Figures and Ships

A glorious charge by some Takeda cavalry.
15mm figures - Two Dragons Productions

It is not my intention to review figures here but provide information and links on what is available in various scales. My own armies are built mainly from the extensive Two Dragons 15mm range with a few MiniFigs, Lancashire Games and Feudal Castings too, but I will comment where appropriate.

6/10mm Figures

Baccus 6mm. As well as figures, they also supply mon transfers for your banners. This great site also has hints and tips on painting these superb little guys. I haven't seen the samurai range yet but I have seen figures from other periods and the detail on these tiny figures is incredible.

Irregular Miniatures. Have small ranges of 6mm and some new 10mm figures.

Pendraken Miniatures. Have a range of 10mm 16th Century samurai. 20 items listed but no pictures. They come 30 foot or 15 cavalry to a pack. I have seen Pendraken figures at some shows and they look very nice. If you want a mass effect but feel 6mm may be too small for your old eyes, these could be the answer!

A.I.M. New 10mm range for 2004. Looks to be the beginning of an extensive range. Rules and buildings to follow. Some pictures and details on The Miniatures Page and a review at the DBA Resource Page.

15mm Figures

Two Dragons. They have the largest range of 15mm samurai figures in their "Warriors of the Shogun" range. Not much information on their web site yet but a full list of figures can be found at Brookhurst Hobbies in the US and Caliver Books or Dixon Miniatures in the UK. These are nicely detailed and proportioned figures, many of which have the option to add a sashimono (which are available seperately). Most infantry packs have 10 figures although some special figures such as officers and standard bearers only have 5 or 2 in a pack. Cavalry are 4 to a pack as are the seperate horses. Many personalities are available too. The only problem I've had is that many of the figures suffer from an excess of flash, but once cleaned up they look great.

Miniature Figurines. Quite a small range at present but all the main troop types are well catered for. They are virtually flash free with very little preparation required before painting. These mix well with Two Dragons figures. Main criticism is that the jingasu helmets of the ashigaru looks a bit underscale. My seated generals come from this range. Supplied in packs of 8 infantry (6 for command) or 4 cavalry (3 for command).

Essex Miniatures. Listed under their Ancients ranges (page 5). Over 25 items but only a few photographs of painted figures.

Lancashire Games. Range of 15 packs. 10 (or 8 with sashimono) infantry or 4 cavalry to a pack. Cavalry are single castings. They provided my Uesugi cavalry! Not quite as nice as Two Dragons but look great when painted up and are much cheaper too.

Naismith Design. Around 20 items available including a cannon with crew and a mule drawn cart. Infantry come 6 figures per pack, cavalry 3 figures.

Tin Soldier. Slightly larger and chunkier than Two Dragons and MiniFigs. Great for Generals and heroes!

Irregular Miniatures. Currently 17 items in the range. Photos of some of them on the web site.

Eureka Miniatures. Just released December 2003 - these guys look the biz... Over 20 items so far (including maku screens and even a Geisha Girl!). Most figures have several variants.

Freikorps 15. 16th Century range of a dozen packs of 8 foot or 4 mounted including ashigaru with battle drum. Mounted ashigaru but no mounted samurai... Hmmm.

Warrior (Gallia). Only 12 foot figures available at present; 9 ronin and 3 samurai.

Old Glory 15s. New range for 2004. 20 figures (plus sashimonos) from the 1530-1615 period.

Gladiator Games. Eight packs available at the moment with more to follow. Early samurai for the Gempei wars to the Ashikaga shogunate period. Ten infantry or five cavalry per pack (five/three for command packs).

Peter Pig. At last, some Peter Pig samurai! New range, still expanding. Figures come with sashimonos/banners where appropriate. Alas, no warrior monks yet... Set of rules called "Battles in the Age of War". Hope to do a review soon.

20/25/28mm Figures

Dixon Miniatures. Extensive list of 28mm figures from several sub periods of samurai history. Nice photos of some painted figures on the web site.

