Miniature figurines, or minis, are often used in wargames like Mage Knight, Heroclix, Hordes, Spinespur, Warhammer and Warmachine.collectibles Players benefit from these miniatures by gaining an accurate visual representation of the battlefield and the characters on it. Some of these miniatures are intricately crafted and might be considered collector’s items in and of themselves.
The toy soldier hobby over time developed into the hobby of collecting, decorating, and gaming with miniature figures. The miniatures need to be painted and the toy soldiers are already painted and this has always been the tradition. This distinction is unclear with the recent inception of pre-painted platic figures like the ones used in Clix games.
Materials: Miniatures are usually made from white metal, an alloy of tin and lead to which is added a small quantity of antimony, which enhances the alloy’s ability to cast small details. Minis are sometimes referred to as lead figures because they have a high lead content.
New York almost passed a bill making lead in miniatures illegal because of public health way back in 1933. Many miniatures manufacturers, anticipating that other states would follow with more bans, immediately began making miniatures with lead-free alloys, which often resulted in price increases.
After nearly a year of debate, including protests by miniature manufacturers and enthusiasts, Governor Mario Cuomo signed a bill which exempted miniatures from the state’s Public Health Law. However, the majority of manufactures on the US still use alloys that are non-lead based.
Many manufacturers use primarily polyurethane minis, other use plastics, polyethylene, polystyrene, and some even offer resin.
Box miniatures are sometimes used in war games and they are simply made from card stock folded and called cuboids. Each side features artwork on the outside.
Painting: The process that allows wargamers to customize their own miniatures that help them differentiate those pieces from others.
Although many gamers are indifferent to the quality of the paint job, for some the skillful painting of minis is a hobby in itself, on a par with the “more serious” modeling of historical and military figures. The skill of mini painting is hard, tedious, and takes a lot of time, but can have quite amazing results.
Miniature painting competitions exist at wargaming conventions, however, more and more are becoming prevalent online.
Professional painting services exist for hobbyist and corporate customers.