Odemars 1/72 vs Britannia 20mm, Second World War

THE METAL FIGURES


Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

Britannia is well known for its 20mm Second World War range. The company covers all the major participants in great depth. Besides figures, Britannia has a range of vehicles and also offers artillery pieces and various other useful items.

These particular models come from Britannia’s British range, but the actual model codes are unclear. Because Britannia does not publish a complete illustrated catalogue, it is not feasible to determine exactly which models they are.

Figure Characteristics:

Height (measured to eyes): 19mm.
Height (measured to head): 21mm.

Availability and Cost:

In January 2011, Dave Howitt, the founder of Britannia Miniatures, passed away. Following a period of uncertainty, his complete catalogue was taken over by Andrew Grubb of Grubby Tanks. After a few more months of transition, the complete Britannia line was once again available. The website for this incarnation of Britannia is:

http://www.britannia-miniatures.com/

Foot figures in this range are being sold individually for £0.65.

THE PLASTIC FIGURES

Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

The plastic figures come from Odemars set PF17 “The Last Defenders of Berlin.” The set contains 42 figures in 14 poses. Odemars did produce two other World War Two sets, one portraying German commanders in the conflict, and the other covering Bosnian troops.

Figure Characteristics:

Height (measured from sole of foot to eyes): 21mm.
Height (measured from sole of foot to top of head): 23mm.

Availability and Cost:

Odemars shut down production in 2009, but their figures can still be found in some hobby shops and online stores.

20mm Newline Designs vs 1/72 Odemars, Greek and Persian foot

THE METAL FIGURES


Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

Newline Design offers a very large range of figures representing conflicts in the ancient world. Its Greek line includes 22 different types, both foot and mounted, while the Persian range is only slightly smaller with 21 types.

Figures Characteristics:

ANG 3 (Greek) Height (to eyes): 20mm
ANG 3 (Greek) Height (to top of head): 22mm
ANP 14 (Persian) Height (to eyes): 20mm
ANP 14 (Persian) Height (to top of head): 22mm

Availability and Cost (as at October 2012):

Foot figures are sold in packs of four, for £1.90. In addition, the firm offers army deals at significant discounts.

The Newline website is here:

http://newlinedesigns.co.uk/

THE PLASTIC FIGURES

Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

The plastic figures can be found in Odemar’s box PF02 “Persians.” The set contains 15 foot poses in 5 poses. There are also six mounted figures, with 2 rider poses and 2 horse poses. Odemars offers about a half dozen different sets from various parts of the ancient world.

Figures Characteristics:

Height to eyes: 21mm
Height to top of head: 23mm

Availability (as at October 2012):

This set is more than ten years old, and was never popular in the hobby. It can take some effort to track down a new box, but it is not a difficult challenge.

Notes on the Samples:

The Odemars were obtained in a trade with Eric Yin.

Odemars vs Lancashire, WW2 Infantry

The photo above compares three American soldiers from Lancashire Games black-washed metal) with a pair of plastic Germans from Odemars (tan plastic). Click on the image for a larger version.

THE METAL FIGURES

Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

The metal figures come from Lancashire Games’ 20mm WWII American Range. They can be found in set 20/WBP32, which is a large battle pack titled “American Infantry.” The figures can also be found in smaller sets in the range. Lancashire offers 13 different sets of US Infantry, including several modeled in greatcoats. Each code includes several poses. Other US sets in their WW2 range cover the Marines (7 sets) and Paratroops (6 sets) .

Figure Characteristics:

Height (measured from sole of foot to eyes): 21mm.

Availability and Cost:

These figures are currently available from Lancashire Games. Battle packs of 24 figures are sold for £10.50 with a discount for purchases of multiple items. Standard packs with 3 figures sell for £1.50.

THE PLASTIC FIGURES

Manufacturer’s Designation and Number of Poses:

The plastic figures come from Odemars set PF17 “The Last Defenders of Berlin.” The set contains 42 figures in 14 poses.

Figure Characteristics:

Height (measured from sole of foot to eyes): 21mm.

Availability and Cost:

Although Odemars shut down production in 2009, their figures are still available in hobby shops and online stores. For instance, Drum and Flag is currently selling the set for £6.95.

Notes on the Samples:

The Odemars figures were obtained in a trade from Eric Yin.

Odemars vs Ral Partha, Medieval Asia foot

The photo above compares three metal figures from Ral Partha (two painted, and one undercoated white) with three plastic figures from Odemars (light tan). Click on the image for a larger version.

Manufacturers’ designations:

The Odemars figures come from box PF01 “Samurai.” The box contains 32 figures in 8 poses.

The Ral Partha models come from their “Momoyama/Tokugawa Samurai” range, and are catalogued as follows (left to right in the picture):
53-752 Ronin with spear or naginata
53-768 Samurai with spear or naginata
53-751 Ronin with sword

The Ral Partha figures are currently manufactured and distributed by Iron Wind. In their catalogue, the models are identified as follows:

Again, left to right:
DH-166 Ronin Spearman
DH-179 Samurai Spearman
DH-165 Ronin with Katana

Height compatibility (measured from sole of foot to eyes):
Odemars – 20-22mm (figures vary).
Ral Partha / Iron Wind – 22mm.

Body Build compatibility (from 5 categories):
Odemars– C (Average)
Ral Partha / Iron Wind – are a mix of C (Average) and D (Somewhat Heavy).

Availability and Cost:

Earlier this year Odemars announced that they were leaving the plastic figure business. According to PSR, a new company called “Ykreol,” has recently said that they would pick up the Odemars figures and restart production. At this time, new boxes of the Odemars product can still be found at some retailers. For instance, Toy Soldier HQ is selling the box for $7.00 US as an end of line special.

As mentioned above, the metal figures are currently available from Iron Wind. They need to be ordered directly from the manufacturer: the cost is US $2.50 for an individual figure, but drops to $0.90 for quantities of 10 or more.

(See the side panel lists for websites of the manufacturers, distributors and retailers mentioned above. To convert cost figures to your currency, use a site such as xe.com, also listed in the side panel.)

Other notes:

The Odemars figures were provided by Eric Yin in a very helpful trade.

Readers, please add any comments on other considerations with regard to these two types, in particular any thoughts about the compatibility from the standpoint of historical periods.