Friday, September 28, 2007

Figure Comparisons


(Left-Right: Potsdam, Suren, Stadden & RSM)

A number of readers have asked me to provide a comparison of some of the figures used in my 30mm SYW Prussian army with my new Potsdam Miniatures figures. I use a variety of figures for the infantry, including Potsdam Miniatures, Surens, Staddens, Elite, RSM and Foundry, to name but a few. My apologies for the lack of suitable comparitive pictures, but if you click on the one shown above, you will get a better view of four of my personal favorite ranges for the Seven Years War.

The following list depicts the measurements that I took of the figures, from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head. The list provides the measurement from head to toe as well as my own personal assessment of the figure's appearance or heft). The asterisk line is my subjective cut off point of which figures I think work together, a sort of small versus large grouping of the figures.

Martin Hille (35mm / Medium)
Suren/Willie (35mm / Thin)
Potsdam (35mm / Medium)
Stadden (34mm / Medium)
Crusader (33mm / Chunky)
Eagle (33mm/ Medium)
Elite (32mm / Medium)
*******************************
Perry (31mm / Medium)
Eureka (31mm / Medium)
RSM (31mm / Thin)
Warrior (31mm / Thin)
Front Rank (31mm / Chunky)
Foundry (30mm / Chunky)
Hinchcliffe (29mm / Medium)
Old Glory (29mm / Medium)

I use all of the above figures in my armies for various reasons. For example, I require larger artillery crew to go with my Staddens etc, so I selected Foundry's Prussian foot artillery crew because the selection is the broadest (6 different poses) and their relative chunkiness overcomes their lack of height, which fools the eye into thinking that they match the taller figures on the list. I also use Hinchcliffe's Prussian Horse Artillery crew (5 poses).

I find that if you keep all the figures from one range within one battalion, that the whole battalion will look just fine with taller or shorter battalions on the same table. Again, the "mass" of the large 60-figure battalions fools your eye into thinking that there is no discernible difference in their height.

2 comments:

  1. Hello Jim,

    This is always an interesting discussion. Neat to see that the Stadden and RSM figures were not radically different in height. The Martin Hille figures though were quite a bit taller than I expected. How do you like the Warrior range? They have to be about the cheapest figures going these days. Too bad we don't see more people using them!

    Best Regards,

    Stokes

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the Warrior British figures. They are on the small and thin side and fit in well with the RSM figures. I bought some at a flea market circa 1991 at Historicon and didn't know who made them. But then via Old School Wargaming, I discovered that they were Warrior British painted as Austrians, no less. I touched them up but they remained as Austrian in red facings. I have another unit in blue facings that I plan to touch up as well (combining two 30 figure battalions into one 60 man btn).

    ReplyDelete