Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc.

Formed in 1975, Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, is now known as ''Ral Partha Legacy Ltd.'' and produces miniature figures in 25 mm, 30 mm, 15 mm, and 54 mm scale. The company's products are made by spin-casting metal alloys which depict soldiers, adventurers and creatures that have been inspired by history and fiction. Their miniatures are sold at gaming conventions, in hobby shops, and by internet and mail order for use in role playing games, wargaming, dioramas, competitive painting, and collecting.

The company began as a basement enterprise undertaken by a group of wargamers around the talents of Tom Meier, a 16-year-old sculptor. The company grew with the increasing popularity of board and role-playing games. By 1982 Ral Partha products were sold worldwide."Hanging Out: Warriors & Wizards" by Perry Cooper, ''Cincinnati Best and Worst'' magazine, Volume 16, Number 1, October 1982 pp. 18–25. Ral Partha is best known for its historical figures, ''Fantasy Collector's'' series, and miniatures produced for TSR, Inc.'s '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' and FASA's '' BattleTech'' games. Tom Meier became a freelance sculptor in 1988, and retains copyrights to much of his work for Ral Partha. Until 2020 he worked on commission and operated ''Thunderbolt Mountain Miniatures,'' a boutique company for pet projects involving dioramas, 54 mm figurines, and a new series of elves and goblins. During its 40-year history Ral Partha has employed more than two dozen sculptors, of whom some of the most prolific were Dennis Mize, Julie Guthrie, Sandra Garrity, Robert N. Charrette, and Dave Summers.

The owners of the original Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. sold the company to FASA in 1998, and was one of the assets acquired by WizKids in 2000. The following year Ral Partha's production assets were recast as Iron Wind Metals, LLC of Cincinnati. In 2015 and the 40th anniversary of the founding of Ral Partha, reacquired the long unused trademarks and relaunched Ral Partha as a division of the company focused on producing new and archived miniature lines under the banner of the ''Chaos Wars'' gaming world. In July 2020, Iron Wind Metals retired the "Ral Partha - A Division of Iron Wind Metals" brand and licensed the Ral Partha era fantasy and historical miniatures to "Ral Partha Legacy Ltd." which owns the ''Chaos Wars'' games. Ral Partha Legacy also acquired the license to Tom Meier's ''Thunderbolt Mountain Miniature'' lines which unites more than four decades of the artist's work. The new company has announced additions to the existing lines by original designers like Tom Meier and Robert N. Charrette, as well as new artists. Iron Wind Metals continues to produce lines for the futuristic FASA era games including '' Battletech'' and '' Shadowrun''.

Licensees and distributors

United States

In 1980 Ral Partha licensed select designs to Rawcliffe Pewter a long-time producer of cast metal art. The pewter versions of Ral Partha sculpts were typically bare-metal with a satin finish and decorated with glass jewels. In time, a division of the company called ''Partha Pewter'' was established to produce directly for the giftware market.

Canada

Ral Partha established a licensing agreement with RAFM, a miniatures manufacturer in Paris, Ontario, Canada in 1980.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #36, April 1980. The two companies have had a long-term working relationship which lasted well into the 1990s.

Great Britain

In 1979 Citadel Miniatures was formed by Games Workshop as a miniatures production shop to produce their own figures and to distribute Ral Partha figures in Britain.''White Dwarf Magazine'' #11, February/March 1979.''Citadel Compendium 1'', Games Workshop 1984 Citadel Miniatures attempted to establish a U.S. division in 1982 with Ral Partha as the local manufacturer.Citadel Miniatures U.S. 1983 Catalog. The partnership was short lived and in 1984 Games Workshop established their own U.S. subsidiary and became a direct competitor. The Citadel Miniatures U.S. products were brought under the Ral Partha logo and marketed as ''Ral Partha Imports.''Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1984 Imports Catalog. In 1985 the import lines included the ''FTx-xx Fantasy Tribes'', ''FAx-xx Fantasy Adventurer'', ''FF/31-xxx Fiend Factory'', ''FS/32-xx Fantasy Special'', the popular ''WF-xx Weird Fantasy'' series with whimsical themes, ''FMM-xx Fantasy Mysterious Miniatures'', and ''LB-xx Tabletop's Laser Burn'' line of space marines. Historical lines included Romans ''AR-xx'', Dark Ages ''DA-xx'', Medievals ''M-xxx'' and Samurai ''SAM-xx''. At least two figures (FTT 3 Troll hurling rock and FTT 4 Troll in chainmail with scimitar) were sculpted by Tom Meier while visiting England in 1981.''White Dwarf' Magazine'' #24, April/May 1981

In 1986 Minifigs gained the rights to manufacture and distribute Ral Partha's fantasy range in Britain.
History of Miniature Figurine Production, Accessed December 7, 2008. The following year Ral Partha dropped Citadel Miniatures' historical lines and began to distribute Denizen Miniatures' dwarves (''33-xxx''), orcs (''34-xxx''), ''36-xxx Legion of the Damned'' skeletons, and ''39-xxx Fantastic Adventurers''.

Continental Europe

By 1989, Jeux Descartes of Paris gained the rights to distribute Ral Partha figures in continental Europe."Through the Looking Glass" by Robert Bigelow, ''Dragon Magazine'' #144, page 73.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1991 Catalog. Some early Ral Partha advertisements erroneously give the name as "Jeaux Descartes." The relationship was on-going in 1997,Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1997 Catalog. but was probably severed when FASA purchased Ral Partha the following year.

Australia

In the 1980s and 1990s, Ral Partha products were distributed in Australia by Military Simulations of Moorabbin, Victoria, and then Bentleigh, Victoria.

Product codes

Only a product code marked Ral Partha's early packaging and customers required a contemporary catalog in order to identify the miniature. In late 1979 the company switched from product codes that used descriptive letter and number codes to a numeric system. For example, in the series ''Personalities and Things that Go Bump in the Night'', ''ES-001 Evil Wizard, casting spell'' became 01-001, and the first figure of the 15th century Renaissance series ''1501 Command Set'' became 54-001.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1978 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1979 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1980 Catalog. The change was not universal. Ral Partha used letter codes for Citadel Miniatures and Denizen Miniatures in their line of ''Ral Partha Imports'' until 1992.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #82, February 1984.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1992 Catalog. Ral Partha's international partners used their own systems. RAFM of Canada used the descriptive product codes as late as 1984.RAFM advertisement in ''Dragon Magazine'' #90, October 1984. Jeux Descartes initially used Ral Partha's numeric codes on packaging of their own design, but new lines were introduced selectively and given codes sequential to their own series. As a result, product codes often differ depending on whether the miniatures were produced in the United States, Canada, or Europe.

