Plastic People Part I

Introduction

All the miniatures which I will be discussing in this article are historically accurate and intended for wargaming rather than role playing all are in the scale known as 28mm which is taken as a measurement of a standing figure from base of the foot to the eye line this is nominal around the equivalent of 5' to scale given that average heights historically for human males was 5'6"-5'10. I use the word males deliberately as most historical fighters where men or if not wore equipment such as armour which rendered it rather difficult to tell.

Most of the figures are form the pre gunpowder period or the early transitional period with a couple of exceptions which we will come onto latter as most FRPG's are completely or largely Gunpowder free zones

I would also add that the majority of the figures available are of Eurasian or Mediterranean peoples with the chief exceptions being the various Zulus, Warlord and Wargames Factory,  and the Japanese  Wargames factory as even the Carthaginians and the Numidians and Mauritanians  being whist African are defiantly north African and more Mediterranean than classically African in appearance. 

These figures are all multi part models to a greater or lesser extent and as such are very customisable  often having separate arms and heads very often more than is needed and a large selection of appropriate weapons and shields. They are all made of the same Hard Plastic (polystyrene, styrene) familiar form model tanks  vehicles, aircraft, and the ubiquitous games workshop figures of the last twenty years. Mostly this plastic is a shade of pale grey which is an easy colour to paint over with just about any other colour. The figures never need pinning and the bond produced by ordinary plastic cement is near perfect and  in all ways superior to that produced by cyranoacyrilate based super glues with metal figures.

The figures are in general very detailed and are of a common enough scale that parts can be exchanged between them with ease though there are some times some limitations posed with this between manufactures as each has their own approach to where the separate head or torso joins the torso and legs of the figure beyond that the more adventurous can further adapt figures with care an the use of a sharp knife

What have you got to play with

I will go into more detail of who does what latter but here is an over view

Ancients

Gauls Britons Early Germans and Dacians  the former three in boith horse and foot from more than one manufacture are you archetypal half naked European barbarian.in several variations and for some of the Germans more than half naked.

Romans mid and late republican early imperial with the classic segmented armour as well as the mid republican light skirmishers the Velites and the later Auxillia infantry and cavalry

Light troops

Armoured Hoplites

 

From Here

Greeks every variety of their close order infantry the famous Hoplites as well as the lighter troops archers slingers and javelin men 
Macedonians - only the famous pike men
Persians Achemaned infantry and cavalry with their distinctive tower shields and lost of bowmen the sort that beat the Spartans at Thermopolie and lost to the Athenians and their alies at Marathon


Dark ages 
Saxons Vikings with and without armour  Generic European dress infantry and Eastern "Arab" dress infantry

Normans knights/cavalry and infantry only close order foot 


Medieval
Crusaders religious orders horse and foot in several variations
Feudal European same time period as the crusaders horse foot and missile troops
Late Medieval a good and growing selection either badged as Wars of the Roses or as European 1450-1500 both horse and foot are available and the range is extending at a pace with figures for 1400-1450 on the way these are classic FRPG material with long bows cross bows every sort of pole arm and assorted combinations of plate chain and padded armour which would also pass for studded

Perry Miniatures Mounted men at arms

Perry miniatures Bills and bows

From Here

The Renaissance

Whilst there are a wide range of British and European troop types for this period both horse and foot most of them are well into the use of fire arms as a primary weapon and so wouldn't fit in your classic FRPG the one exception.

 

Samurai Cavalry

 from here

 Japanese all are rather late being 16th century but there are a good range of horse and foot with optional early fire arms for the infantry and these are quite the best of the historical ranges done by this particular manufacturer
Later periods

Zulu's 

From here

Ansar- Sudanese infantry but with one of the heads available being the classic "Fuzzywuzzys" or more properly Beja warriors and one of the few distinctly African looking heads There are rifles and muskets in the box but all the figures can be made up as spear or swordsmen 

This is not an exclusive list
There are also extensive ranges from the from other periods but these are the ones particularly useful for making figures for classic FRPG style games such as HackMaster and which are available or known to be on the way now