JoshInJapan's Restic Odyssey

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**JoshInJapan**

…or, One man’s ongoing confrontation with the second-most reviled material in the gaming world.

Resin plastic, AKA restic, premium plastic, bones, or whatever name Privateer Press uses for their material, is almost universally despised. I say “almost” because I have no real complaints about any of the models I have worked with. I admit that it handles differently than hard styrene, but I have been collecting and painting miniatures since 1980, and have worked with lead and lead alloys, Rallidium, pewter, whatever superhard adamantium alloy that GW used to use, as well as styrene and restic, and it really seems like just another material requiring a slightly different approach to work well.

Since first discovering Kickstarter, I have backed a number of projects that have netted me a rather daunting backlog of things to paint. I have been working slowly but steadily over the last couple of years, and I like to think I have gotten good results. I would like to share them with everyone reading this blog.

Before posting and photos of minis, I’d like to introduce the essential toolkit for working with restic. First: my Exacto knife and a 100-pack of #11 blades:

Mold lines and flash on restic models can’t be scraped off like with styrene plastic. Instead, you have to slice it off. Just lay the blade flat against the part that needs trimming, and slowly and patiently shave off the offending material. This takes longer than it would with hard styrene, but I have found it no worse than working with pewter. The secret is using a very sharp blade. As soon as it gets dull, switch it out. I have a little pile of blades that are too dull for restic but perfectly acceptable for other materials.

Second, my diamond-coated needle files:

I got these from MicroMark years before I moved to Japan, and they have served me well for years. They work great on metal, and they take restic off much more smoothly than standard steel files. You do end up with little burrs after filing, but this is the only case that scraping works better than slicing. I’ve heard good stuff about brass brushes, but these do the job just fine for me.

One tool I don’t use for restic models: primer. I find that paint sticks just fine on bare restic after it’s been washed. I had a series of bad experiences with Ral Partha spray primer back in the day, and have since primed with black or dark grey paint, thinned down and brushed all over the mini. With restic I can eliminate that step entirely.

Stay tuned for part two: Enforcers!

**SilverMK2**

I've not had any particular problems with Restic other than parts arriving bent and being difficult to straighten them out without using metal pins.

Look forward to seeing your experience with it unfold.

**JoshInJapan**

Huh. I've never had to use pins to straighten bent parts. I have had trouble with superglue bonding to my fingers faster than the restic parts, as well as it bonding so fast I couldn't adjust the fit of the parts I was gluing. I'll go into that a little in the next post.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
My first experience with restic was Mantic’s Enforcers. I bought into the Kings of War kickstarter after hemming and hawing over their Orcs for well over a year. Along the way, I subscribed to the mantic newsletter, and was quite impressed with the Enforcer concept art. I pre-ordered the Strike Protocol set (45 plastic Enforcers plus the metal captain), then sat back and waited.

The package arrived just in time for my birthday two years ago, in a box far too big for the number of models it contained. At first, I tried to assemble them like I would a set of Space Marines, and was more than a little confused why the plastic cement wasn’t working (the failure at due diligence was all mine). A little Google-fu straightened that out, and I got out the superglue and got to work.

The first set I tried to assemble just refused to go together. Unlike the Deadzone Enforcers, the arms and torsos are flat rather than slotting together. While I suppose this does make the minis more poseable, superglue doesn’t bond restic quite as fast as it does skin, so the arms kept sliding around. Also, there is no way to tell which arms pair up, so getting everything together without making them look deformed. My ultimate solution was to drill-and-pin the shoulders and cut off the tabs on the wrists. I find that this works equally well for restic-on-restic as the metal-restic hybrid models.

The waists were also a little problematic, as the torso doesn’t fit quite snugly in the legs. The solution here was simpler: just heat up the waist until it softens, then mash the torso down into the cup. Easy as pie, and I found this technique quite useful when I did my Orc boar riders (a future update).

When it came time to paint, I first tried an Iron Man-inspired scheme, but this just seemed to obvious. One thing that has always bugged me about 40K is all the troops running around in primary colors. I won’t presume to judge anyone who goes this route-- my smallish Howling Griffon army makes me just as guilty of this—but I wanted my Enforcers to look something like a military force. I ended up painting them with Tamiya NATO Green, washing them with GW Devlan Mud/Army Painter Strong Tone, then drybrusing up to a 50-50 mix of NATO Green and Bleached Bone. I tried and failed at OSL for their eyes, and added rank and unit insignias using decals from Company B.

