Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Predatorpt on February 18, 2014, 01:33:30 AM
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So I was talking with my friends at our local gaming club and since Infinity is going strong around here, we were wondering why there isn't any companies who make
1)alien civilians (different races) unarmed. Maybe with some diplomats/workers/politics. The only guys I can remotely think of are from this line, from Zombiesmith:
(http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0001/1790/products/group_large.jpg)
http://www.zombiesmith.com/collections/types?q=Starport
Or maybe even some Tau:
(http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2450432a_99810113013_TauAunvaCFC_873x627.jpg)
Or various Star Wars plastic minis from their old game.
2) Futuristic civilians: we would like to see hostages/colonists/politicians, etc.
The only ones I can remember right now are: Antenociti's Workshop:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v246/Pacific81/OW1_zps27d79c12.jpg)
Urban Construct:
(http://www.wargameterrain.co.uk/images/uploads/Ultra-block-starter-balcony-with-colonists.jpg)
Heresy Miniatures:
(http://heresyminiatures.com/shop/images/large/inspectorsdeal.jpg)
So, what do you guys think? Is there any interest in more civilians? Would you use them in your games (Infinity or others, of course)
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These guys from East Riding Miniatures?
(http://shop.eastridingminiatures.co.uk/ekmps/shops/ermp20/images/gg21-1962-p.jpg)
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Sure :) but in 15 mm size... :o 8) lol
No more 25+ mm for me.
Gracias,
Glenn
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Is there any interest in more civilians? Would you use them in your games (Infinity or others, of course)
Sure on both counts. Tho I'm actually pretty sure there are a few more in existence (for example Corvus Belli make a few themselves) -- more so if you are prepared to take some modern and other borderline stuff on board -- but don't have the time to go look right now. But the more the merrier as they say.
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Definitely some more civilians. There are a few available from Denizen's sci-fi adventurers that can be used as civilians.
http://www.denizenminiatures.co.uk
I have them and they are smaller than my Hasslefree and Heresy civilians but they are not so dissimilar in proportion that they look odd together.
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There are generally too few civilians, and too few games/scenarios/rules that make use of them.
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I'd love to see more civilian miniatures. It's always amazed me that even the RPG figure lines rarely have unarmed figures. I love weapons as much as the next guy, but if you even tried to populate a board with civilians you've discovered how few unarmed, non-combative types exist.
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Im definitely in the market for sci-fi civilians. People that look like the crowds in Bladerunner preferably: I dont want grimdark neo-serfs.
The problems as see them are that they have to be cheap enough to be able to assemble a crowd without breaking the bank (I reckon that thirty would be as much as I would ever need) and that the perceived wisdom is that they wouldnt sell. And frankly, Id say that sci-fi civilians wouldnt sell in large numbers to anyone except a certain type of hardcore, so making money back on them would be very tough Id say. I would love to be proven wrong.
But yes, I definitely have an interest. The Zombiesmith aliens and the Antenociti guys are the closest in look to what I want, but they are not cheap. The old Gangs of Mega-City 1 plastic gangers were also close to what I was looking for, but the sculpts were dodgy and the models are very tall, much taller than I would use (and I tend to be pretty forgiving about that sort of thing).
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Thanks for all the replies, glad to know that I'm not the only one who wants more civilian minis!
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Absolutely! 8)
I've toyed with the idea of getting some of those figures the railroad crowd uses to populate their platforms and streets. They're cheap as chips (even cheaper actually if you get them in bulk from China :D ) and, would you want it, can also be bought (very basically) prepainted. Go for 1/48 or S-scale, and they'd blend in rather well, even though they're not nearly as bulky as most gaming miniatures.
Clothing is pretty generic and bland, so might pass as 20th century or near future clothing without problem.
I came across them when looking for figures to use as zombie hordes. Put some gaming Zeds at the outside of the horde, and fill in the center with those cheapo railroad people. Just add some blood and gore and start purging undead... ;)
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I've toyed with the idea of getting some of those figures the railroad crowd uses to populate their platforms and streets. They're cheap as chips (even cheaper actually if you get them in bulk from China :D ) and, would you want it, can also be bought (very basically) prepainted. Go for 1/48 or S-scale, and they'd blend in rather well, even though they're not nearly as bulky as most gaming miniatures.
Thats a great idea, depending on how slight the railroad guys are. Could those figures accommodate a headswap or would they look absurd?
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Hmmm...I've thought about that option, but the figures always seem too thin and too tall - of course I can explain that by saying they are from a planet/colony with different gravity ;D
I'll check my links later today for some of those figures.
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I've acquired several dozen Heroclix that I'm using for civvy crowds. Quite a few have a 'future' look and they can be painted to look less 20th century. I'm adding shopping bags, briefcases, purses, etc. from the Wargames Factory zombie vixens sprue.
I also have Antenociti, a couple Cobalt-1, and some Havoc Protocol civvies (not sure who owns the rights to those now that Effigy shut down).
Cobalt has some trader types and a Palansi-human hybrid that looks like a good 40K Navigator.
http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_shop/index.php?cPath=121_182_189&osCsid=ff3d2c31dad0ae7393cee4fa9c9aa021
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I'm using plastics for my civilians. A bit more work, but quite cheap.
I've got several boxes of the old GOMC1 plastics
Wargames Factory Apoc Survivors male and female
Studio Minis plastic zombies
Various military sets (Void, Warzone, etc) can be used to make sci-fi pilots, diplomats, dignitaries, etc.
If you don't mind you civilians with a little bit of a Firefly look, the Victrix Old Guard Grenadiers are outstanding.
And 3D miniatures has a few alien heads if you want to do conversions.
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Metal Magic had a scifi civilian range, in true 28mm. EM4 has a few of them ;)
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the Victrix Old Guard Grenadiers are outstanding.
