Damn You, Wargames Factory!

Today on my front step an evil package of temptation awaited my arrival. It was Wargames Factory‘s long-promised review samples. I had not anticipated how excited these miniatures would make me. To be honest I wasn’t impressed with the pictures I’d seen of their miniatures. It looked like the proportion was off on the miniatures, especially the arms. It could be a combination of strange angle and unflattering paintjob but I felt no great need to buy some of their miniatures. Sure, from endlessly restarting campaign games of Rome: Total War, I was more interested in Republican Rome than Early Imperial Rome, but otherwise Wargames Factory wasn’t releasing anything I really needed.

When I opened the package of review samples today I suddenly found myself wondering if there was room on my plate for some new periods. In the box was a pack of Ancient Germans, a pack of Zulus and three sprues of Vikings. Hmm, I thought, I am interested in Dark Ages for Field of Glory, the Ancient Germans could probably work for some unarmoured levies. Plus the Zulus would give me a slightly ahistorical opponent for my Back of Beyond British when I’m feeling like playing fast and loose with history. Besides, I don’t like leaving newly acquired miniatures unpainted. I’ve pardoned all my old indiscretions but I have to draw the line somewhere.

I will write three reviews, starting with the Vikings as I think they are the newest release from Wargames Factory. I will assemble and paint a miniature from each set. Only afterwards will I decide what to do with the remainder. I’m trying to stay focused on my two main projects, after all.

However, I want to take a second to talk about the packaging. Each package is a hefty block of plastic sprues wrapped in a clear stiff plastic film, somewhat like the plastic that CCG card protector sleeves come in. Unfortunately that esoteric example is the only one I can think of. The front is a full colour display to draw attention on a store shelf provided by a card insert that wraps around the bottom and nearly half of the back. The packaging is both colourful, sparing and robust. It also allows potential buyers to examine the sprues without opening the package. If you’re not sure if the miniatures will mix well with your current collection bring a miniature into the local shop carrying Wargames Factory and see for yourself.

I am impressed by the packaging. People are trying to reduce the amount of garbage we throw away and I think Wargames Factory has found a way to show off their miniatures to the best advantage while also keeping packaging to a minimum. I also notice that the packages can be hung from pegs or put on shelves. The packaging is made possible by an ingenious bit of sprue design. Each sprue has long pegs extending from the border in one direction with corresponding holes on the opposite side to accommodate another sprue’s pegs. This allows the sprues to nest together securely without worrying about a miniature making an early exit from the sprue. It also makes it a little neater to put away your pile of sprues between build sessions, but that’s a little quirk of my own.

To comply with recent FTC regulations that don’t apply to me as a Canadian I must state for the record that I received 68 free miniatures from Wargames Factory for the purpose of writing a review on this blog. While some people have complained about this ruling, I think it’s important to disclose this type of information. I’ll leave it to my readers to judge my impartiality and make an informed decision on whether they agree with whatever conclusions I reach.

Tyler