Throughout the company's history, figures were modified to improve reproducibility, unpopular designs were re-sculpted, and existing product codes were used for new designs. A common cause of modification was a level of detail or animation which challenged the casting technology. An industry-wide reorientation of scale from 25 mm to 30 mm in the late 1990s, and interest in removing artist's royalties from lines, also prompted new sculpts of existing lines.

Few of Ral Partha's miniatures were marked with product codes and the company's advertisements and catalogs remain a critical resource for collectors. Advertisements by Ral Partha and its British and Canadian partners appear in most editions of TSR, Inc.'s ''Dragon'' and Games Workshop's ''White Dwarf'' magazines. Product catalogs were published annually from 1978 to 1997, and in 2000. The 1998 and 1999 catalogs were combined into a single issue. Ral Partha also released Christmas catalogs in 1982 and 1983, an ''Imports'' catalog in 1984, historical miniatures catalogs in 1985 and 1996, a 2000 ''Direct Mail Catalog'', and sporadically released updated order forms which listed all the figures in production. In the late 1996 Ral Partha augmented their catalogs with a webpage which highlighted popular products and new releases. After the formation of Iron Wind Metals in 2001, an online catalog and electronic order forms entirely replaced printed catalogs.

Company history

Ral Partha Enterprises was formed in 1975 when Glenn E. Kidd, Tom Meier and Rich Smethurst set out to produce Meier's sculptures. Meier pioneered the sculpture of miniatures in a two-part epoxy putty designed for automotive repair.
Tom Meier Biography by Carin Meier, Accessed November 23, 2008 The epoxy held detail better than traditional media and rest of the miniature industry adopted its use. When mixed together, the blue and yellow components of the putty formed a green putty which gave rise to the term "Greens" for the original artist's work. Finding themselves still short of funds, the three enlisted Marc Rubin, Chuck Crain, and Jack Hesselbrock as partners.' The Courier (magazine), 'The Courier'' Volume 1, No. 4, December 1980, "The Courier Interviews Glenn Kidd," by Dick Bryant, editor. The six investors pooled USD $3,000 to purchase the equipment necessary to produce Meier's sculptures.

The company had its origins in the established hobby of historical wargaming, but the company's rapid growth was fostered by the popularity of role-playing games. The company was named ''Ral-Partha'' after a particularly successful wizard character created by Tom's young friend John Winkler. The character was a notoriously hard bargainer whose shrewdness was exemplified by the catch phrase "What's it worth to you?" It was hoped that the fledgling company would have similar good fortune.''Cincinnati Magazine'' ''Best Buys - Choose Your Demons'' by Jani Gardener May 1978 pages 58-59. Like their popular line of "3-stage characters," Ral Partha has had a trio of aspects. The first was Winkler's gaming character, depicted as ''ES-001 Evil Wizard, casting spell.'' "Ral" Winkler himself became one of the company's chief casters. Lastly, "Ral" was the company's totemic progenitor credited with collaborative projects and depicted as ''10–412 Lord of the Balrogs''.''Ral Partha Gaming Club Newsletter'' Issue #1 June 30, 1996.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1986 Catalog.

Products were originally cast in the basement of 3642 Hyde Park Avenue, in the Fairfax neighborhood of Cincinnati, the home of the company's first president, Glenn E. Kidd.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #4, March 1977. In the spring of 1978, the company established a factory at 3726 Lonsdale Street in the Norwood section of Cincinnati.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #16, July 1978. At the time of the move, the address was erroneously rendered as 2732 and 2736 Lonsdale, but there is no 2700 block of that street. Small stickers were applied to the 1978 product catalog to correct the address. Those stickers have typically fallen off in the intervening years. By November 1980 Ral Partha moved to a larger industrial space at 5938 Carthage Court, where it, and the Iron Wind Metals production facilities remained until 2014.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #43, November 1980.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 2000 Catalog. Iron Wind Metals has its offices and production facilities at 10437 Chester Rd in Woodlawn, Ohio.

Ral Partha's formative years were the late 1970s, when the company was a part-time basement enterprise producing the art of a teenage sculptor for a nascent gaming market. In 1979, the company became a full-time endeavor with industrial space and two professional sculptors designing products for multiple themes made popular by the rapidly expanding gaming market. The number of sculptors and catalog of miniatures grew rapidly. In the mid-1980s, the preponderance of work moved from Ral Partha's sculptors' designs to manufacturing under license for nationally marketed games. In the short run, the move was economically beneficial. However, the lack of product diversity left the company vulnerable to the marketing decisions of clients for whom miniatures were a minor interest. Between 2001 and 2014, Ral Partha was an unused trademark caught up in the mergers and intellectual property negotiations between large game producers. Since 2001 the focus of Iron Wind Metals has been on existing product lines, ''Battletech'' licensed figures, and manufacturing for partner companies who carryout their own designs, marketing and distribution. In 2014 the production and productive capacities were reunited under Ral Partha Enterprises, a division of Iron Wind Metals.

Basement enterprise, 1975–1978

The young company received early encouragement from the sale of its entire stock at Gen Con 1976, a convention of gaming enthusiasts. Ral Partha's lines and customer base grew quickly and they regularly won multiple categories of the Origins Award.
Origins Game Fair, Accessed November 24, 2008. Ral Partha's figures were popular with historical wargamers, but fans of fantasy themed role-playing games like TSR, Inc.'s '' Dungeons & Dragons'' accounted for the majority of their sales., Tom Meier Autobiography, Accessed November 23, 2008. Meier's sculpts tended to carry greater detail than many of his contemporaries, but some early products presented challenges to the casting process.Wargaming World, ''Dragon Magazine'' #3, October 1976

One of Tom Meier's earliest lines was the ''Fantasy Line'', which included about two dozen figures in late 1976. Meier's ''ES18 Adventuress'' is credited as being the first female character for role-playing games.From the Fantasy Forge, ''Dragon Magazine'' #8, July 1977. The fantasy line was renamed ''ES/01-xxx Personalities and Things that Go Bump in the Night'' in 1978, and Meier augmented the line throughout the 1980s.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1987 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1982 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1983 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1984 Catalog.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1985 Fantasy Catalog.

