Sideline Figures-Impact Miniatures wants our input
 

Guys, While cruising the web I discovered a unique company called Impact Miniatures located in Indianapolis that produces metal figures for war games such as Blood Bowl and Elf Bowl (fantasy style football games) www.impactminiatures.com

I sent them an email to see if they would ever consider sideline figures for electric football. They responded immediatley and were excited about the prospects and want our opinions.

After some discussion they are going to produce 1 or 2 figures to test this market. The figures are metal so they are not useable on a field but only as markers and sideline figures.

The initial idea is to reproduce classic coaches. For instance, a Tom Landry look alike body but with 3 interchangeable heads from other coaches known for wearing a suit.

Other options would be a sweater wearing Chuck Knoll, Mike Ditka figure.
A trench coat figure i.e. Lomardi or Stram. These are just examples of the possibilities.

What as a community would we most be interested in having them produce?

Their breakeven point is 173 figures sold but they can cross market with their Wargaming community. This is a great option for us to get something we want and open up a new market for an existing company.

I want to point out that this is NOT an MFCA venture but something I personally stumbled into and have nothing to gain from. This would be on Impact Miniatures shoulders exclusively but they want to know what we want.

the different outfits are good, i would also, personally like to see different "weights". thin, portly, obese. there have been so many coaches of all different shapes and sizes over the years, it might be cool to recreate that in mf.

Cheerleaders. Chain Gang. TV cameramen, reporters. screaming coaches,

Nice work!
 

Wolf,
Do I have your permission to use the video of you from the Jacksonville convention in our third DVD? If so, thanks! Anyway, I'm all for it. I'll purchase a couple when the're ready.ppls$

Do it! Do it! Do it!
 

cant come up with an idea, but the thought of having Tom Landry on my sideline is exciting. i would instantly buy one coach for each team. just like having a qb. this would be great for the hobby.

Functional Chain Gang...please!!!!!!!!!
 

Functional Chain Gang, & field dress kit...please!!!!!!!!!

This idea seems to make the most sense.The biggest bang for your buck if you will.This would cover all coaches not only in the past but in the now.


Geno H

We look forward to trying this new venture out with the MFCA's input.

To keep it "in house" for you guys ... we've asked 5-13 Studios to come up with the sketches for the first figure that we do as part of the effort.

The idea is that 5-13 could bounce his sketches off of the community here to get ideas about what you would be interested in and then when finished ... we'd purchase the rights to produce sculptures from Chris's art.

We'll be interested to see how this all works. In terms of creating things like a camera crew or a chain gang ... those are all possible in the future if we think the return will be there. Those types of ideas are more expensive just because they need multiple sculpts to pull off correctly.
For example one of the other companies that makes Wargaming football figures (but only women figures) does an Orc and a Dark Elf camera crew:

So I could see Impact! trying out a human based crew.

Now as for cheerleaders ... I have to be honest that you might want to check out one of my company's competition: Shadowforge (based in Australia). The War Store carries their line of miniatures here in the USA ( http://www.thewarstore.com/humanteam.html ).

If you go down to the end of that link you'll find these 6 pure human cheerleaders that would work well with most of your teams already without waiting for Impact! to produce them based on this joint effort project.

However if you don't mind a bit of converting ... Impact!'s Beer Garden Beauty would be easy to cut off the hand with the beer mug and convert to be holding a pom pom.

http://www.impactminiatures.com/inde...ile&id=EO_BGB1

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Anyway looking forward to working on this project with MFCA and hoping it turns out good for both of our organizations.

Tom Anders
President - Impact! Miniatures

I like it ! Now if I could just get Chris to paint my camera crew and chain gang etc. :D I am tired of dry brushing .mgngcrz

Question on creating a chain gang set of miniatures. How long would the chain need to be to fit the 10 yard measurement on an EF field?

For those of you that already have made one ... what did you use for the chain?

Something like this?:
http://www.jewelrysupply.com/index.p...oducts_id=2646

Tom @ Impact!

The lengths of chain would vary because there are so many different scale boards that are in use. What would be great is if a 5 in (that would be the max length that any field in use would be-i.e. McGhee 68 inch field) piece of chain was included that could be clipped on or hooked on on one end of the chain gang at varied lengths. I know that the model railroading hobby also has HO scale chains that would work also.

Will they be painted
 

Tom will they come painted, coaches that is. I'm looking for a silver haired Bill Walsh. A suit wearing Mike Nolan. A chubby looking coach for my Bum Philllips

Sorry no. The figures we sell are bare white metal. Painting is part of the hobby that many of our customers enjoy and each puts their own style in this.

However ... there are many miniature painting services out there. bluetablepainting.com is one example of one.

Tom @ Impact!

Okay 5 in ... got it.

Well ... if we get to this being one of the figures we try to do ... I think we could make 5 in chain happen.

Tom @ Impact!

Tom, just out of curiosity...what does a metal standard human figure weigh in grams?

