Super System rules---which I have reviewed here before---were re-released as a 2nd edition in 2006. I'm eagerly awaiting to get the new edition and some new minis to go with them but until then I'll cover the minis line as an overview of what's available including the handful of SuperFigs that have joined my Just Us League
The figures are all metal (no plastics---although I’m told the vehicles are resin) and sold either individually or as packs, depending on the type of figure. The scale is 28-33mm so they are larger than the smaller 25mm minis. The miniatures do not come on standardized bases. The molded bases on the minis' feet remind me of that little blobby base on green army men----hence my use of poker chips to standardize things. Other players use metal washers or specific miniature gaming bases to help make things a little more uniform; in fact, the manufacturer's site has a nice little article on using washers and wood filler to make pretty nice looking textured bases.
The miniatures are archetypical characters, apparently inspired as much by standard comic book formula characters as anything else. If you have a favorite character in comics, there's probably a SuperFig mini that could be used to fit the bill with a little putty work and/or the right paintjob----but not so closely that anyone gets sued. I want to stress that these minis are still very unique in concept and design---it's just that there are only so many ways you can express leotards and capes on the human (and even not-so-human) body.
Continuing with the archetype format, new miniatures (they have a release of new minis every so many months since they started producing them a couple of years back) fall into a specific categories familiar to comics fans. There are aliens; bricks; blasters; civilians; flyers; henchmen; supers; gadgeteers; speedsters; gun fighters; stretch; vehicles; and werewolves.
Aliens pretty much represent extra-terrestrial forces once introduced in a an alien invasion expansion from the first edition Super System rules. Bricks are damage soaking types ala Marvel's Ben Grimm/Thing. Blasters are ranged fighters like Green Lantern or Cyclops. Flyers, er, fly. Supers are the quintessential generic super heroes---often with capes. Gadgeteers represent the Batman kind of non-powered hero who relies on technology. Speedsters are hyper fast folk ala the Flash. Stretch models are elastic types like Mr. Fantastic or Plastic Man. The werewolves are two figure sets that represent characters before and after transformation into werewolf form.
Henchmen are sold in fairly affordable (when you consider most character figures sell for around $4 each) usually around $10 for 5 figures. In the Super System game, henchman are basically hit points that get peeled off as individual figures----so it's good that underling minis are sold at an even cheaper rate. Also, if you're really thrifty---and I am----you could use a henchman group to represent heroes/villains. A distinctive paint job and/or some putty work and you've got individual models that can be as core to your gaming as the character figures available. Since superhero games tend to be skirmish affairs, you can get a lot out of mileage out of relatively few dollars spent.
I don't own all the Super System minis, not even close, since there are now dozens available. The few that have come into my hot little hands thus far include Emerald Alien (a blaster), HardCore (a brawler), Tenpin (a brick), and five-man team of Assassin Acolytes (ninja-looking henchmen armed with swords, of course). All of the minis have nice detail and clean up very easily.
Painting the minis was very easy using a black spray paint primer and then painting them to match my own design ideas. I even did a conversion using green stuff and a plastic archer's bow and quiver from my bits box to see how easy it would work. I managed to turn HardCore into an archer (the model's hands are formed into fists, so I stuck the quiver on its back and the bow halves into its fisted grip with minimal problems).
This figure line has fleshed out nicely over the past couple of years. Civilians were a nice addition (3 different packs of 10 figures that can be used as bad guy fodder or as alter identities for heroes and villains). I was also happy to see some unique double and triple pack minis to represent characters similar to the Atom (regular-sized figure often with a smaller replica or two to represent size-changing abilities or mini-me's or whatever your rules let you play out).
In all, SuperFigs is a nice line of miniatures. The sculpts are clean and the characters are inventive, allowing you to play in an RPG or as a miniatures skirmish war game equally well. The prices are pretty much in line with standard character-type minis for other games and the fact that these are sturdy metal doesn't hurt.
I think SuperFigs give you a decent value for your superheroes minis money. I highly recommend giving the minis a look on-line (or at a gamestore/gameshow if possible) to see if they're what you're after for your supers gaming.
