Wyrd (company)

Wyrd Miniatures
Limited liability company (LLC)
Industry Miniature wargaming manufacturer
Founded 2005
Headquarters 300 Townpark Dr NW, Kennesaw, near Woodstock, Georgia, USA
Key people
 Nathan Caroland and Eric Johns
Products Malifaux
Website www.wyrd-games.net

Wyrd Miniatures produces a range of 32 mm metal and plastic miniatures, in several genres, for painters and gamers. Established and offering its first miniatures in 2005, the company is owned by Nathan Caroland and Eric Johns.[1] In 2009, Wyrd published its first game, Malifaux, set in a dystopian city in a parallel world. In 2011 they introduced the board game Puppet-Wars.[2]

History

A short history of the company and its founding can be read in the Malifaux rule book:

I talked to a lot of people, asked questions ceaselessly, got told more than once that the market was saturated and to not peddle my wares or questions where not wanted, and basically to pack it up before I got started. Good thing I'm hard headed. Eventually I figured out what I needed and got to work with a lot of great individuals who not only answered my questions but supported my quest to create interesting miniatures. I'll be honest, I was lucky as I managed to talk to the right people, find the sculptors that suited my needs, and got some fantastic painters to give those miniatures just the right look before unleashing them on the world in December 2005.
— Nathan Caroland, Malifaux, 2009[3]

The first years the company focused on casting miniatures for the wargaming and miniature painting market. According to Eric Johns, it started with Nathan putting together a few fun minis after having gotten friendly with a sculptor. It was only in 2007 he and Nathan decided to push forward as a real company and started developing their own game rules to go with their miniatures line.[4]

After the release of Malifaux in 2009, which incorporated most of the miniature range, came a time of rapid expansion, and in March 2011 the company moved for the second time in 16 months allegedly to accommodate its growth, settling into a larger office and warehouse facility.[5]

In 2010 Wyrd Miniatures' partnership with the miniature wargaming terrain producer WorldWorks Games led to the release of cardboard terrain for Malifaux.[6]

In 2012 the company made a shift from metal to plastic, citing the 80% price rise in white metal the previous two years. With the shift they turned to digital design, establishing a partnership with the plastic toy design and manufacturing firm Ghost Studio.[7]

Design

When it comes to designing miniatures, the company relies on freelance artists. The sculptors include artists like Steve and Ben Saunders, Gael Goumon, Kevin White, Paul Muller, James Van Schaik, Stefan Niehues, Edgar Ramos, Edgar Skomorowski, Steve Buddle, Werner Klocke, Jeff Grace, Thais, Jeff Wilhelm, Rob Cardiss and Emanuele Giovagnoni.

Digital production line

In 2012 the partnership with Ghost Studio led to Wyrd introducing a new line of plastic miniatures for Malifaux using an all-digital manufacturing workflow, the so-called Freeform 3D solution from Geomagic. According to Geomagic, their platform for designing organic shaped products can sculpt, texture or emboss products with detail and articulation that traditional geometric CAD solutions simply cannot handle.[8][9]

References

  1. ↑ Georgia Secretary of State Corporations Division, entered 13.2.2013.
  2. ↑ Tabletop Gaming News announcement. Retrieved 13.2.2013.
  3. ↑ Malifaux Rule Book. ISBN 0-9841509-0-0.
  4. ↑ Interview on Livingdice June 6, 2009, retrieved February 13, 2013.
  5. ↑ Press release on Tabletop Gaming News March 21, 2011.
  6. ↑ Tabletop Gaming News post July 15, 2010. Retrieved 13.2.2013.
  7. ↑ Article in Mold Making Technology November 1, 2012.
  8. ↑ Press release from Geomagic August 15, 2012.
  9. ↑ Article on Platicstoday August 22, 2012

External links

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