What new ranges of figures would gamers like to see?

[huevans]

I've been chatting to genius minis sculptor, Stavros Zouliatis about sculpting some Victorian skirmish figures and Old Glory about mold making and casting them. Both of these are super well known in minis / wargaming circles and Stavros' amazing work speaks for itself.

https://www.instagram.com/stavros.sculpts/

There are already at least 2 very well done ranges available from large, reputable companies. The Perrys do an ACW range which has figure sets that can be adapted to Early Old West and also a British Intervention Force that has tons of period character!

And Empress has a huge Indian Mutiny range sculpted by the incredible Paul Hicks and extensively researched by Mike Snook.

I basically want to fill in the gaps with some of Stavros' great sculpts. Here are my ideas so far:

1. A Victorian espionage / crime range - gentlemen in top hats and frock coats with pistols and sword canes and elegant society belles with derringers and a range of brutal thugs and sinister villains to accost them.

2. A few sets of British India colonial personality figures - cavalry officers, early archeologists, Indian princesses and Sultans, tulwar men, fakirs and fanatics - both mounted and dismounted, to fit in with the Empress range.

3. A Royal Navy landing / boarding party to fight with South Asian, Japanese and Chinese pirates.

Other ideas are French and Russian colonial sets. But the British seem to capture so much more of the media and popular imagination that I am not sure other nations would be viable.

Does anyone else have ideas for ranges that would be interesting to do and potentially well received??

[carlos marighela]

Burmese. Britain fought three wars against the Burmese in the 19th C and there's but one, small and fairly obscure range, suitable only for the third Anglo-Burmese War. Yes, you can cobble together forces from other ranges ( ancients and the odd lightly dressed Indian) but no dedicated range.

The Burma wars are fascinating struggles that see all kinds of 19thC technology like rockets and early steam ships being deployed in amphibious assaults, attacks on fortified stockades through to jungle skirmishes. To make things stranger, there are suitable figures for the British and Indian Armies, the First and Third Wars being best catered to. The Second War, depite being the least nteresting of the three was the early career maker of that most modern major general: Garnet Wolseley.

[Cat]

If you do go for French, a set of 5 officers and 10 NCOs would have lovely cross-over appeal as the entire French military mission that served actively in the Boshin War:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_military_mission_to_Japan_(1867%E2%80%931868)
 
Bac Ninh Miniatures has a lovely range of Japanese infantry types for the war, but it takes some considered scrounging and conversions to expand beyond that.

[traveller]

I think your 1-3 periods are rather well covered already by Foundry, Copplestone, Perry, Pulp, Brigade and others.

I would very much like some Russian colonials but also 2nd Boer War Boers and US infantry for the US Mexican War 😁

[Will Bailie]

I will encourage you to think Canadian and get us a new set of Métis and Cree suitable for the 1870 Red River and 1885 North West Rebellions, especially now that Rafm is gone and with them their line of 1885 miniatures.  Get us Gabriel Dumont, Big Bear, Wandering Spirit, and the man himself, Louis Riel.  Get us Canadian militia armed with Snider-Enfield rifles rather than having to repurpose British Zulu War troops with Martini Henry rifles. 

And while you're at it, some early (1873-1885) NWMP

[marco55]

A French range for West Africa with Western Sudanese,Dahomean,Samori's forces, Rabih etc. Briere DeI'lsle,Archinard,Bonnier,Dodds,Borgnois-Desbordes, and other noted French officers.
Mark

[Inkpaduta]

I agree with your number two. Personality figures for Indian Mutiny and the Raj would be great.

[Sakuragi Miniatures]

I like 2, I think it has potential for many visually distinctive and diverse characters.

[robh]

I've been chatting to genius minis sculptor, Stavros Zouliatis about sculpting some Victorian skirmish figures.........

2. A few sets of British India colonial personality figures - cavalry officers, early archeologists, Indian princesses and Sultans, tulwar men, fakirs and fanatics - both mounted and dismounted, to fit in with the Empress range........

Another vote in support of this idea, especially if it includes the "Great Game" adventures in Afghanistan. Non combatant figures like Civilians, Merchant Caravans and Camp scenes and suitably suspicious spies like Arthur Connolly and Charles Stoddart. Natives apart there are (limited) military figure options for 1st Afghan War and a much wider selection for later campaigns but a severe lack of the non combatant characters needed for narrative games.

[Tom Dulski]

 Spanish American war US infantry figures for sure. There are very few options for them out there.

