Fighting 15s manufactures white metal and resin miniatures for wargamers and collectors, and is based in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.

Fighting 15s owns the Gladiator Miniatures and Martian Empires ranges of white metal wargames figures formerly made by Black Hat Miniatures. In addition, Fighting 15s owns the 15mm Napoleonics and Medievals formerly made by Oddzial Osmy, and 40mm figures formerly made by Flashing Blade and by D’Arlo Figurines. We acquired the 40mm Flashing Blade lines in July 2012, and the Gladiator Miniatures and Martian Empires ranges in September 2018.

Gladiator Miniatures is a range of 15mm white metal miniatures with a fine pedigree. A number of the ancients and feudals were originally produced by Hobby Products of Germany under the Metal Magic label (Historical Heroes) and sculpted by the very talented Josef Ochmann; the ranges were expanded by Bill and Elaine Lucas of Gladiator Games and marketed as Gladiator Miniatures. The next owner, Mike Lewis of Black Hat Miniatures, added the 15mm Marlburian and Sikh Wars ranges. Fighting 15s revived the name Gladiator Miniatures because Black Hat Miniatures is still trading.

Fighting 15s owns the 15mm range of resin buildings formerly made by Gladiator Games and most recently owned by BattleZone Miniatures (Terrain Warehouse). The range, acquired on 27 November 2018, is out of production: extensive work is needed to repair masters and remake moulds.

Fighting 15s represented Eureka Miniatures of Australia in Europe from 2004 until 2019, and AB Figures from 2006 to 2019. We no longer have ties with Eureka or AB Figures after resigning as their agent. Fighting 15s used to import Oddzial Osmy 1:600 miniatures from Poland but stopped doing so after the UK market became too crowded: the range was later imported by Magister Militum but as of November 2023 Magister Militum is in the process of winding down operations and Oddzial Osmy is yet to appoint a new UK agent (it won’t be us).

Fighting 15s is run by Ian Marsh, a former editor of White Dwarf way back in the mid-1980s, author of the Doctor Who Time Lord roleplaying game, and author of Napoleonic wargames rules Huzzah!. He is Fighting 15s’ sole owner and employee. You can read more about Ian on Wikipedia – it’s not entirely accurate, but not a bad stab. I’m not correcting the inaccuracies because, well, internet security.

Fighting 15s started life in 2001 as a specialist painting service for 15mm Napoleonics. However, Fighting 15s no longer offers a painting service, and has not done so for many years.

Ian is joint owner of informal rules publishing venture Oozlum Games with Mike Lewis of Black Hat Miniatures. Ian and Mike, along with Marc Gascoigne (formerly of Games Workshop’s Black Library), once published a roleplaying fanzine called DragonLords. Marc’s Wikipedia entry makes for interesting reading too.

Ian is sometimes as forgetful as Pooh Bear. He is also clearly going slightly deaf. Please be gentle with him.