Joining this conversation late, and just read through the thread.

Assuming it was hard plastics, with some metal, and following the model which
others such as Warlord, Victrix, etc. have run:

- "bread and butter" packs for a basic period army such as legionaries, cavalry,
allies, etc. I suspect plastic attracts people into a period, and then they have
to get critical mass for an army, so end up buying a large number of the same
basic core pack before expanding out. It also allows you to bundle up "bargain
packs" of multiples of the same basic set, which you can't do if you start off
with some esoteric tuck in to someone else's range.

- same for at least one enemy. Parthians are poorly served in the market,
generally. Even before that, with enough variety in the basic Roman packs, you
could serve the civil war period. I would say that anyone who was going to buy a
large number of plastic Celts has either done so or sworn off doing so.

- metal character figures - Caesar, Marius, Pompey, Antony, Brutus, etc.
Existing army owners would probably buy these for their own armies

- make the plastics kit and scale compatible with other plastics, notably the
Warlord sets. This extends to areas such as how the neck and arms connect to the
torso. Existing plastics owners would buy for additional parts and to mix with
their current figures. It sounds like, from your comments on anatomy, you're not
intending to match with Warlord (or maybe it's a reference to the very sub-par
Wargames factory figures) but commercially that's what I'd do.

- main negative feedback I had when reviews came in at Slingshot for the Warlord
figures was lack of spare parts and in particular (for the Romans) not enough
swords to go round (also, figures with sheathed swords when they had swords in
hand); for the Celts, not enough shields. My inference is that people prefer
Romans with swords.

- big positive feedback area (and to be fair the feedback was generally
positive, so this is the standout area) was around the included shields
transfers

M

On 28 Jan 2012, at 17:13, Howard wrote:

> As I may have mentioned, I've worked in what passes for the 'wargames
industry' (which is mostly a lot of sheds and basements) for quite a few years.
The tiny company I am a part of is considering doing a line of Romans for the
late Republic - basically from Marius to Augustus. We want to be fairly
'complete', but obviously nobody starts a line with "Parthian arrow-bearing
camels" or "Irate wives of the Cimbri".
>
> If you were in charge of deciding on the first ten sets, what would they be?
Assume that the potential customer doesn't already own any figures for this era.
>
>
> And - rather the opposite - what would you like to see that 'Hasn't been done'
for this period?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Howard
>
>
>
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