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I just traded some tanks for some nids, and I've got a quick question:
What material were the 3rd Edition genestealers cast from?
Gray plastic? Blue plastic?

Has GW ever made blue plastic models?

Some of the genestealers (most of the models actually) seem to be from different material than other ones that I owned already. They feel different, the heft of them is different, etc. Taking out a scale, the parts even weigh different.


But before I let out a long exasperated sigh, maybe theres something I'm missing. Does anyone out there have these style of genestealers and can say whether they are supposed to be blue or the same grayish plastic I'm used to?

It's possible they are recasts done in resin which would explain weight differences from the plastic.

It's a different type of plastic its harder the steelers were dark blue for space hulk and there were some grey ones when they re released them in the unit boxset .

space hulk genestealers are blue plastic. i also seem to remember some older versions of space hulk with plastic genestealers that were a harder denser plastic.

Here's another sample from the nids I took in today versus ones that I already had.
This time, its a hive tyrant lash whip. The one I got today is on the top, and the one I already had on the bottom.

There is a 0.2 gram difference in the weight of the arms, and I'm not sure if the small differences in detail would make that weight change.
Namely, the spikes on the first curve of the whip, the spike at the elbow joint, and the detail just to the left of the finger are all missing on the new one.
If the parts I got in today ARE recasts, they're actually pretty damn good. But I'd use them in tournaments with a degree of worry and shame.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Chaosdave, I'm not sure that these are space hulk stealers.

They dont have the mandibles and they are put together different than those. (at least I think)

So the HT whip you had was metal correct? Is the new one also? I'm sorry to say, but it looks to me as if they are recasts.... or the stealers could be from SH.

Sucks that the guy who traded em to you wasn't honest.

Could be a recast. Here's the first ed stealers ...hard blue plastic with a silver tint if you cut it .

Doomthumbs wrote:Here's another sample from the nids I took in today versus ones that I already had.
This time, its a hive tyrant lash whip. The one I got today is on the top, and the one I already had on the bottom.

There is a 0.2 gram difference in the weight of the arms, and I'm not sure if the small differences in detail would make that weight change.
Namely, the spikes on the first curve of the whip, the spike at the elbow joint, and the detail just to the left of the finger are all missing on the new one.
If the parts I got in today ARE recasts, they're actually pretty damn good. But I'd use them in tournaments with a degree of worry and shame.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Chaosdave, I'm not sure that these are space hulk stealers.

They dont have the mandibles and they are put together different than those. (at least I think)

There are some older versions of space hulk (its been around in different versions for 25 years). I was thinking you just had some really old space hulk stealers.


Also you may have some older lead versions of the hive tyrant. GW changed from lead to tin a few years back and some lead stuff is still out there.

The old space crusade game had hard blue plastic stealers too, I've just cut one up to turn into a broodlord for my son.

Ok, blue stealers confirmed (Thanks Curnow, those are the ones), but what about the gray?

When they released them for 40k there was a mix of blue and grey as they used up the old blue plastic ..I can remember getting a box that had both in . Also the whip arm shouldn't be a lead one as that version if the give tyrant came out after the change over .

confirming The first edition of space hulk had blue plastic genestealers as well.

Ahh, old blue plastic genestealers... that brings back memories...

The old genestealers are indeed blue and they were remade in gray for a shorter time between 3ed and 4ed before they were replaced with the fancy kit with the spinefist ripper and infestation marker thingy.

I remember the stealers my brother had being both hard blue plastic AND a grey plastic that was lighter than the usual GW plastics.

I actually have an old plastic back pack that feels different and is ever so slightly different in weight.

Yes, they were made in both BLUE and GREY plastic.

I have both colours (three different sets) .

1. Original space hulk blues.
2. 4th ed starter ones (grey)
3. 40k box of 8 genestealers (grey) different sprues.