Painted Bicorne Miniatures comparison photos.

Here are a couple of photos comparing Napoleonic figures from Bicorne Miniatures with some from other manufacturers.

This first photo shows four Bicorne figures on the left, followed by a figure from Alban Miniatures, Front Rank Figurines, and Offensive Miniatures.

This next photo shows the four Bicorne figures on the left again, then a Perry Miniatures figure, then Victrix and Warlord Games.

Shieldwall Miniatures

Shieldwall Miniatures only produce Vikings at the moment and are sold via Gripping Beast. I believe they share the same sculptor and the styles are certainly very similar!

The figures come with separate shields and weapons but spears need to be bought separately. The moulding is good quality with virtually no flash. These are nicely animated figures that would be a worthwhile addition to any Viking army!

On to the comparison photos....


This first photo shows, from left to right, Shieldwall, Artizan Designs, Crusader Miniatures and Dixon.

Next is, from left to right, Shieldwall, Foundry and Gripping Beast plastic.

Here is, from left to right, Shieldwall, Newline Designs, Redoubt and Renegade.

And finally, from left to right, Shieldwall, Tanatus and West Wind.

Bicorne Miniatures Napoleonic Range

Bicorne Miniatures produce four different ranges of figures, Bicorne Miniatures, Connoisseur Range, Firing Line Miniatures, and Campaign Range. Each of these ranges includes Napoleonic figures and each appears to be different in terms of size and sculpting style. Overall, it would appear that one way or another Bicorne can supply a pretty comprehensive selection of Napoleonics!

I found the figures to be quite 'old school' in appearance, especially the Bicorne and Connoisseur examples. Something about the poses, I think! The Firing Line and Campaign range miniatures had greater definition of detail and look like more modern sculpts in style, despite being the shorter two of the four.


The first comparison photo shows the four different ranges: From left to right, Bicorne, Firing Line, Connoisseur, Campaign.

Next, from left to right, we have Bicorne, Firing Line, Perry and Victrix.

Here we have, from left to right, Bicorne, Firing Line, Front Rank and Warlord Games.

And finally today, from left to right, Bicorne, Firing Line, Alban and Offensive Miniatures.

Painted Front Rank Napoleonic Comparison

This comparison photo shows painted figures from different manufacturers.

From left to right we have:
                                   Front Rank, Offensive, Warlord, Victrix, Perry, Alban

Newline Designs Painted Figures

Here are a couple of comparison  photos showing a miniature from Newline Designs compared to several other manufacturers' figures.


First we have, from left to right, figures from Newline Designs, Gripping Beast (plastic), Crusader Miniatures, Renegade Miniatures and Artizan Designs.

This photo has, from left to right, Newline, Foundry, Redoubt, Tanatus and West Wind.

Front Rank Figurines Napoleonic Range

Front Rank Figurines produce a large range of Napoleonic miniatures. As well as British, French, Austrian and Russian figures they also make Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and various German states. In fact the only major thing missing seems to be Prussian troops!

The figures sit at the larger end of the 28mm spectrum and are a bit 'portly'. They have plenty of well-defined detail which helps with painting. Some may find the style a bit too caricatured, but for most people Front Rank provide a wide variety of nicely animated figures. I found their service was very fast, too!



The first comparison photo shows, from left to right, Front Rank, Perry and Offensive

Next up, from left to right, Front Rank, Warlord plastic and Victrix plastic

And here is Front Rank compared with the slightly smaller Alban Miniatures

Dixon Miniatures Vikings Range

Dixon Miniatures produce a small but interesting range of Vikings. As well as the usual combat poses they also have several 'not in combat' figures. These include women and children and raiders 'liberating' stuff like a goose and a chest.

The figures are fairly tall and chunky, but crisply moulded with plenty of detail. Weapons are separate, but included, while shields are not supplied.


This first comparison photo shows, from left to right, Newline Designs, Gripping Beast plastic and Dixon.

Next up we have, from left to right, Redoubt, Artizan and Dixon

Here, from left to right, are figures from Renegade, Foundry and Dixon

And finally today, left to right, Crusader, West Wind and Dixon

Newline Designs Dark Ages Range

Newline Designs are maybe better known for their 20mm figures, but they make 28mm as well. Their Dark Ages range includes Arabs, Carolingians, Normans, Saxons and, of course, Vikings!

The figures are well proportioned and of average height for 28mm miniatures. Swords and axes are moulded in one piece with the figure, while spears and shields are separate but included in the pack. There was a small amount of flash to clean up on the examples I had and the detail is not quite as crisp as some other manufacturers. It is hard to argue with the price though. At the time of writing a pack of 24 foot figures can be had for just £20!

If you prefer metal over plastic, Newline are an excellent way to add cheap bulk to your army!


The first comparison photo shows, from left to right, Gripping Beast plastic, Redoubt, Tanatus and Newline.

Next we have a photo of, from left to right, Artizan, Foundry, Renegade and Newline.

And here is West Wind, Crusader and Newline.

Offensive Miniatures Napoleonic Range

Offensive Miniatures Napoleonic figures are listed under their "Follow the Drum" range on their website. At the moment they are focusing on the Peninsular War and have British, French, Polish and Spanish lines.

The figures are cleanly cast with no flash on the examples that I had. The detail is nicely raised which makes painting easy, even for someone as cack-handed as me! Size wise these figures seem to fit in the middle of the 28mm spread, both in term of height and heft. All in all, a safe bet if you want to add a bit of manufacturer variety to your army!


This first comparison photo shows, from left to right, Offensive, Alban and Perry.

This comparison shot shows, from left to right, Offensive, Warlord and Victrix. The plastic figures are both noticeably larger!

Painted figures from Offensive Miniatures and Alban Miniatures.

A comparison photo showing three Offensive Miniatures on the left and three Alban Miniatures on the right.

Painted figures from Offensive Miniatures and Perry Miniatures.

A comparison shot showing three Offensive Miniatures on the left and three Perry Miniatures on the right.

Painted figures from Offensive Miniatures and Warlord Games.

Here is a comparison photo showing three Offensive Miniatures figures on the left and three, considerably larger, Warlord Games figures on the right.

Painted figures from Offensive Miniatures and Victrix.

Here is a photo comparing three Offensive Miniatures figures on the left with three Victrix figures on the right. As you can see, the Victrix figures are considerably larger.

Alban Miniatures

Alban Miniatures produce a small but expanding range of Napoleonic Wars figures. At the moment Light Infantry feature prominently, making these figures very good for skirmish gaming.

The castings are very good indeed, with almost no flash, good detail and excellent poses. The anatomical proportions are also much more lifelike than many wargames miniatures. The downside of this is that the Alban figures are smaller than those made by a lot of popular manufacturers. How well they mix is down to personal preference. I'd happily use them on the same table but others may be more picky!


Here is a comparison photo showing, from left to right, Alban, Perry, Victrix and Warlord figures.

Painted Alban Miniatures and Warlord Games figures.

This comparison photo shows three Alban Miniatures figures on the left and three Warlord Games figures on the right.

Painted Alban Miniatures and Victrix figures.

This is a photo comparing three Alban Miniatures figures on the left with three Victrix figures on the right.

Painted Alban Miniatures and Perry Miniatures.

Here is a comparison photo showing three Alban Miniatures figures on the left and three Perry Miniatures on the right.

Painted West Wind Productions and Gripping Beast figures.

West Wind on the left and three Gripping Beast plastic figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Tanatus Miniatures figures.

Here are three West Wind Productions figures on the left compared with three Tanatus Miniatures figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Artizan figures

Here is a comparison photo showing three West Wind Productions figures on the left and three Artizan Designs figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Redoubt figures.

A comparison shot of three West Wind Productions figures on the left and three Redoubt Enterprises figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Renegade figures.

This photo has three West Wind Productions figures on the left and three Renegade Miniatures figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Crusader figures.

Here is a comparison photo showing three West Wind Productions figures on the left and three Crusader Miniatures figures on the right.

Painted West Wind and Foundry figures.

Here is a comparison photo showing three West Wind figures on the left and three Foundry Miniatures on the right.

West Wind Productions

West Wind make a nice range of 'Arthurian' Dark Age figures, comprising Welsh, Irish, Pict, Romano-British and Saxon miniatures. They also make some handy Druid and Priest type fellers!

The castings on my examples were nice and clean with very little flash. The heads and shields are supplied detached but weapons are not included. For greater variety, heads can be bought separately. The figures are on the chunky side but will still mix well with plenty of other manufacturers.


Here is a photo showing, from left to right, West Wind, Artizan, Crusader Miniatures and Foundry figures.

And here we have, from left to right, West Wind, Gripping Beast plastic, Renegade and Tanatus figures.

Heroes of the Dark Age

Well. Bit of a complicated range to review, this one. Heroes of the Dark Age produce several ranges of "28mm Fantasy and Dark Age figures". Figures suitable for the Dark Ages can be found in their "Heroes", "Dark Ages", "Saxons", "Vikings" and "Normans" ranges.

Care should be taken when purchasing, as each range is by a different sculptor and varies considerably in size! As stated on the website, their Saxon, Norman and Viking figures are 32mm in height. The different ranges also vary in style. The Saxon and Viking ranges for example, come with weapons cast in one piece with the figure. The shields are separate and some figures can be used with or without. The Dark Ages range figures though, have no hands! These are cast with the separate weapons and shields.

The company produces a good range of very individual miniatures, some of which will appeal more to wargamers and others to those involved in role-play type games. I liked the examples of the Saxon and Viking ranges but it is a shame about their size. My army can only accommodate so many giants!


This photo has four figures from Heroes of the Dark Age. The two on the left are examples of their Saxon range, while the two on the right are from their Dark Ages range.

This photo is a comparison shot featuring, from the left, Heroes of the Dark Age Saxon range, Heroes of the Dark Age 'Dark Age' range, Gripping Beast plastic figure, Crusader Miniatures.

Painted figures from Tanatus Miniatures.

Some photos comparing Tanatus Miniatures with other manufacturers. The three figures on the left of each photo are the Tanatus fellers...

Tanatus with Artizan Designs

Tanatus with Crusader Miniatures

Tanatus with Foundry

Tanatus with Gripping Beast plastic figures

Tanatus with Redoubt Enterprises

Tanatus with Renegade Miniatures