Harlequin Troupe

There are many good miniatures available these days, but for aesthetic value Citadel’s Harlequin Troupe takes some beating. Miniatures have come a long way since the Eighties and although the price is higher and quantity lower, there is no doubt the current crop of Harlequins are I think exquisite in detail and looks.

In the Warhammer 40k universe, Harlequins are an enigma and evoke ideas of mystery and mayhem and can be devastating on the battlefield. However, when I bought these miniatures, I wasn’t intending to use them for 40K battle, it was more a case I like the miniatures, but I can also use them for representing masked characters or non-player characters in roleplay games.

Quality of components.

The Harlequin Troupe comes with parts to make six Harlequin figures. I love this idea of the customisable nature of building them. Yes, it certainly is a bit fiddly and although you do get a small instruction booklet, which isn’t always that clear, I would recommend you separate out the components you want to use for a single figure so you have a left arm and left leg etc and build as you see fit. You can follow the guidelines or custom build the miniatures with whatever weapons and poses you like. The overall quality of the sculpts is very good. Superior to the miniatures I used to buy decades ago. They have a level of detail that helps painting, even if like me you are not that good, and this helps enjoy the process.

One thing I will say though, is they are very lightweight. This isn’t a criticism, rather an observation and if you get fed up of the miniatures getting knocked over at the slightest breeze or touch, you can always add something to the base to weigh them down a little; I’ve used a little milliput and this gives them a little more stability without adding too much weight. I would add too that although they look fragile, the hard plastic is tough enough for casual handling and shouldn’t break. If there is an issue it would be with storage, in that as the individual miniatures have a variety of different customisable poses, this can make them awkward to line up or store conveniently together, but it’s only a minor issue as ultimately, I bought them for their visual appeal and they all look great with their leaping gait and attacking posture. For a storage solution, I have a little tub that I can add a small piece of bubble wrap too and that works well.

Price.

The most contentious part really. These miniatures are exquisite to look at, of excellent quality and very customisable, but they are not cheap. Ultimately, it comes down to whether you feel you can afford the cost. Fortunately for me I do not intend to build an Eldar army for 40K so I’m not dependent on having certain miniatures. This box set retails around £30+ for just six miniatures. If you want to buy a Death Jester or a Farseer then you can only buy these as single figures for around £20 each. It is bad enough paying a fiver per miniature, but twenty quid? I think not.

Having said that, again I remind you that the quality is high and ultimately the price has a premium value added. These are good quality miniatures that I am sure you will enjoy to own, to paint and to display, even if like me you don’t follow any official paint scheme. Sometimes I buy miniatures simply because I like them and the Harlequins fall into this category.

Customisable in build and customable in play.

The Harlequin Troupe sprues give you a variety of model options. Having the pieces cut and separated also helps the painter; as you can prime the parts and then paint levels of detail on individual pieces before assembling all the pieces together into one. With my set, I used swords for the three male Harlequins and a Harlequin kiss for each of the three female miniatures. I’d also recommend before you assemble the pieces that you check they will fit. Although they are interchangeable for the most part, some arms and legs are a better fit looks wise than others.

I think these miniatures are sufficiently visually appealing and recognisable that they make good figures not just in a 40k game, but any setting where you want to represent masked characters or non-player characters, maybe even at a masquerade ball. It doesn’t have to be a futuristic setting, they could easily be used for a fantasy or even modern world scenario if you ignore the weapons and use them for their looks. As I build my 40K collection, I am mostly looking for miniatures that work well as characters and these Harlequins do the job. They are a great addition to my collection.

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