Chicago Skirmish Wargames

Here at Chicago Skirmish Wargames we're always looking for rare and lesser-known lines of miniatures. At a Little Wars paint-and-take table a couple years ago, I painted up a couple of Shadowrun miniatures. I was just wasting a bit of time at the convention, but when I got home I found out that these figures were spot-on 28mm figures.

Compared to many -- perhaps most 28mm ranges -- that have inflated "heroic" proportions, these figures are very close to true human proportions. Here are the three figures I painted up compared to a Games Workshop Imperial guardsman who is exactly 28mm from sole to eye.

They are based on Proxie Models bases (edges blended in with filler) which are about half as thick as Games Workshop slottabases. When the Shadowrun miniature with its integral base is glued on top, its sole comes to almost exactly the same height as a model based on a slottabase.

I don't have all the info, but apparently in the mid to late 90s these were made by Ral Partha for FASA, and they are still available from Iron Wind Metals. At about $4 each, they're fairly average in price, but this month they are on sale. The sale price is closer to about $3 each.

Though the mediocre pictures don't do the figures any favors, this line of miniatures has about 200 sculpts, including all manner of humans, supernatural creatures, monsters, and other races in the typical 90s-era cyberpunk style that Shadowrun was so well know for. The line even includes a variety of motorcycles and trikes.

 Lastly, here's a bit of history. In the early 90s Grenadier produced a line of Shadowrun miniatures. Slightly smaller in stature, with far fewer figures in the range, they are nonetheless very characterful sculpts if you can find them now that they are unfortunately out of print. The three basecoated models in the picture below are a "Metahuman Gang" pack I picked up some time ago. The figure on the far right is (I think?) a Dwarf from the currently available Ral Partha/Iron Wind Shadowrun line.

And there you have it! A trip down memory lane, as well as a history lesson.

-- Karl, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member