So after that wall of text, here are some photos.

Spoiler:

Overall, I’m happy with the results. I know that a lot of people don't like the skinny-leg, knock-kneed look, but I always assumed that Enforcers were subject to extensive cybernetic modification, so they wouldn't need big bulky legs armor because they don't have legs to armor. I still have another 15 or 20 to paint, not counting the DZ wave 2 stuff I have coming. Here’s hoping Warpath turns out to be fun.

**JoshInJapan**

In my previous post about the Enforcers, I said that they were the first restic models I ever worked with. In retrospect, Sedition Wars may have come first—it’s been so long that I don’t really remember. Anyway, here are some photos.

Spoiler:

I used the same technique with these minis as with the Enforcers: Tamiya NATO green, Devlan Mud/Strong Tone wash, then drybrushed back up. I also followed the only really useful piece of advice ever given by Jervis Johnson and didn't bother painting the eyes. I know that the mold lines were minimal to the point where I basically ignored them. My only other issue with the human models is the cocked hips on all the female troopers. That’s been hashed over quite extensively in other threads, so I won’t go into much detail. I’ll just say that, at my age, sexy female soldier miniatures don’t do anything for me.

Spoiler:

For the Strain, I went entirely with basecoats and washes. The flesh-tones are Army Painter Barbarian Flesh, that pants are in a variety of neutral tones, and the whole thing slathered with Ogryn Flesh wash. I picked out areas of broken skin in Baal Red (I think- I ran out long ago and don’t remember the name of the wash), with some Green wash where guts appear to be spilling out. Metallics are Army Painter gunmetal with badab Black/Dark Tone.

Spoiler:

The bigger models has little to no skin, so I did the musculature with whatever the Citadel red base paint was before they changed the name, drybrushed with 50%/50% red and bleached bone, then a heavy red wash. Metallics are the same as the stage one Strain models.

I have never played Sedition Wars, and it seems likely that I never will. I like the models, however, and plan to use them for Deadzone or whatever SF skirmish game I end up playing when I finally get a gaming group going. My tiles came perfectly flat, and will supplement my Battlesystems terrain nicely, I think. I went for the Biohazard upgrade, and so I have quite a few left to paint, but they are way back in the queue.

Next up: Kings of War!

**JoshInJapan**

Kings of War was my first Kickstarter project. I had been debating starting a Mantic orc army for a long time before, but I just couldn't get past the postage to Japan. Kickstarter pricing cancelled that out, and I went it fairly big. Luckily for me, I have enough fantasy armies that pretty much all of the freebies had a home waiting for them. Here are some of what I've gotten painted so far. First, the much-maligned trolls.

Spoiler:

Next up: werewolves.

Spoiler:

Next: maybe some orcs?

**GrimDork**

All looking good. Bit sick and afraid of plaguing up my keyboard by typing too much now, but I'll be following this for sure.

**JoshInJapan**

Of all the minis produced in the Kings of War kickstarter project, the ogres were probably the most successful. Here are the ones I have painted so far:

Spoiler:

**GrimDork**

Huh, blue ogres that aren't from Japan, still... rather digging them.

**JoshInJapan**

GrimDork wrote:
Huh, blue ogres that aren't from Japan, still... rather digging them.

Well, in a very real sense they are from Japan (>.<

Thanks for the kind words!

**GrimDork**

Heh true. Ogres that arent oni that are blue

**Azazelx**

That's quite a nice take on the Ogres. I also very much like what you did with the Werewolves and the Strain. I need to do what you've done with both, at some stage.

**JoshInJapan**

Azazelx wrote:
That's quite a nice take on the Ogres. I also very much like what you did with the Werewolves and the Strain. I need to do what you've done with both, at some stage.

Thanks kindly. I know you were less than enthusiastic about the ogres, but I do think they paint up nicely. They add a little variety to the limited number of Citadel ogres that I have, as well.

"...at some stage." That's my mantra whenever I think about my eternal backlog of unpainted minis.

**Azazelx**

To be fair, they do look good when painted up. They're just a right pain in the arse to paint up.

