54mm Medieval moulds

[lensman]

Well I got my first two medieval moulds, the crossbowman and the billman, and I must say that they are even nicer in person than in their pictures, which is saying something. I notice that they are the exact same figures you showed a while back as “greens” with the only difference being that they had different arms with swords and shields and the crossbowman was missing his quiver.

I hope you are eventually planning to release a special set of moulds containing nothing but arms, hands with different weapons, shields and perhaps even a few different heads or helmets. This would make a great series perfect. As it is I plan to be doing a whole lot of swapping around of arms, shields and weapons and will probably hack off a few heads and swap them around. This is going to be great.

Important questions--how many figures are in the pipeline, can you give us a hint as to what they are and will there be any archers and crossbowmen firing? How about unarmored peasants or knights on galloping horses?

Great new series. Thanks,
John

[Prince August]

lensman said:

Important questions--how many figures are in the pipeline, can you give us a hint as to what they are and will there be any archers and crossbowmen firing? How about unarmored peasants or knights on galloping horses?

Great new series. Thanks,
John

These molds are proving popular and we have a french mounted knight coming out next week, just before Easter 2006, and will have archer and crossbowman firing their weapons in May. As far as future releases go well we will certainly take suggestions for them. I personally am wary of making peasants and women or children for the series as they have proven poor sellers in the past in other series and can result in the series being dropped. I would like to add more soldiers or Horses first. Extra heads and weapons is an interesting option but as the series is not designed for easily removal of the heads, unlike the 54mm Napoleonics, it might not be that popular as inexperienced casters would not attempt modifying the figures to that extent.
To ensure that the series blooms we must make molds that really are popular with as wide a market as possible, as those sales encourage future expansion.

[lensman]

I am looking forward to the French knight and am completely jazzed by the prospect of archers and crossbowmen in firing poses. As for the unarmored peasants I was thinking more the poorly armed rabble sort with pitchforks, scythes, clubs and the like rather than women or civilians. Someone for the snooty knights to ride down contemptuously as they try to storm the castle.

On another note I have been fairly lucky in downloading free medieval skirmish rules that go with the new figures a treat. However I really think P.A. would be wise to either write rules themselves for wargaming with their figures or offer small rewards for customers who will donate them to P.A. Something like a free mould or batch of metal to the winner of the rules writing competition for each line. While I know that old timers like myself are aware of how well P.A. figures lend themselves to wargaming I am willing to bet that there are some new customers out there who haven’t a clue as to what they can do with all these nice shinny figures once they cast them. It would be nice to help the next generation get started.

You could set a small area on your web site for the free downloads. I'll bet it would help sell more figures!

John

[Tom Cowell]

I'm extremely pleased with the first three moulds, and I've just ordered the next four.

For what it's worth, I would be interested in non-combatant peasants (including women and children). I'd also been interested in

• Soldiers in more passive poses (sentries, for example).
  
• Standard bearers.
  
• Various sorts of nobility and royalty.
  

I made a rambling post on this subject many months ago. Although the medieval moulds aren't all that I want, I'm still very pleased with them.

Thanks
Tom

[lensman]

I would like to second the motion for at least a few medieval sentry figures and I wonder how much crossover appeal a set of medieval mounted falconers, particularly NOBLE WOMEN, would have with Prince August’s female customers. I am very aware that Prince August is a business (wouldn’t have it any other way) so whenever I suggest a mould idea I try very hard to think of who would buy it. While I have always admired the lovely “At Ease” line in the Napoleonic series I have never bought one since they didn’t meet with my wargaming needs but a similar “Medieval At Ease” line just might have a chance, particularly for diorama builders. I could also use a set for “save the damsel” wargame scenarios.

Question. Just what would be involved in up scaling some of the wonderful pawn figures in Prince August’s chess moulds to match in size the 54mm figures? I mention pawns as opposed to the other pieces since almost to a man Prince August’s pawns are wonderful soldier figures with great potential OFF the chessboard. I would certainly buy up sized versions of the pawns to the Napoleonic, Richard the Lion Hearted and Saladin lines and perhaps a few of the others besides.

By the way could someone at the factory grab a ruler and tell me how tall the pawn to the Richard the Lion Hearted set is, from toe to top of helmet not counting the base or spear? Would they look like midgets beside the current Medieval line? If the answer is no then I will probably get the mould to make sentries from.

Despite not, as yet, having all the Prince August Medieval moulds I could want my two armies are already taking shape and they are going to be a blast. Thank you Prince August!