As early as 1976, Meier had begun a series of soldiers from Classical antiquity which were collected together as ''AN/35-xxx The Hoplites''.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #11, December 1977. By 1978 the line was essentially complete and included Greeks, Carthaginians, Persians, Gauls, Early Republic Romans and Macedonians. Another series begun by Meier in 1976 was a line of 11th-century knights and footmen called ''11/42-xxx 1200 A.D.''. The series included Vikings, English, French, Spanish, Moorish, Mongol, and Sung Chinese soldiers.

Ral Partha put ''E-xxx Wizards, Warriors and Warlocks'' into production in 1976, 1977, and 1979. The line included some of Meier's earliest work and much of it was executed in the style of Heritage Models, for whom he had briefly worked., Tom Meier on Thunderbolt Mountain Miniatures Forums, December 3, 2008. The ''E-xxx'' series was retired in 1980, but portions of it were re-released in 1995 as part of the ''19-xxx Ral Partha Remembered'' line commemorating the company's 20th anniversary.

In 1978 Ral Partha acquired The Old Guard's ''Legions of the Petal Throne'' line of figures for TSR, Inc.'s '' Empire of the Petal Throne,'' a role-playing game based on M. A. R. Barker's world of Tékumel. Ral Partha retained the services of William Murray, the line's sculptor. Tom Meier and Brian Apple made contributions to the series (''T, Y, P, M, NH-xxx'') in 1979, but it was discontinued later that year.

As early as 1978, Ral Partha produced three series of 15 mm historical miniatures sculpted by George Freeman of Dayton, Ohio. They included Napoleonic-era figures ''N-xxx Days of the Empire'', ''AW-xxx American Civil War'', and ''AK-xxx Desert Rats'', modeling the North African Campaign of World War II. Ann Gallup also contributed an ''AC-xxx'' series to the American Civil War line. In 1979 Ral Partha added Freeman's 25 mm ''W-xxx Waterloo Collector's Series'', but all of Freeman and Gallup's figures were discontinued in 1980. George Freeman's 15mm Napoleonics figures are available from Monday Knight Productions (see external links below).

Ral Partha's first venture into science fiction was Meier's 1978 line of space marines and space aliens ''GG-xxx Galactic Grenadiers: Strike Force Alpha''. Their release was in tandem with Gamescience's ''Strike Team Alpha'', a set designed by Michael Scott Kurtick for Meier's Galactic Grenadiers.
Strike Team Alpha, Board Game Geek. Accessed December 22, 2008.Games Workshop Advertisement, ''White Dwarf Magazine'' #13, June/July 1979. Other early lines included collectible 54 mm figures called ''S/97-xxx Partha Personalities (Ral Partha), Personalities'' and lines of 25 mm dungeon accessories (''D/97-xxx'') and weapons (''D/97-5xx'').

Producer of signature lines, 1979–1986

In the summer of 1978, Meier began reworking the themes of the ''E-xxx'' series to create the ''CS/02-xxx Fantasy Collectors'' line of elves.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #19, October 1978. Meier's lines were successful and he began sculpting full-time in 1979. The addition of dwarves in 1979 and goblins in 1980 almost entirely replaced the ''E-xxx'' series. Meier added halfings in 1982 and began a series of fantasy vehicles. The first was ''02–030 Dwarf Steam Cannon'', released in 1983. Meier's contribution to the series was completed when ''02-078 The Warmachine'' and ''02-020 The Elf Chariot'' were put into production in 1984.

Ral Partha hired Dennis Mize in 1979. With two full-time sculptors, Ral Partha's product lines increased rapidly. Mize's first project was ''H-xxx Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age'' to accompany a Fantasy Games Unlimited game of the same name, based on the world of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian. The Hyborean line was dropped in 1980, and Mize introduced ''53-7xx The Samurai'' and a line of 15mm fantasy soldiers called ''05-xxx Armies of Myth and Legend''. His popular ''CN/13-xxx Children of the Night'' was begun by 1982 and expanded over the course of the next two years. In 1982 Mize and Meier created figures for small thematic box sets called ''98-xxx The Adventurers''.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #49, May 1981. Mize also added to and revised Meier's ''The Hoplites'' and ''1200 A.D.'' lines in 1984.

In 1979, Meier introduced ''15/54-xxx Condotitieri'', a line of Renaissance-era figures. The first offerings were Imperialists, to which he added Swiss and Turks in 1980. Meier expanded the historical ranges with the 1983 addition of ''88-xxx The Colonials''. Sculpts for the Anglo-Zulu War were augmented in 1984 with figures for the Northwest Frontier and the Sudan Campaign in 1985.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1985 Historical Catalog.

Ral Partha entered the game market in 1980 with the release of ''99–001 Witch's Caldron'', ''99-002 Caverns Deep'', '' 99-003 Final Frontier'', and ''99-004 Galactic Grenadiers'', skirmish games designed by Glenn E. Kidd and Marc Rubin. "Galactic Grenadiers" included miniatures from the ''GG-xxx'' series. 15 mm figures from ''Final Frontiers'' were released in 1982 as '' 08-xxx Star Warriors''. By 1982, the presidency of the company passed from Glenn E. Kidd to Jack Hesselbrock. The lines of 15 mm fantasy figures were taken out of production and the figures from the ''Caverns Deep'' and ''Witch's Cauldron'' games were incorporated into ''98-xxx The Adventurers'' in 1983. Ral Partha returned to the board game market in 1985 when they joined with Leggett Games Inc. to publish ''Fortress'', a skirmish-based board game which incorporated lead Ral Partha miniatures.
''Fortress'', at Board Game Geek. That same year the company launched ''77-xxx Partha Paints'' and ''Dragonscale'' metallic cremes which were packaged with dragon figures.

