Hey all, I am thinking of picking up TOI soon and am already planning what miniatures to go with to replace the plastic ones in the game.

I'm pretty set on World Tank Museum for the Shermans, Tigers and Panthers, but what would you guys recommend for infantry squads? Just wondering what you TOI vets are using...

Thanks!

Well I'm using the ones that come with the game. I just painted them all.

I've collected / painted minis for years, and I think the minis that come with TOI are really good. You could actually just paint them up. (Though if I'm hangin' out with my TOI game, I'd rather be playing it....)

If you get the game (or have already gotten it now) and you're still set on replacing the figs with some other minis, then consider the Flames of War line. They are the same scale - 15mm (though armor/vehicles will be larger since TOI alters the scale a bit to accommodate the gameboard). Also note that the TOI minis are static and the FoW minis are dynamic.

4lterego said:

I have been using Flames of War minis right from the start, and I really like them. They're not too expensive and you can have the infantry needed for the base set and expansions ready in no time.

KlausFritsch said:

So, KlausFritsch, how do you use the Flames of War figs? Meaning, what kind of bases do you use? Have you made your own? You need to remove the figs for ToI which you can't do if you base the FoW figs on FoW bases....

Belloq said:

... how do you distinguish between reg infantry and elite infantry? How do you use the squad badges? (Just lay them next to the base/group?) A platoon of reg FoW infantry costs about $45 (US) then about $15(US) for a mortar platoon and another $15(US) for a MG platoon. That's $75 for (not even) one side.

I enjoyed FoW but kind of gave it up for ToI because, FoW was turning into a money pit for me.

Belloq said:

I put the individual figures on old game counters I no longer need, mostly from Squad Leader (heresy, I know).

Elite figures get a dot on each corner of the base. Officers get FoW decals of their respective nations on their bases.

Squad bases are made from cardboard, quite simple and quick to do. Four minis fit onto a square-innch base. Bases for inclusing mortars and MGs are a bit larger.

I have made separate bases for each specialization where the name of the specialization is printed on the sides of the base. I have also started making bases in different colours for the campaign specializations from Normandy.

Klaus

I like the Pendraken Miniatures. Infantry is a bit smallish though. I am considering mounting infantry on small washers, then fixing them to the base with magnetic strips.

For figures, I've supplemented a lot of mine with various ones from the 1/72 scale Esci/AMT/Revelle/Italeri kits I've collected over the years. The mounting to bases was odd, especially since they don't match the neato cool ones that came with the game.

Check out the 10mm line of WWII armor miniatures offered by a store called Strange Cargo Games:

www.strangecargogames.com

Lots of choices for all nationalities and at great prices. You normally get two vehicles per pack for AFVs and 4-8 for others. 10mm is also known as N-scale. The Shermans are the same size as the ToI Shermans.

Bazookajoe said:

I Second this. I have a number of 10mm from Strange Cargo. These are the Perrin line of miniatures (the same maker of the tanks that come with Memoir '44). The Shermans are more accurate in their size and shape than the ToI Shermans and are very compatible.

If you live in Europe (or don't mind the shipping costs to here in North America) I would also recommend Pendraken. They also have an excellent line of 10mm miniatures that is broader in range than Perrin.

Check out my gallery on my site, Brummbar44.com or Boardgamegeek.com to see some examples of them in play.

The Pendrakens look great too, thanks for the heads up.

By the way, I came across your BGG posting regarding the ToI artillery upgrade a while back and my daughter and I gave it a try using the Neck of the Gap scenario (me as USA) after playing Twin Villages as the American and thinking the artillery was rather weak (105-155s about as strong as mortors?). She proceeded to lay a destructive artillery barrage onto the the American forces on the first turn (using the additional dice) that restored my faith in the god of war. It hurt, but that's the way artillery is supposed to be. I also rediscovered the principle of dispersion rather quickly.

Cheers!

Bazookajoe said:

Thanks for trying them out. I've only had a couple of opportunities to use the upgraded artillery but they are more worthwhile now for sure without being too heavy. Yes, a good lesson for dispersion for sure! LOL!

On this note, I was playtesting a scenario last night (look for it in the next edition of Wave of Steel) that uses Air Support. I soon discovered them to be a little underpowered as well. While I can appreciate that they don't 'drift' they do occasionally bomb the wrong targets altogether. I'm thinking about some kind of way to have a slight chance for a straying attack there. Any ideas?

I have a couple of ideas. Blue on blue CAS incidents during WW2 were surprisingly common for the Americans until they worked out a joint doctrine. The Brits and Germans had much better coordination.

I deploy overseas tomorrow but will get back to you shortly (the wonders of modern C4ISR).

Has anyone used Microamour (1/144 scale) for ToI? I find myself curios as to what they would look like on the board.

Microarmor would make a nice though costly game set. And here I was thinking of making paper infantry tokens.

Generally 1/144 scale miniatures work best. I see 21st Century Classic Armor, Can.Do, Dragon, and World Tank Museum minis most often.

World Tank Museum
First up is World Tank Museum , which have fabulously detailed models but are at more of a premium (about $5 per model).

Based in Berkely, CA.

MiniFigs.com
Minifigs.com has a wide selection of (N scale and/or 1/144 scale, check product descriptions) armor models as well as infantry models, vehicles, artillery pieces, and more. Moderate-high in price for tank models. Usually go for about $4 - $5 a piece, unpainted.

Based in Colorado.

Great Models.com
GreatModels.com has a decent selection of 1/144 scale armor and aerial pieces. They carry New Millennium, WTM, and other pre-painted models at bargain prices as well as models that require assembly and painting. I just bought 6 tanks for $10 + $6 shipping (only one of which is unpainted).

Prices seemed too good to be true and a little Googling turned up some discussion on their customer support. Bottom line, their management resolved disputes and they have a clean record on the BBB (3 claims, all resolved). They ask that you order at least $10 worth of merchandise, but you can try manually submit a shipment request for orders under $10 (I guess for screening purposes as they allowed me to order $8 worth of tanks, but added another to bring it up to $10).

Based in USA (Central).

Ebay
Last, but not least, Ebay.com (duh) appears to have a good amount of 1/144 scale models, could probably find some infantry models as well. YMMV.

Please share other e-tailers or retailers you've encountered.

EDIT

Strange Cargo Games
Strange Cargo Games has an excellent selection of models (tanks, vehicles, infantry) at a good price. Some assembly required, unpainted, but you get two models for about $7. USPS flat rate shipping is $5. A bargain!

Based in Los Angeles, CA.

The Miniature Figure Warehouse
This website has a wide selection of armor of various scales and manufacturers at decent prices. I just bought a 6-pack of Tiger I Tanks for $5.35 + $7 shipping, which is about $2.00 a model.

Based in Itasca, IL.

FRP Games
FRP Games has a decent inventory of armor pieces, but more importantly has the high quality, highly sought after, World Tank Museum models at a bit of a discount in comparison to these other e-tailers (about $4 a model vs. $5).

Thought Hammer
Found some World Tank Museum models at the good ol Thought Hammer website. They have the Sherman M4 platoon pack for $15.

Ah that's good. This page doesn't use common forum tags.

Hi,

I have updated the BGG forum thread regarding 1:144 miniatures

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/443101/better-vehicletank-models-1144-scale

Maybe someone could help finding the missing vehicles...

Cheers,
Phil