Alternative Rohirrim from Gripping Beast?

[Red Orc]

I have a few of GW's Rohirrim that I picked up in an ebay lot. I'd like to add to them, in an attempt to get some units on a table. But the GW minis are about £26 for 6, which doesn't seem like a very good deal to me.

So I was looking at alternatives. I've been looking at Gripping Beast who have some 'Goth Noble Cavalry' and some 'Dark Age Cavalry'. As Rohirrim are just  fantasy Volkswandrung German horsemen, I thought they might make good substitutes (especially as they're half the price).

I guess there are two questions here, the first being 'does anyone know if the two sets I mentioned scale OK with GW's Riders of Rohan?'

The second question is, 'assuming they do, which is a better match for the Riders of Rohan, in terms of weapons and armour (not so bothered about helms, any projected unit will have a mix anyway)?'

Thank you muchly in advance for your collective words of wisdom!

[Dobbie71064]

While I don't have any of the gripping beast Goths or Dark Age Cavalry but I do have some of the Gripping Beast Vikings and those wouldn't match the scale of the MESBG Rohan. The MESBG range is an odd scale, closer to a true scale 25mm then the 28mm/32mm most modern manufacturers offer.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Somer of the metal Rohirrim aren't too bad for size, but the plastic ones are tiny. 
Metal may go well with Footsore miniatures.
Plastics would probably have to go with older 25mm figures.
I don't have any Irregular miniatures, but these are meant to be 25mm.  The Lombards look like they would suit
https://irregularminiatures.co.uk/25mmRanges/25mmMedievals.htm

[Will Bailie]

You may want to consider Old Glory; prices are fairly reasonable, miniatures are not too large.  They are older sculpts, though, and the horses in particular won't be as nice as what the Perry twins sculpted for GW.
https://www.oldgloryuk.com/goths/1/6/181/183

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

As long as I am not teased about my incomplete painting (the Elf cavalry is almost 3 years in getting mostly done  )


Left to right:
Black Tree, GW, Plastic Gripping Beast, metal GB (with plastic Saxon head), Eureka, GW, Oathmark, Footsore (with elf head), Crusader, Artizan, Reaper, GW



The same order for the non GW figures with a metal and plastic GW in the middle.  The metal figure is much bigger.  I also see the Eureka chap went for a wander....


GW (plastic), Footsore, A real Frankensteins monster - Fireforge horse with a ? Conquest horses head Fireforge body and Oathmark elf head


Same on a different angle

[Red Orc]

While I don't have any of the gripping beast Goths or Dark Age Cavalry but I do have some of the Gripping Beast Vikings and those wouldn't match the scale of the MESBG Rohan. The MESBG range is an odd scale, closer to a true scale 25mm then the 28mm/32mm most modern manufacturers offer.

Damn, I was not expecting that. I'm not prepared for a rant about how GW isn't making ridiculously-oversized minis.

Thanks for the information.

Somer of the metal Rohirrim aren't too bad for size, but the plastic ones are tiny. 
Metal may go well with Footsore miniatures.
Plastics would probably have to go with older 25mm figures.
I don't have any Irregular miniatures, but these are meant to be 25mm.  The Lombards look like they would suit
https://irregularminiatures.co.uk/25mmRanges/25mmMedievals.htm

OK, Irregular might be good...

You may want to consider Old Glory; prices are fairly reasonable, miniatures are not too large.  They are older sculpts, though, and the horses in particular won't be as nice as what the Perry twins sculpted for GW.
https://www.oldgloryuk.com/goths/1/6/181/183

Thanks, I'll take a look.

As long as I am not teased about my incomplete painting (the Elf cavalry is almost 3 years in getting mostly done  )

Never! I have minis that I started painting in the '80s that I haven't finished so I would never dream of taking someone else to task for unfinished painting!

Thanks for the comparisons, they're really useful.


I shall check out all of those suggestions, but also give to consideration to an alternative plan - try to pick up job lots from ebay, which is how I got into this situation in the first place...

[Ninefingers]

I kitbashed the Oathmark Human Foot Soldiers with the Gripping Beast Dark Age Cavalry set for my Rohirrim (before Oathmark brought out the mounted humans).

[Pattus Magnus]

Ninefingers, those conversions sound very interesting. Do you have any pics handy?

[Ninefingers]

Here you are!

[Pattus Magnus]

Really nice job! I think I prefer those to both of the original sets they are derived from.