In the spring of 1983 Ral Partha began publishing a four-page newsletter entitled ''The Partha Pipeline'' which was a house fanzine with articles generated by staff and friends. A typical issue included "Letters to Ral" where the company's semi-mythical progenitor would answer reader's questions, scenarios for battles with Ral Partha figures, and new releases by Ral Partha and those which they distributed for RAFM.The Partha Pipeline, Ral Partha Enterprises, First Series, Volume 1, Number 3, Fall 1983. The Partha Pipeline continued for three more years until ending its first series in 1986. A second series using the same name would be revived in 1999.

Julie Guthrie began freelance sculpting for Ral Partha in 1983. Her first line was the ''02-9xx All Things Dark and Dangerous''. She worked with Meier and Mize on ''98-xxx The Adventurers''. Later that year, box sets of ''10-3xx The Best of Ral Partha'' and Julie Guthrie's ''96-xxx Elfquest'' figures for Chasosium's '' Elfquest'' game were put into production.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1983 Christmas Catalog. Guthrie expanded the ''All Things Dark and Dangerous'' line in 1984, 1985, and 1986. In 1984 she joined Meier and Mize to develop a short series of miniatures (''95-xxx'') for Nova Games' Lost Worlds series of combat books. In 1985 Guthrie contributed two sculpts of unicorns to ''PO-3xx Once Upon a Time'' series designed for the giftware market, cast in lead-free alloy, and marketed as "Partha Pewter" by Rawcliffe Pewter.Ral Partha Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #93, January 1985. Their work with pewter allowed Ral Partha's mold-makers to develop the technical expertise necessary to transition to non-lead alloys in the early 1990s.

Robert N. Charrette joined Ral Partha in 1984 and contributed to Meier's ''The Hoplites'', ''1200 A.D.'', and ''CS/02-xxx Collector Series'' lines. In 1985, Charrette inaugurated figures for Chaosium's '' RuneQuest'' and a line of pulp adventurers. The line was initially called "20th Century Plus", but was later renamed ''20-xxx The Roaring Twenties''. Charrette revisited a line of figures he sculpted in 1979 to accompany Fantasy Games Unlimited's ''Gangster!''.Report on Origins '79, ''Dragon Magazine'' #29, September 1979.
Mirror of FGU website, Accessed December 17, 2008Molten Magic in ''White Dwarf'' #14, August/September 1979 Charrette updated the line to include new cinematic themes such as the intrepid archaeologist. In 1986 Charrette introduced ''53-9xx Bushido'', a line of miniatures for '' Bushido (role-playing game), Bushido,'' a game he authored and sculpted a line of figures for Fantasy Games Unlimited.
Bob Charrette Games, Accessed November 23, 2008. In 1985, Bob Charrette began producing a line of miniature robot war machines for a game that was first called "Battledroids" and renamed '' BattleTech'' in 1986, for FASA's game of the same name. It was the beginning of a permanent relationship between the two companies that would eventually lead to Ral Partha's sale to FASA. Battletech products remain a leading product of Ral Partha's successor, Iron Wind Metals and Charrette continued on as creative development and authored several related novels.

In 1986 Ral Partha sculptors crafted ''01-3xx 3-Stage Characters'' which consisted of three aspects with increasing amounts of arms and armor to represent a single adventurer's game career. The line was folded into the ''ES/01-xxx'' line in 1987. Because of their popularity with collectors and role-players, they regained status as a separate line and a place of prominence in the 1991 and subsequent catalogs.

Chaos Wars, 1986–1987

At the same time that integrated campaign worlds like Games Workshop's '' Warhammer Fantasy Battle'' were showing early success, Ral Partha introduced the "Chaos Wars" theme into their 1986 and 1987 product lines. It was the first step toward unifying a collection of disparate themes into an integrated brand. In the 1986 catalog sculptors were no longer credited and a mythical "Ral Partha" rather than the president of the company addressed customers in the prologue. At about that same time, the Ral Partha staff had developed a four-page ''Rules According to Ral'' for medieval battles. A fantasy version by Bob Charrette, Rich Smethhurst, Marc Rubin, and Chuck Crain was released in 1987 as part of a boxed set ''Rules According to Ral: Chaos Wars''.
Board Game Geek, Ral Partha Games, Accessed November 24, 2008.
TMP: Chaos Wars, Accessed November 23, 2008. The Chaos Wars theme collected together numerous existing products, many from Meier's ''ES/01-xxx'' line, and their packaging was marked with stickers.

As part of the Chaos Wars product line the ''Partha Pipeline'' newsletter was transformed into the ''Ral Partha War Bulletin'' in January 1986. The ''War Bulletin'' followed much of the same format as the ''Pipeline'' but its focus was the Chaos Wars product line. Releases were sporadic and continued until at least the Spring of 1990.The Ral Partha War Bulletin, Ral Partha Enterprises, Spring 1990.

The new initiative was to include ''10-2xx Free Companies of Chaos Wars'' box sets, but large contracts to produce miniatures for other gaming companies became a higher priority and the Chaos Wars lines were appended to the ''CS/02-xxx Collector's Series''. Among these sets were Charrette's popular ''Fangs of Fury'' beastmen, Tom Meier's ''Korg's Killers'' orcs, and Meier's ''Starbrow's Select'' elves. Having never fully materialized, the Chaos Wars theme was set aside in 1988 in order to give necessary attention to producing official '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures'' for TSR, Inc.'s '' Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' game.

