This article originally appeared in Pyramid #11
THUNDERBOLT MOUNTAIN
MINI-DIORAMAS
Triton's Sea Chariot and
Chariot of Cuchulain
Released by Thunderbolt Mountain
Sculpted by Tom Meier
Prices: $13.95 and $11.95As I look back on old issues of Pyramid, I've noticed that we tend to review Thunderbolt Mountain miniatures an awful lot in our "Pyramid Picks" section. There's a pretty simple reason for that — Tom Meier's small company is putting out the finest miniatures out there.
Miniatures have made an interesting transition over the years. At first, of course, they were the actual playing pieces for all sorts of wargames, from nearly every historical period. Infantry, cavalry, artillery, armor, even planes and ships had their little leaden counterparts, meticulously sculpted by their designers and lovingly painted by their owners with an eye toward historical accuracy. Then certain Medievals battles added fantasy elements which later gave way to roleplaying, and miniatures took on a whole new life; while many players still used them to visually represent the tactics of battle, more and more people began to appreciate the artistic talents required to sculpt and cast these little pieces of art. Gamers who used to build model airplanes or launch model rockets found a new hobby in the collecting and painting of miniatures — not to play with, specifically, but just to have.
The more ambitious of these hobbyists started putting some of their favorite miniatures together in little scenes, adding terrain and other accessories, . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: January 1, 1995
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