Old Glory. 25mm figures to go with the Samurai Wars skirmish rules. Not as chunky as some of the newer 28mm but appear to have nice crisp detail.

Perry Miniatures. Beautiful 28mm figures sculpted by Alan Perry in the "Age of War - Samurai Armies 1550 - 1615" range. Over 60 sets available.

Stronghold Miniatures. Now carry the extensive Bushi range of 28mm samurai. Over 100 figures including some unusual subjects such as females (warriors and peasants), shrines, banners and animals.

The Assault Group. Another range of 28mm samurai, this time for the Gempei War period.

Zvezda. Russian manufacturer of 20mm plastic figures. Has an amazing set of samurai infantry and Cavalry. The Plastic Soldier Review site has photos and a review here. Wish these figures were available when I was a lad! Samurai headquarters has now been released.

Warrior. Small range of 10 foot and 4 mounted. A 100 piece army pack is available for just £24.95. Details on the web site.

Hinchliffe Miniatures. A small range of 10 infantry and a couple of cavalry figures. Photos of some on the web site.

eM-4-Miniatures. Two sets of 5 28mm figures each in their Pre-Painted Oriental Blades series.

Amazon Miniatures. Over thirty items between the QT and SKT ranges now produced by Amazon.

Battleline Miniatures. Was Wildly Inspired Miniatures. 19 items including ashigaru and warrior monks. No images yet.

Parroom Station Miniatures. Previously the Bushido range produced by Ral Partha. Now been remastered and released as the Heroes of Nippon range. Nine sets each with 4 foot figures. No cavalry as yet.

HYTTY / Odemars. Plastic 1/72 scale infantry figures. Review and photo of original HYTTY figures at the PlasticSoldierReview.com. Now released by Odemars with 32 figures per box with 8 different poses. Photo here.

1st Corps Limited. 12th-13th Century range. Many figures, also have unit and army packs.

Eureka Miniatures. Currently have around 10 items with several variants of each.

Caesar Miniatures. Box of 1/72 plastic "Japan Samurai with Ninja". PlasticSoldierReview.com has a review.

LW. Another Russian manufacturer of 1/72 plastic figures. This box of "Samurai Warriors" is reviewed at PlasticSoldierReview.com.

Kingsford Miniatures. Nice range of 28mm figures for the period 1550-1615.

Museum Miniatures. Range of C1600 28mm figures. Site has movies of the figures rotated through 360 degrees complete with atmospheric music! Beautiful.

Black Hat Miniatures. Range of early samurai in 28mm. To be released at Salute April 2007.

Curteys Miniatures. Initial release of samurai of the Mongolian Invasion period in 28mm.

Tin Soldier. 25mm Range of about 20 figures plus weapon packs. No photos.

West Wind Productions. Saw this beautiful 28mm range at Carronade 08. Figures cast with seperate heads. Download their PDF samurai brochure NOW!

42mm and 54mm Figures

Irregular Miniatures. For those ambitious skirmish games, or just for show, here is a nice range of 8 beautiful 54mm figures. Photos of some on the web site.

Steve Barber Models. Over 20 42mm figures and accessories from the Sengoku period with more to follow. Impressive photos on the web site.

120mm Figures

Verlinden Productions. Not really wargame figures but nice just the same. Three feudal Japanese figures so far - a mounted samurai, a foot samurai and a warlord on foot.

Ships

Scheltrum Miniatures. Both 15mm and 28mm scale ships in their "East of Cathay" range. Pictures are only drawings but I have seen these ships at wargames shows and they are excellent. Also 28mm samurai naval and pirates!

Decals

Veni Vidi Vici. Sets of both 15mm and 25mm scale decals in several colours suitable for various banners.

Perry Miniatures. Two sets for 28mm figures available - Meada Toshiie and Kato Kiyomasa.

Flags for the Lads. For 15,20 and 25mm figures. 8 sets for the Battle of Sekigahara. No pictures on web site.