Wargames Foundry Plastic Ancient Germans

[wmyers]

No, the title is not a typo.

No, Wargames Foundry has not released their own plastic figures.

Wargames Factory made them.

While many have had the Wargames Foundry ancient Germanics for a number of years, I only got some this last week. I quickly ordered some Victrix Germanics in the hope they are compatible and then decided to check out the Wargames Factory Germans I’ve had for years to see how size compatible they are.

To my surprise they are very compatible.  So compatible the poses were obviously highly influenced by the Foundry ones.

I noted, while starting to base the Foundry figures, there are only a few poses with heads, arm positions, cloaks and some accessories being the real difference. 

The Wargames Factory figures don’t seem to have been noted as being that highly influenced by the Foundry ones, from any reviews I recall reading.

I do recall reading only the sprue with the running figure being sent out as a promo prior to the sets release - that could have been very deliberate.

I do recall complaints about the open hands on the Wargames Factory figures, but I don’t recall the same complaint about the Foundry open hands. 

The figures are more detailed than the metal Foundry ones but more realistic in proportion (as can be seen in the photos). 

The heads are also more in proportion so they are therefore smaller.  The Victrix figures have lots of extra heads so I’m hoping they’ll be closer in size to the Foundry ones and not too much larger, to use on these bodies.

The metal Warlord Germanics mix in extremely well with the Foundry ones so if I can then make a lot of compatible miniatures to help flesh out and add new poses to my developing Germanic hoards, all the better.

(EDIT: Yes, I realize most are displayed upside down. The mobile version isn’t giving me an option to rotate and I rotated on my phone, saved and tried to reupload but they’re still showing as upside down.)

[wmyers]

Here is a picture showing the difference in head size. There’s not that much but it is the proportion of the details. 

[Elk101]

Hopefully the images are all fixed now? They're showing the right way round for me, at least.

[rumacara]

Yup. We can see them on the right position.

[vodkafan]

To my eyes the plastics do seem the smallest tad bulkier and taller at the shoulder so by the time a head is on it might be more noticeable. But that should make them even more compatible with the Victrix?
Either way it looks like your box of old Wargames Factory warriors are going to be very usefully employed and not wasted.

[Emperorbaz]

The wargames factory and wargames Atlantic plastic have an issue in common that the arm/shoulder joint is not flush - making them look like an undressed action man. Victrix are far better sculpts but the javelins are too thin and easily break.

[wmyers]

To my eyes the plastics do seem the smallest tad bulkier and taller at the shoulder so by the time a head is on it might be more noticeable. But that should make them even more compatible with the Victrix?
Either way it looks like your box of old Wargames Factory warriors are going to be very usefully employed and not wasted.

Yes, the key, I think, will be to ensure neck length matches. 

The details are not as sharp so I’m hoping Contrast type paints using a “slap chop” type painting method, might be best.

[wmyers]

The wargames factory and wargames Atlantic plastic have an issue in common that the arm/shoulder joint is not flush - making them look like an undressed action man. Victrix are far better sculpts but the javelins are too thin and easily break.

I’ve found by placing ultra thin glues on each side of the join prior to assembly and then pressing the join together tightly while turn the arm into the shoulder the melted plastic helps eliminate some of this.

And you’ve gotta turn them anyway to get the best possible position.

I find drilling the hands and replacing spears and javelins to be, by far, the best method.

I find lots of Victrix spears are already Brocken on the sprues.

[Emperorbaz]

I’ve found by placing ultra thin glues on each side of the join prior to assembly and then pressing the join together tightly while turn the arm into the shoulder the melted plastic helps eliminate some of this.

And you’ve gotta turn them anyway to get the best possible position.

I find drilling the hands and replacing spears and javelins to be, by far, the best method.

I find lots of Victrix spears are already Brocken on the sprues.

Ah I’ll try that. Yes I have tried drilling hands and replacing with steel spears to be quite effective. I have also tried replacing some of the spear/hands of Victrix with some leftover gripping beast ones, they are a bit thick but at the moment they are just an experiment.

I do like the look of the wargames Atlantic figures, they are a good match for gripping beast, but both are quite a bit smaller than pan the Victrix late Roman  I am using!

[guitarheroandy]

Regarding spears on plastic figures - they can be very brittle esp the Victrix ones. I have found that using wire spears marketed by 15mm companies work best as they are thinner than the traditional wire spears sold by North Star, etc which works well with small plastic hands. I can't remember which company I bought my 15mm spears from but they are long enough to be used for javelins/throwing spears for 28mm and are thin enough to go into the small delicate plastic hands if your drill bit is fine enough. I'll edit this post when I remember where I bought the spears from as it'll probably come to me in a random moment later! 

[wmyers]

This is what I use for spears:



They really work good, but are too thick for javelins.

I’ve read of 23 gauge pin nails (headless) being used for 15mm figures.

[bluewillow]

Not sure the wargames factory Germans are still available. Interesting though as the Republican Roman’s are similar.

I am currently building a Germanic army for a client and using Victrix, warlord and Foundry, with quite a lot of mixing and matching going on, plus some green stuff, plastic and metal heads from other ranges. 

Cheers
Matt

[wmyers]

Not sure the wargames factory Germans are still available. Interesting though as the Republican Roman’s are similar.

I am currently building a Germanic army for a client and using Victrix, warlord and Foundry, with quite a lot of mixing and matching going on, plus some green stuff, plastic and metal heads from other ranges. 

Cheers
Matt

They are not being made anymore. Warlord Games never opted to sell them as part of their agreement with WGF.

They can be found on eBay but people are starting to charge a lot for them.

I’m sure deals can be found, at shows, in a person’s stash, etc.

I’ve had these on the shelf for years. German cavalry as well.

Victrix never expanded their Germanics (no cavalry nor missile troops - the Dacian archers could be used, though).

[bluewillow]

They are not being made anymore. Warlord Games never opted to sell them as part of their agreement with WGF.

They can be found on eBay but people are starting to charge a lot for them.

I’m sure deals can be found, at shows, in a person’s stash, etc.

I’ve had these on the shelf for years. German cavalry as well.

Victrix never expanded their Germanics (no cavalry nor missile troops - the Dacian archers could be used, though).

Yes, warlord could do a lot more with the range. My German cavalry are Victrix celts with Germanic heads.

[Pattus Magnus]

I don’t really understand why anyone would pay premium prices for the Wargames Factory ancient Germans or Gauls, even if they are out of production. They were difficult to get into natural looking poses and the details were pretty soft. In my opinion, there are way better figures out now, even if you have to do some kit bashing for some troop types.

The parallel to the Foundry poses the original poster shows is interesting- the designers definitely seem to have drawn on the older metal figures for inspiration.