Ranking top 5

[sigtekorn]

Hello
Being new to this forum and the 1/72 miniature scene I was wondering what brand people prefer and why.

When I was a kid (70’s-80’s) I could only get Airfix. Today we also have Zvezda, Mars, Hat etc.

Italeri seems to have the widest range (in nap) and best overall ‘print’ quality in my so far limited experience. But the variations of the figures in their boxes are a bit disappointing.

How would you rank the different brands 1-5?

Cheers

[Susofrick]

First, welcome here! My favourite brand is actually Danish. Valdemar makes very nice figures. Only Medievals though and in metal. Among plastics Airfix is high on the list due to nostalgia, then Revell (if they just could reissue their own nice sets). Hat have done many nice sets and Strelets are coming. Italeri have done nice sets and not so nice. ESCI made nice sets. Well I try to make a list on the plastics:

1. Hat (I think they almost covered every Nappie set. There are some sets left though)
2. ESCI (not always correct, but they got me back to the hobby)
3. Airfix (for me they started it all)
4. Revell (very nice sets)
5. Strelets (if we forget their early dancing horses, they have made quite nice sets)

The list will probably look different another day.

[Kekso]

Welcome to the forum! First of all, it depends on historical period of interest.
Personally, I'm a Nappie fan and I prefer Zvezda.

[sigtekorn]

Thank you both. So much knowledge in this forum.
I was for a visit in Oslo this weekend and went to a large hobby store (Amundsen - for the locally adept). I was actually considering Zvezda while there, but having no prior experience with the quality I went with Italeri for green jackets 95th and British Line Inf. Maybe a mistake
Must revisit Airfix - although the few sets left from my youth has some flash and sloppy overall printing.

[Graeme]

I was actually considering Zvezda while there, but having no prior experience with the quality I went with Italeri for green jackets 95th and British Line Inf. Maybe a mistake

It sounds like you have just returned to the hobby so the best information I can give you is the link below that will take you to "Plastic Soldier Review" (PSR). On the menu on the left click on "Periods" then "Napoleonics" (or any other period you like) and you will be able to see pictures of all of the sets before you buy.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Index.aspx

I will post my top 5, or6, or7 though, when I've had a think about it.

[FredG]

It sounds like you have just returned to the hobby so the best information I can give you is the link below that will take you to "Plastic Soldier Review" (PSR). On the menu on the left click on "Periods" then "Napoleonics" (or any other period you like) and you will be able to see pictures of all of the sets before you buy.

http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Index.aspx

Good advice from Graeme. It's more a matter of which sets are best for purpose rather than which brand.

My Saxons are Hat. My Austrians are 20mm Newline Designs (metal) with Hat Cuirassiers. The rest are a mix of all others.
Even the old Airfix sets are of use.

I just hope that you have an attic/cellar/ spare room, to hold your stash of future projects.

[Wiking]

Hello stigtekorn and wecome to this forum.

Stigtekorn wrote:
... I was wondering what brand people prefer and why.

Good question.
So far as I saw in the past the very most people prefer a time span.
They do not prefer one or only a few brands.
As an example Kesko wrote that he prefer the Napoleon time frame like a lot of active members.
My timeline is WWII.

Stigtekorn wrote:
How would you rank the different brands 1-5?

I simply rank it for me with the most painted figures fixed to all my build Dio`s.
So finally my latest ranking would be:

1. Preiser
2. Esci
3. Revell
4. Cäsar
5. Airfix

6. Pegasus
7. Noch
8. Nikolai
9. Zvezda
10. Matchbox

[Mr. Andrea]

I am a newcomer in the 1/72 world as well. Hard to say what is the best manufacturer, it depends on the period you focus on, your miniature taste, if you prefer plastic or metal, etc. If I go plastic, the PSR is my bible; I trust their judgement, I've never been disappointed. If you ask, I usually go for Italeri, Zvezda and Hat. Recently, and only for napoleonic, I turn my attention to Strelets (their last nap figures are outstanding IMO). For metal figure, well, enjoying surfing on
http://www.schilling-figuren.de/;
http://www.schmaeling.de/;
http://www.hagen-miniatures.de/index.php/en/;
http://germania-figuren.com/gx2/;
http://kamar-zinnfiguren.de/de/KAMAR-Figuren-1-584/KAMAR-Zinnfiguren-komplette-List-593/;
https://www.fredericus-rex.eu/en/Scale-1-72-Figures-Buildings-Plants-Flag-s/Manufacturer-Scale-1-72/Valdemar-Miniatures/.
These are just of the few around. I am sure more experienced people in Benno's can complement the list.

[Graeme]

Welcome to the forum.

I don't really have favourites, I'm happy to buy from whichever company supplies the figures I want. And different manufacturers have the best examples of different subjects.

But here goes. I grew up with Airfix in the days when That's all there was, 60's/70's. Airfix were great, they covered nearly the whole of history and they gave me a love of small figures that I still have today. Their Highlanders were the first ever set of Napoleonics I bought. Perhaps many of their sets have been surpassed in quality by those of newer manufacturers but they still have a place and some of them still shine. Their Royal Horse Artillery are still the best, their Prussian Landwehr will still be No.1 for another week or two and my all time favourite set is still the Airfix Ancient Britons, and will likely remain so.

My areas of interest are Napoleonics, mostly for The Hundred Days, Iron Age Britain, The Jacobite Rebellion and a couple of other side lines. I have more sets from HaT than from any other manufacturer. Simply because HaT have produced more of the Napoleonic sets that I want than any of the others. I recall reading haythornethwaites books and wondering how I could convert all of those more obscure units, well I don't need to, HaT made them all. Some of their sets are better than others but I think they are all good usable sets and some are just excellent. HaT also have a good number of Celtic and Roman sets and a few of those side lines.

Revell had some really very nicely sculpted sets of Imperial Guard Grenadiers and Chasseurs a' Cheval. And British infantry, rifles, Houshold cavalry and foot artillery. I do wish they had reissued all of their Napoleonic range instead of just half of it.

Italeri provided me with excellent figures of Wellington, Blucher and Napoleon and staff. They also have really nice sets of French cavalry and guard horse artillery. They did have some issues with scale creep on their newer sets. Very nice figures, just a bit BIG. Italeri also did us a favour by reissuing the ESCI figures I needed like Imperial Guard lancers and foot artillery, British hussars and, most importantly the set I converted to get my long wanted Highlanders.

Strelets have really wonderful personality figures. Whenever I have a long, long period of not painting anything I get out of the rut by painting one of these fabulous little characters. They also have a good Napoleonic range for those who want variety in their army or for those who just prefer the Strelets style. Their French siege engineers are real gems. Lately Strelets have been producing some very nice looking new napoleonic sets. They also have some great Roman sets that I hope to catch up with.

And, it has to be said, I love Strelets and Redbox for giving me figures for the Jacobite Rebellion, I hope they will both continue this range.

Zvezda made some beautiful figures, the sculpting is exquisite. If they have a fault it's that they are too good to really fit in with all the other figures. Their French foot artillery is the last word on the subject and I've been taking the opportunity to buy the reissues of the other sets when I see them, didn't have them before.

Waterloo 1815 has Excellent figures for Orange, Picton and Brunswick and ACTA has a couple of nice French cavalry sets and i think their British foot artillery set is the main stay for this branch of Wellingtons army.

1. HaT, I like the style, and sheer numbers!
2. Airfix, seniority, and still good figures.
3. Strelets/Redbox, I had them at no.5. The Strelets style is not my favourite. But credit where it's due, they are actively producing new sets, their latest sets are very good looking, their personality figures are fabulous, Their figures are real characters when painted and, in conjunction with Redbox, they gave me Jacobite rebellion figures.
4. Italeri, gets the nod over Revell because they reissue their figures, and ESCI's.
5. Revell I really really like their Napoleonic sets but Italeri reissues theirs.

In that order? Maybe... ish.

[sigtekorn]

PSR - what an absolute incredible ressource of information

Thanks for that and other links.

[sigtekorn]

@graeme

Funny, the Airfix highlanders were my first set too. Still have a handfull of them left. White/yellowish plastic.