[huevans]

Another vote in support of this idea, especially if it includes the "Great Game" adventures in Afghanistan. Non combatant figures like Civilians, Merchant Caravans and Camp scenes and suitably suspicious spies like Arthur Connolly and Charles Stoddart. Natives apart there are (limited) military figure options for 1st Afghan War and a much wider selection for later campaigns but a severe lack of the non combatant characters needed for narrative games.

What specific characters and narratives would you have in mind?

Empress has 1 set of "civilian adventurers" as part of their Indian Mutiny range. But it could certainly be added to.

[huevans]

Spanish American war US infantry figures for sure. There are very few options for them out there.

https://www.empressminiatures.com/1898-miniaturas-59-c.asp

[WillieB]

I've been chatting to genius minis sculptor, Stavros Zouliatis about sculpting some Victorian skirmish figures and Old Glory about mold making and casting them. Both of these are super well known in minis / wargaming circles and Stavros' amazing work speaks for itself.

https://www.instagram.com/stavros.sculpts/

There are already at least 2 very well done ranges available from large, reputable companies. The Perrys do an ACW range which has figure sets that can be adapted to Early Old West and also a British Intervention Force that has tons of period character!

And Empress has a huge Indian Mutiny range sculpted by the incredible Paul Hicks and extensively researched by Mike Snook.

I basically want to fill in the gaps with some of Stavros' great sculpts. Here are my ideas so far:

1. A Victorian espionage / crime range - gentlemen in top hats and frock coats with pistols and sword canes and elegant society belles with derringers and a range of brutal thugs and sinister villains to accost them.

2. A few sets of British India colonial personality figures - cavalry officers, early archeologists, Indian princesses and Sultans, tulwar men, fakirs and fanatics - both mounted and dismounted, to fit in with the Empress range.

3. A Royal Navy landing / boarding party to fight with South Asian, Japanese and Chinese pirates.

Other ideas are French and Russian colonial sets. But the British seem to capture so much more of the media and popular imagination that I am not sure other nations would be viable.

Does anyone else have ideas for ranges that would be interesting to do and potentially well received??

Yes, Empress has an extensive Indian Mutiny range but there are still some noticeable gaps. Gurkha's for instance!
Some British cavalry Hussars, Lancers or light Dragoons. At one time there was some rumour about a set for the 9th Lancers in white undress uniforms but nothing yet.
BTW I've have just started with some Indian Mutiny conversions.

First 60th Infantry in GREEN
Basic figure is the Empress New Zealand British infantry in shell jackets, but Ill be using the Perry Cape Wars infantry as well as to get 26 different figures.Replaced the head with a 3D printed one.
Omitted the cross-belt plaque and reshaped the cuffs into pointed ones.
Next will be the same but this time a unit in RED  shell jackets. Easier since I won't have to reshape the cuffs.

Lastly 53rd Foot in Home Service Dress ( Perry BIF figures) Only need to replace the head.
First two of 24/26. I only got them yesterday from my Salute order.!

[FramFramson]

More civilians and technicians in general are always welcome.

[huevans]

Yes, Empress has an extensive Indian Mutiny range but there are still some noticeable gaps. Gurkha's for instance!
Some British cavalry Hussars, Lancers or light Dragoons. At one time there was some rumour about a set for the 9th Lancers in white undress uniforms but nothing yet.
BTW I've have just started with some Indian Mutiny conversions.

First 60th Infantry in GREEN
Basic figure is the Empress New Zealand British infantry in shell jackets, but Ill be using the Perry Cape Wars infantry as well as to get 26 different figures.Replaced the head with a 3D printed one.
Omitted the cross-belt plaque and reshaped the cuffs into pointed ones.
Next will be the same but this time a unit in RED  shell jackets. Easier since I won't have to reshape the cuffs.

Lastly 53rd Foot in Home Service Dress ( Perry BIF figures) Only need to replace the head.
First two of 24/26. I only got them yesterday from my Salute order.!

How did you print the heads?

Are they resin or plastic?

Ghurkas can be done from the "Indian infantry with rifles" figures from the Empress IM range with the lace filed off and scratch made Khukris.

Yes, British colonial cavalry is high on my list. But they're not going to be accurate uniforms. Just rough and ready in stable jackets for the rank and file and laced patrol jackets for the officers and a mix of pith helmets and pillbox caps.

You could probably use the Perry Canadian militia cavalry for generic British cavalry early in the IM.