Black Scorpion Miniatures

[eldargal]

Black Scorpion (http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/index.php) produces a decent sized range of fantasy miniatures (and some modern/historical stuff, too), notably some fantasy football and pirate ranges. Mid 2011 they released an fantasy pirate skirmish ruleset Cutlass! authored by Gav Thorpe.

Some of my favourites from their range:

Elf pirates
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/elveslr.jpg

Elf Commodore
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/commodorelr2.jpg

Governor's daughter (I love this one)
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR15_1.jpg

Governor (aka 'guvnor')
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR19_1.jpg

[eldargal]

Moar:

Hired hands 1
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR25_1.jpg

Pirate girls 1
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR11_1.jpg

Pirate girls 2
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR18_1.jpg

Royal Navy Marines 1
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/PIR_PIR10_1.jpg

[eldargal]

Final batch:

Giant
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/giant1lr.jpg

Dwarf captain
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/FPI_FPI1_1.jpg

Ramona
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/CS_CS2_1.jpg

And the cover of Cutlass!
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/coverweblr.jpg

Cutlass is great for depicting naval skirmishes in the Warhammer world, we use it in campaigns to simulate the storming of coastal forts to help secure beachheads or ship to ship combat between fleets and whatnot. Now with Cutlass!, Dreadfleet and Blood in the Badlands our group can run campaigns from naval battles, landings, pitched battles, sieges city and battles (Mordheim).

We also just run WFB Cutlass leagues.

[musical-fool]

This is exactly what I've been looking for since blackbeard's beard was a mere whisker!

I am curious, EG, have you used the pirate bookfrom the GW historical range? As you say you use the Gav Thorpe one, is it relatively easy to pick up and play?

[eldargal]

I tended to forgot the Warhammer Historical range existed to be honest, when I found out they weren't producing miniatures I lost interest. I get my historical fix from reenactment mostly.

I thought Cutlass was fairly easy to learn, though I may not be the best person to ask, I thought Dystopian Wars was easy to learn and everyone else thinks its a bit convoluted.:rolleyes:

Ooh I forgot, I love the fairy model too:
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/fairy1lr.jpg

They also had a lovely model of the cover girl of Cutlass but they don't seem to stock it anymore. Lucky I have a limited edition resin from Salute.

[musical-fool]

Ok.

Having looked through the website I am defo buyig some of these figs! The prices seem extremely reasonable to me and the sculpt quality to rival GW/FW in my opinion.

Brillant find once again EG!

Just curious how much spare time do you have to wade through the interwebway and come across these finds?

[eldargal]

Well I've had most of these bookmarked for a very long time, others I find when someone posts a picture or review on a hobby blog or forum. Sometimes I google for specific things and find them by accident. For example I found Black Scorpion a year or two ago when I googled for 18th century dressed miniatures and someone on a blog had a picture of the governors daughter. I probably spend a few hours a week searching for new stuff.:)

The sculpt quality is very good, I wouldn't put it at the same level as GW/FWs latest offerings myself but it is very high.

Incidentally I found the list I compiled of alternative companies and I still have 16 more to add and I'm happy to accept new recommendations.

[musical-fool]

As it is resin, I suppose there is a lot of cleaning involved in the same way that FW stuff needs cleansing before doing anything with it?

I have just done a previsional order that came in as 80GBP...taxes will have to wait I thnk:D

AS for your treasure trove of info and tidbits, keep them coming and please do share the other companies on your list!

[eldargal]

Black Scorpion have switched their entire range to resin and released some new goodies:

Dwarf Fantasy Football team:
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/dawrfteamlr.jpg

Nuria del Fuego
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/nuria3lr.jpg

Dwarf pirates 2
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/dwarfpirates2lr.jpg

Pirate girls 3
http://www.blackscorpionminiatures.com/images/pirategirls3lr.jpg

And a few more on the website.

[Brakkart]

I like the Dwarf team. At £22 for a team of 11 that is a very nice price and great models too. Really like the Spartan-style human team they have for the same price on their site too. I hope they do a load more of the Blood Bowl teams. Would love to see them do Dark Elves as the GW sculpts are a bit naff imho.

[lobster-overlord]

The trouble with these is the states is that you almost always have to use the internet to get them. Most f the main line game distributors over here don't carry them. My FLGS did carry the, but even the one distributor we've found doesn't keep them in stock enough to support large orders.

[Mr Mystery]

Giant is cool, the rest is extremely 'meh'.

And why the obsession with female Pirates?

[eldargal]

10% of the range being female pirates is hardly an obsession.

[Wildeybeast]

And pirates are awesome, sexy female ones doubly so! I think my Empire army might have to get a bolstering of female witch hunters...

[Mr Mystery]

Was just going off the posted photos!

Dwarfs aren't an eyepatch (aharr!) on Long Drongs for my money. Which reminds me. I've got a box of those I haven't touched..

[Nightstalker]

Has anyone bought any of the resin miniatures of them? I know what GW did with changing their lines from metal to Fine Cast. Was it the same at black Scorpion, or did they actually care for their customers?

[Uberbeast]

I might have to give these rules a look now that warhammer historical is gone and I never picked up their pirate game.

[eldargal]

Black Scorpion have made their resin cheaper and the quality is the same.

Uberbeast, it should be noted that Cutlass! is a land-based pirate skirmish game and doen't have rules for ship battles like the Warhammer Historical books had.

[Jack of all games]

Black Scorpion have made their resin cheaper and the quality is the same.
Do you mean that the quality of the resin is the same as Finecast or that the quality is the same as the metals?

I have some of their Old West line in metal and I've been very pleased with the casting quality but I haven't gotten my hands on their resin yet.

[eldargal]

The same as their metal miniatures, barring the odd minor surface bubble you can get on any resin. Not the kind of problems people get with Finecast though.

[Jack of all games]

The same as their metal miniatures, barring the odd minor surface bubble you can get on any resin. Not the kind of problems people get with Finecast though.
I've been wondering about that. Thanks for the info. I had been looking at their Blood Bowl teams for a while but wasn't real sure about the switchover to resin.

[Nightstalker]

very good. Im thinking of starting to play Blackwater Gulch and those cowboys of Black scorpion look very nice. And the name of the company is a scorpion so it can only be good ;)

[TSINI]

I can highly recommend Black Scorpion. I have recently bought a pack of Tombstone Outlaws, and Civilians, and some skeleton pirates. The resin quality is great, and there are metal inserts in thin parts such as rifles, and pistols, so they dont snap off.

They used to have a great great range of us troops and afghan militants, but I'm guessing they are being converted to resin hence not being on the website.

[redandrea]

I think they look great for what they are. The price doesn’t look so great to me. And my main problem is why would you buy a miniatures that can basically be used for only one game.