Reaper Miniatures
Encyclopedia
Reaper Miniatures is an American
manufacturer of pewter
figurine
s in the 25–35 mm scale, which include fantasy
and science fiction
figures. Reaper, based in Denton, Texas
, has developed tabletop miniature game systems that may be played with their figures. The Reaper Miniatures mascot is a succubus
named Sophie.
on 4 July 1992. Initially two lines of miniatures were produced: Distinguished Flying Collectibles (a line of World War II
aircraft) and Renaissance Dreams (a line of fantasy jewelry).
Reaper moved to Lewisville, Texas
in April 1993, and at this location several old miniature lines that the company owned were reactivated, and were combined into the Dungeon Dweller 25 mm fantasy line.
Reaper saw further growth and need for expansion in August 1994, and moved into a 2500 square feet (232.3 m²) warehouse at 320 Smith Street in Lewisville
. Late in 1995, they launched the Scrye Counter series of collectible card game accessories and to date over 500,000 have been sold worldwide. The Dark Heaven 25 mm fantasy line was launched in 1996, today the top-selling fantasy role-playing game
(RPG) miniature line in the world. Reaper has also expanded into the European market through a partnership with a miniatures company in England
.
In July 1998 Reaper moved to 817 S. Mill Street in Lewisville
, and has now launched the Warlord 25 mm fantasy line, CAV N-scale sci-fi line (Combat Assault Vehicle
), Reaper Box Sets, Reaper Pro Paints and Reaper Masters Series Paints. January 2004 saw Reaper move once again, to a new production facility located at 9062 Teasley Lane Denton, Texas
.
Reaper also manufactures two premium acrylic
water based paint lines designed especially for painting the miniatures they manufacture.
Reaper also maintains an on site research and development facility for their games called "The Asylum". The Asylum is open to the public and also serves as a sort of company store, offering not only Reaper products, but a wide area of family board games and various role-playing games.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
manufacturer of pewter
Pewter
Pewter is a malleable metal alloy, traditionally 85–99% tin, with the remainder consisting of copper, antimony, bismuth and lead. Copper and antimony act as hardeners while lead is common in the lower grades of pewter, which have a bluish tint. It has a low melting point, around 170–230 °C ,...
figurine
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
s in the 25–35 mm scale, which include fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
figures. Reaper, based in Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
, has developed tabletop miniature game systems that may be played with their figures. The Reaper Miniatures mascot is a succubus
Succubus
In folklore traced back to medieval legend, a succubus is a female demon appearing in dreams who takes the form of a human woman in order to seduce men, usually through sexual intercourse. The male counterpart is the incubus...
named Sophie.
History
Reaper Miniatures started in Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
on 4 July 1992. Initially two lines of miniatures were produced: Distinguished Flying Collectibles (a line of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
aircraft) and Renaissance Dreams (a line of fantasy jewelry).
Reaper moved to Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
in April 1993, and at this location several old miniature lines that the company owned were reactivated, and were combined into the Dungeon Dweller 25 mm fantasy line.
Reaper saw further growth and need for expansion in August 1994, and moved into a 2500 square feet (232.3 m²) warehouse at 320 Smith Street in Lewisville
Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
. Late in 1995, they launched the Scrye Counter series of collectible card game accessories and to date over 500,000 have been sold worldwide. The Dark Heaven 25 mm fantasy line was launched in 1996, today the top-selling fantasy role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
(RPG) miniature line in the world. Reaper has also expanded into the European market through a partnership with a miniatures company in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
In July 1998 Reaper moved to 817 S. Mill Street in Lewisville
Lewisville, Texas
Lewisville is a city in Denton County in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2010 United States Census placed the population at 95,290 within . The city also includes of Lewisville Lake....
, and has now launched the Warlord 25 mm fantasy line, CAV N-scale sci-fi line (Combat Assault Vehicle
Combat Assault Vehicle
CAV or Combat Assault Vehicle is a miniatures wargame by Reaper Miniatures.-Story:Combat Assault Vehicle is named after the war machines that walk the battlefields of the galaxy....
