Catalyst Game Labs Brings Iron Wind Metals Into the Hangar: What the Deal Means for BattleTech and the Hobby
The clatter of pewter metal minis toppling over on the batlefield has been the soundtrack of BattleTech since the game’s birth in the 1980s. Today, Catalyst Game Labs (CGL) has announced it has purchased Iron Wind Metals outright, transforming the Ohio foundry into a wholly owned subsidiary. The move folds the Ral Partha lineage and its half‑century of metal‑casting know‑how directly into the same company that manages modern BattleTech plastics.
Iron Wind’s story traces back to Ral Partha Enterprises, founded in 1975 and long celebrated for fantasy figures. Some of my first minis were from Ral Partha, picked up at the now-defunct Gorilla Bob’s in Spokane. The legacy continued with Iron Wind Metals, keeping the original molds, and many of the same artists. For two decades the company has poured, clipped, and packed classic ’Mechs alongside contract work for dozens of other publishers, building a catalog that numbers in the thousands.
From Catalyst’s perspective the acquisition closes the loop: the same creative team that designs new ’Mechs can now coordinate directly with the folks who cast the heritage sculpts, align release calendars, and apply modern production standards to a venerable process. It also locks in steady access to the molds that still cover obscure variants, support vehicles, aerospace fighters, and fan‑favorite oddities unlikely ever to appear in plastic.
After forty‑plus years in the industry, Mike Noe of Iron Wind is stepping back to care for his wife Melissa, who has been fighting significant health issues. “Fortunately, Loren Coleman and Catalyst Game Labs stepped up, allowing me to gradually back away and stay home with Melissa while letting Iron Wind continue with business as usual, bringing metal BattleTech under their wing,” Noe explains, adding that he’ll remain available in a consulting role.
What changes for players? On day one, not much. Iron Wind’s webstore, convention booths, and release cadence carry on, now backed by Catalyst’s logistics muscle. Over time I imagine we can expect coordinated waves of minis. Plastic Kickstarter waves often skip the more esoteric chassis; CGL can now time metal re‑runs so collectors never face a gap.
At a moment when injection‑molded plastic monopolizes shelf space, the deal plants a flag for traditional metal casting. It keeps skilled casters employed, preserves molds many fans feared might corrode into history, and ensures newcomers can still feel the heft of solid pewter in their paint‑stained fingers. It also demonstrates that big Kickstarter numbers can be reinvested into the craft side of the hobby rather than chasing the next novelty material.
For Catalyst, the move deepens its control of the BattleTech ecosystem and offers new avenues for limited‑edition runs and prestige collectibles. For Iron Wind’s crew, it secures resources and market reach without erasing their identity. For the rest of us, it guarantees that when the next Inner Sphere regiment marches onto the table, it can do so in pewter, plastic, or a mix of both.
See the full press release here.