Producer of licensed lines, 1988–1995

In 1988 Meier began his own company, Thunderbolt Mountain Miniatures, but continued to do freelance work for Ral Partha. Company president Chuck Crain hired Sandra L. Garrity, Dave Summers, and Richard Kerr as full-time sculptors, Interview with Sandra Garrity, Accessed November 24, 2008.
TMP: In Memory of Charles B. Crain III, Accessed November 24, 2008. to produce an official line of monsters and personalities for AD&D figures. The earliest figures included ''10-56x Battlesystem Brigades (25 mm)'' which included an entire 25 mm military unit in for tabletop wargames, and adventurers (''11-0xx'') and monsters (''11-4xx'') for role-playing games.Ral Partha Inc. 1989 Catalog In 1990 Ral Partha launched ''10-5xx Dragonlance and Dungeons & Dragons'' and ''10-55x Forgotten Realms'' boxed sets. The line grew rapidly and 1991 saw the addition of box sets for ''11-9xx Battlesystem Brigades (15 mm)'', ''11-5xx Ravenloft'' and ''10-54x Dark Sun'' game worlds. The ''11-05x, 11-06x AD&D Personalities'' of heroes and villains was released in 1994, and additional figures for the Planescape, Ravenloft, and Forgotten Realms game worlds followed in 1995. By 1997 Ral Partha had also added figures for TSR, Inc.'s Dark Sun, Council of Wyrms, and Birthright game worlds. The breadth and earning potential of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' franchise drove new releases and Ral Partha scrambled to acquire the sculpting talents of British and American sculptors, including Nick Bibby, Jeff Wilhelm, Bob Olley, Chris Atkin, Walter Vail, John M. Garrity, and Jim Johnson in 1992, and Chis Fitzpatrick and Geoff Valley by 1995.

By 1991 the ''20-xxx BattleTech'' line had grown to include eleven box sets, and more than one hundred 'Mechs, Aerospace fighters, and ground vehicles. Ral Partha also produced 25 mm ''20-9xx Mechwarriors'' depicting pilots, mechanics and guards for role-playing in the BattleTech game world. That same year, Ral Partha sculptors had begun crafting figures for FASA's game Shadowrun, a role-playing game set in a futuristic cyber-world. Shadowrun miniatures had previously been produced by Grenadier Miniatures. Ral Partha introduced their sculpts (''20-5xx Shadowrun'') in 1992.

The ''12-xxx The All American Line'' of fighters, orcs, magic-users, undead, dwarves, and elves was released in 1991 and 1992. The name of the line appears to refer to the fact that all the figures were sculpted Ral Partha's four staff sculptors. Other new lines included Richard Kerr's 1992 futuristic tanks for Steve Jackson Games' '' Ogre'' and the introduction of the "69-xxx" series for White Wolf, Inc.'s '' Werewolf: The Apocalypse'' and '' Vampire: The Masquerade'' in late 1993.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #196, August 1993, page 119. Figures for White Wolf, Inc.'s ''Mage: The Ascension'' followed soon after.

Initially, Ral Partha figures were cast from lead and tin alloy, but in 1993 New York legislators nearly passed a public health bill barring the use of lead in toys and miniatures."Through the Looking Glass" by Robert Bigalow, ''Dragon Magazine'' #192, April 1993. Despite the additional cost, numerous manufacturers anticipated parental concerns, similar legislation in other states, workplace safety, and began using white metal alloys. Ral Partha's staff had previously developed a lead-free alloy for their "Partha Pewter," a line of collectible figurines designed for the giftware market. In September 1993 they began using a trademarked white metal alloy they called ''Ralidium'' in all their products Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. Advertisement, ''Dragon Magazine'' #197, September 1993. and its use marks a clear benchmark for dating old figures. The move away from lead was promoted in advertisements and bright red stickers on existing packaging. In time, New York Governor Mario Cuomo relented to hobbyists' concerns and exempted miniatures from the state's Public Health Law."Through the Looking Glass" by Robert Bigalow, ''Dragon Magazine'' #205, May 1994. However, the company never went back to lead. Ral Partha correctly anticipated the industry's movement away from lead, but the associated price increases came at a time when miniatures and role playing games were being eclipsed by collectible card games like Wizards of the Coast's 1993 hit '' Magic: The Gathering''. In 1994 the company experimented with ''Partha Plastics.''Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1994 Catalog. The move was made well after Citadel Miniatures' successful introduction of plastic and part-plastic figures, but the figures were not popular with Ral Partha's older customer base.

In 1993 Dennis Mize designed the "Titans of Terror" series which invoked the heroes and monsters of the horror films.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1993 Catalog. The following year Mize conceptualized and sculpted ''01-7xx Beastmasters'', a line of carnivores and their trainers. The line was expanded the following year, and would be completed until 1998.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. Winter '98/'99 Catalog. That same year Ral Partha produced "Coins of the Realm," fantasy and historical coinage. In 1995 Ral Partha's sculptors crafted figures for Steve Jackson Games' ''Space Knight,'' and dioramas called ''Sculptors' Row'', ''The Sterling Collection'', and "Encounters of the Imagination''.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1995 Catalog.

The trouble with wizards, 1996–2001

During Jack Hesselbrock's second term as company president, he re-established a newsletter which he called the ''Ral Partha Gaming Club.'' Like its predecessors it addressed letters from customers and company news. The series ran for six issues from June 1996 to September 1997. In December of 1996 Ral Partha launched a website which hosted the newsletters and product ordering information. The newsletters reveal a number of licensing setbacks. The hobby market had moved away from roleplaying games and wargames and was rapidly becoming dominated by collectible card games like Wizards of the Coast's Magic: The Gathering. Steve Jackson Games' ''Ogre'' miniatures and all three ''White Wolf'' lines were discontinued in 1996. Bob Charrette's ''18-xxx Runequest'' figures were discontinued the following year.''Ral Partha Gaming Club Newsletter'' #3, September 30, 1996.

Since the late 1970s the gaming miniatures industry had undergone what collectors call "scale creep," an increase in size from 20 and 25 mm scales (i.e. height to the eyes of an upright human-sized figure) to 30 mm and 32 mm. By the late 1990s the move to larger figures by market leaders like Games Workshop of Great Britain had made it such that Ral Partha's sculpts of the 1970s and early 1980s appeared significantly smaller than others. In response to the shift in the market, Ral Partha began adding to Tom Meier's collector's series (''CS/02-xxx'') with a 30 mm scale ''Fantasy Armies'' line in a "British style" which tended to have oversized weapons, punk and Gothic fashions, and separate square bases. Chris Fitzpatrick designed a line of elves. Bob Olley produced new dwarves, goblins, trolls and ogres. Jeff Wilhelm created a series of skeletons. Jim Johnson's contributions were bands of humans known as ''Horse Lords'', ''Savages,'' ''Reavers,'' and ''Tyrants.'' Sandra Garrity designed the ''Knights of the Legion of Justice'' A set of rules of the ''Fantasy Armies'' were developed by an outside work group called ''Ral Partha Publishing.'' The game was first introduced in the 1997 Ral Partha catalog flier as ''14-001 Bloodstorm.'' Soon after the project was retitled ''Battlestorm'' and published in 1998.Ral Partha Enterprises, Inc. 1997 Catalog Insert – The Final Battle Begins, Bloodstorm. The game was advertised as the first volume of the "Fables Gamesystem," but no subsequent installments were issued.

