The Lost and the Banned
This section is dedicated to a rough history of Warhammer related resin casting in the US and a list of products that were produced by the companies listed here. Strangely enough all the US licensed producers of Games Workshop copyrighted models were located within 4 hours of each other in Northern California.In the Beginning…
First there was a barren emptiness, Warhammer 40K players had no vehicles there were only 2 Games Workshop models and those were only for one race - the Marines.Along came Mike Biasi - the "Master" Mike is a very talented artist and sculptor and he produced a 40K scale Titan modeled on the early Games Workshop Plastic and metal Epic models for Adeptus Titanicus.
Mike lived in Santa Rosa, California up the coast form San Francisco, back in those days Games Workshop was a smaller, less complicated company than they are now and when Mike sent them his Titan they were impressed! They gave Mike a copyright license to produce 40K scale models of Epic vehicles; Mike named his company Mike Biasi Studios.
The local gaming community being small and fairly tight knit - word soon got around about these wonderful models and Tim Dupertuis started publishing Inquisitor magazine with rules for these models in it. I saw Mike's models and realized where he was going BIG I could go small. So I made some models and sent them to GW and luckily enough they gave me a copyright too! I named my company Epicast USA.
Let me state now - Mike is a classically trained and educated artist with university level courses in Art and sculpture behind him; I am an enthusiastic converter/scratch builder with some artistic talent. There was little comparison between our models and Mike's later work with Armorcast and Forgeworld UK is of professional standard.
Mike's association with Games Workshop ended and John Richardson of Modesto, California and some other friends approached Games Workshop with a proposition. They asked GW for the right to reproduce Mike's models and other new ones on a large scale production basis. GW agreed and gave them a contract.
They formed Forgeworld USA Tim Dupertuis approached GW and asked for the same rights and contract and got Mike to agree to work with him to refine and update the models. Tim formed a company called Armorcast.
So there you have it: in order of appearance: Mike Biasi Studios, Epicast, Forgeworld USA, Armorcast.
Over time these three companies produced the range of Games Workshop licensed models listed below, there is one other mention - though I don't know who the company was but there was a limited release in Games Workshop shops in the UK only of a Polyvinyl cast "Gobsmasha" this model was about half the size of the Epicast model and was made to fit into a clamshell blister pack. I was originally told 500 were made but I think this number is high. If anyone has information on this company please let me know.
Mike Biasi Studios Produced
Imperial Reaver Titan
Warhound Titan
Eldar Tempest
Eldar Knight
Bane Blade/Shadowsword
Eldar Phantom titan
Tyranid Trygon
Stormhammer Baneblade
Imperial Warlord Titan
Epicast produced for 40K:
Imperial Termite for IG
Ork Bowelburna
Ork Spleenrippa
Ork Gobsmasha
Eldar Falcon
Vindicator/Whirlwind kit
Mork Stomper
Gork Stomper
Marine Drop pod
Imperial Bunker with Eagle
Imperial Knight Titan Paladin
Imperial Knight Titan Crusader
Imperial Knight Titan Errant
Eldar Prism Cannon
Eldar Doom Weaver
Ork LungBursta
Forgeworld USA produced
Copy of Warhound Titan
Copy of Reaver Titan
Copy of Baneblade
Copy of Shadowsword
Copy of Eldar Tempest
Warzone Bauhaus Grizzly
Warzone Bauhaus Tank
Warzone Bauhaus armored Car
Eldar Wave serpent
Tyranid Dactylis
Triangle castle and Keep
Huge Gobsmasha
Eldar Prism Cannon
Eldar Doomweaver
Armorcast produced:
Revised Eldar Knight Titan
Eldar Revenant Titan
Revised Eldar Phantom titan
Revised Eldar Tempest
Eldar Falcon
Revised Imperial Reaver Titan
Revised Imperial Warhound Titan
Imperial Super Detail Baneblade
Revised Imperial Baneblade /Shadowsword kit
Revised Imperial Baneblade
Revised Imperial Shadowsword
Tyranid Exocrine
Tyranid Haruspex
Tyranid Malefactor
Ork Great Gargant
Ork Battlewagon
Cannon of Khorne
Blood Cauldron of Khorne
Adeptus Mechanicus Symbol
Chaos Symbol
Titan Chaos Tail
Titan Chaos Spikes and symbols
Ork Tank
UK Castings -1 time deal with Games Workshop
Small Gobsmasha
Picture Gallery
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |