pick some of the BEF stuff up when I eventually got around to WW2. Gutted that I missed the boat. To me the original sculpts are just so much better.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: fitterpete on June 25, 2013, 10:11:32 PM
No argument from me either Mainly28s.
The old Bolt Action figures are IMHO much better than most of the new stuff.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Thunderchicken on June 25, 2013, 10:13:59 PM
So do Warlord actually sell early war Brits?
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Adam on June 25, 2013, 10:44:52 PM
Yes, they've released a new range of them, and the BEF that were part of the BEF miniatures range have gone. They've also been removing metal bolt action minis from sale when they do them in plastic, as far as I'm aware. Think they replaced the Bolt Action early war Germans with metal versions before they did these new plastic ones too. Not knocking the new sculpts, just seems a shame that such nice minis have fallen by the wayside.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Wilkins on June 25, 2013, 11:07:41 PM
Bought a load of Paul Hicks' Bolt Action Americans. And it is becoming a chore trying to flesh them out into a useful force! If Warlord own the molds why not cast and sell some?
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: carlos marighela on June 25, 2013, 11:22:34 PM
Well there is the Crusader Miniatures range of early war Brits. Nice figures, no cartoon faces.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: jtrnka on June 26, 2013, 12:33:43 AM
It's a shame as the old Paul Hicks BA sculpts were excellent and Mike Owens BEF sculpts were extremely well done.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: grant on June 27, 2013, 05:37:35 AM
I have two sections, command, and a Boyes AT rifle in the old Warlord range if anyone is interested.  ???

Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: folnjir on June 27, 2013, 10:08:44 AM
I'm interested.
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: Mr.J on June 27, 2013, 10:28:42 AM
I'm after Germans if anyone has any?
Title: Re: BEF Miniatures
Post by: grant on June 29, 2013, 05:33:41 AM
I'm interested.

I'm afraid they went almost immediately! :o