There's some noise on the open HaT forum about making 1/32 Colonial figures like our 1/72 sets but that isn't something that can be undertaken lightly.
First off, the Colonial era is huge and requires a commitment, not a toe lightly dipped in. With Napoleonics, 7YW, and ancients, do we have the resources for another range?
Second of all, aren't there already many Colonial sets out there? I know that ACTA has 2-3 sets of British and Zulus, each. Conte has a bunch, and I think AIP has some too. Waterloo 1815? Am I missing any?
So it's not like new sets are a must-have, they are more like a like-to-have, or would-be-nice to have.
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18 comments:
If you were the first manufacturer to actually produce a complete (or close to) range for Napoleonics, that would be something special.
Colonials is a bit skirmish for me, less massed ranks, and so would you sell as many? Not to me you would not
The current prolification of mails addressing British colonial subjects is a bit strange in a post-colonial world. Somebody hijacked the discussion?
I support the idea of limiting the output to the three mentioned important periods.
Lemche
I think colonials would be a waste of resources. If you want to expand your ranges, I think that WWI would garner some interest. The only figures available for WWI are the AIP. I don't think very much of their figures though. They would be OK if I were 10 years old.
I wargame with 54mm. Napoleonics are the last era where I don't need a basketball court to approximate ranges. I bought one or two boxes of most of the ancient range for collection purposes- Punic war battles were huge and again not typically lending themselves to the "feel" of a 54mm wargame. For me Fall of Rome/Dark Age or anything in the early medieval period is attractive. As others have mentioned a "full set" prompts me to buy with a reasonable expectation that I won't be left with half an army. Finally there is the consideration of "tactical interest". Late rome has a number of tactical systems bouncing off each other- Roman combined arms vs Hun bow and lance, Goth Heavy cav and infantry, Sassanid armored cav/light archers- you get the idea, same with crusades. Opponents comprised of warbands crashing into eachother- not as interesting. Colonial tactics usually hang on the ability to prevent imperial forces from forming a firing line. Might buy a few boxes for collection purposes but don't see myself painting a thousand zulus. Anyone else building wargames armies w/HaT 54s?
Scott M
Some answers to your questions
'do we have the resources for another range?'
Only you know the answer to that one ,however if you want to gain more customers I hope you do.
'aren't there already many Colonial sets out there?'
NO, only AIP has a reresentation of this period and their style is not the best or most liked on the market. Not historically accurate.
ACTA - 1/35 scale. ONLY Zulu War
CONTE - Figures O.K. but plastic is like rubber so not liked by many. Also difficult to find on the market unless you go to a specialist dealer. ONLY Zulu War.
WATERLOO 1815 - Don't do them!
One of the latest threads on the Forum says it all, where someone asked what sets people would like. We 1/32 scale collectors/modellers want EVERYTHING listed plus ,what you have already done on 1/72 scale. Frankly, apart from the economics of the bigger mold cost, manufacturers have NEVER understood that the 1/32 guys want/need/Must-have EXACTLY the same sets as the smaller scale and we have never really understood why we are treated as second class collectors when it comes to plastic. ALL the sets ever produced in 1/32 scale plastic ONLY scratch the surface of ALL the sets ever produced in 1/72 scale.
I do of course realise that the majority of the guys that post here are wargamers and there needs are different from the collector, I still think HaT can satisfy both markets, but surely HaT as a business want to gain as many customers as possible with their product ranges so limiting themselves to Napoleonics, 7YW and Ancients will NOT do this.
I have been collecting since 1962 and I have products by many makers over a range of periods, but the only HaT products I own are the early efforts at 1/32, which were less than acceptable and are conversions fodder. So of the HaT current production they haven't got my money yet, because I don't do the periods they make, like many thousands of other guys out there. So by limiting the eras they are not gaining any new customers, which has to be a negative.
So for me a positive business step forward is to diversify to other periods to bring in all those collectors who want to buy Hat products but are waiting for them to do the one they want.
For me ,on a personal note, the NEW set of WW1 Belgian Infantry would be FANTASTIC in my scale, along with some French, British and Germans. I would take more Colonials no problem, especially British and French types, with enemies, of course :)
Dave M
Hi H - Colonals would be popular I am sure but in due course after the Napoleonics and 7yw.