Speaking of "at some stage", I've got 6 of those ogres (amongst much other stuff) half-painted on my painting desk. And have had them there for close to a year now...

**JoshInJapan**

Reaper's Bones I kickstarter was the third that I backed, and (caught up as I was in Kickstarter fever at the time), I went in pretty heavily. When the box finally arrived, I was more than a little surprised at the volume of little plastic baggies. To date, I have only painted a few, with somewhat mixed results:

Spoiler:

I have lots and lots of Bones waiting for attention. Not yet attempted: three Griffons to use as Drakon riders, three Ouwlbears to stand in for Werewolves, Cthulhu, the clockwork dragon, and Kaladrax (which is too big for any tabletop use that I can think of. maybe I'll turn it into a lamp). My only real complaint with Bones minis is that the white plastic is nearly 100% reflective of light, meaning detail is invisible without a basecoat and black paint wash. This, in my mind, defeats one of my favorite features of PVC minis-- they don't need a primer coat for paint to stick. I have so many of these little things that I'll never paint them all, but they were cheap enough that I can give them to my 5-year old son to start learning how to paint.

Next up: Kings of War undead!

**GrimDork**

Ooh KoW undead, good choice

**JoshInJapan**

GrimDork wrote:
Ooh KoW undead, good choice

It was a no-brainer. I bought my first box of GW plastic skeletons around 1987, and the darn things just keep multiplying.

**GrimDork**

Seems a bit odd for dead stuff to multiply, but I know what you mean

**carlos13th**

Nice stuff so far mate. Will keep an eye out.

**JoshInJapan**

carlos13th wrote:
Nice stuff so far mate. Will keep an eye out.

Thanks, dude. I and others are still waiting for more samurai!

**carlos13th**

I should have the Ogres done over the next few days. Sadly between the migranes and dizzyness I dont get much time where I feel up to painting.

**Azazelx**

I like your work on those figures, especially the Undead Giant. I need to start on my own Undead Giant for my wife's undead, too.

**JoshInJapan**

I know I promised undead, but I'm trying to keep this more or less chronological. I started working on these well before I started this blog, and they had been sitting and waiting for dullcoat for probably two months before I took these photos.

Spoiler:

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, not-Riddick from my Sedition Wars pledge:

I like a lot of the heroes from SW. I might count this guy as Blaine v2.

**GrimDork**

I like that Riddick, I always thought blane had kind of a Riddick vibe as it was. Nice Marauders.

**JoshInJapan**

GrimDork wrote:
I like that Riddick, I always thought blane had kind of a Riddick vibe as it was. Nice Marauders.

Thanks kindly. I really liked "Pitch Black," so getting this mini was kind of a no-brainer. I wish they had accounted for shrinkage or whatever it was that made the second wave of heroes so much smaller, but he'll work on the tabletop. I like the Marauders as well as any of the other Deadzone minis released so far. Easy to paint, and full of character without descending into caricature. Good thing I have more waiting for me!

**GrimDork**

Yeah that's one thing I'm really loving about my Mars Attacks minis, the martians especially. There's just enough detail there that you've got something interesting to paint, but not so much that you get bogged down filling out little details. And if you wanna do that, hell look at the studio scheme with the Hawaiian shirt

Infinity models are great but sometimes it's nice to paint up something a little simpler.

I kind of feel like I missed out on the sedition wars kickstarter, but at the same time it seemed to have a lot of problems.

**cygnnus**

Great to see you're continuing to shame me with painting stuff!

Valete,

JohnS

**JoshInJapan**

GrimDork wrote:

I kind of feel like I missed out on the sedition wars kickstarter, but at the same time it seemed to have a lot of problems.

Even if I never play the game (which seems quite likely), I got a bunch of SF minis, and some tiles marked with 25mm squares I can use with my Battlesystems stuff. You'll not hear many complaints from me.

**GrimDork**

Yeah for sure. And certainly the $30 price tag it has these days is enticing. I'm having thoughts of getting another set at that price

**JoshInJapan**

I went pretty much all in on the Deadzone Kickstarter—between my initial pledge and the second and third surveys, I have spent well over $1,000, which is an awful lot for a game that I have yet to actually play. I even pledged for both Asterians and Forge Fathers before there was even concept art. In retrospect, this may have been foolish. Luckily, I actually like how the Asterians turned out.