I for one would love to see photos, that sounds like something 1960s Hollywood would do.
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Here's some of the railroad figures I've been keeping my eye on:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/130-pcs-O-Scale-1-48-Unpainted-Figure-people-passengers-/00/s/ODAwWDgwMA==/$T2eC16R,!yME9s5qHBcZBQUVfEp0+g~~60_3.JPG)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150886651624?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
(http://i.ebayimg.com/t/100-pcs-O-Scale-1-48-Unpainted-Figure-people-passengers-/00/s/MTAyNFgxMDI0/$T2eC16dHJGwE9n)yUsZOBQRefcREcQ~~60_57.JPG)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400166422710?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
As you can see, most of their clothes seem a bit...old-fashioned.
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I looked at this as an option and I convinced myself that the general look and proportions of railway figures against most wargaming figures were just too different to work. That may be just because my painting and modelling skills aren't up to the challenge though. It would certainly be interesting to see someone go through with it.
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Those railway figures are great. When my kids were very small I would give them these "miniatures" to paint so they wouldn't want my more expensive ones.
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I know I am in the market for Futuristic Human civilians.
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As you can see, most of their clothes seem a bit...old-fashioned.
It's like they were trapped in the - what? - 50's? 60's? Not a hoody or keffiyeh or ipod or anorak etc. etc. in sight...
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It's like they were trapped in the - what? - 50's? 60's? Not a hoody or keffiyeh or ipod or anorak etc. etc. in sight...
I think it's the 50's. ;D
Meanwhile I found some other civilians but from a seller I never heard of:
http://www.thebattleforge.co.uk/civvy-street-148-scale-figures-211-c.asp
Some of them could work as near-future Humans.
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i'm using the Civilan Standees from Pulp City,bought a Ton of them.Imho they're really good to populate your Gaming Table :)
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i'm using the Civilan Standees from Pulp City,bought a Ton of them.Imho they're really good to populate your Gaming Table :)
Pics? Are they min's or just chits?
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I like the proportions of the humans but the details look soft from what I can see tho that might be the photo.
Also, they aren't sci-fi (or alien) enough to my taste and they all look like they're waiting for the ... well ... train but I think that's on purpose.
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Meanwhile I found some other civilians but from a seller I never heard of:
http://www.thebattleforge.co.uk/civvy-street-148-scale-figures-211-c.asp
Some of them could work as near-future Humans.
Bit ruff but I like 'em. :)
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I'd like to see a few sci-fi civilians too. I have a civilian riot mob in mind to play a few games, but I still haven't found proper minis; most probably I'll finally end up getting the Wargames Factory post apoc survivors (I believe an attractively unexpensive option) and let them go under extensive greenstuffing.
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I'd like to see a few sci-fi civilians too. I have a civilian riot mob in mind to play a few games, but I still haven't found proper minis; most probably I'll finally end up getting the Wargames Factory post apoc survivors (I believe an attractively unexpensive option) and let them go under extensive greenstuffing.
That's a good solution, but no an option for anyone who doesn't know how to sculpt with greenstuff (or similar) :(
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I have been looking for some Civilians, I have most of what is available or mentioned here, or at least the good stuff, some of the afford mentioned figures are a little weak in the sculpting and if I need to convert some I will use what I have as a base. It's at the point, if you going to use and learn how to use green stuff and you might as well use anything as a base that is cheap. For me that is resin Star Wars figures, Hero clicks, and Older Reaper figures.
I would love to see some tutorial on doing clothing conversions....
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Even though 25+ mm isn't my future, I think there are two problems with future SF civilian figures.
The first is the lack of non-combat attired/equipped figures for SF. That is not unique to SF indeed but for historical Victorian figures and Old West figures (overlap helps) there are more choices. It seems there are some decent Fantasy civilian figures for "collateral damage" or victim roles though perhaps not as many as some historical periods. But both seem better populated with civilian figures than SF.
Second, since we have no ideas how fashion will evolve in the future frequently Fantasy or Historical figures are "recycled" and I think this just jars frequently. We may not know what will be common fashion in the future but we can be pretty sure it won't be 1950/1960/.../2010 attire exactly repeated. The figures would have to be something "clearly different" to reflect future/alien fashions.
I think I will find it even harder to have civilian figures in 15 or smaller figures.
Gracias,
Glenn
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I don't think it's that difficult to produce vaguely scifi looking clothing without sculpting.
Scifi tends to rely heavily on jumpsuits, the color black and bright colors without being all that different from modern clothes. Look at Alien, Farscape and The Fifth Element for examples.
More than half the figures in the Wargames Factory survivor sets could easily fit the bill. If they have an odd action pose, give them a scifi looking do dad that makes it look like they are doing some form of manual labor.
Alot of military figures can be used without their weapons as Spaceport crew, ship crew, people in flight suits, etc. The old Void and Warzone plastics are great for this. Just need to give them more civilian looking heads.
If you want cheap aliens, start with Mantic Marauders or Forge Fathers and give them head swaps. There are alien heads available from Hasslefree, 3D Miniatures, Heresy, Blackcat Bases, and many others. Well, some of those may be demon or cthullu-esque heads, but will work. Throw in a few Tyranid arms from a friends leftovers and you're golden. GW ghoul heads can be obtained fairly cheap and could work as aliens.
It's not that hard to make longer or shorter "alien" legs by cutting parts from 2 different sets and splicing them together. This will take a little green stuff, but most of the work can be done by shaving the plastic into shape. Connections can be hidden with wrist bands, arm bands, boot tops, etc. so they don't have to be difficult or complex conversions.
There's tons of fairly simple and easy ideas out there. Given time, I'm sure I could come up with many more.