Ghost Archipelago Plastic Heritor Crew Previewed

[Belgian]

Found a picture of these online and they look splendid, these will have loads of uses including pirates and Mordheim! Picture can be found on my blog http://wargameterrain.blogspot.be/2017/04/northstar-miniatures-new-frostgrave.html?m=1 these will be very popular!

[Happy Matt]

Cool

[Ultravanillasmurf]

More plastic hooray!

They looked interesting.

[CPalmer]

They look great!
    Though once again it doesn't look like there were any female options included.  It's the one fault I have with Northstar's plastic Frostgrave sets...I wish they would include at least one clearly female head and torso...

[Smith]

They look great!
    Though once again it doesn't look like there were any female options included.  It's the one fault I have with Northstar's plastic Frostgrave sets...I wish they would include at least one clearly female head and torso...

As the existing Frostgrave range would indicate, we're in favour of diversity in terms of gaming miniatures, and a mixed crew set was discussed - indeed, it was the original aim for the kit. What we rapidly realized, however, is that it's not simply a case of including one female head and torso - it'd also be two arms to better suit the female torso (from an aesthetic and practical sense). At that point, we would have one female figure per sprue with a single weapon option... unless we replace some of the 'male' arms with further 'female' ones to offer more variety. At that point, we're looking at reducing the overall options in the box to accommodate a single model per sprue. I know GW manage it with their elves and whatnot (though I'd argue their alien build makes them more disposed towards a mixed box), but for us, right now, we'd have to be looking at an entirely separate plastic sprue of female crew - doubling the cost of producing the one boxed set. More likely would be a separate boxed set of just female crew down the line - an option that is already under discussion.

I do, however, agree, that it was a missed opportunity in the original Frostgrave Soldiers box - in hindsight, this would have been easily achievable as the above issues would have been removed to a greater degree by the bulk of the layered clothing.

[CPalmer]

Phil Smith-
   Thank you for the explanation and view of the decision making process.   I will keep my fingers crossed that the female heritor set becomes a reality!   
And it's still not too late to go back and revisit a female soldiers box for Frostgrave.  I'm sure there are a lot of us who would scoop up one or two not only for the game but for the multitude of conversion possibilities such a set would present as well!

[Major_Gilbear]

I like the look of those, and I think they'll fit in well with the other plastics in my collection, and add some nice variety for various Mordheim warbands. B)

@ Smith:

What you've just described is precisely one of the hurdles that Jes Goodwin explained back when GW re-vamped their Dark Eldar line. In the end, their compromise was to make the females a bit more heavy-set, and the males a bit more androgynous, and that way they could share legs and arms/weapons. In effect, only the torsos and heads were "obviously" female, and whilst I completely appreciate the effort and intent, that design choice does also reduce the differences between male and female models quite a lot (at least, from a table-top in-game view... Not wanting to start that debate again!  ).

I hope that in future, after the possible (and hopefully successful) launch of some female-only sprues, there is consideration given to selling mixed boxes?

[Smith]

Phil Smith-
   Thank you for the explanation and view of the decision making process.   I will keep my fingers crossed that the female heritor set becomes a reality!   
And it's still not too late to go back and revisit a female soldiers box for Frostgrave.  I'm sure there are a lot of us who would scoop up one or two not only for the game but for the multitude of conversion possibilities such a set would present as well!

Heritors (and Wardens) are going to be metal figures, as per the Frostgrave wizards/apprentices, and they are a diverse bunch!

Frostgrave figures will keep coming and, yes, going back and revisiting the idea is a possibility.

I hope that in future, after the possible (and hopefully successful) launch of some female-only sprues, there is consideration given to selling mixed boxes?

Perhaps - that's something that could be considered, yes. I'm sure there would be practical issues to be navigated and I'm just one opinion, but if I had limitless funds and free rein, that would probably be my preferred approach.

[CPalmer]

Heritors (and Wardens) are going to be metal figures, as per the Frostgrave wizards/apprentices, and they are a diverse bunch!

I guess I should have more specifically said, "..fingers crossed that the female heritor crew set becomes a reality". :-)

[Coenus Scaldingus]

[...] if I had limitless funds and free rein, that would probably be my preferred approach.