I can see now that I have gone about this in an awkward fashion. Should have asked the forum before I went shopping. Have among other things bought the Haye Sainte Farm set from Italeri. Arriving in a few days. According to their website I got the last one. Hope I don’t break my neck on this diorama.

[FredG]

You'll need KGL infantry for La Haye Sainte plus some Nassau

[Marvin]

PSR - what an absolute incredible ressource of information

Thanks for that and other links.

Hello and welcome, stigtekorn!

Yes, PSR is an essential!

My top 5 manufacturers?

1. Zvezda - Napoleonic figures are incredibly good.
2. Italeri - Again, many wonderfully sculpted Napoleonic figures.
3. Waterloo 1815 - Sculpting can be terrific, accuracy issues aside.
4. Revell - Nappy cavalry / 7 years war figures are superb.
5. Strelets - They have a unique style which doesn't fit in with others so well but the figures are full of character. Their range often includes conflicts / troops not available from anyone else, so are to be commended for that too.

I give honourable mentions to HaT and Red Box. I do like HaT and have much from their incredible range of figures. Downside is that they don't always have the most inspiring sculpting for their figures.

[Bluefalchion]

For me it is:

1) Pegasus
2) Zvezda
3) Caesar
4) ESCI
5) Revell

But I mostly work with WWII and "modern" subjects. I agree with the others who typed that it depends on the particular subject you are going for.

[santifernandez]

The first thing is to give you welcome to this community, it is difficult but I will try to give my opinion about the topo 5:
1-valdemar
2-nikolai
3-zvedza
4-italeri...some sets
5-revell...some sets

[santifernandez]

the page of plastic soldier review is really interesting to see news, revisions of figures and times to the true scale.

[Rich W]

I've just come back to the hobby after a 14 year break and have discovered makes that I had never previously bought. And, like everyone else, I couldn't recommend PSR enough.
My top 5 makes are:
1) Revell-these were my first sets I ever got (30 yr war artillery and ACW confederate inf) and produced (technically re-issued) my favourite set (AWI British inf)
2) Italeri
3) Esci
4) Hat
5) Zvezda

[Graeme]

Have among other things bought the Haye Sainte Farm set from Italeri.

Those laser cut buildings look very nice and the Italeri riflemen in that set are a good option for depicting the KGL light infantry defending La Haie Sainte.

I don't still have any of the Airfix Highlanders I had when I was a kid but I was very happy to meet these old friends again, after 4 decades, when I bought the Airfix Waterloo Gift Set. Still nice figures I think, old school cool.

[Susofrick]

Hmm, I think we have to say welcome to another new member! Welcome Rich W! And I'm still satisfied with my list. Listening to another master on Spotify, Erik Träuner/Nikolai Miniatures!

[Erich von Manstein]

Welcome to the forum.
Hope this great place will bring you as much fun and ease as it gives to me!

As others already said, it depends on your personal preferences.
Sculpting styles vary from best possible authenticity & anatomy (slender, realistic body dimensions & ideally “true“ to 1/72) to notorious wargaming gnomes (stubby bodies, short limbs, oversized heads & weapons, awkward anatomy & poses).
The different historical periods (& more so the consequential period-typical tactics and formations) are another aspect as well as how you intented to utilize the figures (wargaming, diorama, etc.).

PSR is definetly the first address to gain a first overview and to compare the options in 1/72 plastics.
Although I often disagree with their remarks and gradings, the site is indispensable to compare different figures and manufacturers.
More than once it saved me from wasting hobby budget on substandard products (for example Mars, Ykreol, Metch, Valiant, Coates & Shine and a major part of Häts output, unfortunately).

My current 1/72 plastic ranking:

1. Pegasus
2. Zvezda
3. Caesar
4. Strelets (they improved massively over the last 2 years!)
5. RedBox, Dark Alliance, Orion, Haron, Ultima Ratio, DDS “conglomerate“ (like Strelets; incredibly diverse, original & innovative but sadly not without problems)
…
6. Preiser
7. Italeri & classic Esci
8. Revell (classic but still unmatched)
9. Waterloo 1815
10. Emhar & Imex

In addition to what Graeme wrote you may be interested in reading a similar thread from a few years ago.
http://bennosfiguresforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14790&p=171043#p171043