Is wargaming too expensive a hobby, asked Big Lee on Big Lee’s Military Adventures blog and post? I left Lee a short blog comment:
Only 3 comments on the blog post but well over 200 varied comments left by viewers and readers of this post on Big Lee’s Miniature Adventure Youtube channel.
In my view, Tabletop gaming doesn’t have to be expensive.
Pound store type plastic figures are one inexpensive possibility.
I couldn’t remember where I had seen such 54mm pound store soldier poses but they seemed to be cheap copies or pirated figures – at first I thought they were BMC, King and Country type figures?
Roger Halvorsen suggested (see blog post script) that they are Forces of Valor WW2 range copies.
These modern or futuristic troops can be worked backwards to reasonable WW2 US Paras (in case Airfix 1:32 reissues dry up again) through recent conflicts far out in time and space to become convincing Space Marines, Sci Fi rebels and troopers.
The makers of these mystery figures were a bit of a mystery when I first found them at the seaside for 50p a box. These turned out after some time searching around online to be copies of 54mm US Marines WW2 from US manufacturer BMC designs.
Another unfamiliar set of figures were these Combat Mission brand ones sold back in 2017 for a few years through the Kandy Toys range:
This sort of bargain still excites my inner 1970s seven year old …
I bought several box loads of these figures at various seaside plastic shops about 10 years ago but these slowly morphing and de-evolving figure designs are still out there, albeit thinning, shrinking and the crisp mouldings degrading with each reissue.
Is this a developing case of Plastic Tat nostalgia? Plastic Tat isn’t what it was in my day / ten years ago etc. etc.
That was then, this is now, 2025 …
King and Country recently issued late 2024 a new range for 1992 ‘Black Hawk Down’ Somalia which would also do for Gulf War / early Afghanistan era ‘Desert Storm’ US or Allied Troops.
The beautifully painted metal King and Country figures are obviously collectors items, display or diorama piece, rather than knockabout tabletop / beach / garden gaming figures: astonishing prices at 3 painted metal figures for $177 dollars or about $60 per figure, compared to my 20 to 30 unpainted figures for 50p to a pound!
Fine figures – but not what you could call wargaming on a budget …
As for the joy of pound store figures, Man of TIN along with Stalin (supposedly) and various others would agree that “Quantity has a Quality of Its Own”
The Opposition?
One obvious challenge with cheap pound store figures is having a good balance of poses, weapons and support gear as well, as is another challenge of having an opposition.
If you are using the WW2 US paratroop figures for a garden or tabletop recreation of D-Day, Arnhem ‘Market Garden’ and other scenarios, then a range of suitable cheap copies of old Matchbox and Airfix 54mm ish figures can be found online or secondhand. 1:32 Airfix WW2 original figures are once again available.
Pound store and playset versions of British Paras, British and German Desert Infantry, German infantry, US infantry, US Marines and Jungle warfare can all still be bought and found online, all slowly shrinking and warping but affordable or ripe for conversion. A good simple paint job can work wonders.
The King and Country diorama or collectors range of Black Hawk Down figures is awaiting an issue of enemy combatants or troops.
54mm plastic insurgents do exist such as these Mars plastic soldiers …
but these insurgent figures for me are a little too realistic, too modern, straight off each night’s TV News and ultimately not something I could comfortably game with.
Obviously with some imagination and simple modelling, your own version of ragged insurgent militia can be created by a remodelling of heads or headgear and a mix of camo uniform and colourful civilian clothes.
I am relaxing in my hobby time by collecting, painting and ‘playing with toy soldiers’ after all.
If you want to avoid the ‘too close for comfort’ modern war setting, why not escape from recent conflicts to set your games far away in time and space where your figures become convincing enough Space Marines, Sci Fi rebels and troopers?
Vehicles in this 1:32 or 54mm toy soldier scale are expensive but can be hacked from plastic toy cars as shown with this (admittedly 28mm figure?) Two-Poundland toy Hummer looking tough truck?
However in plastic army men toy soldier terms you already have two sides in each pack – same poses in each, but usually tan army men fighting green army men! Unless they are all one army, just wearing different camouflage for different habitats and campaigns. Green for jungle, wood and forest, tan for sand, desert and savanna.
And finally …
Before anyone mentions the view that buying cheap copies of figures is damaging to the profits and survival of figure manufacturers, as Toy Soldier Central does regarding this view about ‘knock-off’ copies):
“It’s important to acknowledge that the production of knock-off army men raises ethical concerns. Unauthorized copying of designs and molds not only undermines the intellectual property rights of original brands but also impacts the overall toy soldier industry. Legitimate brands invest time, resources, and creativity into developing their figures, and knock-offs can hinder their ability to innovate and thrive in the market … The overall quality and durability may also be inferior compared to the original brands.” (Toy Soldier Central)
“In my defence” or in response, back in 2016/7 and often ten to twenty years ago, I didn’t know what many of these unbranded ‘knock-off’ figures were when I bought them, often long before internet searches were possible.
Apart from BMC figures (US Marines) who have now returned the figures back to business, mostly available in America, these are mostly all figure ranges no longer available, some from figure manufacturers no longer producing them or in business.
As far as I can see, US based Forces of Valor (Unimax) no longer seem to make these 1990s and WW2 figure sets. I probably wouldn’t buy such individually expensive painted figure sets or afford US shipping, whereas a generic box of unpainted figures has great use for various figure and conversion projects.
I am not likely to have bought them anyway and have no interest in retaining their value by keeping them pristine and unplayed with on display in their boxes.
The manufacturers have lost no business, in fact they have gained some admiration for their original beautifully painted figures.
Whilst Airfix have recently bought a limited number of 1:32 figure sets back (currently as of 2024/5 six sets, all WW2), many of the clones of their British paratroopers have now had their helmets or headgear changed and so have almost become new figures in their own (copy)right. Airfix Cowboys and Indians are also widely available in ‘knock-off’ form.
The other most common knock-off figures are by Matchbox. These Matchbox 1:32 figures haven’t been available as original sets for years, possibly since the late 1980s? Tobar and others reproduce a bag of good hard plastic copies of the Matchbox WW2 US Infantry (but no opposition).
Again the vanished company is not losing any trade if we now buy these available copy figures.
I hope the sculptors of these classic and familiar plastic figure poses and designs would be pleased to know that their designs are still being bought, admired and played with by children right through to ‘men of a certain age’ including me!
Blog post by Mark Man of TIN, 22 February 2025
B.P.S. Blog Post Script
Roger Halvorson in Norway helped ID some of these clone ‘knock off copies’ of figures. Thanks Roger.
As shown recently on eBay, Forces of Valor figures are still sometimes in stock/ available secondhand, but not cheap.
Unimax Forces of Valor also produced these WW2 US airborne figures.
Screenshots – sources acknowledged – screenshotted for discussion / future figure and uniform painting reference.
Pound Store Plastic Warriors 