Plastic Models

[CaladanCid]

This is to anyone who is on the fence about the quality of PP plastics.

I bought the Bastions a month or so ago, and was quite disappointed with the quality tbh. Mold lines were everywhere and everything was bent or otherwise not quite right. I didn't think that the details were sharp, and all around I was not really looking forward to the plastic jacks.

Then I got the Fennblades and put them together tonight.

PP has really outdone themselves. The models are fantastic. The pieces fit together, mold lines are almost entirely gone, and the details are great. An improvement of this caliber speaks of great things to come, and I am noq quite excited for the new year of PP models and wargaming.

[TrintLord]

The Ret heavies kit is great I think. Bent pieces will happen, even in metal. Just put them in hot water and re-shape. I don't own any bastions but from the ones I have seen (fresh from the box) they didn't have to many mold lines to clean. Perhaps because of the molding process they vary a bit more than the metal models.

[phantem2]

Well molding plastic as I understand it is quite a lot more difficult and takes a lot more skill and expertise than pewter, hence why they dont start with plastic. However the material price is much steadier.

I have heard good things for the most part about PP plastics and look forward to the Khador jack kit.

[ItsjustLogan]

Seriously. I've assembled two of the Ret heavies so far and I spent the whole time wishing the plastic kits were out when I assembled all my currently beat-up Khador stuff. I <3 the new plastics.

[Hysteresis]

I have a similar story to the OP. I was a little disappointed with the Bastion kit, as there were mould lines all over the place (so many that I missed a few before painting - curses!), but now that they're painted they look great. Also, having seen other people's plastic kits (myrmidons particularly), I think that things are looking really promising for PP plastics.

Put it this way. There are at least 2 Protectorate heavy 'jack kits headed my way when they're released :)

[serialli]

Bah Humbug!

Cleaning models is for wimps, mold lines add character. Drop a big blob of paint on it and no-one will know.

[Hysteresis]

Bah Humbug!

Cleaning models is for wimps, mold lines add character. Drop a big blob of paint on it and no-one will know.

Does... not... compute... :p

Seriously, I think that cleaning flash/mould lines has a greater effect than anything other single thing on making a mini look good. That, and it means you can use inks without leaving silly lines all over the place!

[moorg]

Every bastion I've seen has needed very little work to clean up.

Haven't had a problem with PP plastics.

[serialli]

Does... not... compute... :p

Seriously, I think that cleaning flash/mould lines has a greater effect than anything other single thing on making a mini look good. That, and it means you can use inks without leaving silly lines all over the place!

Yeah, i try my best but thery seem to slip through. Maybe it's because I clean them in the dark watching telly but I also seem to miss lines that only get discovered whilst basecoating.

I also seem to be losing the battle with cat hair but can't blame PP for that. :-)

[artificer]

I think there might have been a bad batch of Bastions, the ones locally looked quite sharp with NO mould likes.

I just picked up the Fenn Blades and these guys are screaming-cool. Plastic KW, Champs, and Scattergunners please.

[CaladanCid]

Just to make clear, I really like PP plastics now. In case people think I am saying that they are bad, I am not.

[Virgil38]

They should really just rerelease trolls in plastic. I know very few players who picked them up because they were so freaking expensive $ wise.

[Devilsquid]

Yeah, pretty much all new trollblood players are hearing: "Get some Fenblades..."

I'm a huge fan of the plastics myself. After having put together a few of the kits, they're damn smooth and slick. Can't wait to see the Faction Jack boxes.

[QuietChris]

Last night I put together the Fenn Blades and War Spears.....and out of those 2 kits. I think the Fenn Blades win out. Do not get me wrong, the War Spears are cool looking, but they have some thin spears which are bent in every direction...but the Trolls swords look thick and durable.

[artificer]

Yeah, pretty much all new trollblood players are hearing: "Get some Fenblades..."

Presumably you're talking about the figures themselves, NOT the actual unit "in game" :D

[Bearded Dragon]

What's worth with a 6 point power 12 unit with tough and reach?

[Caecus Scius]

I think plastic comes with its good and its bad...

1. Plastic doesn't scratch like metal... I.E. the paint doesn't scratch unlike when my opponent decided to pick up and then drop my khador jack on it's side instead of using a knock down token.

2. You can't sock jack said player for scratching your models paint job..


So I am good... People are not scratching my plastic miniatures up as badly when they borrow them or abuse them, but I miss the ability to turn my toys into a deadly weapon.

[artificer]

What's worth with a 6 point power 12 unit with tough and reach?
It isn't so much that they're bad, as they don't really fill a roll that KW can't, with the KW's having more flexibility.


I think plastic comes with its good and its bad...
2. You can't sock jack said player for scratching your models paint job..
...but I miss the ability to turn my toys into a deadly weapon.

just keep a sock full of nickels handy for the game store kids.

[eo151]

A $50 box of 10 plastic models makes a great proxy set for a $100 10 metal models unit. Whether you play FB or not, its a Win-Win in my book.

