Front Rank figurines quality!?

[Dr. The Viking]

This may come across a bit stuffy but I'm having a hard time figuring out if the Front Rank FIW miniatures are any good?! I think the photos on their page seem to give them a bad image... but maybe it is just the paintjobs that are a bit iffy. (not bad for massed armies perhaps though)





!?

I'm finding it hard to see the figures for the paint. 

[Gibby]

I can tell you that a lot of this forum's most prolific painters are big fans of the Front Rank stuff, so that's gotta count for something. I've had some of their medieval figures and was very impressed. A mate of mine has some of their Napoleonics and they're lovely. I can't see the F&IW figures being any worse than those, so I say go for it!

[Dr. The Viking]

OK!

That certainly could be a seal of approval. 

[Aaron]

I love Front Rank's Napoleonic range, but was less than impressed with the FIW figures. Honestly I cannot pinpoint exactly why that is, but I perhaps I was spoiled by the Conquest and Perry figures.

[axabrax]

10-15 years ago, they would have looked pretty good. These days, they look very old school, chunky, ill-proportioned, and blah in my opinion compared to Conquest and the Perry twins, especially for Indians. (It's very hard to go backwards once you've seen those gorgeous figures!) They are slightly better than the Dixon stuff. They have the advantage of being affordable and offering some troop types that no one else but Dixon and Old Glory currently offer for the F&IW

Now, don't get me wrong, I have seen some really gifted painters make the Front Rank stuff look superb, but a gifted painter can take a blob of lead and enhance it to the point where it looks stellar.

Personally, the only reason I'd consider them is for the troops they offer that Conquest and the Perrys don't, but I have decided to hold off on the whole F&I war thing until Northstar's regulars come out.

[Captain Blood]

This may come across a bit stuffy but I'm having a hard time figuring out if the Front Rank FIW miniatures are any good?!

No. I think they're pretty poor.
These are, in fairness, very old sculpts. Compared to the latest stuff Front Rank are turning out these days (like the late C17th stuff I used in a couple of my recent LPL entries), these Woodland Indians are very crude little figures. Not a patch on the Redoubt, Galloping Major or Conquest ranges.

[The Gray Ghost]

the FIW is not their best range but are still good figures, as others have said there is nicer stuff out there.

[Furt]

Can't speak for the FIW stuff but we love their Jacobite Rebellion Range.

[Calimero]

Front Rank figures in general are great… but not their FIW range. As said previously, that’s one of their older range and it shows. They lack details and have some strange poses and proportions.

[traveller]

I have to agree that their FIW range is old and rather poor. There are however some sculpts that can be useful. I like the British Light Infantry and some of the militia/civilians (from the AWI range)+ the Wolfe and Montcalm personalities. All in all I would though look to more recent sculpts 

[THE CID]

Have to agree with the rest of the chaps, but as said the new stuff is great.  THE CID.

[artshiraz]

Greetings

don't know about the Indians, but my Napoleonic Nassau Troops are top notch IMHO.

Jo

[Captain Blood]

Yes, there's no disputing that they do lots of very tasty, state-of-the-art 28mm figures now.

But the question was - are these?



You decide...

 

[fitterpete]

FIW and American Rev stuff is not very good.Jacobites and SYW are nice.Napoleonics,WSS,17th century  and medievals are,IMHO, some of the best figures made. 
Pete owner of a few thousand Front Rank figures.

[Arthur]

Yes, there's no disputing that they do lots of very tasty, state-of-the-art 28mm figures now.

But the question was - are these?



You decide...

 

Nope

But then again they were released in the late 80's and can't really compete in the state of the art sweepstakes can they ?  

Maybe one day Alec will re-do the whole range the way he re-did his Jacobite rebellion figures and some of his SYW Prussians and Austrians