Impact! Miniatures

Impact! Miniatures is a specialist tabletop-gaming company created by members of the online Blood Bowl community to supply fantasy football miniatures and accessories that larger manufacturers were not offering. Its origins date to discussions on the TalkBloodBowl forums in November 2005, after community member Ewan McKerracher displayed a sculpt representing the Blood Bowl star player Icepelt Hammerblow. Encouraged by the response, the group developed the concept of a dedicated fantasy football miniatures company, with the Ice Troll becoming its initial flagship figure. Seven participants initially joined as partners, and the business opened in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2006. A United States branch formally opened on June 1, 2007. The company positioned itself around breadth, community responsiveness, and access to products for specialist fantasy football games. Its range included white-metal figures, conversion components, bases, weights, felt cushions, carrying cases, custom dice, and portable felt playing surfaces. The products were intended for games including Elfball, Blood Bowl, Street Brawl, Street Bowl, and Deathball, as well as for players who wanted to customize existing teams or create new ones. According to the referenced company history, Impact! offered more than 300 white-metal miniatures by 2010 and at that time sold more figures of its own design for fantasy football than any other miniatures company. A notable element of the business model was Targeted Impact!, a lifetime-commission arrangement for amateur sculptors. Artists could submit images of their fantasy football sculpts, and approved designs could be cast and listed by Impact!. Rather than receiving an upfront fee, the sculptor earned a sales commission under the program. This gave independent creators a route to market while allowing the company to expand its catalogue without relying exclusively on an in-house sculpting team. The company also offered inexpensive casting and production support for community projects, including tournament prizes and custom pieces. Impact! expanded beyond individual figures through licensing and game publishing. It licensed the former Phigs Miniatures range from Phil Bowen, added a licensed Ulfhedner figure from ZN Games in 2008, and later licensed Neomics' Football Human team for use as Kill Ball teams. It also acquired the name and basic concept of Elfball from Bowen. A complete board-game version of Elfball was released at Gen Con in August 2007, and the game developed tournament activity in both the United States and United Kingdom. The company underwent organizational changes during its early years. By its first anniversary, the original partnership had been reduced to three active partners, while McKerracher stepped down as partner, president, and company sculptor to spend more time with his family. Gavin Sutton transferred his profit and voting rights in 2010, and Ramsay McPherson did the same in 2011; both were described as retaining honorary partner status. Impact! also established BBFigs.com in 2008 as a separate venture to sell individual miniatures from boxed Games Workshop Blood Bowl sets after Games Workshop changed its sales policy. Following legal difficulties and disagreements over Games Workshop's treatment of fan communities, the partners decided to close BBFigs.com. Dice later became an important part of the business. Impact! produced unusual polyhedral dice, including D15, D17, D18, and D19 formats, with some production supported through Kickstarter campaigns. The referenced material states that dice represented half of company sales in 2016. The available sources do not establish the company's current ownership, leadership, operating status, official website, or complete present-day catalogue.

Impact! Miniatures emerged from the online Blood Bowl community rather than from an established toy or games corporation. On November 23, 2005, members of the TalkBloodBowl forums began discussing the creation of a company that could produce fantasy football miniatures requested by players but not supplied by dominant manufacturers. The immediate catalyst was Ewan McKerracher's sculpt of the Blood Bowl star player Icepelt Hammerblow. After the sculpt attracted favorable attention, the group considered having it cast in white metal. McKerracher instead pursued the creation of a new company, with an Ice Troll serving as the first major product associated with the venture. Seven members of the forum discussions joined as partners. Impact! opened in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2006, and established a US branch on June 1, 2007. Its early development involved changes in the partnership structure. By the first anniversary, the number of active partners had fallen to three, and McKerracher had left his positions as partner, president, and company sculptor to devote more time to his family. The company nevertheless continued to develop a broad catalogue aimed at fantasy football players and hobbyists. Impact!'s range combined original figures with components intended to support conversions and custom team building. The company offered white-metal miniatures for games such as Elfball, Blood Bowl, Street Brawl, Street Bowl, and Deathball, along with bases, weights, felt cushions, cases, dice, and transportable gaming mats. The business also provided a route for tournament organizers and amateur sculptors to commission or distribute custom work. Through the Targeted Impact! program, a sculptor could submit an image of a completed fantasy football miniature for review. Approved designs were cast and sold by Impact!, with the artist receiving a sales-based commission rather than an upfront payment. The program ultimately covered more than 50 miniatures according to the referenced history. The company expanded its intellectual-property portfolio through licensing. It licensed the former Phigs Miniatures catalogue from Phil Bowen, who continued to create additions for the line. It also secured rights from ZN Games for the Ulfhedner figure in 2008 and from Neomics for its Football Human team in 2010, which Impact! marketed as Kill Ball teams. In parallel, Impact! acquired the name and basic concept of Elfball from Bowen. A complete board-game edition was released at Gen Con on August 16, 2007, and later editions supported tournament play in both the United States and United Kingdom. In March 2008, the three partners created BBFigs.com as a separate company. The venture responded to Games Workshop's policy of selling Blood Bowl miniatures in boxed teams rather than as individual figures. BBFigs.com bought boxed sets, separated the contents, and sold individual miniatures through a neutral third-party structure. The arrangement produced legal and operational difficulties, and the partners eventually closed the company. The referenced account also describes the closure as a protest against Games Workshop's actions toward several Blood Bowl fan websites, although no independently documented legal outcome is supplied. Impact! later developed a strong dice business. It manufactured uncommon polyhedral formats such as D15, D17, D18, and D19 dice, with some production financed through Kickstarter campaigns. The company's history states that dice represented 50 percent of sales in 2016. The available reference material does not establish subsequent ownership, leadership, financial performance, or whether the company remains active today.