John

[Prince August]

Tom said:

I'm extremely pleased with the first three moulds, and I've just ordered the next four.

For what it's worth, I would be interested in non-combatant peasants (including women and children). I'd also been interested in

• Soldiers in more passive poses (sentries, for example).
  
• Standard bearers.
  
• Various sorts of nobility and royalty.
  

I made a rambling post on this subject many months ago. Although the medieval moulds aren't all that I want, I'm still very pleased with them.

Thanks
Tom

We are considering making a princess, King, Jester, and other figures that you would only cast a few times as actual cast figures, not molds. We find that sales of molds of these type of figures are poor generally and this approch might circumvent that issue. Afterall you only need a few standard bearers, but you can cast 20 archers and 30 Men-at-arms.

[Tom Cowell]

We are considering making a princess, King, Jester, and other figures that you would only cast a few times as actual cast figures, not molds. We find that sales of molds of these type of figures are poor generally and this approch might circumvent that issue.

I would certainly buy these, provided I could have them in 5 star metal (I would give them to children). Musicians would please me too.

I very much like lensman's falconer suggestion.

Tom

[Prince August]

lensman said:

I would like to second the motion for at least a few medieval sentry figures and I wonder how much crossover appeal a set of medieval mounted falconers, particularly NOBLE WOMEN, would have with Prince August’s female customers. I am very aware that Prince August is a business (wouldn’t have it any other way) so whenever I suggest a mould idea I try very hard to think of who would buy it. While I have always admired the lovely “At Ease” line in the Napoleonic series I have never bought one since they didn’t meet with my wargaming needs but a similar “Medieval At Ease” line just might have a chance, particularly for diorama builders. I could also use a set for “save the damsel” wargame scenarios.

Question. Just what would be involved in up scaling some of the wonderful pawn figures in Prince August’s chess moulds to match in size the 54mm figures? I mention pawns as opposed to the other pieces since almost to a man Prince August’s pawns are wonderful soldier figures with great potential OFF the chessboard. I would certainly buy up sized versions of the pawns to the Napoleonic, Richard the Lion Hearted and Saladin lines and perhaps a few of the others besides.

By the way could someone at the factory grab a ruler and tell me how tall the pawn to the Richard the Lion Hearted set is, from toe to top of helmet not counting the base or spear? Would they look like midgets beside the current Medieval line? If the answer is no then I will probably get the mould to make sentries from.

Despite not, as yet, having all the Prince August Medieval moulds I could want my two armies are already taking shape and they are going to be a blast. Thank you Prince August!

John

I measured the pawns and they measured 53mm from foot to top of helmet.
It requires a lot of tooling to make the pawns actual figures for gaming but certainly possible.

[lensman]

The idea of selling cast figures of some of the limited use figures is outstanding and you can certainly count on me to buy them the moment they appear. I am likely to buy several in fact since my young niece would love a princess figure, mounted or dismounted, painted for her by her uncle and once she gets that one she will want the rest of the royal court. Great idea!

Thanks for measuring the pawn. Fifty three millimeters sounds like it just might fit with the other PA figures. In your judgment do they look right together? I may be getting that mould soon.

John

[lensman]

I have been looking at the chess set pawns again and I was wondering if PA would consider selling a few pre-cast pawns separately from the chess sets, which I know you offer? I am sure that there must be a few spares left over from any set after a pouring run and if so this would be a great way for me to see which moulds would fit my needs. I am particularly interested in the Richard the Lion Hearted pawn, the Sheriff of Nottingham’s pawn, although eventually I might get the moulds to the Robin Hood pawn, Saladin’s pawn and bishop, and the Servants of Shadow pawn. All look great.

John

[General Davout]

I was down in the shop in Cork recently (again) and its smashing to have a look at the new medieval figures as finished and painted figures. I will definately be purchasing a few of the moulds.
The idea of selling precast figures, particularly ones that only one or two are needed is great, bring it on ....

[lensman]

I just saw the “greens” for the upcoming PA medieval figures and all I have to say is YEE-HA!! Now that is what I am talking about. When those moulds come out I am going to be one very happy camper. Two different archers firing! I think I have died and gone to heaven. And that guy with the soup dish helmet at the bottom can, with almost no effort at all, be converted into a third archer! I will be buying all three moulds the second they come out.

Way to go PA!

John

[nick44]

I agree I think the molds are superb!

[carl]

I would like to see at least one or two larger than 54mm size someday. Also, would like to see some weird items like chariots, wagons, catapolts, etc.