Hasslefree miniatures have been around for some time now. I’ve seen their output in friends miniature cases, and on websites for a while, but have always been put off their range as I loathe the whole ‘big-breasted female with a sword’ idea of female sculpts. Seriously guys, if the girl needs a sword, she’ll also need armour that covers more than just her nipples. There are easier, and better ways to look at the female form that don’t also tell the whole world what a weird little virgin you are. Luckily, I was recently proven wrong. And I’m really happy that I was.

This company were put on my radar after agreeing to sponsor a friends Painting Oath Facebook page. I’m always drawn to companies who are happy to put a little back in to the community that helped put them where they are. And the friend who runs the group said that HF have been one of the most accommodating of all the companies that have offered Sponsorship. This is what made me put my ill founded stereotypes aside and actually check out the website. The first thing I noticed was that the range was absolutely huge. Kev White is a big name for older GW aficionados, having been a painter and writer for the company back in the 90’s. Like a lot of old Games Workshop employees, he now runs his own company, and is living the dream, sculpting, and being a family man. This is the second thing that endeared me to the company. They have a really good, family vibe, and a real DIY attitude towards what they do. Anyone who has read Corehammer for a while knows that this ethos is something that permeates through most aspects of our lives, be it gaming, painting, music, or art.

The more I looked at their miniatures, the more I was enamoured by the 90’s feel of the sculpts, the massive range (made all the more impressive by being such a small organisation), and the honesty of their outlook. There are still plenty of those over-exposed females, but this seems to be something that Kev and Sally are aware of, since they have also taken active steps to make some more realistic female sculpts too.

In total, I ordered five miniatures, all from the fantasy range (nothing from their sci-fi lists took my fancy), and tried to get a good cross section of cloth, metal, male, female, different poses etc, just to get an idea of what the miniatures are like. I was not in the least bit disappointed. Please excuse the photos. I’ll link to the relevant Hastlefree page so you can see the miniatures as intended.

Falgrim. I saw this linked from Figure Painter Magazine, and being a lover of Dwarves, I was sold straight away. Excellent pose, really nice beard that I’m very exited to paint, and the shield has loads of blank space for a bit of freehand, or some cool battle damage. This was the miniature I saw that made me remember that I wanted to order from these guys. The only downside to this, (and this is the only complaint I have about the whole ordering process) was due to the long axe protruding from the side, being thin and all, got a little bent in the post. Something the guys might want to think on about for future mail orders. Scale wise, he is taller than the GW Dwarves, which is a good thing. This is a lovely miniature, and part of what I think is an expanding Norse-dwarf line that I will definitely be watching out for in the future. (Edit, it’s been pointed out that this sculpt is actually by Tre Manor as oppose to Kev White.)

Wolf. Until about a year ago, I hated painting skin. It was one of my weakest skills. This changed after a few tutorials with good painters, and now painting skin is one of the things I look forward to working on. This is why I picked up Wolf. There are a few different versions of this gent, and I really liked this static pose. Here is the tavern bouncer for all your future D&D games. Really looking forward to getting a grip of this handsome gents muscles. I like the sculpt on the head. Nice and simple, making me want to try a shaved head effect. I’ve had some success with this in the past, and think I can make it look cool. Really nice miniature. Not flashy, just a good, classic feeling barbarian dude.

Ferrus. Purchased because of the really dynamic pose, the large flat surfaces on the weapons, and the really interesting armour plates, I have my paint scheme in mind for this already. A shame, considering that, chances are, I’ll never get round to painting it, lazy as I am. Lots of ink glazes, Blood splatter, and (as if I could ever pull it off…) Bohun-esque true metallic metals. This is definitely one of the gutsiest sculpts in the Hasstlefree range, and it definitely doesn’t disappoint when viewed in the flesh. This guys cloak is awesome. Would be really interesting to paint in a zenithal-style, since it swoops inwards between the legs.

Gwen. I know I moaned about the busty female miniatures I had HF down as producing, and this is one of them. But this is such a well posed and well thought out model that I couldn’t resist dropping a few quid and adding it to my order. Massive sweeping vertical lines, a lovely, simple sword, and a hood. I’m a sucker for miniatures with hoods up. Lots of nice large armour plates to work on. I’m really glad that I took a chance on this miniature and again I’m really looking forward to having a crack at this, one day!

Grimdalf. As trendy as it is to bash Tolkien these days, this Fighting Fantasist still believes. MY favourite interpretation of Gandalfs character was always the Grey Pilgrim. The Wandering Wizard; crossing Middle-Earth as he does, eating, drinking, and causing mischief. It would appear that the guys from Hastlefree also love this vision of the famed character, a connection I would not have made save for the referential name the miniature has been given. What a lovely, classic looking miniature. Easily my favourite of the range. It isn’t flashy and packed with over the top detail, just a humble Dwarven wizard, making his path across the ways. This takes me right back to the early 90’s, sat in my room, reading Terry Brooks novels, and looking through White Dwarf magazine. This could easily be a Marauder Miniature. Simple, and so classic. I fell in love with this little guy as soon as I saw him.

I placed my order for these miniatures at about 7.00pm on a Monday night. They showed up Wednesday morning, well packed and with a handwritten thank you note. The personal service I love so much, sent with the efficiency of Amazon. I’ve removed my blinkers, and am happy to say that I’ll be ordering plenty from these guys in the future. A great company with sculpts from a talented guy who seems to have a yearning for independence that shines through on the website, with all the real graft (the customer service, mailing etc) handled by his wife. An excellent organisation.

Check these guys out at: http://www.hfminis.co.uk/, or on Facebook here

This post was made while listening to the fey, woodsy folk of First Aid Kit.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gekHV9DIjHc]