Best minis at 15mm range

[MaleGriffin]

I have 28mm Napoleonics, but a large ACW collection in 15/18mm. For me, AB are the best, especially the cavalry. Xan look very good and I would prefer them to Blue Moon or Old Glory. BTW, IMHO I think AB Napoleonics are even better than AB ACW. (just too hard for my eyes to paint!)

[Fred Mills]

I'm a bit late to this discussion, but I'd offer two comments, which overlap with Olicana's earlier remarks to some extent.

First, be mindful of size. In my forces, and depending a little on how one bases things, as small figures can be raised a little, the size scale goes something like this, from 18mm down to 15mm or so:

AB - Blue Moon - CGM - Fantassin - OG - BH - Essex - Minifigs

Second, have a notion of quality, both of figure and of your painting skill. Also, the quality of items within a range (horses vs infantry, say) is not always uniform. That said, of those I have painted, my personal view of quality would be, from highest down, which is also more or less the fun I have in painting them:

AB - CGM - BH - BM - OG - Fantassin - Minifigs - Essex

There is no bad company there - all great, and I've painted bunches. (My substantial 15mm ACW Union force, eg, is about 90% Essex and 10% other, including Peter Pig. My 15mm ACW CSA army is about 95% OG.)

Finally, cost. In planning a major purchase recently, of 1809 campaign vintage, I looked at BM, AB, CGM, and OG as possible suppliers. Price per infantry figure last year was as follows:

AB $0.70; BM $0.60 ($0.36 with Army Painter discount); CGM $0.44; OG $0.40

In the end, I bought CGM because the cost, plus shipping from Spain, was best, and owner Dermot is also a great guy.

Have fun with the scale and figures, whatever way you go!!

[Old Contemptable]

I have eight British line battalions which are all OG and I am thinking of doing the Guard, 95th Rifles and the Highlanders with AB. I am not mixing the two brands within the same unit. Will they both coexist on the same battlefield?

[Fred Mills]

Old Contemptable, the ABs will be, on average, around 1.0 to 1.5mm taller than the OGs, so the largest visual difference might be with the Highlanders (tallest headgear).

But in separate units, I wouldn't worry about it.

I have just started some British using old Minifigs, but my French are mainly from taller ranges. The differences are closer to 2.0mm, but I'll make the basing taller on the Brits to cut some of the visual height difference. And when the British figs are done, I also have some taller CGM Brits to tackle. All other things being equal, of course, I'd rather the height differences were less noticeable, but at a 1 metre viewing distance my aging eyes don't find a difference of millimetres all that egregious!

I still mix figures whenever I can too, especially if it looks like a natural height difference. For example, I use CGM (tall, robust) pioneer figures on my mostly OG command bases, where the standard bearers are often whatever ones I have available (for some reason, I seem to have a lot of BH in this pose) and the drummers are sometimes from smaller ranges. Likewise, there are more uniformly posed figures on advancing or marching bases, but more variegated poses on skirmishing, firing, or charging bases. It looks OK to me, and I'm essentially the only audience.

[Ray Rivers]

My Napoleonics are all AB.

Personally, I don't think it matters what company you go with, as the point of 15mm is to produce a large army, which in and of itself (including painting ability) is spectacular on the table.

So if you go with any other company it is no big deal.

Having said that, you know we all like special figures, like Generals and stuff that stand out on the table. I would say, for these figures, one should have a look at AB. They have some great miniature generals and aide-de-camps on horseback.

[Old Contemptable]

Yes, AB makes some wonderful command figures. I especially like Picton and the Prince of Orange. Thanks for all the good advice.