My initial conception of Cyphers came from this issue of Dreadstar, a comic I loved to death back in high school:

The Lord Papal had an army of 100 trained drone controllers, and 10,000 drones in place to kill Dreadstar and his team. That’s how I envisioned the Asterians working: a seemingly-endless stream of robot bodies to throw at the enemy. The official version came out quite differently, but I think I’ll hang on to my idea, at least for now.

I had originally planned on doing them in metallic green, like in the comic, but that would have involved actually buying new paints. Having spent so much on this game already, I opted to use supplies I already have on hand:

I started with a basecoat of Necron Abyss (which I bought in anticipation of the Crimson Fists army that I have since decided not to build), edge highlighted with a Vallejo light blue that I’ve had for so long that I can’t read the label. I put a layer of Vallejo Imperial blue over everything. Straight out of the bottle, the paint is so thin that I works more like a glaze, softening the highlights and bringing out the various armor plates while leaving the dark recesses. It seems to work.

The eyes and Noh blasters (or whatever they are called) are Vallejo Sick Green highlighted up to Yriel Yellow mixed with a little white. I like to think the OSL is working a little better than on my Enforcers, but if anyone has useful advice I’d love to hear it. The guns are just Mithril silver with an Ogre Flesh wash. They look OK in person, but terrible in these photos. I plan to redo them before I put them in the display case.

The commander has a very different look to the cyphers, multiple overlapping armor plates rather than broad, flat surfaces, and after initially trying the same technique I decided to go with my standard basecoat and layered highlights technique:

The colors are the same, plus some small areas of exposed skin for some reason. I really think this model would have been better in metal, as Mantic’s metal models tend to have crisper details, and that would have made it easier to paint all the fiddly details this model has.

Next up: undead! No, really, I even have photos uploaded, I just need to write about them. Stay tuned!

**JoshInJapan**

Depending on how you define “army,” my very first was either Warriors of Chaos or Undead. Back in the days of WHFB 2nd edition, Warriors (as opposed to Thugs) were so expensive (in points, the minis were cheap) that four or five of them were enough to count as an army. However, the first real “unit” I ever bought was the original Citadel Horde. I learned how to drybrush with them, as well as the importance of posing minis so that they can rank up. I still have those first plastic skeletons, plus a whole bunch more from Citadel, Ral Partha, RAFM and Grenadier.

In theory, I like the Kings of War undead list (I say in theory because I still haven’t found an opponent), so picking up more undead models in the KoW Kickstarter was pretty much a no-brainer. Here are the results:

I don’t really have a unified theme for my older undead, so I just went with basic colors for these three standard bearers. Likewise, having no consistent heraldry, I just used some Howling Griffon transfers (downloaded from Bolter and Chainsword) I had left over from a Marine project I got bored with.

The horses look more flayed than decayed, but I can live with that.

I did all three dog(rat?) handlers pretty much identically. I don’t have much to say about them, but I think they’ll look good in a skeleton unit.

Lady Ilona here suffers more from being restic than almost any other mini in this project log. If she were in metal, the detail in her face would have been sharper and easier to paint. As it is, from the right angle she is not as derpy as the official model makes her look. Sadly, I didn’t get a photo from that position. Also, in 28mm, vampire fangs look like rodent incisors, no matter who sculpted the model. She probably won’t be seeing action on the battlefield, though, since I prefer my vampires to look like monsters rather than sexy ladies.

Finally, we have some mummies. I recall that a lot of people complained about these models when they were finally revealed, for a variety of reasons. I think the overall aesthetic is fine. They don’t look particularly Egyptian, but then again the first Tomb Kings army book had a sidebar about Barrow Kings that I actually kind of prefer to the Khemri version, although I have both in my collection. That said, the poses are a little stiff, requiring hot water bending on the arms, and the capes restrict positioning in a most irritating way. I have another 30 of these to paint, so it’s a good thing they paint up well with just basecoat and power wash. The bandages are just Army Painter bone with an Ogryn Flesh wash, then dried back up. The skulls are progressive layers or dark brown, leather brown, ivory and then white. The verdigris is gold with a wash made from two shades of blue pastel chalk, a technique I first picked up from Game Face Nation.