EPIC scale Waterloo from Warlord Games

[Norm]

Warlord Games have announced the release of EPIC Napoleonics (in the ilk of their ACW EPIC series last year).

It looks quite encompassing and mostly in plastic. I’m sitting on the fence until a bit more info comes out on what may follow, certainly in respect of other nationalities. My 2022 project plan is French / Austrian 1809 in 28mm, but I game in the home environment, so a smaller scale may suit. Though 10mm and 15mm at the moment would give me the certainty of Austrians and even Russians - much to think about, but WG have certainly put a ton of effort into this and I’m sure it will be popular.

Either way, I would like to choose one path before committing to paint!

I am starting the thread simply as a starting point for discussion and have included 4 links;

THE WARLORD PROMOTIONAL VIDEO
https://youtu.be/7iVuSV1n2Pc


A Vlogger fan based reaction video
https://youtu.be/M5Ogm8m-BrE


Another Vlogger fan based reaction video
https://youtu.be/lW55T5mBEeM


The Warlord Games shop page that shows the various bundles.
https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/epic-battles-waterloo

[has.been]

Awww. I had hopes they would choose ECW next.

[Ranthony]

Oh this is very exciting, I think it may very well escape the novelty factor that fades so soon after acquisition (as seemed to be the case with the acw release).

A large enough scale to be detailed, yet small enough to be forgiving of minute bits of lace etc, which seems to put folks off Napoleonics a little (it has me).

I would have welcomed an ecw release just as much as the next man, hopefully in time, that'll come.

Thanks for the news.

Ry

[fred]

Are these the same strange skinny 12mm scale that the ACW figures are?

They do seem to be aiming at piles of infantry that are very cheap.

[Norm]

They are part of the ‘Epic’ brand and fit 10 figures to a 60mm base just like the ACW stuff did, so I would guess that they are the same 13.5mm size.

[TomMcC]

But have you had a close look at some of the figures. There are not only errors, but schoolboy howlers of errors. Given the amount of information available in 2021, no company should be making these stupid mistakes over Napoleonic figures.

1. Look at the French line lancer. The trumpeter is carrying a lance! It seems they've just copied the basic trooper sculpt and stuck a trumpet on the side.

2. The French cuirassier and carabinier trumpeters are wearing a cuirass! Again, it looks like a lazy copy of a trooper with a trumpet stuck on. 

There may be other errors I've not spotted. But no company should be making these kind of errors in 2021.

In 6mm, Heroics & Ross and Baccus have done accurate figures for years.
In 10mm, Pendraken have done accurate figures for years.
In 15mm, lots of manufacturers do accurate figures, many have done for years.

What is it about Warlord that is fails on basics but just pushes through on marketing and hype?

I've not yet decided if I want to buy.

[Norm]

Tom, similar criticisms followed the ACW release, but it appears to be have been highly successful.

I agree that getting it right ‘out of the gate’ is an expectation, though I imagine that a large part of the target market will be able to live with the discrepancies.

I know if I have a French army for example, I will simply treat it as a generic French army, usable for the entire period and worse! I would do the same for the Austrians  , so some of this is less important to me and my very wide interest in periods, I just can’t service them all in a lifetime.

[DeRuyter]

My group is doing the ACW Epic and I have to say it does have a big battalion feel to it. Foe me I already have the 100 days armies in 6mm, 15mm and some in 28mm!

There are some 3d sculptors doing Napoleonic ranges for printing that can be scaled to fit the WL Epic scale which can fill in the gaps and maybe they will have the correct details as well. My role for the ACW is to print things that WL doesn't sell or does but requires extra purchases. Wagons, limbers, etc.

Now if they did ECW or ancients.....

[Chris Abbey]

I'm afraid, I just don't get it.
There are great ranges for Napoleonic's in 6mm, 10mm, 15mm & 28mm where you can get every troop type for every nationality.
Why not play Epic Black Powder with established and complete ranges just filling a 60mm base with as many figures as looks appropriate in your favorite existing scale?

12mm or 13.5mm does not appeal personally as I have huge Baccus Armies in 6mm for the massed effect and skirmish forces in 28mm.

[williamb]

I have more than enough Heroics and Ros figures so will pass on this.

[Macunaima]

I happen to enjoy this scale and I plan on making 120mm wide battalions and playing in centimeters. I will buy the starter sets as those are expensive, but not horribly so. But I won’t be buying 25 pound brigade boxes.

[TacticalPainter]

I suspect this is designed as an entry point for all those who don't collect Napoleonic. It's relatively cheap for the size of army you get; it's small enough in scale that you don't have to worry about painting small detail, and, you get everything you need in one box (or very close). I don't think this is a matter of people thinking "will this fit with the figures I already have?" it's more a case of "I've never collected this period because it's too hard/too expensive/I don't know where to start".

[Eric the Shed]

As stated this is most likely an entry point into Napoleonics or even for that matter wargaming - we should applaud warlord for at least investing in the hobby and trying new things. Warlord have in my mind a great reputation for trying new things and sticking with them. This is the same company that brought out Red Skies , Black Seas, Cruel Seas and several more in the last 10 years and as far as I can tell they still support and stock these ranges.

They are never going to satisfy everyone.

I think a bigger concern for companies like Warlord is the massive impact 3d printing will have on their business model in the next few years. I have just bought some 3d 28mm tanks online for less than a tenner each. After cleaning and painting they look as good as a Warlord plastic model sold for £20. A friend recently showed me some 10mm 3d printed fantasy figures for his warmaster armies - they are easily as good as / if not better than my metal figures and can be bought for less than half the price.

It strikes me that  if epic Naps takes off then there will be significant numbers of folks buying 3d stuff as opposed to the 'official' product.

But in the meantime well done Warlord...

.....and I wont be buying as I already have my 28mm collection...

[Bloggard]

indeed.

and then there's printing out fully 'coloured-in' figures / terrain etc which, even at the domestic level, can't be that far off. (I'm assuming there are higher level commercial / industrial machines which already can - even if not 'quickly' - I don't follow the topic?).

the hobby / craft is surely going to change entirely  in terms of supply and demand dynamics etc.

[vodkafan]

 A quite big 28mm Napoleonics collection already underway....if I went small it would be 10mm..sorry Warlord not sorry