Games Workshop has reached a tipping point for me mentally, a point where I can’t really justify buying their models. While I may have funds available, the cost per miniature is just too high for me to want to spend that money. £4 per Khorne Berserker is just not worth it. That’s entirely a personal thing, your tipping point will most likely differ from my own. What that has done for me though is make other miniature companies offerings more appealing.
Alternative Armies has been a long time favourite of mine, and being a smaller boutique company prices did seem high, but after reaching my GW tipping point their offerings now seem far more reasonably priced. £2.75 for a chunky metal miniature, especially ones in an oldschool style that I love, is a good price. Plus with their bundles and frequent sales and events giving 10% off, you do often get them for less.
A range from Alternative Armies that I’ve always loved is ‘The Ion Age’. Diving in for the first time properly (I have owned odds and ends in the past), I picked up a Khanate Legionary Ordos, basically a ‘bad guy’ infantry platoon:
Excitedly I’ve already set about painting them, 6 of my 16 figures down:
I primed them in white and covered them with Black Templar contrast paint. I base coated any other colours at that point and then put a wash of Targor Rageshade over the entire model. I then did a couple of highlights on each part, so basic stuff.
I did use a silver paint pen to highlight the silver metallics, and it worked really well. The pen itself has a kind of chrome effect, which adds a lot to the metal.
Out of the ‘official’ colour schemes I went with Legion Empusa, partially because I had the necessary colours already, partially because I thought they looked the most evil.
I’m looking forward to building my Ion Age collection and delving into ‘Moth’ and ‘Patrol Angis’ the two rulesets Alternative Armies put out for this setting.
Deathzap 
Oh man I love that old school vibe and look! Right there with you on GW, but it was closer to 10 years ago for me.
AA are absolutely terrific. Makes you realise just how good some of the early 80s models were. At the time I was buying Citadel from a more gamer – focused company, at hobby shops. I game in smaller scales, but have just received my first order from Vanguard and I’m highly impressed.
As somebody whose 40K armies are largely composed of £1 per hundred 28mm toy soldiers, second hand figures and conversions, (Chaos cultists and pdf) my tipping point is probably even earlier that that of ERICRITTER65 🙂
There are an awful lot of really nice metal figures out there for a mere proportion of what GW charge
The Ion Age, is a great background and the models are simply ace. Gav at AA is also great to deal with. However, all this aside, those Legionnaires are simply amazing. The colour scheme works really well. Looking forward to seeing more of the Ion Age, it deserves more love.
Thanks very much!
Those look great! I also like AA models as well. Lots of great alternatives to GW when you start looking around.