Buoyed by the success of Magic:The Gathering, in 1997 Wizards of the Coast acquired TSR, Inc. and with it, control of the rights to ''Dungeons & Dragons'' miniatures.
Game Cabinet – Wizards of the Coast to acquire TSR, Accessed November 24, 2008. After an extension to their contract, Wizards of the Coast did not renew Ral Partha's license for ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' miniatures and the figures went out of production at the end of 1998''Ral Partha Gaming Club Newsletter'' #6, September 30, 1997.''Ral Partha Gaming Club Newsletter'' #5, June 30, 1997 These miniatures are highly sought after by collectors who believe that Wizards of the Coast had ordered the destruction of the master molds.

The loss of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and other licenses meant that FASA's BattleTech figures became the majority of Ral Partha's revenue. Under threat of also losing those lines and the financial difficulties created by the changing hobby market, the owners of Ral Partha sold the company in 1998 to FASA and Lanier Hurdle and Mike Hurdle, owners of Zocchi Distribution, a hobby shop supplier.
'' Pyramid Magazine'', Industry News, Accessed November 23, 2008. FASA gained sole ownership in the spring of 1999, and Ral Partha began to produce miniatures for FASA's '' Crimson Skies'', '' Crucible: Conquest of the Final Realm'', and '' VOR: The Maelstrom'' games. No sooner were these miniatures in stores when FASA ceased production of all their games.
FASA Closing FAQ.

In December 1999 Ral Partha launched ''The Partha Pipeline'' to announce new products for FASA's games, as well as house designs. At this time Ral Partha had an in-house design studio and a host of staff and free-lance sculptors which included Kev Adams, Jeff Grace, Behrle W. Hubboch III, Randy Kerr, Robert Kyde, Phil Lewis, Dennis Mize, Bob Olley, Tim Prow, Steve Saunders, C. Staples, Dave Summers, Jeff Wilhelm, John Winter.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #1, December 1999, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #2, January 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #3, February 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #4, March 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #5, April 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #6, May 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #7, June 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #8, July 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe.''The Partha Pipeline'' Second Series, #9, August 2000, edited by Chris Bledsoe. The second series of the ''Partha Pipeline'' ran until late 2000 when the Ral Partha assets faced another acquisition.

In January 2001 WizKids, a New Jersey-based producer of plastic collectible miniatures games, acquired the bulk of Ral Partha's assets as part of their purchase of FASA's ''BattleTech'' and ''Shadowrun'' games. WizKids purchased the rights to some figures from Ral Partha sculptors, but the bulk reverted to the artists. Meier retained his ''15/54-xxx Condotitieri,'' ''88-xxx The Colonials'', and most of the ''CS/02-xxx Fantasy Collectors'' lines., Tom Meier, Thunderbolt Miniatures Forums, Accessed December 12, 2008. Charrette remained in possession of his ''53-9xx Bushido'' figures. Ral Partha continued to produce miniatures for the ''Battletech'' and ''Shadowrun'' gaming worlds. Wizkids licensed the rights to rulebooks and other gaming materials to Fantasy Productions, better known as "FanPro" in the United States, which had produced and distributed the German language versions of those games for FASA. FanPro's support of the ''Shadowrun'' and ''Battletech'' game worlds resulted in continued demand for metal miniatures by gaming enthusiasts.

In March 2001 Ral Partha began producing collectible metal versions of the WizKids 64-figure ''Mage Knight'' Rebellion set. The relationship between Wizkids and Ral Partha was a short one. By year's end Wizkids rethought its investment in metal miniatures and divested itself of Ral Partha's manufacturing capabilities while retaining the Ral Partha trademark.

Iron Wind Metals, 2001–2014

In late 2001 Ral Partha's manufacturing capacities were spun off from WizKids, and renamed Iron Wind Metals, LLC, with longtime general manager Michael Noe as president and in partnership with Marc Rubin, one of Ral Partha's original owners. Iron Wind Metals retained the same location and much of the same production staff, molds, equipment, working relationships with artists, and licensing agreements. In addition to their own lines, Iron Wind Metals carries out contract production work for other gaming labels such as Tom Meier's Thunderbolt Mountain, Dark Sword Miniatures, Crocodile Games, and dozens of others.

Iron Wind Metals' new focus on productive capacities reflected a shift in game production strategy. The previous model had been that gaming companies hired sculptors and other creative talent to feed their in-house casting and packaging facilities. This model was successful, but artists sometimes didn't have the capital necessary to retain copyrights, and the mercurial nature of the market meant that their game designs could be sold to others, or languish as assets of dead companies. In the late 1980s, many game designers and sculptors established boutique companies, often operating out of their own homes, and then contracted out or made partnerships with companies like Iron Wind Metals to do the production.

Iron Wind Metals continued to use the name Ral Partha to describe archived designs, but the website and Ral Partha trademark remained the property of Wizkids which underwent a series of acquisitions. In 2003 WizKids was purchased by Topps, a manufacturer of sports cards who were interested in WizKids range of similarly collectible plastic miniatures. In 2007 Topps was purchased by The Tornante Company, a private equity firm. Citing falling profits associated with the Great Recession, Tornante put the Wizkids product lines on hold in November 2008, but continued to lease the intellectual properties of ''Battletech'' and ''Shadowrun'' game worlds. In September 14, 2009, The Tornante Company sold the majority of the Wizkids assets to the National Entertainment Collectibles Association (NECA), but retained the rights to ''Battletech,'' ''Shadowrun,'' and the Ral Partha trademark and website.

The divisions and purchases meant that assets important to the Ral Partha brand were divided among numerous enterprises. Between 1998 and 2009, the Ral Partha trademark passed from FASA, to Wizkids, Topps, and finally The Tornante Company. None of whom utilized the brand. The miniatures for the ''Battletech'' miniatures produced by Ral Partha and then Iron Wind Metals remained popular, but the future of the game was always in question. FanPro had lost its bid to produce the ''Battletech'' and ''Shadowrun'' game worlds, but InMediaRes created a new subsidiary, Catalyst Game Labs to design new expansions for the games and provided continuity by employing many former FanPro staff The productive capacities for Ral Partha miniatures remained with Iron Wind Metals who had retained working relationships with many of the artists, but could not use the Ral Partha name. Longtime customers could special order many of the figures, but they could not be marketed as Ral Partha figures. The trademark languished until 2014 when The Tornante Company agreed to sell the assets to Iron Wind Metals. By the end of 2014 Iron Wind Metals had recreated Ral Partha by forming a new division which united the Ral Partha trademark, website and sculptors' copyrights with their improved productive capacities.

Ral Partha, a Division of Iron Wind Metals, 2014–2020

On the 40th anniversary of the founding of Ral Partha, Iron Wind Metals relaunched the miniature lines from Ral Partha's "golden age." Establishing Ral Partha as a division of Iron Wind Metals, president Mike Noe and co-owner Mark Rubin launched a Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund the production costs of its 1980s lines under the ''Chaos Wars'' game world. Ral Partha had begun developing ''Chaos Wars'' in 1986. At that time they had released a new version of 'house rules" called ''Rules According to Ral'' gaming system with scenarios, several boxed sets, and blister packs marked with ''Chaos Wars'' stickers. However, the initiative was put on hold by the push to produce miniatures for lines licensed by TSR, FASA, and other partners. After a sixteen-year hiatus, ''Chaos Wars'' returned as a series of blister packs, limited edition boxed sets, and battle packs of elves, orcs and goblin figures drawn from Ral Partha's ''CS/02-xxx Fantasy Collectors'', ''12-xxx The All American'' and other lines. A majority of the figures were sculpted by Tom Meier who supported the re-release. In 2016 Iron Wind Metals completed a second campaign and revived previously archived figures of dwarves, undead and troglodytes

Ral Partha Legacy LTD., 2020–present

In July 2020, Iron Wind Metals retired the "Ral Partha - A Division of Iron Wind Metals" brand and licensed the Ral Partha era fantasy and historical miniatures to "Ral Partha Legacy Ltd." which owns the ''Chaos Wars'' games. Ral Partha Legacy also acquired the license to Tom Meier's ''Thunderbolt Mountain Miniature'' lines which unites more than four decades of the artist's work. The new company has announced additions to the existing lines by original designers like Tom Meier and Robert N. Charrette, as well as new artists. Iron Wind Metals continues to produce lines for the FASA era, futuristic games including Battletech and Shadowrun.

Sculptors, artists and mold-makers

Ral Partha's sculptors, artists, and mold-makers and the years in which they worked for the company:

Staff Sculptors
*Tom Meier, 1975–1988, Freelance 1989-1991, 2015–present
*Dennis Mize, 1979–1999
*Julie Guthrie, 1983–1992
*Bob Charrette, 1984–1988
*Chris Atkin, 1985–1999
* Richard Kerr, 1987–1994
* Sandra Garrity, 1988–1992
*Dave Summers, 1988–1996
* Bob Olley, 1990-1999
*Jeff Wilhelm, 1991–2000, Biography of Jeffrey P. Wilhelm.
* Jim Johnson, 1992–1996
* Steve Saunders, 1994–2001
*Robert Kyde, 1995–1996
* Chris FitzPatrick, 1995–2001
*Geoff Valley, 1995–2001
* Brady Bugge, 1997–2001
*Jeff Grace, 1997–2001
*Ken Kersey, 1997–2001
*Bobby Jackson, 1999–2001
* John Winter, 1999–2001
*Tim Prow, 2000-2001
* James Van Schaik, 2000–2001
*Phil Lewis
*Behrle W. Hubboch III

Freelance Sculptors
*George Freeman, 1977–1978
*Ann Gallup, 1977
*William Murray, 1977–1978
*Jay Adams, 1979
*Brian Apple, 1979
*Chub Pearson, 1987
*Nicholas Bibby, 1990
*John M. Garrity, 1991
*Walter B. Vail, 1991

Mold-Makers, Casters and Production Managers
*Michael Murphy, mold-maker, production manager 1977–1986
*Gary Wilkerson, master mold-maker 1977–1984
*Michael Noe, mold-maker 1982-1986, production manager 1987-2001, president 2001-present
*C. Brad Gorby, illustrator, sculptor, mold-warrior 1984-1985
*Brian Hitsman, master mold-maker 1984–1991
*John Sarver, master mold-maker 1992–2001

Graphic Artists and Illustrators
*William Neff, illustrator 1986-1987
*Keith Holmes, illustrator 1986
*Douglas Mize, illustrator 1987
*Thomas O. Miller, creative director, 1988-1994
Resume of Thomas O. Miller
*Michael Weaver, art director, illustrator 1987-1990
*Brian Librandi, catalog layout 1995-1997
*J.A. Decambra, catalog layout 1995-1997
* Joseph Kyde, orthographic design, Battletech 1995–2001