), Reaper Box Sets, Reaper Pro Paints and Reaper Masters Series Paints. January 2004 saw Reaper move once again, to a new production facility located at 9062 Teasley Lane Denton, Texas
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
.
Reaper also manufactures two premium acrylic
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
water based paint lines designed especially for painting the miniatures they manufacture.
Community & web presence
Reaper has an online community, from their online forum.Reaper also maintains an on site research and development facility for their games called "The Asylum". The Asylum is open to the public and also serves as a sort of company store, offering not only Reaper products, but a wide area of family board games and various role-playing games.
Current Miniature Lines
As of 2009, Reaper has five major lines of miniatures and two minor lines:- Dark Heaven Legends: Primarily suited to fantasy role players. It contains many of the models helpful for running role playing campaigns; from models to represent characters and monsters to familiars, weapons and accessories. This line provides the bulk of miniatures, which has now passed 3000 serial numbers.
- Warlord (miniature game): Reaper's highly successful skirmish game. Set in Taltos, 10 factions fight in the provinces for control. Players battle across the world, and then log into the Reaper website to report wins and losses, thus allowing a dynamic, evolving world.
- Combat Assault VehicleCombat Assault VehicleCAV or Combat Assault Vehicle is a miniatures wargame by Reaper Miniatures.-Story:Combat Assault Vehicle is named after the war machines that walk the battlefields of the galaxy....
(CAV): A game similar to BattleTechBattleTechBattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2000, and owned since 2003 by Topps. The series began with FASA's debut of the board game BattleTech by Jordan Weisman and L...
. Much like Warlord, players battle across the world and post results online as 10 fighting companies battle for dominance over 6 planets. CAV 2 is currently being developed.
- Legendary Encounters is their new line of non-random pre-painted plastics. The lineup is drawn from existing sculpts in the Dark Heaven line, with some sculpts from the Warlord line expected to show up soon. It was introduced in 2007.
- Chronoscope: A new line of non-fantasy pewter miniatures in the tradition of Dark Heaven Legends was released in 2008. The initial launch consisted of 8 miniatures including some science fiction pieces and a cowgirl. The line has since expanded to include additional genres, such as superheroes and espionageEspionageEspionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
. The set also includes a handful of models based on historic figures such as Buffalo Bill Cody and classic literary characters such as Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
and ZorroZorroZorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
.
- P-65 Heavy Metal: A line featuring re-issued miniatures from previous Reaper product lines, particularly Dark Heaven Legends, cast in a 60% lead alloy.
- Reich of the Dead: A line of miniatures dedicated to a game of the same name that is currently in development. The game and miniature line both focus on an alternate World War II in which an Alien species called the Kroid possess and reanimate German casualties and battle American GIs.
- Master Series Miniatures: A line dedicated to larger scale or show-piece miniatures. Of the initial ten models in the series, eight have been issued in 54 mm scale.
Previous Miniature Lines
- Legend of the Five Rings (L5R): Another miniature line directed at a specific role playing setting: the Rokugan setting. This has an oriental flair, with samuraiSamuraiis the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
and ninjas for characters and enemies. Reaper's license for L5R expired on October 31, 2005.
- Exalted: This line of miniatures was made specifically for White WolfWhite Wolf, Inc.White Wolf Publishing is an American gaming and book publisher. The company was founded in 1991 as a merger between Lion Rampant and White Wolf Magazine, and was initially led by Mark Rein·Hagen of the former and Steve and Stewart Wieck of the latter. Since White Wolf Publishing, Inc. merged with...
's ExaltedExaltedExalted is a role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing. The game is classified as high fantasy, but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy", as the developer specifically avoided drawing on J. R. R. Tolkien, but rather turned to a mixture of world mythologies for inspiration...
RPG. Reaper's license to produce this line expired at the end of 2005, and it is no longer in production.