11 grams

How much would these weigh? I only ask because on some boards, pending where you put the figures(with a magnet on them of course) it effects the vibration. Would these have magnets, or without? Sorry if I'm asking the wrong questions, I couldn't find a clear answer.
Thanks!!
Mike

A normal human white metal player is around 11 grams with base.

No magnets would be included ... however ... Impact! sells magnets on our site under basing supplies.

There are special rules/laws for shipping magnets so I doubt I could just ship a single magnet with each figure.

Tom @ Impact!

For the 10 Yard Chain sets I have been making I purchased some basic chain from Michaels Crafts.

Jewelry & Craft Essentials - Fashion Chain
Hirschberg Schutz & Co.

- very realistic and works pretty well in this scale.

The Chain Gang
 

BTW - Would love some figures to go with my chain gang sets.:)

Also what about athletic trainers, ball boys, Hoody Bellicheck, "Injured" players in sweat suits, players in "old school" parkas, players seated on heated benches, Gatorade table, Assitant coach with large whiteboard, TV sound guy with that huge clear sound disc, ref under the replay hood.

ppls$


Keep it old school. Head coach options definitely, all the NFL Hall of Fame coaches should be done. Players sitting along a bench. Players standing on sidelines with old trench coats on, over their uniforms while wearing helmets (picture players standing next to Vince Lombardi and it is freezing outside). A bunch of reporters huddled in a group, with old cameras, NOT video cameras, but cameras from the 1960's. Assistant coaches with the headsets on. Basically look at NFL Films Super Bowl tapes I, II, II and IV and try and recreate all the humans everywhere.

Old school!

$cch$

I would buy the cheerleaders for sure!
 

My question is cost: How much for each figure individually or could they be sold as a package deal-type of thing. (cheerleaders). Those would be awesome in the corner of an end zone.

I would like to see camera men on the sideline.

What about the field dress kit?
 

Orange pylons for each corner of each endzone, and yard line markers for each side of each yard line in 10 yd inc. (G, 10, 20, 30, and so on)

Guys, figures..not parts...coaches, cheerleaders, referees etc...not stadiums, not dresskits, thats not what Impact makes.
They can make a man holding a first down marker but not just a first down marker. I might not have explained it well enough. If so, sorry. :o

Chain gang
 

I'm also in favor of the chain gang. We've all been subjected to making some chains to fit different boards. So a fully functional chain gang would be a plus.

Darrian

super super idea
 

This is fabulous! I'm even more fired up about the hobby with this coming down the pike! Great stuff! I'll buy boatloads o' these! Those cheerleader pics were great.

If we did a chain gang ... would you be looking for people to hold them?

Or just the markers?



For the down marker in that set ... is that needed? If so could we do a pole with a ring that the down market fit into and then the downs could be on a square block on top of it that could be spun in the ring to show the down (or if people are desired ... we'd make sure the hand of the guy holding the down marker was shaped to allow the down marker pole to spin to show which side of the block had the proper down number.)

Also would the simple imagery of the above be good enough ... or would a more detailed set like this be desired?


I really like the idea of doing a multi-headed coach ... but if a good chain gang is desired ... I'm open to that as well as it would be something unique ... however I'd really be relying on MFCA folks for this one as it will have zero cross sell to the Fantasty Football board gamers since all 4 of the current fantasy football board games on the market do not have downs ... the ball is kicked and then its a continuous drive in all 4 games until someone scores or time runs out.

===

If all that is desired for this is something like was previously posted in the thread:

I don't see any reason we could not put this on our plate at the same time as a multi-headed coach. Would they need to be sold with 2 small disc 1/8" magnets? Or would they be fine to just sell the pewter markers and leave it to each buyer to decide how best to adhere them to the field?

Tom @ Impact!

Our figures normally run between $3.50 and $4.75 each. We do sell items as package deals as well depending on the product.

The cheerleaders that I showed pictures for from one of our competitors is only sold is packages of 3 and he charges $10.99 for the 3 pack.

Tom @ Impact!

Here is what I think we want...
 

Here is an official NFL chain gang and ball boy. There are two different ball boys...one with a neon "X" on their shirt and the kicking ball boys with a neon "K". It would be great to have a set that included two figures holding the sticks, one holding the down marker and one kicking and one normal ball boy.

just my two cents

i am on it. i have shown sketches to weirdwolf, and we are fine tuning a couple of ideas before submission.

Yes - guys like that.
 

To go with my 10 yard chains would be great.

Man this hobby is going to soar this year. Keep up the good work gentlemen.

Gotcha! Thanx Wolf!
 

Gotcha! Thanx Wolf!

frstplc

First figure is sketched up (a coach with multiple head options) and is now in the hands of the sculptor.

Tom @ Impact!

nice
 

Man , what you guys are doing for this hobby is AWESOME ! I'd be interested in buying whatever ! I'll keep checking out website !

Sculpt for Coach #1 is finished and on its way to me. This is one of the three heads for this pose.

Should be in our store by mid July.



Tom Anders
Impact! Miniatures

Jimmy Johnson comes to mind. I will be having that one!

bumping this up. it shouldn't be too long now.