Plastic Vikings - Gripping Beast or Wargames Factory?

[Cholly]

Quick query as I've been drawn in by some of the painted vikings on here and the SAGA rules sound pretty interesting but I'm but a lowly librarian so funds are pretty minimal and both these box sets have a large number of models and a lot of variation. Just wondering which you would recommend, which has the best detailing, ease of construction etc...
Thanks in advance.
 

[Timbor]

WF are the cheapest for a reason.  I have the WF vikings, and while they are passable, the detail is somewhat soft and the figures can be harder to assemble in a more 'natural' looking pose.

I don't own the GB plastics, but have seen them in person and they are far and away much nicer figures, with nicer poses and crisper detail.

On maelstrom, the GB plastics are about $2 more expensive, and you get about 12 more figures.  Better figures, more figures, only $2 more.

http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php?act=pro&pre=grb_dag_vik_inf_100_000
http://www.maelstromgames.co.uk/index.php?act=pro&pre=wgf_hog_vik_inf_201_000

My vote is for the GB plastics.

[Glitzer]

I'd recommend goin with the Gripping Beast ones for armoured Vikings, but for unarmoured Vikings you'll have the choice of converting Warlord Games Early Germans or using the Wargames foundry ones (I initially went for the first option, but finally have only used the guys clad in wolfskins for my Vikings and assembled the rest as Celts for my Early Britons)

[Dawnbringer]

Have you seen this: http://www.hourofwolves.org/?view=articles&which=vikingFaceOff

[Cholly]

Thanks guys, I was leaning towards the GB stuff salready but think you've convinced me. Dawnbringer, great link and very interesting site, some great mini's i there and soem neat painting ideas too...

[Engel]

I got both and I would recommend the Hirdmen from Gripping Beast, much better miniatures and better details.
And they are cheaper per model to.

They are easier to assembly without looking a bit weird which some times is the case on some of the posses on WF ones.

The only thing I see as a bonus in WF is that they include some bows and that they are not all wearing chainmail, those things were bloody expensive at least in the earlier days of the Viking era.

[6milPhil]

Grippers by a long chalk.

[Alejandro]

Gripping beast. Is better in my opinion. More details.

[Dalauppror]

Gripping Beast all days of the week:)

I made this warband out of the GB Viking box...and som part from the GB Saxon box to...



more pictures at my blog

[janner]

Have you seen this: http://www.hourofwolves.org/?view=articles&which=vikingFaceOff

It is a review I have some reservations about..

I'm sure Darren fell off his chair laughing at GB stuff being described as less historically accurate than WF 

[Bone]

If I had to decide for one between Gripping Beast Plastics and WGF Vikings,I would choose GB for a simple "build the box job"
For conversions I would go for WGF. The wider sleeves of GB Vikings chainmails require more work if repositioning is wanted.

Pro GB
5 different bodys (WGF 4 different bodies)

Pro WGF
Unarmored bodies (Saxon Fyrd/Viking Bondi WGF)

some additional info:
WGF bodies are a wee bit taller (1-2 mm) than Gripping beast.
Saxon Fyrd and Viking Bondi box share the same bodies/ same story with Saxon Thegn and Viking Huscarl boxes.
Saxon Thegn and Fyrd boxes share the same weapon/head sprue.
Same with Vikings- bondi and huscarls share the same weapon/head sprue.

Bone

  

[fourcolorfigs]

Anybody if GB has any plans to do plastic Bondi?  I'd love to do a mixed warband of Hirdmen and Bondi, and I am not sure I want to mix the two companies figures. Still thinking about it...

[Dawnbringer]

Anybody if GB has any plans to do plastic Bondi?  I'd love to do a mixed warband of Hirdmen and Bondi, and I am not sure I want to mix the two companies figures. Still thinking about it...

They were/are working on a generic unarmoured dark ages infantry, but there hasn't been any pics or guesstimates of release dates.

[Snafu]

For a viking diorama I needed some civilians. I decided to buy Viking Civilians [WG-VIK038] made by Foundry, Saxon Civilians [WG-SAX8] made by Foundry  and a box of Viking Bondi [WGF-HG002] made by Wargames Factory.
Here are some pictures of the unpainted Figures out of the box. Maybe they are useful as a reference. The plastic Viking Bondi are are a little bit smaller and leaner than the other miniatures.

[cram]

Those Viking Civilians look good, will have to get me some of those!