Awards

Origins Awards / H.G. Wells Awards

*1977 – Best Fantasy Figure Series (''ES/01-xxx Fantasy Line'' Tom Meier)
*1978 – Best Historical Figure Series (''11/42-xxx 1200 A.D.'' Tom Meier)
*1978 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''Fantasy Collectors Series'' (''CS/02-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1979 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''Collectibles'' (''CS/02-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1980 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''Condottieri'' (''15/54-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1980 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''Personalities'' (''ES/01-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1981 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''Condottieri'' (''15/54-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1982 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''Personalities & Things That Go Bump In The Night'' (''ES/01-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1983 – Best Vehicular Series – ''25mm Dwarf Steam Cannon'' (''02-030'' Tom Meier)
*1984 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''25mm Colonials'' (''88-xxx Zulus and Northwest Frontier'', Tom Meier)
*1984 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''25mm Personalities'' (''ES/01-xxx'' Tom Meier)
*1985 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''25mm Samurai'' (''53-7xx'' Bob Charrette, Dennis Mize)
*1986 – Best Vehicular or Accessory Series – '' BattleTech Mech.'' (''20-8xx'' Bob Charrette, Julie Guthrie, Tom Meier)
*1987 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''Shogun Hardguys: The New Samurai'' (''53-7xx'' Dennis Mize, Bob Charrette)And the Winner Is... ''Dragon Magazine'' #139, p. 56, November 1988
*1988 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''1200 A.D., Aztecs'' (''42-3xx'' Richard Kerr)''Dragon Magazine'' #149, September 1989.
*1988 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – TSR's '' AD&D Series'' (''11-xxx'' Tom Meier, Dennis Mize)
*1988 – Best Vehicular or Accessory Series – ''BattleTech Mechs'' (''20-8xx'' Bob Charrette, Julie Guthrie, Tom Meier)
*1989 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – '' Dragonlance Heroes Line'' (''10–502'' Dennis Mize, Tom Meier, Richard Kerr)
*1989 – Best Vehicular Miniatures Series – ''BattleTech Mechs and Vehicles'' (''20-xxx'' Dave Summers, Sandy Garrity, Richard Kerr, Tom Meier, Bob Charrette, Julie Guthrie)
*1990 – Best Historical Figure Series – ''25mm Ancients'' (''35-7xx'' North African Ancients Dave Summers, Sandra Garrity)
*1990 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''AD&D Monsters'' (''11-4xx'' Dennis Mize, Nick Bibby, Richard Kerr, Sandra Garrity)
*1991 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – '' Shadowrun'' (''20-5xx'' Tom Meier, Dennis Mize, Dave Summers)
*1991 – Best Vehicular Miniatures Series – ''BattleTech Mechs & Vehicles'' (''20-xxx'' Jeff Wilhelm, Dave Summers, Sandy Garrity, Richard Kerr, Tom Meier, Bob Charrette, Julie Guthrie)
*1992 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – '' Ravenloft'' (''11-1xx'' Dennis Mize)
*1992 – Best Vehicular Miniatures Series – ''BattleTech Mechs & Vehicles'' (''20-8xx'' Jeff Wilhelm, Dave Summers, Sandy Garrity, Richard Kerr, Tom Meier, Bob Charrette, Julie Guthrie)
*1992 – Best Vehicular Miniatures Series – '' Ogre Miniatures'' (Jeff Wilhelm, Dave Summers, Richard Kerr)
*1992 – Best Historical Figure Series – '' Hyksos Ancient Biblical'' ( Jim Johnson)
*1993 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''AD&D line'' (''11-xxx'' Dennis Mize, Jim Johnson, Geoffrey Valley, Dave Summers, Jeff Wilhelm, Richard Kerr)
*1993 – Best Vehicular Series – ''BattleTech'' (''20-8xx'' Dave Summers, Jim Johnson, Richard Kerr, Jeff Wilhelm)
*1994 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Figure Series – ''AD&D Personalities'' (''11-xxx'' Jim Johnson, Dennis Mize, Jeff Wilhelm)
*1994 – Best Vehicular Series – ''BattleTech: Vehicles & 'Mechs'' (''20-xxx'' Chris Atkin, Jim Johnson, Richard Kerr, Dave Summers, Jeff Wilhelm)
*1995 – Best Vehicular Series – ''BattleTech: Vehicles & 'Mechs'' (''20-xxx'' Chris Atkin, Robert Kyde, Jim Johnson, Dave Summers, Jeff Wilhelm)
*1996 – Best Vehicular Miniatures Series – ''BattleTech: Mechs & Vehicles'' (''20-xxx'' Chuck Crain, Chris Atkin, Jim Johnson, Robert Kyde, Dave Summers, Jeff Wilhelm)

Origins Hall of Fame

*1991 – Tom Meier
*1995 – Julie Guthrie
*1997 – Ral Partha BattleTech Mechs & Vehicles (Chuck Crain, Developer)
*2003 – Bob Charrette
*2005 – Dennis Mize

Strategist Club "Creativity in Wargaming" Award

*1978 – Outstanding Miniature Figure Line – ''Fantasy Collectors Series'' (''CS/02-xxx'', Tom Meier)
*1979 – Outstanding Miniatures Figure Line – ''Condottieri'' (''15/54-xxx'' Tom Meier)

The Courier Award

*1979 – Best Historical Miniature Line – ''Condottieri'' (''15/54-xxx'' Tom Meier)

Games Day Awards

*1979 – Best Range SF/F Figures – ''Personalities and Things that Go Bump in the Night'' (''ES/01-xxx'' Tom Meier)''White Dwarf Magazine'' #16, December/January 1979/1980.
*1980 – Best Figures Range, Historical – ''1200 A.D.'' (''11-xxx'' Tom Meier)''White Dwarf Magazine'' #22, December/January 1980/1981

References in popular culture

The company was honored by the writers of the television show '' Andromeda'' by the naming of a fictional planet "Ral Parthea," a planet-wide nature preserve created by an ancient race of space aliens. 0213327, IMDB ''Andromeda'' (2000), Accessed December 18, 2008. The miniature company's name has been adopted by the San Francisco "Scandinavian Preppy" band Ral Partha Vogelbacher.
Ral Partha Vogelbacher MySpace Page, Accessed December 18, 2008. Reportedly the last part of the band's name was the surname of a childhood bully of one of the members,, New Music: Ral Partha Vogelbacher, Brother Ali, Accessed December 18, 2008. and forms a statement of the nerd pride movement.

Notes

Footnotes

Citations

External links

* Ral Partha Legacy Ltd - https://ralparthalegacy.com/
* Iron Wind Metals, LLC - http://ironwindmetals.com/
* Tom Meier Sculpting and Design – http://tommeiersculpting.com/
* Dark Sword Miniatures – http://darkswordminiatures.com/
* Crocodile Games – http://www.crocodilegames.com/

{{D&D topics

1975 establishments in Ohio
Board game publishing companies
Companies based in Cincinnati
Design companies established in 1975
Game manufacturers
Gaming miniatures companies
Origins Award winners
Wargame companies