Mantic Vampire Lord and Undead Knights (pricey)

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**kenshin620**

Newest addition to the undead are their Soul Reavers. The Lord looks a bit funny to me. £24.99 for 5

Last week we ran a mysterious Name that Unit contest for a new unit of Undead Knights. Well, today that unit of Knights goes up for pre-order, with some fancy new pics to show-off to you guys as well. Check out… the SOUL REAVERS!

Congratulations to Chad Chapman whose entry on our Forum-run competition got picked – we’ll contact you shortly and get your prize in the post!

This unit is part Plastic Resin, part metal and also contains a Vampire Hero with which to lead your troops! This figure is also available for pre-order as an individual character as well, and is full of detail – the icon on the shield for instance isn’t freehand; it’s actually sculpted on to the shield.

Look out for more info on Vampires and this new unit in the forthcoming Undead hub (speaking of Hubs, we’re doing some maintenance to the Orc hub, so that will be back online later!). This unit is now available for pre-order and is just the first of this week’s reinforcements for the Undead army, so make sure you keep checking back all this week!

Their wracked bodies encased in ancient plate armour, the vampiric Soul Reavers appear seemingly out of nowhere before battle riding their heavily barded hell-steeds, as if summoned by the promise of the coming bloodshed. Some say that they were cursed to Undeath for some terrible betrayal in centuries past, forced to drink the blood of the innocent to sustain their immense powers, though if there is any truth to these stories it has long been forgotten in the mists of time.

**RandyMcStab**

Whilst better than the geese dragons these are still meh, especially the Vampire..

**Mick A**

They seem to be heading along the GW line pricing wise as well...

Mick

**RiTides**

Unfortunately I, too, think the price is a bit high on these for what you're getting.

I was recently shocked to discover that Chaos Knights (sculpted really well...) are only $25 currently... not 25 pounds.

With the conversion rate so high, as well, these are prohibitive for the quality of the sculpt, imho... at least for those of us in the states.

**kenshin620**

Mick A wrote:They seem to be heading along the GW line pricing wise as well...

RiTides wrote:Unfortunately I, too, think the price is a bit high on these for what you're getting.

True. For being the same material as their other undead knights (the weird plastic/resin hybrid) it is kinda weird to charge double

**Sergeant Horse**

Ew. Not a fan of those at all. I'll stick to chaos knight/brettonian conversions for blood knights

**Da Boss**

Won't be getting these. Too hammer horror.

Shame, the Revenant Cavalry are awesome, and though they are a bit costly, I still think good value.

Chaos Knights are still the best value "evil heavy cavalry" going though. Just assembled mine, and they are a great little kit.

**xxvaderxx**

They are not going with that price, they always do this, they first release a firt metal wave, if they are a success then they will follow up with plastic ones (cheaper ones), this was the same deal for the revenant knights.

**kenshin620**

I dont know about that, according to their site these guys are part Plastic Resin, part metal. The Skele Knights back then were all metal

**Manchu**

Soul Hunter + Blood Reaver = Soul Reaver? A D-B must be proud; even GW haven't let him name a unit yet.

On their next go, someone suggest Blood Hunter.

**fullheadofhair**

they need to get a better painter. paint job is aweful

**Agamemnon2**

Mick A wrote:They seem to be heading along the GW line pricing wise as well...

It just goes to show that there are no "good companies". When push comes to shove, they're all bastards who try to gouge every last penny from you.

**skrulnik**

Manchu wrote:Soul Hunter + Blood Reaver = Soul Reaver? A D-B must be proud; even GW haven't let him name a unit yet.

On their next go, someone suggest Blood Hunter.

Soul Reaver was also a game on PS2 iirc.
Part of the Blood Omen vampire series that started on Playstation.
I think the sword that tied the series together was the Soul Reaver.

**Beef Nuggets**

Yep. I honestly feel mantic's prices have been steadily creeping up. No surprises by the time thier sci-fi game is out they would be close to or on par with GW prices.

**GalaxyGames**

They are doing competitive pricing - comparatively trying to match itself with the VC knights.

I suppose as any business would.

If you were to buy VC knights you potentially would by the cheaper option, despite it being 'expensive'.

