Summary
Games Workshop is raising the price ofWarhammer. Again. The monopolistic miniatures company has a stranglehold on tabletop wargaming and can basically do whatever it wants, and whatGames Workshopwants to do right now is raise its already exorbitant prices to pull some extra coins out of your pocket.
Warhammer has always been an expensive hobby, but prices have risen at an increasingly fast rate over the past few years. When I started the hobby, I paid about £8 for a Kroot Shaper. The new one sells for £21. According to Games Workshop, that will soon rise to £22.
A pound doesn’t seem that much, but rises of three to five percent across the entire range will add up. An Imperial Knight could rise by as much as £6. Myplanned Skaven armyforAge of Sigmar 4th Editioncould rise by dozens of pounds. Again, you may think ‘what’s 20 quid when you’re spending hundreds?’ but for some people, that’s the limit to their spending, the extra that means they can’t afford to continue their collection.
Luckily, I’ve rounded up some of the best miniatures companies out there who offer alternatives to Games Workshop. Now don’t go taking these to your local store or official tournaments, but some may be perfect for proxying with pals. Or, you may find a brand new game system that you love.
Anvil Industry
Anvil Industryis a well-known name in hobbying circles, and its Exo-Lords are a perfect alternative to Space Marines. However, I wouldn’t recommend buying these as a cheap alternative, due to the fact that ten resin miniature Exo-Lords will set you back £56.35. Still, at least Anvil hasn’t raised its prices even more again and again (as far as I’m aware).
Instead, head to Anvil for bits. Spare parts on sprues have long since been abandoned on Games Workshop products in favour of kits that make models to specific designs. If you’re a converter like me, head to Anvil for its weapon magazines, pouches, and Definitely Not Servo Harnesses. Turn a regular Space Marine into a Techmarine for just £6.90? Yes please.
Vae Victis
Let’s turn to the fantasy side of things. I’vewritten about Vae Victis before, and my points still stand. Want excellent medieval models? Look no further. These are your perfect Mordheim stand-ins, they work if you like to miniaturise your D&D campaigns, they’re great. If Games Workshop will leave its most evocative systems to decay, look elsewhere.
The only downside toVae Victisis that you need a 3D printer to actually make the models. This keeps costs down for the files, though, so you only need a subscription to their Patreon to access everything they make.
Bad Squiddomakes models like Games Workshop used to. These lovingly crafted miniatures have a home-made feel to them, akin to the models of the ‘90s that we look back on with such adoration.
Bad Squiddo’s models are not for building into huge armies, but for painting with care.
Scoutsifer Studio
D’ya like mechs? Who am I kidding? Everyone likes mechs. No one more than me,Titanfall 2’sbiggest fan and the owner ofa tiny Dreadnought army.
Scoutsifer Studiomakes some of the most interesting mechs you can put on the tabletop, so whether you want somefunky Ad Mechor a lootedOrk Dread Mob, this should be your first port of call.
Red Makers
Space Knights, Steel Guard, Solar Guard;Red Makershas it all. These are probably the closest to direct proxies on this list, and they’re really good. However, Red Makers is at its best when it pushes the envelope a little.
Ever thought your Solar Auxilia needed to be ridingmassive monowheelslike General Grievous? At $14 for five (STL files), these are the Rough Riders you never knew you needed. Also, check out theIce Warriors, because Games Workshop seems to have forgotten that Valhallans exist.
Print Minis
Print Minis creates digital models for you to 3D print at home, if you couldn’t work it out already. However, the store (and correspondingPatreon) includes such a wide variety of models that it’s worth mentioning.
From necromancer outlaws, to cyborg bounty hunters, to pirate ogres, to massive grimdark terrain pieces, Print Minis really has everything.
One Page Rules
I first learned aboutOne Page Rulesthanks to its eponymous simplified 40K ruleset. I’ve meant to write about the Grimdark Future for a long time, and this is my reminder to return for a deep dive in the near future.
However, the miniatures might be even better. Starting at $70 for anentire army(plus printing costs), few companies offer better-value miniatures. Some of the armies are incredibly creative, too, promising everything from Space Lizardmen to creepy vampires. If that wasn’t good enough, you can get theGrimdark Future starter setcompletely free. And I mean properly free, not GW’s ‘free until we release the Codex then you have to pay and oh you need a subscription to write army lists’.
Artisan Guild
If you’re looking for bigatures, those army centrepieces that make your opponents go ‘wow!’ then ‘ow!’,Artisan Guildis the place for you. Its fantasy monsters rival anything that Games Workshop produces, for a fraction of the price.
While I personally love the woolly mammoth (a team bus for myNorse Blood Bowl team, perhaps?), Artisan’s drakes, golems, and giant-wolves-with-swords-in-their-mouths are astounding.
While Games Workshop remains the one-stop shop for all things miniature, there are plenty of alternatives out there, especially if you have access to a3D printer. Luckily, those are getting cheaper than ever, and more user-friendly too, so perhaps the future of miniature wargaming is paying independent designers and producing their minis from the comfort of your home.
Whatever happens, Games Workshop makes enough profit to not notice your absence, and it’ll be just fine if you buy a Scoutsifer mech instead of starting your fifth official army.
Next:Warhammer 40,000: Darktide The Miniatures Game Review: Simple But Effective
