15mm Limited Edition Miniatures?

15mmlimited_strap

The concept of limited edition miniatures is nothing new.  In fact Alternative Armies has had them for twenty years now in 28mm scale and other brands longer than this (remember those awesome 1980’s Citadel limited runs including Space Marine Santa’s and the like?) but they are seemingly always of the 25mm and 28mm scale of miniatures.  I have had a dig around and found literally nothing limited in 15mm scale.  Why is this?  Is it because there is no interest?  Is it because until recently 15mm did not have the same glamour as a scale as 28mm?  Is it a cost issue with money making not being possible with having a sculptor make a 15mm that sells at a relatively low price only for a few hundred castings or so?  Or is it simply something that no one has thought of yet as the wargaming hobby endlessly repeats itself with the same cookie cutter ideas?

Well in response to these self set questions I can offer some self decided evidence answers.  I think there is interest as many wargamers play 15mm scale, more now than ever before especially in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy and some of those wargamers will want limited’s as they do in the larger scale; stands to reason.  Certainly 15mm had nothing like the presence it has now only seven years ago when I founded 15mm.co.uk and brought Laserburn back to the wargames table so maybe its not come up before.   As for cost and money making this is different for every company but I think, having bashed the calculator keys, that as long as the run was of the five hundred or so mark it would be profitable so no get out clause there.  Has no one thought of it yet?  Well I admire companies like Critical Mass Games, Ground Zero Games and Khurasan Miniatures but they have no limited codes in their 15mm that I could see so perhaps like the rise in popularity of the scale it has not yet evolved as something companies do who produce that scale of miniatures will do.

This is something I have been thinking about for over two years.  In fact it was near the top of my brief while I was musing on what would become the new Ion Age.  Much like my idea to create the SHM Range on 15mm.co.uk which gave aspiring sculptors their chance to get something release when no one would take them seriously (which has been rather successful with more than seventy designs and a dozen designers to its ranks) I decided that I would give it a try.  After all without some fun and a sense of adventure what is the point of this hobby?   The Ion Age would be the perfect testing ground.

What would such a limited miniature probably be and how many would be produced?  Well I knew it would be produced in a run of 500 numbered packs that much was based on the hard numbers.  It would have to be TWO miniatures not one, to make the bulk up for packaging; that was a change over 28mm scale.  As for what it would depict I followed the same outline of rules that I have for Flintloque.  That being interesting characters but nothing unique or vital to a wargame system.  Purchase would be from interest and a sense of collecting NOT out of a resignation to needing the figures to play a certain mission or personality…that is cruel and something other much larger companies do.  So it would be a character officer to lead a lance or more of Retained Knights.  A perfect jumping off point to see if the concept had legs and would run!

IAFL01

IAFL01

The Ion Age will be releasing its first limited edition packs of 15mm characters towards the end of this month.  The pricing will be slightly more than the normal but not much and this is really only to cover the extra packaging and manpower this type of code needs as with all limited codes.  You can see IAFL01 above.  I will tell you no more about these two fine fellows just now though…you will just have to wait!

If you have any thoughts on this idea please do email me or comment against this post.

GBS

4 thoughts on “15mm Limited Edition Miniatures?

  1. I certainly like the Idea of limited edition runs of miniatures, and would certainly purchase said miniatures. I already thought you were doing limited edition, in your promo miniature give away on your Ion Age site and possibly the Patrol Angis Vignette from the rewards programme. But the more miniatures the merrier matey!

    Mark

    • Hello Mark,

      It depends how you define limited. The monthly free miniature is limited by time not numbers, the Rewards Programme vignette is limited only by customers redeeming points to get it. I like to think those are both not quite a ‘limited edition’ that is a numbered set which will vanish once it is sold out. But each to their own and I think in times to come the clamour to get the early monthly miniatures will get quite loud.

      GBS

  2. Any innovations in 15mm are welcome in my opinion! Even so 15mm is no new thing (It’s been around as long as I remember…) I think with the economic downturn it’s highlighted the downside of larger scale gaming (Not mentioning no names GW!) and the costs involved.
    There is indeed a current trend in 15mm gaming that will continue to evolve, and I dare say it is evolving and its not just flavour of the month type of affair! but many I’ve spoke to have mentioned the lack of character models available to act as supreme command figures and such, so I reckon that the idea of limited ones would be sure to plug some gaps.
    What I ask is that, how exactly do you mean by limited? Are the moulds to be destroyed afterwards? Limited for a short time? In todays age of limited edition collectable doodahs, is that rarely is a limited ed, really actually limited!
    Seriously though, top marks for being a pioneer in this field, I know there’s a lot of folks out there trying to push the envelope for the 15mm crowd, but bravo for actually trying something different from everyone else!

    Will

    • Hello Will,

      15mm is not new but the emphasis upon it certainly is. 15mm is the natural scale of massive battles, enough detail on the miniature for personality but small enough that many can be afforded and support for them fielded. Certainly sci-fi in 15mm makes more sense to me for battles. Tanks, Aircraft, whole Platoons and so on. Economic downturn or not 28mm is very popular and the Ion Age will go there too in time.

      Limited means just that. A run followed by the assembly of numbered packs. Once I have signed off on it and checked they are all present I will destroy the mold. The master will be kept in case some are lost in the post (it has happened!) and once enough time passes the master mold part containing it will be scored out. Limited means limited to me. 500 packs and that is it done. My word on that.

      Thanks for the kind words. I am trying to build a ‘universe’ over time not just a cash in or short run thing. It will grow and grow.

      GBS

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