How Complete Will Transition to Plastic Be?

[Mojo]

Has PP announced how "complete" the transition to plastic models is going to be for Hordes? I just bought a tremendous amount of Hordes stuff and the only plastic units I even saw for sale were warspears and fennblades. Also I read on the other posts that metal minis have much lower startup costs and was wondering whether the plastic models will ever be offered in metal too (though I would guess that this would be unlikely, as it would cut into the sales of the plastic guys that have a much higher marginal profit margin).

I like metal better, and pretty much just want to know whether I'll *have* to buy any plastic models in the future or whether it will just be an odd figure/unit here and there. Not looking to rehash metal v. plastic. Just want to know if a policy has been announced.

P.S. Apologies if I missed this somewhere else. I know I'm really late to the party on this one (haven't played in a long while). I tried looking at the old forums but only saw the epic flamewars (that I definitely don't want to ressurect).

[admanb]

Not even remotely. The only units that have been released or announced in plastic are medium-based infantry, the only 'jacks are standard chassis heavies. Even brand-new Ret infantry are metal.

[Yertle4]

IIRC, Matt Wilson stated in an interview that we are looking at about 20% of the models being plastic.

[thesavage]

I know I can't be the only one, but I like the metal figures. I like the weight of them. They could make good paperweights, and if absolutely necessary, you can throw them at someone, and they will hurt.

I've only had to do this once. :p

[see317]

I know I can't be the only one, but I like the metal figures. I like the weight of them. They could make good paperweights, and if absolutely necessary, you can throw them at someone, and they will hurt.

I've only had to do this once. :p
If you're looking for something heavy to chuck at someones head, I'd suggest a roll of quarters.
They're easier to conceal, easier to throw, and a lot cheaper then a jack.

[Blaque]

I have been rather indifferent myself on the platic/metal thing. I don't model, and while I liek teh wieght of metal figs, its a non-ssue in actual playability other then I like to of had less bendy Bloodtrackers and Wovles of Oroboros I geuss.

I think the plastics will be more kits like we have seen with certain warjack chasi, as well as bigger units. I think the Destors will likely be plastic, for instnace. The solos, however, will not.

And stuff.

[CodeRed97]

Cost of a 10 man unit of Kriel Warriors? Over $100.

10 man unit of Fennblades? $50

Half price for any new 10 man troll unit that may perchance come out? Yeah, im WAY down with plastics.

[Marius]

I like the feel of metal models when pushing them around the table, but, my back doesn't. Even with just the heavy jacks and medium infantry in plastic, that's much less weight to carry around when travelling to where i'll be playing. So, i'm all for plastic, if for no other reason than comfort :).

[lich lord burns]

Cost of a 10 man unit of Kriel Warriors? Over $100.

FALSE.

Please stop perpetuating this exaggeration. 10 Kriel Warriors cost $80.

[PPS_Mod:Josh]

Based on Matt Wilson's past statements, the shift to plastic is primarily a matter of costs- costs to produce and costs to us in terms of MSRP. With the price of production rising steadily over the years, Privateer did a lot of things to try and keep a handle on matters, but you can only carve out so much of a 'jack hull and you can simplify your minis only so much if you want to maintain high quality appearances.

Costs also dictate what ends up going plastic. The materials are cheaper, but the setup costs are higher- particularly the molds. A mold for a metal mini runs in the hundreds. A mold for a plastic mini can cost ten times as much or more. At the same time, plastic molds last longer, whereas the metal ones wear out and get replaced regularly- this is in part why you can buy two copies of the same model and one has lots of mold lines & flash while the other doesn't; as a mold ages it degrades a bit in quality. Needless to say, how much of this sort of thing you allow before you replace a mold is going to affect your bottom line as much as anything else.

In any case, the most viable miniatures for going plastic are going to be the ones where Privateer has the highest materials costs in terms of metal and also can count on substantial sales figures. The classic chassis heavy 'jacks are a good example of this: they're big, have multiple parts, and between their Field Allowance and general utility, you can expect individual players to buy several of them.

Obviously we, as consumers, don't have access to the numbers as far as how much an individual model's mold will cost, what sales are like for each product code, or how much Privateer's having to pay in terms of materials. They've stated previously that they'll look at everything and see what's viable and what's not in terms of the cost of the switch to plastic versus staying with metal, and then they'll make a determination on a model by model basis. Since that point they've offered some refinements to that position, but I'm not certain of the latest ones so I'll avoid stating the current lists of what is and is not going plastic.

One thing is worth keeping in mind is that prior to the economy tanking, the price of tin was consistently rising over the years, and there were indications that this could either continue or accelerate (for instance, Indonesia declaring they were looking to form an OPEC-like consortium of tin producing countries), which will affect the overall math. The higher the cost of tin, the higher the production costs of metal miniatures, and the higher the MSRP- which in turn will reduce sales. At the same time, the price of producing plastic miniatures is expected to remain relatively stable (this is the primary appeal of the switch), which would have a net effect akin to adding extra weight to one side of a balance while leaving the other the same. That, logically, translates into making the switch to plastic for a given miniature more viable as the cost of tin goes up, meaning a model which is staying metal now may go plastic in the future, depending on how it all works out.

[CodeRed97]

FALSE.

Please stop perpetuating this exaggeration. 10 Kriel Warriors cost $80.

Wow, that's a whole twenty dollars! :sarcasm: They are still horribly expensive. There isn't a single more expensive ten man unit in the game atm.

[zombie-a-go-go]

Wow, that's a whole twenty dollars! :sarcasm: They are still horribly expensive. There isn't a single more expensive ten man unit in the game atm.

Well, if twenty dollars is such a meaningless amount to you, why are you so concerned about eighty? :rolleyes:

[lich lord burns]

There isn't a single more expensive ten man unit in the game atm.
BZZT.

Bloodgorgers cost $93 for 10 models.

:p

[FalseAngel]

BZZT.

Bloodgorgers cost $93 for 10 models.

:p
Never did quite understand that one. I think they shoulda waited to make them plastic as well.

Not my faction, but still.

[Endgame]

And I didn't even think Kriel Warriors were that expensive. I could buy a full FA of them for less than the cost of my last video card, and the video card will likely be replaced shortly (likely upgraded to a 5870 for some eyefinity goodness).

The best part of minis as a hobby is they never(?) need to be replaced and upgraded!

[George Spiggott]

It's so annoying, Bloodgorgers could have been the first plastic release. I don't plan on buying any more metal medium or Large based units but I'll snap 'em up if they're resculpted in plastic.

Boomhowlers, Bloodgorgers, Steelhead cavalry & Black Ogrun are all on my 'waiting list'.

[Kaptain Von]

Plastic Bloodgorgers would have been verrah nice, although I still maintain that the poses the metal ones are in would not have made them an auspicious start to a new line (some of those arm positions are odd as hell and I'd have hated the shoulders being cut and plugged that way). I might have settled for cheap Bloodgorgers though.

[thecsharian]

FALSE.

Please stop perpetuating this exaggeration. 10 Kriel Warriors cost $80.They definitely cost more than $100 around here :p