Hello all, with the change of season I have been very busy sorting out my home. With 400 year old walls covered in render to check, tiles to re-align and wattle and daub walling to patch up, I have been a busy boy indeed. What with the front, rear and kitchen gardens to tidy up and prepare for the warmer, brighter days too, the opportunity to Oldhammer has been restricted of late.
Thankfully, I have been busy collecting various epic scale pieces from the original Space Marine/Adeptus Titanicus game. Now, if you are anything like me and have spent some time pouring over the old photographic references for SM/AT published in places like White Dwarf, you will know that the original infantry depicted in early promotional material vary starkly from the famous plastic marines that came later.
Well, these are the very same models. If you look closely you can make out the standard marine (bolter in hand), the commander (bolt pistol and power sword) and the devestator (old school rocket launcher on shoulder). I have a fair few of these models now, thanks to in part to Graham Apperly who traded a couple of Fishmen for a smattering of these tiny fellows.
I was surprised to learn that some collectors and gamers seem to have missed these models. I was even told by several enthusiasts that they never saw release!! I have a number of these tiny marines bought in an infantry blister in Wonderworld in 1989. The were originally released for Adeptus Titanicus to, presumably, supplement the infantry rules produced in White Dwarf. With the development of the plastic marines, they were superceded by cheaper models, though you could still find them as extras in titan blisters.
There are a couple of other variants that I don't have yet. The heavy bolter and the running marine, so if you have any of these tiny chaps languishing in you collections please do let me know and I will happily buy/trade with you.
Right, I better get these cleaned and painted up.
Orlygg
I love the old metal infantry. I'm sorry to tell you though that you're missing more than two variants. As well as the running marine with bolter and the heavy bolter, there's the 'standing straight' marine, the standard bearer, the running missile launcher... I think there may be two or three others as well, including a second heavy bolter variant, but my collection's boxed up right now so I can't easily check.
ReplyDeleteA photo of some them can be seen here:
http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/File:Limited_Release_-_Epic_Space_Marines_1.jpg
There were also three Eldar infantry variants (not counting the two artillery crew). The only apparently unreleased ones were the Orks - at least three variants, they can be seen for example on the back cover of WD116. Eldar infantry were randomly included in titan & vehicle blister packs, along with light vehicles (jetbikes, artillery). Imperial blisters also included bonus light vehicles, but I don't recall if they included infantry - the obvious exception bing the hunched over marine variant in your photo, which was part of the 'purity seals' spruce that came with titans.
However Imperial infantry were available to purchase in dedicated blister packs along with a mix of bikes and artillery. I *think* the blister pack was labelled 'Space Marine Light Vehicles & Infantry', but don't quote me on that, it's nearly three decades since I saw one.
There is really no need to apologise for bringing these to my attention! (; Thanks for the rundown on the metal releases here, you passed on a great deal of information that wasn't at my disposal. I had a sneaky suspicion that may be more out there (just looking at the old photos in White Dwarf gives you an inkling - as you say). Thanks Mr. Bizzarnage!!
DeleteThanks autocorrect. For 'spruce' read 'sprue'.
ReplyDeleteJust read your blog post again. I must've skimmed over the paragraph where you talk about blister packs first time, so some of my reply was redundant. Sorry about that.
ReplyDeleteNo need. Thank you again for contributing!
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