The reason I'm working on Ming figures at such a frantic pace is because I'm planning on running a Field of Glory scenario at Kubla Con (May 22 to 25). My scenario is running on Sunday, May 24 at 10:00. It is based on the Battle of Tumu in 1449, in which a Ming Chinese army was destroyed by the Mongols and the Emperor was captured.
Most of my Ming figures are from Grumpy Miniatures of Australia. Even given that my good paint jobs are not much better than my ten-figure-a-day wonder above, the quality of the paint job just makes the Old Glory figures look worse by comparison.
In fact, I'm usually down on Old Glory 15's, and I can't quite figure out what it is I find so unimpressive about them. They're very large, dwarfing almost any other nominal 15mm scale figure apart from Xyston. They're a bit blobby, though I can't fault the sculpting as being truly bad - just not all that inspiring. Most annoyingly for the Ming figures, they don't come with a couple of standard-bearers in each bag of infantry. For once, that's an army for which having every other stand include a banner is historically accurate.The Grumpy figures, by comparison, are well-proportioned and beautifully sculpted. The ability to purchase figures individually makes it easy to construct an appropriate army. Of course, the cost is more than Old Glory, but I don't find it too bad, even after adding in the shipping from Australia.
Then again, convenience trumps all else. When I went to put together the Mongol opponent to the Ming, I ended up relying on Old Glory again.
I probably shouldn't complain. These didn't come out all that badly, after all.