• 2016

  Dice become a central product category

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  The referenced history reported that dice accounted for half of company sales during 2016.

• 2011

  Further partner rights transfer

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  Ramsay McPherson transferred his profit and voting rights to Chris Adkerson and Tom Anders while retaining honorary partner status.

• 2010

  Partner rights transfer

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  Gavin Sutton transferred his profit and voting rights to Chris Adkerson while remaining an honorary partner.

• 2008

  BBFigs.com is established

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  The partners created a separate business to sell individual miniatures taken from Games Workshop Blood Bowl boxed sets.

• 2007

  US branch opens

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  The company officially opened a United States branch on June 1.

• 2007

  Elfball board game debuts

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  A complete board-game version of Elfball was released at Gen Con on August 16.

• 2006

  UK business opens

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  Impact! Miniatures began operating in the United Kingdom on April 24.

• 2005

  Formation discussions begin

  [1]Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org

  Members of the TalkBloodBowl forums discussed forming a fantasy football miniature company after seeing Ewan McKerracher's Icepelt Hammerblow sculpt.

A community-oriented specialist supplier for fantasy football and miniature-gaming players, emphasizing broad product variety, customization, independent sculptor participation, and accessories for games underserved by larger miniature manufacturers.

• Miniatures · 2006

  Fantasy football miniatures

  Impact! produced a large catalogue of white-metal figures for fantasy football games. The range covered original designs and licensed products intended for teams, star players, conversions, and tabletop leagues. The company history identified more than 300 figures by 2010, supporting games including Blood Bowl, Elfball, Street Brawl, Street Bowl, and Deathball.

• Board game · 2007

  Elfball

  Elfball is a fantasy football and rugby-inspired tabletop game whose name and basic concept were acquired by Impact! from Phil Bowen. Impact! released a complete board-game version at Gen Con in 2007. The game subsequently developed tournament activity in both the United States and United Kingdom, with player rankings tracked for registered events.

• Creator-supported miniature program

  Targeted Impact!

  Targeted Impact! was a lifetime-commission arrangement for amateur sculptors. Artists submitted images of fantasy football miniatures, and approved designs could be cast and sold through Impact!. The creator received a sales commission rather than an advance. The referenced history says the program grew to include more than 50 miniatures.

• Gaming accessories

  Unusual-sided dice

  Impact! manufactured nonstandard polyhedral dice, including D15, D17, D18, and D19 formats. Some dice projects were partially financed through Kickstarter campaigns, and the colors were designed to correspond with Chessex opaque color ranges. The company history identified dice as a major sales category by 2016.

• Gaming accessories · 2006

  Fantasy football accessories

  The accessory range included custom bases, weights, felt cushions, carrying cases, and felt mats. These products addressed practical needs such as stabilizing miniatures, transporting teams, and creating portable playing surfaces for fantasy football games.

• Targeted Impact!

  United Kingdom · United States · International online hobby market

  Impact! invited amateur sculptors to submit fantasy football miniature designs for possible casting and sale through its catalogue.

  Outcome. The program became a significant community-facing catalogue source and was reported to include more than 50 miniatures.

  Source
• Kickstarter dice projects

  International tabletop-gaming market

  Impact! used Kickstarter campaigns to help finance production of unusual-sided gaming dice.

  Outcome. The dice category later became a substantial part of the company's business; the referenced history reported 50 percent of sales in 2016.

  Source

• 2010

  Expand licensed miniature linesM&A

  Background

  Impact! sought to broaden its fantasy football catalogue through agreements with other miniature creators and companies.

  Action taken

  The company licensed the Ulfhedner figure from ZN Games and the Football Human team from Neomics for Kill Ball use.

  Aftermath

  The licensed products became part of the Impact! store range.

  Source

• 2008

  Create BBFigs.com as a separate resale operationStrategy

  Background

  Games Workshop changed its Blood Bowl sales approach by offering figures primarily in boxed team sets rather than as individual miniatures.

  Action taken

  Impact!'s partners established BBFigs.com as a legally and commercially separate entity that bought boxed sets and sold their individual figures.

  Aftermath

  The venture encountered legal difficulties and was later closed.

  Source

• 2007

  Launch the complete Elfball board gameProduct launch

  Background

  Impact! had acquired the name and basic concept of the fantasy football and rugby-style game Elfball from Phil Bowen.

  Action taken

  The company released a complete board-game edition at Gen Con in August 2007.

  Aftermath

  Elfball developed tournament play in the United States and United Kingdom.

  Source

1. 1Impact! Miniaturesen.wikipedia.org