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.