Impact! Miniatures

Overview

Impact! Miniatures was started by gamers to bring products to the market that the Fantasy Football gaming community was requesting but could not get from the larger miniature companies that dominated this market. The company opened for business in the UK on April 24, 2006 and officially opened a branch in the USA on June 1, 2007. Impact! brings a mix of miniatures that they felt were missing from games from full 28 mm figures to conversion sprues to help gamers make better custom pieces. Impact! also aims to help the community by giving an easy outlet for amateur sculptors to have their work cast or for tournament organizers to have their own custom giveaways inexpensively created.

History

Impact! Miniatures began when Ewan McKerracher sculpted a figure to represent star player Icepelt Hammerblow for the game Blood Bowl for his own personal use. As Ewan posted images of this figure on the TalkBloodBowl Forums, the forum posters encouraged him to try to have it cast in white metal. Instead of just contracting to have the figure cast Ewan decided to start a new fantasy football miniatures company with the Ice Troll as its flagship figure. The discussion to form Impact! Miniatures in the UK started on November 23, 2005. Seven partners were members of these starting discussions to form the company. The company underwent a series of growing pains getting started and by the first anniversary of the company (April 24, 2007), the company now had only 3 partners, was finishing the paperwork for dual incorporated in both the UK and the USA, and McKerracher had stepped down as partner, president, and company sculptor to spend more time with his family. On June 30, 2010, Gavin Sutton sold his profit and voting rights for his partner share to Chris Adkerson. On March 31, 2011, Ramsay McPherson sold his profit and voting rights for his partner share to Chris Adkerson and Tom Anders. Gavin and Ramsay remain honorary partners for life in the company with access to the company discussions.

Company Product Range

Impact! offers over 300 different white metal miniatures for use with fantasy football games. As of 2010, Impact! sold more fantasy football figures of their own design than any other miniatures company. Impact! also sells a board games of its own design (Elfball). Impact! also specializes in providing accessories for players of fantasy football games from basing supplies (custom bases, weights, and felt cushions), custom design dice, carry-cases for the football team miniatures, and felt mats to provide easy-to-transport playing surfaces for games.

Amateur Sculptors and Targeted Impact

Impact! Miniatures was the first major miniatures company to offer an ability for amateur sculptors to sell their work under a lifetime commission basis with their Targeted Impact! arrangement. Any sculptor who wishes may submit an image of a sculpted fantasy football miniature that he has created to Impact!. If the Creative Design partner approves the figure then Impact! will cast the figure and add it to the store. The sculptor receives no upfront payment for the sculpture but does receive a 10% commission on any sales of his miniature up to a maximum of $15 USD per mm of sculpt height paid out quarterly . This program has proved very popular and Impact! now offers over 50 different miniatures under this arrangement. Commissions payments as of December 31, 2010 for Targeted Impact! contracts since the program started have totaled over $22000 USD.

Licensing

Impact! Miniatures licenses with Phil Bowen for the entire range of miniatures formally produced by the company Phigs Miniatures. Phil Bowen continues to add to this line with miniatures that he now sells to Impact! Miniatures.

In Fall 2008, Impact! Miniatures licensed with ZN Games to produce their Ulfhedner figure for the Impact! store.

In Winter 2010, Impact! Miniatures licensed with Neomics to produce their Football Human team as Kill Ball teams for the Impact! store.

Elfball

Impact! has purchased the name and basic concept for a fantasy football / rugby game named Elfball from Phil Bowen. A complete version of these rules, turned into a board game, was released at Gen Con 2007 on August 16. The rules are now on their 2nd Edition.

Elfball is now played in tournament play in both the USA and UK and rankings are tracked for players for registered events.

The game has been reviewed by Tabletopgamingnews.com which gives a summary of the game and its components and also by Drake's Flames.

BBFigs.com

On March 29, 2008, the three partners of Impact! Miniatures set up a sister company, BBFigs.com. The company was established in response to a change in policy at Games Workshop to sell Blood Bowl fantasy football figures only in boxed team sets of 11 to 12 miniatures. BBFigs.com purchases the boxed sets of Games Workshop Blood Bowl figures, breaks them down and sells them as individual miniatures. To maintain separation between Impact! and Games Workshop, BBFigs was established as a neutral 3rd party company to handle these sales. After legal headaches with Games Workshop on trying to purchase the product and as a statement against the acts of Games Workshop to shut down numerous Blood Bowl fan sites on the internet, the partners agreed to close this spin-off company's doors.