In the last post we talked about some of the things I am working on. The Viking Raiders was one of them. This weekend I will add the first two Viking Raider sets to my online store. Each set includes 7 different figures. The size is around 57mm. Color is Sage Green. They will blend well with the Conte or W. Britain Vikings & Saxon toy soldiers.The cost for each set will be $49.00.
Viking Raider Set #1
Here are the poses that will be in Set # 1. There are different hair stylesthat range from the partly shaven head to the more classical look of long hair. Beards are everywhere. Plus, some of the figures are different sizes. The figure I named “Big Boy” is a Viking that would have been over 6 & 1/2 feet tall and over 300 pounds. Most of the poses show the men in a fast pace. They capture the feeling of a village being raided. Most of the warriors are lightly armored. Speed is their advantage today. They are armed with Axes and Seax knifes. Most warriors didn’t have swords at this time. But long knives, axes and spears were common.
Viking Raiders Set #2
Set #2 continues the fast pace. But about half of the poses are attacking with Dane Axes. These deadly axes had a long handle and usually a bigger axe head. They say this axe would shatter shields, split heads, cut off arms. Besides the swinging of the axe overhead there were other fighting techniques. You could clip at their legs, grapple shields away, or thrust from behind a shield wall to slash a neck. You will notice the different styles of helmets worn. From a simple cone shaped nasal helm to a more elaborate raven type.
If you are interested in getting these two sets you can send me a message at mike@warhorseminiatures.com.
Warhansa LandsknechtsArtillery
Most of you know since the war in Ukraine there hasn’t been to many toy soldiers coming out of Russia.Plus, some of the companies have stopped or paused production.I was talking to the guys over at Warhansa. I am happy to learn they are designing new sets and are starting to get their products out again. You can check out their website, http://warhansa.com/.
Most of the new sets are Landsknechtsrelated. They are also revisiting some of their older sets and working on tabletop battlefield pieces.
Starting to use the new machine for production.
I should have another post in a week or so about the Saxon “Raid” set, Saxon Dead and other updates. Plus, more pictures of each Viking Raider figure.I will start testing some of the bigger items now that I have the new machine working. Every month I will be adding something new. Check out the store page over here, https://warhorseminiatures.com/product-category/warhorse-miniatures/.
I hope everyone had a nice time yesterday on Christmas. Today I am writing a quick post about some new sets coming out soon. Most are from Russia and one is a preview from me. Let the Wild Hunt begin…
We start with Igor Basevich announcing their next two Three Musketeer’s themed sets, the King Musketeers & the Cardinal Guards.They will be made out of plastic and probably in a few different colors. The scale is 1/32. I will pick these up when I see them.
Moscow Creative Association Seven Hills presents a new set. Stone Age-Hunting. This set contains four miniatures of hunters and one figure of a cave bear. The material is rubber-plastic. The bear figure will be made of soft plastic or resin. The pre-order of the set starts after the new year. Stay tuned for group updates.
Warhansa sent me a message about their first set for 2022. A Great swords set, Landsknechts / Dopplesoldners. They will be in 1/32 scale in rubbery resin.
The last preview is from me. I am calling this the “Pig Farm”. The set is almost completed. I am redesigning part of it. Hopefully I will have this released in February. It could sooner.
That is it for now. Keep Safe & Prepared. Thank you for reading.
I spent most of the day pricing and packing toys for the show. Carolyn helped me ship out the first batch of orders of our 1st set.Most of the items I am bringing to the show are new production.Besides the Warhorse Miniatures we also have a bunch of the LOD/Barzso resin figures and Foam houses. Plus some of the Russian resin toy soldiers. Plenty of Warhansa and some Publius Medieval figures.For more information on the show click over here, http://www.mwtoysoldier.com/Shows.html.
We will have the Saxon Family Set #1 with us for purchase at that show this Sunday.Plus some of the prototypes of other sets we are working on.
Here are some of the Russian figures and sets that I will have with me.
Here are some of the LOD/Barzso products that I will have will me. I am even bringing one Duke’s Tower. I am asking $275 for it.
If you can, stop by the show this Sunday. It will be fun. That is it for now. Thank you for reading.
The 40th Chicago Toy Soldier Show was last week. It had mixed reviews. I heard that sales were up and down for different vendors. Some had their best sales ever or close to it. Others did good but had better years. Then their were some dealers that had their worst sales ever. I also heard that the number of dealers was down. Most of this was because of the pandemic. They said the crowds were good and there was a new crop of young collectors present too. The younger collectors were looking for recent products. They were not too interested in the vintage playsets.
In a few weeks the Columbus Ohio Toy Soldier Show will be held. It is on Sunday October 17th. The show is from 10am to 3pm.It was a great show last year. It should be the same this year. There was plenty of plastic figures and playsets too. This year you can see the latest sets that Warhorse Miniatures is selling. Plus the prototypes. I will also have some of the LOD Barzso sets and foam houses. Plus some of the Russian made resin figure sets too. Many of the dealers will be bringing things they picked up at the Chicago Toy Soldier Show. Don’t miss this one!! You can read about last years show by clicking over here, The 2020 Columbus Ohio Toy Soldier Review.
Rodion over at Warhansa sent me a message about their latest Medieval based sets. Their figures are really nice. I really like how they have improved the quality of their miniatures over the years. The figures have great detail. They are 1/32 in scale. Close to the Conte Medieval figures. Plus they look great with the Warhorse Miniatures too!! Which is a plus 😉You can read more about Warhansa at their website, https://warhansa.com/.
Over at Warhorse Miniatures we continue to test things to insure that we produce products of high quality. We released our first set a few weeks ago for pre-order. In a few weeks we will announce our next release. We will focus on the figure sets for now andproduce the houses and shops towards the end of the years.
See you at the Columbus Ohio Toy Soldier Show. That is it for now. Thank you for reading.
Circle your calendar for October 17th for the Columbus Toy Soldier show. At the show I will beginning selling my 3D printed miniatures. We will begin with some Anglo-Saxon figure sets, houses and other accessories. Plus a Viking Raider camp.Today in this post you will see some prototypes of a few figures. Some of these figures will or might be changed.Besides testing out the structural design of the figures we are also testing out different types of resins. Once we figure out what type and/or combination of resins we will start pricing of the figures and accessories.These miniatures are scaled to match Conte & W. Britain figures. They are around 57mm. Some might be a little bigger or smaller.I am labeling these as 1/31 in scale. Since they are not the true 54mm with is 1/32. Later on we will scale these figures and most of the accessories in the true 1/32 or 54mm and then 28mm.
Here is the original color of the resin for these prototypes. I later primed them and painted them a solid brown color to help show the details.
Here is a Saxon Peasant herding some domesticated Boars.
Here is an Saxon hunter with a bow and a rabbit.
Here is a Saxon chopping some wood logs.
Here is a tall Saxon carrying some wheat that he just harvested. This figure is going to be redesigned.
Here is the last porotype that I have to show today. It is another Anglo-Saxon Peasant that is pulling a cart. The cart can be filled with a piece of chopped wood logs or a pile of wheat.
Here are some of the prototypes compared to some Conte plastic and metal figures.
Here are some prototypes with some W. Britain and Conte figures.
Some prototypes with some Warhansa figures.
Here are some prototypes with some Barzso figures.
Here is a digital design for a Saxon house.
Here are some Boars running away or fighting back against random figures.
In the coming weeks we will be showing more previews and prototypes.This is only the beginning . We are on a journey to create a Anglo-Saxon village. There will be different houses, plenty of peasants, craftsmen and warriors. Once we finish the 1st phase we will expand into other themes.
Here is a set of Medieval Knights by Warhansa. Five figures in five different poses. They are made out of a rubbery type of resin. The set is based on some of the old Robin Hood or Ivanhoe Hollywood movies. The figures are nicely detailed and the pose are good too. The are about 57mm tall.You can check out their website over here, https://www.warhansa.com/katalog/medieval_knights.html.
Here are the Knights with other brands.
Here is the Ukrainian Cossacks XVII centuryset by Kit Soldiers. They are a company from Ukraine. The set is made up of 8 figures in 8 different poses. The material is polyethyleneand they are 1/32 in scale. For more information you can check out their FB page, https://www.facebook.com/Kit-Soldiers-104648945096855.You can also contract Alek, https://www.facebook.com/aleks.kot.3532.
I will have more information in the coming weeks about the 3D printed figures. You can also check out my page of this website for the 3D printed figures, Warhorse Miniatures 3D Figures.That is is for now. Thanks for reading.
Today we remember the Brave American, British, Canadian & other allied Soldiers that gave their lives when they stormed the beaches of Normandy to fight the forces of Germany.
The Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history and required extensive planning. Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target. By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans. The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.
Today I am doing a quick post about some new products from Warhansa and then a figure from Publius. The first Warhansa set is called “Friends of Robin Hood”. There are 6 figures included. It looks like we get Little John, Friar Tuck, a Merry man with a pitchfork, Will Scarlet, a Jester and Maid Mirian.
The figures look really sharp. List as 1/32 in scale. They are nice size and will blend very well with Conte & Barzso medieval figures. The poses are good too. Weapons are to scale. I give them an A. The only figure I don’t need is the Jester. But he has his use in a court some where…
The other set is called “Forest Camp”. It has a camp fire and an animal spit roasting above it. Plus some barrels and chest. Some much needed accessories that we need a ton more for displays.
Here is a new figure by Publius. He is a mounted Native American or a Plains Indian on a horse. This figure is very nice. Again 1/32 in scale. He is a little bigger than the TSSD figures. But will make a nice leader for you figures.
I found these trees in a train hobby shop last month. I purchase about all that they had. Not bad for about $3.00 a piece.
I am still working on some new figures. We are testing different designs and resins. I hope to be able to share something new in a few weeks. That is it for now. Thank you for reading.
To my fellow Countrymen. When your sitting around drinking a beer, grilling some food on the BBQ, going to the beach or doing nothing at all, it’s because of American blood that was spent protecting your rights and freedom. Remember all the fallen Heroes this holiday weekend and every day also. Because Freedom, isn’t Free.
The Conte Collectibles plastic Roman sets are now available. The come in 3 different colors of Red, Silver and Gold. They look really nice. I will have some in the near future to do a review. Right now they are $35 a for a bag of 16 figures or you can get 3 bags for $99 and free shipping. Head over to the Conte website to order some here, https://contecostore.myshopify.com/collections/all.
Plastic Platoon is starting to show some previews of their American Revolution figures and they just released an Artillery set. Now they are doing some figures based on the Battle of Bushy Run which took place during the Pontiac War period. I am looking forward to this. I hope to learn more about what they have planned for a future post.
The guys at Warhansa were kind enough to send me some pictures of the latest sets. The first one are English Knights based off of an old movie. They have that Robin Hood/Ivanhoefeel to them. I like them and will do a review in the future. The second set is of movie characters from the 1990’s. Can you guess what movies they are based from?
Here is the Viking Drakkar set. The set is made up of 5 figures, 4 Male warriors and 1 Female. They make great character figures for your Dark Age figures. I like the female warrior the best. The removable base is a nice idea too.You can check out their page over here, http://warhansa.com/.
I am working on a few things and hopefully they work out the way I want them. I will keep you updated. That is about it for now.Thank you for reading.
Robert Westrick is looking for some vendors for a toy soldier show that he is putting together. Robert is a long time collector that has amassed a ton of toys and is starting to let go of some of his collection. The location is at his Wife’s Book store. They held a Baseball card and comic show a few months ago and now are doing the toy show.The location is a little over an hour away from Baton Rogue.
Maddie’s Books & Treasures.
111 E Saint Peter Street
New Iberia, LA 70560
Used books (Buy, Sell & Trade), Collectibles & More
(337) 967-1385
“Maddie’s Books & Treasures Presents the 1st Annual Toy Soldier – Playset – Military Model and Military Toy Show. This event will take place Saturday May 29, 2021. We are looking for venders wishing to set up and sell their collectibles and patrons wishing to attend. If we get indication of a strong turnout, we will consider making this a two-day event. Maddie’s Books & Treasures is located in New Iberia, Louisiana about 20 minutes from Lafayette, an hour and a half drive from Baton Rouge and 2 & 1/4 hours from New Orleans. Please contact Maddie’s Books & Treasures if you are interested in attending.“
I just got a few boxes over the last few days from Russia. I am doing a quick review on the Archer set from Warhansa today. Then over the next few weeks I will do some reviews on others sets or figures that I received.There are five figures in the set. Three are with bows and two are fighting with weapons. There also two sets of stakes and a three loose arrows. This is a very well detailed set and the figure blend nicely with other brands that fit into the “Big” 1/32 scale.I took some pictures of different brands(Barzso, Conte and Publius) to show you how they look.Check out their website to see more over here, https://www.warhansa.com/.
Here is a preview of the next review below. That is it for now.Thank you for reading.
It has been a while since my last post. I have been busy working extra and dealing with the weather for the most part in January. I have gathered some things that have occurred over the last month into one post.So let us begin with some news from Airfix.
Airfix is releasing 6 of there classic World War II sets this summer. British Paratroops, German Infantry, US Infantry, US Paratroops, German Paratroops and British Infantry. I think these are now being produced in India. I wonder if they will be in a soft plastic again?
Conte’s plastic Romans are in production and should be available before the end of this year. Hopefully by the summer if we are lucky we shall see Roman Legion Set #1. They will come in bagged sets of Gold, Silver & Red.
Some of the figures require assembly. You will have a some choices with the poses. This is a nice feature when building armies. Also the hot & cold water solution to straighten the spear might be needed. Head over to the Conte website over here, https://contecostore.myshopify.com/.
Next we visit CHELOVECHEK / LITTLE MAN.Set №8, which is called “The Missing Expedition of Franklin – EREBUS (1845-1847).” In the set are 6 men in 1/32 scale made in rubber plastic. Here is a short description: – Captain John Franklin with Capuchin the monkey, Private of the Marine Corps armed with a capsule shotgun, Ice Master with hook and pistol, Diver with bogor, Cook with a heavy look, and an old sailor with a ice ax.
Plastic Platoon is very busy these days. They have a new set coming out soon. It is Indian Warriors of the Battle of Little Bighorn #3.
Plastic platoon. Soviet scouts 1943. 1/32 + Master model. Planned for release in Spring 2021.
Here are some 3D rendered Indian figures for the new American Revolution theme sets being developed.
Here are more renders of the figures of the series American Revolution. This time, the figures are from the Artillery Revolution set. The girl is Molly Pitcher.
Next we see what Publius is up too. Here are a few of the new sets being released.There is a crusader set, Greeks and Knights.
The last thing I have to report about Publius is the prototype of an Amazon.
Mars has two new sets coming out later this year. They are World War II German Paratroop Artillery and Mortar sets.
David and Kim at MicShaun’s Closet have some new foam pieces in development.Here are the photos of their new North Africa Building in three paint schemes.
PlusPalisade Walls for the Alamo and other dioramas. Three different pieces – plain wall, angled section (more for Alamo) and and artillery section.Check out more of their products at https://micshaunscloset.com/.
Last time I previewed the English Archer set by Warhansa. They have continued with some new medieval themed sets. They are English medieval themed sets. I really like these sets.
They also have a new Viking themed set.You can see more at their website over here, https://www.warhansa.com/.
FOUND AFTER 14 YEARS
One of my favorite projects was the Robin Hood Set. After the set came out in 2007 I had 5 more Merry Men sculpted by the brilliant Jay Richardson of Ft. Worth , Texas. They were to be the basis for a small add on set called the Men of Sherwood Forest. The figures were in various camp poses , seated , standing around, etc. One guy was designed to carry a variety of items , like firewood , a cask, etc. I got involved with other projects and put the originals away for safe keeping. I put them away in such a safe place that I forgot where they were! From time to time I would mount a determined search , but always without success. Years went by, with no Merry Men in sight.
Fast forward to last Saturday night. I was moving some boxes around and found one labeled ” Original Sculpts .” even though I had looked in the box before , I thought I would check each small box inside. Each box contained a set of original figures that I sent to the mold makers and which they had returned, Aztecs, 1805 Marines, Hurons …and then I opened a box labeled British Grenadiers figures #1-#4. But within the box was the set of long lost, misplaced , missing in action Merry Men in Camp ! I immediately called my old buddy Jim Clouse and told him the happy news . We met the next day at a McDonalds parking lot so I could hand them over for some professional photographs. (In addition to his sculpting skills Jim is also an accomplished photographer.
Finally, I communicated with the new owner of Barzso Playsets, Ken Ciak. Ken was excited too and plans to finally produce these figures along with maybe a surprise or two. ( I had planned to include a Maid Marion and Ken makes great female figures and , well, you get the idea.
So there is the story of the missing Merry Men. I can hardly wait until they come out. Can you ?
~ Ron Barzso
Photos were taken byJim Clouse.These figures will probably be out sometime in the summer or early fall.You can see more of the LOD products over here, https://lodtoysoldiers.com/.
Total War announced that they will be releasing Warhammer III late this year. It is a PC video game. Game Workshop is also developing new miniatures bring back the Warhammer Fantasy tabletop game.
Now for some news. I will not be attending the Midwest Toy Soldier Show this year. I will be at the Gettysburg and Columbus Toy Soldier Shows. Maybe some other shows too. But we shall see. I will have some of the Russian based figure sets at these shows. Companies like Prikaz, Warhansa and Publius. Plus the LOD resin sets and some foam products. I should also have my figures ready sometime late spring. That is all for now. Thank you for reading.
I hope everyone is well. Today is going to be a real quick post. Here is the latest set that Warhansa is working on. Russian Revolutionary’s of 1917. The set should be out in the near future. I like this set. It can be used in different settings also.
Besides the Russian Revolution set we have a new hero coming too. I hope to have some more pictures and information soon.You can check out more over here, https://warhansa.com/.
We still are dealing with this virus. It looks like they want to start another lock down. Besides that I have been busy working and selling on eBay.