Saxon Miniatures Royal Anglians

[RAD]

Absolutely ace imho. Aglians with a vendel touch. Outstanding again from Collin Paten here: http://saxonminiatures.com/product/royal-anglians-early-saxon-huscarls/

[WillieB]

Couldn't agree more.

[Lowtardog]

I just received all of their Romano British, they are lovely miniatures, crisp and have captured the period perfectly. Saxon minis are Colin Patten the original owner and sculptor of the Gripping Beast ranges, he has stormed through the ranges providing some lovely minis so far. In the order he put in some early Saxons which are excellent too

[Paul Richardson]

Really nice.

[Captain Blood]

Yes, they really are superb. I've been SORELY tempted by the Arthurians, and now by these early Saxons... If only I hadn't just spent three years completing Footsore armies for both sides... 

When I look at the speed and quality of Colin Patten's output for his new brand, I can't help but wonder if there is a little bit of an implied rebuke for his brother and the rest of the inheritors of Gripping Beast. Because it looks a lot like he is remaking the entire original catalogue of GB ranges which fired the early rampant success of that manufacturer - most of which they subsequently appear to have retired or over-written with (to my eye) manifestly inferior sculpts from different hands...
So Colin comes back and makes them all over again - only even better than they were to start with, more dynamic, and with many more variants.

Or maybe, as he says on his Facebook page, it's just because he loves sculpting Dark Age miniatures 

Worth remembering Colin does have a slightly spotty track record with his miniatures businesses. Having parted ways with Gripping Beast after a few years, he started Vendel Miniatures, churned out a huge number of very appealing (if slightly squat) Elizabethan / Border Reiver and fantasy figures - and then sold the whole lot on after a couple of years to Sergeant Major Miniatures in the USA.
I get the impression he may be someone who loves to sculpt when he's on a roll and the muse takes him, but perhaps he isn't so keen on the other aspects of running a wargames business. 
Well, that's the artistic temperament for you... 

Maybe the advice is - if you like these figures, get 'em while they're hot, because previous experience might suggest he could run out of enthusiasm as the business side of things takes off...

[RAD]

Hmmm that is a relevant point of view. I guess i will have some heavy lead investments to make here, even the minis will probably hibernate in a box for some years considering my output...:-)

[aphillathehun]

I bought some of his vikings and they are fantastic figures!

[Paul Richardson]

Interesting comments from Captain Blood. I have quite a large Dark Ages collection, assembled from various manufacturers including Foundry, Citadel, GB, Artizan, Crusader, Black Tree and Musketeer. About 8 years ago I started collecting AWI figures and then TYW figures and I stopped buying Dark Ages stuff - the last figures I bought were some of the first Musketeer Early Saxons. I've recently resumed my Dark Ages figure buying and one thing surprised me - how few GB figures produced (for the armies I'm interested in) in the last 8 years or so there were which I actually wanted to buy. Footsore have the lovely Late Romans with Vikings in the pipeline while Saxon have about 4 really tempting ranges but I'm quite disappointed with what GB has been up to while I've been 'away'.

[Athelstane57]

Just when I was starting to build a Crusader army for the Saga tournament, Saxon come out with these grrrr!!!  

Why, oh why, do manufacturers post such mouth-watering and tempting products just at the wrong time.  There really should be some sort of warning along the lines of "Do not view unless you are prepared to start collecting a new army".  

Superb figures.

Stephen

[axabrax]

I love this stuff--although having seen the figures next to the old Gripping Beast figres they are patently from the same hand and in the same style.  I suppose they are a little bit more dynamic, but otherwise they are about the same in my opinion. I saw an odd thread a while back where someone was praising the new Saxon Normans but claiming how they didn't like the GB Normans (the larger ones not the tiny ones)  which I thought was a classic example of gamers preferring the new shiny over the old even though the figures are so very similar face to face. In any case I wish him much luck! More El Cid stuff please...

[Athelstane57]

axabrax said

I love this stuff--although having seen the figures next to the old Gripping Beast figres they are patently from the same hand and in the same style.

Agreed, except that they are more like the later stuff than their early Vikings and Saxons.

[aphillathehun]

Is there anyway to persuade him to do some Carolingians?

[westwaller]

You could just ask him? I think the Saxon Miniatures page asks for suggestions.

[painterman]

I'm also tempted by these wonderful sculpts ( and LBMS transfers to-boot) - I think his FB page has mentioned moving to El Cid range (a reprise of the old Gripping Beast ones perhaps?).

[WillieB]

Is there anyway to persuade him to do some Carolingians?

I'd buy those without even thinking about it.
Then again, I'll buy anything from Colin. The figures are superb one and all, mix perfectly with the equally good Footsore ones, Gripping Beast, Black Tree and recently Curteys.
For Dark Ages lovers it's truly a golden age.