Remember that its Joe Public that matter - not us dedicated few - if you want to sell on the mass market. I think that Michael Caine and Stanley Bakers performances in the film Zulu are engrained in the minds of many and will always be popular.
9th
9th,
Have you worked out how long it would take to complete a Napoleonics and 7YW range, it will take many many years. I'll be older and much much grayer and too shaky to paint up all those nicely designed Colonial types:)
Dave M
Yes I'd like to see some Colonials. Credit to AIP for delving into this area with some effort but more could be useful. The only suggestion I'd put forward is that there be armies and relevant enemies released closely. I have liked the broad mix of friend and foe achieved through HAT's current and near future Napoleonic's and there was similar approach through the Punic wars (Is this range now complete?).
Just a correction to Dave M's post suggesting Conte is limited to Zulu War - Conte did do an Afghanistan range which i really like but never seemed to get going.
Thanks Neil A
NeilA,
Hello Again,
Just to correct your correction, CONTE did not do a PLASTIC Afghanistan range, they made a playset that had RESIN figures, FOAM building and their Plastic 'Zulu War' figures in tan plastic. So nothing specific for that range in Plastic.
I wasn't suggesting that Conte ONLY made Zulu War I was simply stating a fact.
What would you like to see made for the Colonial periods?
Regards,
Dave M
I might have mentioned elsewhere that i don't spilt hairs over the compounds used. Conte doesn't seem to either. As I said the Conte highlanders worked well for me and it was a pity the range wasn't expanded.
neil A
No problem, everyone can collect what they want and manufacturers can list it under whatever they like but RESIN is not Plastic in the modelling hobby, so don't really understand why it somehow becomes plastic in the toy soldier hobby.
I ONLY collect Plastic figures personally, so all my comments are related to Plastic, don't know much about the Resin market.
If you go onto CONTE's website I think he explains why he never went ahead with the Resin figures, something about them being too brittle. He has some of this range for sale, leftovers from the project, might be worth a look if you need some extras.
Dave M
The SYW range is just getting off the ground and there is a lot ahead for the Napoleonics. Add to that a new ancients range. With 10-16 1/32 release slots per year I don't know how you would get more ranges out the door.
AIP is far ahead in Colonials and has an ongoing commitment to the period as their latest releases show. Hat would just spend years repeating what they have done which would take you very far from you original gap-plugging company philosophy.
No to Colonials and WWI from me
Yes to 7wr ,Byzantine ,Greek/Persian, Nap.
For me I buy all hat in 1 / 32, whatever the time
Preferably Napoleonic 7yw, Greek, Persian, Zulu wars and finally ww1.
I would love to see Hats Colonial figures made into 1/32scale,yes there are other companys making figures for this period..which haven`t got the detail Hats does..and don`t other companys make Napoleonics Wars as well..but again Hats these it better. Again WW1 figures,A big yes to me as well...
I would rather see HAT complete the Napoleonic range with French, Austrian, Russian, British, Prussian, Bavarian, Spanish, Ottoman and Polish foot, cav and artillery instead of starting to do a few colonial sets. Over the years I have witnessed a number of manufactures start ranges, release a few figures, and then move on. If you a range to sell, you need to complete the basic forces. Given HATs 54mm planning, it will take a few years before the Napoleonic range is out.
However, if HAT was to do a colonial set, I would think the French Foreign Legion would be an easy army to do, with perhaps three boxes of French - charging/melee, firing and command with an MG and three Arab sets - charging/melee, firing and cavalry. The CONTE figures are too rubbery and rarely hold paint, so they are not very useful as wargaming figures. AIP figures are too stiff in their poses - it works for artillery figures, but not for Arabs or the FFL.
Adrian
I would buy hat WW1 in 1/32 {have no interest in the comming 7YW sets}
AIP have some good WW1 sets and Emhar has some 51mm Arty sets.
But hat could realy plug some gaps..Maybe some marching sets.
Rob C.
Setting aside Colonials, which have been done by others, I would love to see Crimean War figures; "Rode the 600!"
I own several of AIP's WWI figures but would love to see Hat take a crack at these. Just think of the possibilities!
In the more modern era, I'm surprised the Korean War hasn't been taken more seriously. No wonder it's called, "The Forgotten War".
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