Navigator USA has been licensed to produce figures in the US by Navigator Miniatures of the UK. Navigator USA is located at 616 Lincoln Avenue in York, Nebraska and will be the distribution center for not only the newly US produced Navigator 28mm lines and their brand new 15mm lines but will also be the US distribution center for Mirliton USA which distributes Mirliton figures from Italy in North America.
Navigator USA will use GFI/Minifigs USA as contract castors to begin producing the figures during the first quarter of 2003 and plans to be in full production in time for Cold Wars 2003 if not before.
Navigator Miniatures has been producing some excellent 28mm ancients lines for several years and in late summer of 2002 began producing a rapidly expanding range of 15mm ancients and dark ages figures. Navigator figures will be produced in the US for North American consumption only, by Navigator USA. Navigator Miniatures in the UK will continue to produce figures for distribution in Europe and the rest of the world.
Navigator USA spokesman John Gleason says that current plans call for production of 2 figure infantry packs and six figure cavalry packs for the 28mm figures. All packs will contain appropriate shields and weapons with the figures. 'The 15mm packs will contain 20 infantry, 16 command or eight cavalry figures," Gleason said. The 15mm packs will have an $8.00 price range making them a very economical purchase.
Gleason said that Navigator USA will also initially offer a "Legion Pack" of 28mm Republican Romans. He said the Legion Pack idea originated in conversations with Doug Marston of Ft Morgan Colorado during their long return trip from Historicon 2002. 'The Legion Pack will contain 24 each of velites, hastatii and princeps in addition to 12 triarii and six heavy cavalry, along with a general at a very economical price," Gleason said. He expects DBM army packs of an as yet undetermined points value will soon be offered for other 28mm as well as 15mm armies from Navigator. These will be in addition to the regular sized packs.
Navigator USA will market its figures online at www.navigatorusa.com and Mirliton USA will market its figures online at www.mirlitonusa.com. Both of these will feature shopping carts on a secure server. All mail order and online services are for North American Customers only.
Mirliton USA and Navigator USA will be the co-sponsors of the Historical Gaming Center which opens in the second quarter of 2003 and will feature weekend long computer moderated miniature tournaments with prizes and a great time for the participants.
Paul Johnston of Navigator Miniatures says he has been working with John Gleason for the past three years and is looking forward to the new licensing agreement as a way to better serve North American for Navigator products.
Simone Fraternali who heads up Mirliton USA is pleased with the new direction and notes that Mirliton USA and Navigator shared booths at both Historicon and Fall In 2002 in Lancaster, PA. The two miniatures lines will be displayed at more than a dozen regional wargaming conventions during 2003 in addition to the Cold Wars, Historicon and Fall In trio of big shows on the East Coast.
The distribution and historical gaming center occupies more than 2500 square feet of floor space with some 2000 square feet allocated to gaming tables and about 80 feet of wall space for a vast inventory of Mirliton and Navigator miniatures along with other wargaming products.
As 2003 progresses the gaming center will begin offering at least one event a month featuring the computer moderated rule sets from Computer Strategies Ltd of Australia. There are ten historical periods covered by these rules as well a fantasy set and all are published and distributed in the US by Gleason's parent company Telfast Communications under license from author Clinton Reilly.
An upgraded version of the rule sets will be featured in the "event" wargames at the historical gaming center. The upgraded version includes off the table grand tactical movement on the computer to set up the table top battlefield and will give wargamers a more realistic way to set up flank marches or even to set up cavalry screens or blocking forces to prevent your own positions from being flanked.
The people at Navigator USA and Mirliton USA believe the extensive list of conventions in 2003 in which they will have displays will give garners across the country a chance to see these high quality and economical figures first hand and also believe the historical gaming center they are sponsoring will also give miniature enthusiasts somwWng to look forward to in the coming year for a unique wargaming experience.
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© Copyright 2003 Hal Thinglum
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