Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Pikes, Muskets and Flouncy Shirts => Topic started by: Jethro on December 01, 2010, 07:52:41 PM
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Hello all i am new to this and looking for pirate models i have some black scorpion models but looking for others and where to find some boats etc
thanks
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Black Scorpion are excellent, but if you want quantity as well, look at the Foundry range - hundreds to choose from.
:)
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Hello and welcome.
I don't do "pirates" so I can't really comment on that but I am a the beginnings of a small fleet of ships.
If you're starting off, you can't do wrong to check out the 'Sea Dog' pirate ship from http://gamesofwar.net (http://gamesofwar.net)
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I'd second Foundry - they are lovely! ARRGH! ;)
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Foundry. Huge range. Masses of character. Lovely. I have about 200 of them!
Crusader do a small and rather nice range which is more or less compatible.
Black Scorpion, alas, beautiful as they are, are around 10mm taller, so not really compatible, unless you don't give two hoots about such things.
Dixon do a small range of pirates, but not really to my tastes.
Old Glory do a huge pirate range, with some wonderfully conceived ideas for packs - unfortunately the execution (sculpting and casting) veers between - IMHO - average to piss poor.
I have several beautiful resin pirate vessels from Dixon and Village Green. I'm not sure the Village Green ones are still available, although I think someone else carries them now. There are several other makers of pirate ships...
Hmmm. Maybe we should start a 'where to buy pirate ships' sticky... ::)
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Our pirates fit in very well with Black Scorpion as both are "heroic 28mm scale" so slightly bigger than some of the other! http://blackcatbases.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=437_439
Jo:)
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Minime models produce some very nice ship models which are reasonably priced. foundry and Crusader would be my preferred figures.
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Hmmm. Maybe we should start a 'where to buy pirate ships' sticky... ::)
In the meantime ( ;)) Cianty's blog has a rather handy review of some of the products available. :)
http://cianty-tabletop.blogspot.com/2008/10/setting-sail-collecting-ships-for.html (http://cianty-tabletop.blogspot.com/2008/10/setting-sail-collecting-ships-for.html)
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If we are gathering all sources, don't forget Eureka.
http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_170&sort=3a
They also have Chinese and Turkish pirates.
Not the best sculpts out here in my opinion.
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Miniaturicum for all my Tale of War 'Ron 'n' Bones lady pirates,extraordinary sculpts. And Kabuki do a Bonney Anne limited to 300 minis and she is lovely,got her from CMON,and then there is Freebooter.......also nice in that Werner Klocke way ;)
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I'd certainly recommend the Foundry range, one of their best non-Perry ones I'd say. :)
www.gallopingmajorwargames.com
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Artizan Designs have some:
http://www.artizandesigns.com/list.php?man=1&page=1
Musketeer Minis have 3 in the Heroes range.
Games of War have some ships and supplies:
http://www.gamesofwar.net/acatalog/Pirate_Supplies_Store.html
The Frothers pirate showcase should give you some pointers:
http://www.frothersunite.com/files/wk/sc/pirates/pirates1/pirates.htm
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Captain Blood mentioned the Village Green resin ships, the largest of which is a real beauty. Those are supposed to be available now from Stronghold miniatures in the UK, but that company is on a temporary shutdown due to a family breakup, according to the web site:
http://www.stronghold-miniatures.co.uk/
I want to make some slightly more specific recommendations:
Everybody has recommended good sources for pirates. However, when taking on this topic, it's good to look for merchant ship crews, local defence forces, townfolk, natives/cannibals, and wierd stuff like skeletons to fill out the whole pirate scene.
Regular male pirates: as recommended above already, but add in Brigade Games.
Early types for the 1500's: Foundry's El Dorado and Elizabethan sea dog packs.
Duelist types (as in 3 musketeers): Blue Moon, Brigade Games, Black Hat.
Female pirates: Bronze Age (my favorites in a "Victoria's Secret" style), various figures scattered throughout the Reaper, Foundry, and other lines, with special mention going to Brigade Games
Arab pirates: Foundry Zanzibari and Baluchi packs, Reaper for a few character figures.
Chinese pirates: Foundry, some Pulp Figures packs (without modern weapons), Old Glory.
Townsfolk: Foundry (Mexican peasants, 18th Century civilians, and monks), Old Glory pirate line
(bar scene pack, Governor's pack, and victims pack), Old Glory horror lines such as the Sleepy Hollow packs, Front Rank civilians, Reaper townsfolk packs (some figures too medieval, but other's useful), Blue Moon 18th Century civilians box set.
Marines: most troops on ship would be like the land troops, but the British ones wore a short cloth fusilier cap that can be found among the lines below, including Foundry, Dixon, and Old Glory.
For local defense forces: Dixon's Augsberg and Grand Alliance lines, Perry's Glory of the Sun line, Foundry's early Marlburian packs (informal tricorns) or English Civil War or Thirty Years War packs for the 1600's, or you could use various tricorn wearing lines for early 1700's, including Front Rank (big figures), Foundry, Dixon, or Old Glory (cheap but nicely animated). For 1500's use Foundry.
For merchant ship crews: Old Glory European sailors.
For natives/cannibals: Copplestone (Tupi, etc.), Old Glory cannibal packs, and various Foundry.
For skeletal or undead pirates: Moonlight Minis, Eureka, Reaper, and the Old Glory undead crew.
For ships, I think the choice is between using smaller ships, usually resin or wood, to set the scene, or using larger ships so that one can fight big melees on deck. Many resin ship makers have been suggested, but for the bigger style of ship, the best bets are (1) Playmobil, (2) Mega Bloks, or (3) scratchbuild your own (such as with the Gary Chalk designs). The Mega Bloks ships require a bit more conversion work due to all the little bumps, but the results can be fantastic. See the thread on the Avery's treasure game posted by Sinewgrab recently to see what I mean.
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and if you want some beautifully sculpted but expensive Pirates for a skirmish game, try http://www.freebooterminiatures.de/en/catalog/freebooters-fate/pirates
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thanks all will look at them all
cheers
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Freebooter Miniatures are great! Pricey, but you get what you pay for...
Black Cat has a good variety.
I also like Tale of War's Ron and Bones figs. Kinda cartoony, but still great to look at.
Bronze Age has some female pirates. Not too hip on this line, IMO, the kinda look wonky. But I know lots of folks who love them.