Don’t miss our updated list of the top alternative miniature lines to GW, in our vast sampling of independent company offerings. Do you recognize any?
They say competition breeds innovation and lower prices, and for this industry that seems to hold true, somewhat.
Once again it’s hard to deny that Games Workshop’s designs for miniatures have made a quantum leap in the last few years. Part of that is sure to stem from the new 3D computer design and printing technology out there. When you lead the pack, there is always someone right behind you, and in this day and age that has never been truer.
A lot of hobbyists are very upset over Forge World’s recent stealth price hike that directly affected markets outside of England. So we thought it was time to revisit this post once again.
Imperial Death Lord (Cover Image) By Wargame Exclusive
Check out our updated list of the top miniatures lines out there to use in your tabletop games!
The 80 Best Miniature Lines That Are Not GW
Let’s take a look at our updated list of some of the best independent company alternatives for Games Workshop’s minis:
Newest Companies/ Miniature Lines
Lost Kingdom Miniatures (Fantasy Kickstarters & Direct Sales)
Star Wars Legion (FFG)
Future Alternative Miniatures
- Wargame Exclusive
- Cogmind (Hexy Shop, Pictured above)
- Pop Goes the Monkey – 3D Astartes Conversion Bits
- Gadgets Plus 3D Knight Upgrade Bits
- Prodos Games AvP, Warzone Ressurection, etc.
Gadgets Plus Wolf Head For Knight
- Soul Dark Sci-Fi Primarchs & More (Ferrus Manus Above)
- Zinge
- ChapterHouse Studios (assumed closed)
- DreamForge-Games
- Creature Caster Amazing Fantasy Models
Creature Caster Lord of Malice
- Anarchy Models
- SciborMiniatures
- Kromlech (Bits of war)
- Maxmini
- Spellcrow
- HiTech Miniatures
- Bitspudlo
Wargame Exclusive’s Chaos Hive Bringer
- Ramshackle Games
- Puppetswar
- RagingHeroes
- Forge Planet
- Pig-Iron-Productions (closed 2016)
- Statuesque Miniatures (Female Heads)
Puppets War – Prime Battle Walker
- Blood and Skulls Industry
- VictoriaMiniatures
- Troll Forged
- Warlord Games
- Crooked-Dice (police heads)
- mad robot miniatures
- Heresy Miniatures
- Copplestone Castings (Berrets)
- Hf minis
- The Assault Group
- Basicks
- Mantic Games
- Eureka Min (female Astra-Militarum conversion pack)
- Westwind productions (possible Sanguinius head}
- InfinitytheGame.com/store
Kromlech’s Legionnaire Biker
- Evil Craft
- Blight Wheel Miniatures
- Meridian Miniatures
- Blitzkrieg Miniatures (WWII theme army?)
- Secret Weapon Miniatures
- Artel “W” Miniatures (Gothic Line pictured below)
Fantasy Alternative Miniatures
Avatar’s of War Gargoyles
- Mini Monsters Alternate and themed Terrain
- Troll Forged
- Privateer Press
- Megalith-Games
- Hf minis
- Wyrd-Games
- The-Russian-Alternative…
- Acolyte Minis
- Kaha Miniatures
- Warploque Miniatures
- WereWoolf-EU
- Mierce-Miniatures
- Empress Miniatures
- Claymore castings
- Victrix Limited (Empire gunners in Napoleonic style?)
Mini Monsters Alternate and themed Terrain
That is a TON of amazing alternate sources for your miniatures needs. Plus with the prevalence of 3D printing technology, new companies are popping up all the time. For now, it seems like Games Workshop is staying ahead of the curve with all this. BUT, the future is anyone’s guess.
Are there any third party mini sites we may have missed? Drop us a line in the comments below and let us know and we’ll be sure to add them to the list.
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
