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Reviews of Gladiator Miniatures

Chris Brantley on Gladiator Mounted Huscarles

I'm always on the look-out for good Dark Ages cavalry and picked up a packet of Gladiators' Mounted Huscarles (DA9). The packet comes with five figures and five horses. There is only one huscarle pose and two different horses. Huscarles come moulded with the saddle attached. They are wearing chainmail, with a flowing cloak pinned at the right shoulder and boots. They have a round shield with large boss, a conical helmet with nose guard (and mustache) and large spear. The horses are posed in walking and trotting positions. They are reasonably well done, but are a bit thin around the mid-section (to accomodate the huscarles with their saddles) and can't be swapped with other horses/figures for that reason. The lack of variety in the packet was disappointing, but this is a good figure that will mix well with my Essex and Wargames Outpost Services Dark Age horse.

Richard Dewsbery on Gladiator

Some ranges are better than others, but overall they're quite good. Tend to be better posed, but with a bit less detail than Essex (but more detail than Donnongton, say). On the tall and chunky side, though - I don't think that they'd mix well with Essex (although they'd go well with Donnington or Freikorps, for example).

Paul Harrison on Gladiator Goths, Franks & Huns

Gladiator/Historical Heroes- I have Goths, Franks, & Huns. These are the best sculpted and proportioned figures in my collection with one exception. They are smallish as well but each code is varied in pose and equipment.

David Kuijt on Gladiator

The figure ranges carved by Josef Ochmann are superb; as good as the best Essex in detail, with more active poses. They mix well with Essex and Old Glory; and moderately well with Chariot (Chariot tend to be thinner than Essex/OG/Gladiator. The "FE", "GO", "LR", and "AN" ranges are all excellent; I haven't seen more yet. The figure ranges carved by other sculptors are less fine, although I haven't seen more than a few figs from those ranges yet. Ochmann carved all the two-letter Gladiator ranges except the "DA" range.

Note: David Kuijt's excellent 15mm Figure Revew include notes and pictures of selected Gladiator figures carved by Josef Ochman, many of which were sold under the old Metal Magic and Hobby Products brands.

Karl Heinz Ranitzsch on Gladiator

I have figures from their Chinese, Hellenistic, Achaemenid, Maya and Medieval ranges. Good figures, well detailed (though some manufacturers produce finer detail, e.g.Outpost), good historical accuracy, slightly chunky, about 18mm high. Should mix well with Essex, don't know about the others you mentioned, visibly shorter than Museum Miniatures. Some of their newer ranges (e.g.the Maya) are impressive.

A. A. Redmond on Gladiator's Persian Wartower

If you're interested in doing up the Cyropaedia Persians and haven't already figured out what to do about their war tower then get yourself on over to your local Gladiator figures retailer. Gladiator makes a war tower in 15mm that is really cool. It's product number is PE22. I got one just to be the only person on my block with one. It paints up nicely and although I didn't do it, it would probably help a lot to pin it together. It comes as 4 sides, a base and 4 wheels. It also comes with a top floor on which you can position some of the 4 archers included with the model. Also has 4 oxen.

Paul Stamper on Gladiator Greeks

The Greeks are Gladiator miniatures and some of the best 15mm figures I've seen. Nicely animated and well proportioned and a joy to paint, as well as having mulpiple poses in the packs. They look a bit more like human beings than Essex figures and have more believable animation. The hoplites and various psiloi figures are particularly good with (if memory serves) five or six different holplites - armoured and unarmoured, various helmet styles etc. A word of warning some of their other ranges are by a different sculptor and are awful (the Italian Wars figures I have seen are poor). But the Hellenistics? I would thoroughly recommend them - really excellent figures.

Brent Sustaita on Gladiator Saracens and Turks

I ordered some Saracens and Turks hearing a rumor that Metal Magic was absorbed by them. I was somewhat disappointed with these troops. I think they are not well proportioned, man or beast. They have a decent amount of animation and some infantry troops are actually not that bad, but I was real disappointed in the horses. They do have a look like the Mongol and Tibetan ponies you see in National Geographic, but I prefer a more neo-classical looking steed. These look like poorly proportioned nags, which should do well for the Turks I have (too bad the tails are sculpted on top to the horse's rear!). Being a sculptor myself I do not want to offend anyone, but I hope the look achieved was what the sculptor intended. Some of the infantry figs are okay, but they also suffer from the breaks before bends syndrome. Average variety in pose. I think I got four cav/pack, three cav cmd, six inf cmd, and 12 infantry/pack.

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Last Updated: Oct. 11, 2000

Comments, suggested additions, and/or critiques welcome. Direct them to Chris Brantley at brant@erols.com.