[megatron0]

As a ret player the plastic 'jacks are fantastic and i dont feel worried about breaking them i actually juggled a manticore and a phoenix (unpainted) to show how much better they were then metal (my blitzer exploded after touching it just before)

[Prismatik]

It's cute, I keep hearing about the new plastics and the mold line issues and I keep wondering what models folks were working with before? I've had some metal models in the past that were so mold-line heavy that I almost sent them back to PP.

It happens, regardless of the material.

I really can't wait to see what's coming, though!

[Shroud]

I actually long for the day when all PP (and other game companies..cough) models are plastics.

THERE. I SAID IT.

I've had it with metal. It's so 3 years ago.

[Jeh313]

I couldn't disagree more with the first post. I LOVED the Bastion models. I was really nervous after the initial announcement of impending plastic, but I think they are excellent. The mold lines were minimal, and compared to the time it takes to file the same lines off the metal models I think they're inconsequential. All models, including the metal ones, take prep time. And the best part...I dropped a bastion last night onto a wood floor. Boing. If that was a metal bastion hed be in the medvac tent with both of my devouts, a dervish, vilmon....

[Almightyfoon]

As a ret player the plastic 'jacks are fantastic and i dont feel worried about breaking them i actually juggled a manticore and a phoenix (unpainted) to show how much better they were then metal (my blitzer exploded after touching it just before)

I'd actually like to see that ;p

[Tyzaronius]

Interesting, am quite looking forward to getting some myself. Hopefully it was just a bad batch...

[PPS_Mod:Polar_Bear]

When I got Bastions, I was able to entirely dry-fit them together perfectly and the connections were so spot-on and well-fitting that honestly, if I'd never put a single dab of glue on them, they'd probably still be together today.

As-is, it took only the tiniest amount. Much less than I'd usually consider trying to use for some same-shaped pieces. I've been nothing but impressed by them.

PB

[jandrese]

That was my experience with the Bastions as well. In fact the dry fit was so tight that I had a bit of difficulty getting some of them back apart to actually glue. The halberds need glue, but it's darn near optional on the rest of the model.

[Redphantasm]

Seconding on Bastions. Mine went together beautifully.

I say that having had the following issues:

Mold lines took a good amount of time.
Some weapon bending
some shaving of pegs to fit into holes.

But I've worked in a lot of plastic before, and knew what I was getting into. As has been said as well, I've had a lot of metal models that require way worse (pinning warjack arms anyone?)

[pipeline]

make it all plastic.

[infamousd]

Only have two things to say; A) When the troll book comes around, and i build my teired list, i am buying all plastic trolls and converting the SNIZZLE out of them. they actually look worthy of being medium based models, and wicked to boot.

B) i would love, almost near demand of our PP host, that they reissue all of the MoW stuff to be plastics, with ball joints on the arms for nice quick assembly and of course, arm placement.

[halbard100]

I picked up the Bastions at GenCon and was extremely happy with them, and I'll... I guess fourth the experience of having to pry them apart after a dry run of putting them together. I really had little to no mold line problems, but I'll say that even if I did, I'll take plastic mold lines over metal ones. I got the Myrmidon kit too and was even more happy with it.

Though one thing has been bugging me, did the plastic the Bastions were made from seem different than the Myrmidon's or is that just me?

[Devilry]

This is the only thing currently scaring me about PP.

I abandoned GW after 20 years because I couldn't face boxes and boxes of plastics with only a couple of variants in a unit of 20+. It's wrong when you need to scratch build arms etc just to get some variation!

Moving to PP was like utopia for me, and my painting table is once again somewhere I enjoy being.

I know plastics are more cost effective and easier to produce, I just pray we don't lose the wonderful quality which makes these games as appealing to painters as it does gamers.

[artificer]

This is the only thing currently scaring me about PP.

I abandoned GW after 20 years because I couldn't face boxes and boxes of plastics with only a couple of variants in a unit of 20+. It's wrong when you need to scratch build arms etc just to get some variation!

Moving to PP was like utopia for me, and my painting table is once again somewhere I enjoy being.

I know plastics are more cost effective and easier to produce, I just pray we don't lose the wonderful quality which makes these games as appealing to painters as it does gamers.

The Fenn Blades have at least as many variations as a standard metal troll unit. PLUS, they actually stay together, a big plus over some of the older models.
I think the scale of the game in WM vs 40k is a big aid to combating 'painting fatigue'. I too dreaded painting 50 of the same guy.

[zhangyi]

ur... i just doubted whether i should buy a plastic Cryx slayer, and after see all the information above, finally i decide to get the plastic one.
cause metal models' poses are too ... woodenness... i really like to have a slayer just have the pose in the rule book, not just have his two hands down.
i dropped GW before long cause the same reason, can't stand the large amount of models have same or even worse, too woodenness poses. i like to see an army fighting, not standing there and do nothing just like idots. PP is fantastic in this aspect.