Any estimate as to how much you'll need for funds and bribes? 

Thanks for the info, and indeed the pictures OP.

[Jerekin]

Ok, i thougt about writing a longer text. But I don't want stir up a hornet's nest.

I am pro feminism, but I see no sense in including female miniatures just for the sake of diversity while cutting down the number of possible combinations through splitting the number of parts between two biological genders.

I do, however, agree, that it was a missed opportunity in the original Frostgrave Soldiers box - in hindsight, this would have been easily achievable as the above issues would have been removed to a greater degree by the bulk of the layered clothing.

I agree, if it would'nt have meant cutting other options out and you would have extended the sprue a bit instead.

Ihope that in future, after the possible (and hopefully successful) launch of some female-only sprues, there is consideration given to selling mixed boxes?

I am not per se against this, but just under the premise not cutting options as explained above. Another thing I'd like to avoid is being forced to buy several basic female sets or being cursed otherwise with leftover female clones from later mixed sprues without enough female parts on its own. Maybe I understood this paragraph wrong. If you meant making seperate female sprues this would be perfect. But PLEASE don't mix male and female sprues in one boxed set. Otherwise I am doomed just like with those project Z zombies or those stupid GW Bundles with leftover stuff and yes there may still be projects which don't need both genders. Heresy I know.

I see the haters coming: "Blarghh, how can he say this and declare himself pro feminism"

While I agree that there are certain mutual effects between fiction and real life I feel competent to seperate those to a good enough degree. Even If some people can not, I mean our hobby is about playing war just like those evil evil shooters and the ideology of the forces and actions we field mostly do not represent our own. (I hope so at least). In a world, that includes a more archaic view comparable to pre modern times, where the biological original form, the following of basic instincts and the physical edge, even after similar training favoring men in combat, is in my opinion a gender gap bearable. I mean isn't the emancipation a necessary result of the prolonged enlightment and humanism anyway and should'nt war itself end at least to a certain degree in long term then, but which is inherent for our fictional hobby? This is not meant as an generalization. I can imagine a lot of scenarios especially SciFi, where this can be different and as I said I am not against female miniatures per se. (In fact I love the female Frostgrave metal miniatures and I love converting the soldier and barbarians with Statuesque heads.) But pleas when you don't have the financial safety whatever that means don't cut things out or make a bad compromise. I bet there are a lot of people who understand that this is a "small" business and understand when the social entrepreneurship which is necessary in a lot of parts in our modern world doesn't manifest in wargaming plastic sprues at all cost.

In the end I am okay with medieval gender ideology and just occasional women if necessary, because it's fiction and we don't have that much of a social reach anyway and our hobby is not about teaching people. Leave this to others please if necessary and stay rational.

I maybe sound a bit alarmist. It's just preventive and with one eye on other "hatewars" I saw arouse on different non wargaming topics through all the parties concerned overshooting the mark in serveral aspects.

I hope I pissed noone, as it's just to easy especially these days...

I am more than happy to hear your opposing view, if you disagree.

Edit: One solution for an all female set could be a Nickstarter with a funding goal, or not?

[Darkson71]

Thumbs up to Jerekin's post.

[devonjones]

Edit: One solution for an all female set could be a Nickstarter with a funding goal, or not?

I would throw in on that.  My warband has a witch, and as I get my minis painted, I'm using a succubus for the witch and apprentice, and I would *love* to have a set of female cultists to go with it.

[Roger]

I dont know if its possible or has a big enough market but what about a set of female arms and heads that would go with an existing set?
I for one wouldnt be opposed to buying another set of basic frostgrave soldiers or barbarians and female arms and heads to go with them to
achieve what I want.
That being said ( if we're talking wishlists here ) I'd personally like a set of male and female wizard type heads and arms, with staffs and arms in
magic casting poses ,if that makes sense
I'm liking the look of the GA figures, and I caught a look at the Northstar Orcs and Dwarves ...
Roger

[M.O.T.N]

Cannot wait for Ghost Archipelago.

As for female mini's - head swaps from Statuesque Miniatures simply do the trick for me.