Grenadier Models Inc. of Springfield, Pennsylvania produced lead miniature figures for wargames and role-playing games with fantasy, science fiction and heroic themes between 1975 and 1996.
The company began as a basement enterprise, but by 1983 they had grown to a staff of 50 people and had the third highest gross sales in the expanding gaming market.
[1] Grenadier's sculptors included John Dennett, Janine Bennett, Julie Guthrie, Nick Lund, Mark Copplestone, Michael Daley, Sandra Garrity, Bob Naismith, William Watt and Ian Symonds.
Grenadier Model's first product was a line of 25mm American Revolution figures released in anticipation of the 1976 United States Bicentennial.
Although they were primarily focused on the well-established market for historical miniatures, their early products included science fiction themed Starsoldiers (product codes #S01-19) and Space Squadrons: Stellardate 2998 (#SS01-SS19) spaceships, 25mm fantasy figures called Wizzards & Warriors (W1-60, WS1-5), a Special Sets line of furniture (#WS01-WS12), and a small selection of 15mm fantasy figures.
The Gamma World role-playing game was supported by a series of blister packs (Gxx), a box sets of adventurers (#5005) and post-apocalyptic monsters (#5006).
[15] In 1982 and 1983 Grenadier conducted a Wizard's Gold Contest in which they placed gold-plated castings within random boxes of figures.
[13] At that same time the owners of Grenadier Models spun off a subsidiary called Pinnacle Products with an orientation toward mainstream retail outlets.
[1] As fantasy and science fiction gaming outpaced traditional wargames and modeling, Grenadier discontinued many of their historical period figures.
[17][18][19] Grenadier celebrated its 10th anniversary by adding 10,000 commemorative Paladin figures to boxes of 6007 - Fantasy Lords Dungeon Raiders.
[19] The "Dragon-of-the-Month" products proved very popular and Grenadier released a second series of dragons in March 1985, a line of large humanoids which they called "The Giant's Club".
This miniatures series was based upon the first three George Lucas films, and included representations of the main characters, Rebel troops, droids, villains, storm troopers, and vehicles.
Higgins recruited his Import and Wholesale Manager, Doug Cowie and Mal Green to set up and run Grenadier Models UK.
Branches of the company were established in Auckland, New Zealand and Deeside, Clwyd, Wales to support British and Australian customers, remove the costs of international shipping, and connect with Grenadier's European sculptors.
The company in Wales provided a chance for Grenadier to tap into the growing market for larger scale (30 mm) miniatures in which UK designers invoked styles from European fantasy and science fiction.
By the beginning of 1993, their licensed figures had dwindled to the point that they only produced Andrew Chernak and Sandra Garrity's sculptures for R. Talsorian Games' Cyberpunk.
[27] The resurgence of the Pennsylvania offices was short-lived, and Nick Lund's Fantasy Warriors (#5000) was the center piece of the 1993 catalog.
[29] Despite the additional cost, numerous manufacturers anticipated parental concerns, similar legislation in other states, their own workplace safety, and they began using white metal alloys.
In time, New York Governor Mario Cuomo relented to hobbyists' concerns and exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law.
At Gen Con in August 1996 it was revealed that the molds and master sculpts of Grenadier Models Inc. had been purchased by Stratelibri, their long-time distributor in Milan, Italy.
The production of all UK designed and sculpted miniatures are currently licensed to em4miniatures of Rustington, West Sussex, England by the holder of those rights.
Since the sale of Grenadier Model's assets, Andrew Chernak has taken his sculpting to the other extreme and now creates monumental scale bronzes commemorating fallen soldiers.
[31] Ian Knight reviewed the War Mammoth of the Undead Legion, Champions Heroes, and Champions Villains boxed sets for Imagine magazine, and stated that "Considering that imported figures always work out dearer, [the price is] not too bad for the Mammoth, but as you only get a dozen Super-characters per box, they [are] expensive, even by today's standards.
"[33] Steve Jackson reviewed assorted scenery from Grenadier Miniatures for Pyramid #8 (July/August 1994), and stated that "All in all, these are nice, useful pieces, well cast and finished, quite paintable.