But of course there are potentially alternative models or people just not wanting them in the first place..

All interesting choices by them though.

**GalaxyGames**

But THE thing is...
If the price is the only price of its first existence (this being new models and never been 'priced' before)
It has never seen a 'price' increase so to speak ;D heh.

Or the other fellow would say... that was in youtube video was shot in 2010 ;X

(BTW i'm not a fan on high priced... models either just playing ball on the other side..)

**filbert**

They look OK to me - some Mantic stuff can be hit and miss but I would rather they continue to produce a wide range of models than to only stick to tried and tested stuff.

**Medium of Death**

I think these could look really nice with some bits swaps. The fully enclosed Helmet heads looks good imho. Not a fan of the vampire faces though. Considering they are less than half their GW equivalents, I think they aren't bad.

I think a different paintjob could help aswell.

**Chimera_Calvin**

I agree on the paintjob - was trying to persuade a friend of the merits of Mantic last night but he's a great painter and was struggling to get past the pants paint jobs to see if the minis were any good...

Had the same problem with Warmahordes too...

**scarletsquig**

True. For being the same material as their other undead knights (the weird plastic/resin hybrid) it is kinda weird to charge double

No, the material isn't the same. At least get your facts right if you're gonna post a forum rant about how mantic are now greedy corporates, "following in GW's footsteps".

The only non-metal parts of these models are 4 of the resin-plastic horses, the riders and the entire vampire lord model are metal.

Metal. Is. Expensive.

Anyone who has paid even the slightest bit of attention to the price of tin lately knows that. And about 50% of the material in these models is metal. That's why the vampire lord on it's own costs £9.

Probably would have been better for mantic to not include the vampire lord and just release 5 regular knights for a lower price, having the lord in there makes it more expensive and the model sticks out like a sore thumb next to the others because the steed is unbarded (it's the same sculpt as their undead pegasus, with the holes fro the wings filled in).

Anyway, Citadel Finecast Blood Knights are now £61.50 for 5 (or will be very soon).

These still cost less than half of the GW alternatives.

Agree on the comments regarding the paintjob and sculpt though, I won't be buying these, they seem like a pretty half-hearted effort.

Will probably just pick up Morghul Knights from the LotR range if mantic includes them in Kings of War, those are much better sculpts (and scale perfectly with mantic minis).

**AvatarForm**

These definitely fall far from the previous releases.

Usually Mantic troops are meh... but the characters are bangin'... I would still stick with $25 characters from AoW

**kronk**

$5 for a rider and horse is cheap, guys. Find me a horse and rider with this detail for less than $5.

However, the painter they used for these is not great. It doesn't suck, but the paint job is flat.

**Some_Call_Me_Tim?**

Not impressed by the paint job, price, or sculpt. Sorry, Mantic!

_Tim?

**Da Boss**

kronk wrote:$5 for a rider and horse is cheap, guys. Find me a horse and rider with this detail for less than $5.

However, the painter they used for these is not great. It doesn't suck, but the paint job is flat.

That's £5, not $5. (I made the same mistake last time!)

If they are metal, the price is more reasonable. I still wouldn't pay it for those miniatures though.

**Tigerone**

U G L Y!

**Mr Mystery**

Meh.

Though willing to bet a damned sight easier to build than the GW Black Knights. Such a tiny shoulder joint makes me a Saaaaaaaad Panda.

**Medium of Death**

After scarletsquigs comments about scale I had a look through the mantic undead range and various size comparrison pictures. I think you could make a very unique and awesome army from the mantic range and pepper it with some GW LotR kits. Necromancer, Morgul Knights, Castellans of Dol Guldor, Ringwraiths etc. etc.

Might even pass for Vampire counts, would be a tad small and depends on where you wanted to play.

**Duncan_Idaho**

Not really my kind of style and I will join those that will replace them with Morgul Knights.

**SlaveToDorkness**

They are cheap. Cheap paintjob, cheap sculpt, cheap price.

Not interested.

**Korraz**

I suddenly feel like a Delorian ran over me and knocked me to 1995.
Also the price...Mantic, you are doing it WRONG. The thing you have going is being cheap. Don't ruin that.