It is not as if I haven't been busy but I feel as if I haven't got much done. Life has been full of home decorating issues, new gas boiler, X-Ray visits, ECGs, Vaccination visits and a Birthday to boot.
I have got somethings done and here they are.
Kallistra 12mm Confederate Cavalry, mounted. I bought 2 packs and borrowed a few figures from a command pack giving me two cavalry units, 20 strong each and foot command figures left over for £15. Go compare that with the Warlord price. Maybe slightly heavy on the yellow facings and lace but they are what they are. I have clipped the Warlord 60mm wide bases down to 55mm.
Flags, gravel, flock, static grass and tufts will follow in due course.
Kallistra 12mm Confederate Cavalry, dismounted and with horse holders. £10 buys a pack of dismounted cavalry and a pack of 'empty' horses with lots of unused figures. I might add more horse holder bases once we start playing.
Five bases of Warlord infantry painted as Union mounted on cutdown 55mm wide Warlord bases.
Note the rightmost front rank figure pose projects into the neighbouring base. I may have to do something about that.
The mounted Warlord General, you get one with each infantry sprue.
Two Warlord resin command figures. I replaced the standard pole with a piece of wire.
Three Kallistra Mounted Generals (half a £5 pack). My mate has the other three (Confederate).
A size comparison, three Kallistra to the left, three Warlord to the right.
Kallistra (12mm) dismounted cavalry to the left, Warlord (13.5mm) infantry to the right.
What do you think guys?
Good going Jim. I have cut my bases to get rid of that gap. I am finding painting slower than I had imagined, simply because the warlord sculpts are good, with a lot of detail to paint, so it’s not a fast job, but I have been doing some ‘moves’ with unpainted figures while others get painted - I’m OK with that.
ReplyDeleteI like your cavalry basing decision, both the mounted and dismounted.
I may base some skirmishers in the same fashion as the dismounted cavalry but I'm not sure if the game actually needs skirmish bases. Time will tell.
Delete15mm is a low as I go until we get to tanks so not for me although they do look pretty. If I was ever tempted by sub 15mm I would probably go down to 10mm though. What do you see as the advantage of the Warlord Kalistra scale?
ReplyDelete3000 figures and all the extras.
DeleteKallistra make some great figures Jim and clearly are selling for a decent and fair price. Warlord, well what seemed a great idea is degenerating into a grab for cash with their ridiculous pricing scheme for unit add ons.I especially like your dismounts, well done.
ReplyDeleteKallistra, 16 mounted or 32 foot figures for a fiver. What's not to like.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and helpful Post Jim, you're always worth visiting. I do hope this doesn't shut down your Spencer Smith ACW project [or was it Irregular miniatures?] as I quite liked what you were doing with it, very inspirational.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that the "small 15s" size of the Warlord Epic scale is probably compatible with small 15s like Essex. While this may or may not result in any savings, it could certainly make available additional miniatuers.
Some of the old Glory 15s are lovely, and I will be eager to compare them in size: https://oldglory15s.com/Union-Cavalry_c660.htm
Not so much for money savings [altho they give great discounts in bulk - 40%!] but for figure style and variety.
Any thoughts on the "small 15s" idea?
best, Alex
Hi Alex, I don't think we've spoken much before.
DeleteThe Spencer Smith ACW collection is still with me although I would like to sell it. It is not the best match for my playing chums, too Old School for them.
The EPIC ACW Collection would be in regular use if it were not for the pandemic. We are poised ready to go once all the members of my household are fully vaccinated. I have a daughter with mental health issues who is behind the curve on jabs. The Kallistra figures are a good match and are very cost effective.
I was never a great fan of many 15mm manufacturers although I/We cut our teeth with Peter Laing figures back in the day.
I do have some Minifigs 15's kicking about which might re-surface one day.
Jim
Just now I am painting 28mm Jacobites for one customer and 6mm Napoleonics for another.
Wow, Peter Laing! I think I have a bag of their samples in my closet.
ReplyDeleteIf I lived in UK, I'd drive by and make an offer on the SS ACW, I think you did a marveleous job with them.
Presently, I was pondering 10mm ACW so I could get a more historical "linear" appearance than with 28mm or 15mm, which, after all, usually look like a platoon and a company respectively. The cost comparisons for me were that the price would be the same as 15s since there would be a lot more figs per unit in 10mm, but I was looking for this "massed" look. Then a buddy said I should check out the Epic stuff, and I scored a box for $100, so just waiting for it in the mail at this point.
I like that the plastic will also be durable and I can use it for demos with newbies, intro into the hobby, etc, and if they want to get a warlord intro box themselves it will be pretty cheap and easy to do. So I think it is a win-win for the hobby and the consumer.
The add-ons are a lot more expensive, but are in the "mid-point" of small 15s like Essex at 50p each
or nice 10mm like:
Cracker Line [100 infantry fig brigade pack with two guns is $38 - this is one unit in Epic, so $120 for 300 and 6 guns].
So overall, it seems like it is less about price and more about "what do I want for my army".