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Well then, I take it back, it does make sense. I thought the teams were pretty constant member-wise.

So how are folks gonna paint their teams?

I will say the DBX cuts very easily with knife, you do need to be careful.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This is my idea for the Convicts...



I had thought of doing the grey vest as grey and white hoops like an old fashioned Prison Uniform but my initial try looked awful. I might do it on the bigger models.

I'll try the default orange prison overalls first, if it turns out well.

I may have to do orange as well. I think most of my convicts are going to be getting plague zombie assault rifles though... They'll make too good of a DZ/modern/maybe even pulp gang if I give them firearms.

I may keep the night elf blue/purple colors they have for the other starter team... but I'm considering black armor, or something different, so they can be my little snowflakes

Orange is the new black though!

I've been on a bit of a orange jumpsuit painting spree lately, so I'd love to get started on those convicts too.

I hope my game comes soon.

Highlord, mine came in the mail yesterday. I'd expect you'll have yours by the end of the week.

 GrimDork wrote:
Well... Dreamforge stuff is priced well, but until they significantly alter the aesthetic, the models do *nothing* for me. Seem like a good deal for people who like that not-ww2 vibe though.

I understand and respect the quality / value argument, but style is the primary reason why I currently prefer Mantic sci fi over Dreamforge as well. People critiquing Mantic sometimes say that GW produces some kits that could be better designed, but their quality is reliably high. Fair enough, and I'm all for Mantic becoming more reliable in the quality department. But to play devil's advocate, if I don't like a model's design in the first place, I don't care if it's the best kit Renedra ever produced.

Dreamforge is probably the company I most want to like, due to their celebrated quality, variety, and price point, and if they ever get around to putting out Shadokesh models, I'll happily become a customer. That sort of sci-fi aesthetic works for me, while alternate Star Wars WWII doesn't.

Mantic aren't perfect, but I prefer many of their sci-fi designs to those of equivalent models from other other lines. There are quite a few Mantic models that I'd rather have in hard plastic cast to a higher standard, but am willing to work on in restic. Because personal taste, because design. I find the Forge Fathers better than any other company's iteration of Squats; in fact, it was Mantic's FF designs that convinced me Space Dwarfs could be anything but a bad idea. Mantic's Enforcers are my favorite power armored trooper design on the market, period; even the restic ones, with all the work they require. I find most of GW's Skaven sculpts (the Night Runners are a design "Almost") excellent, but I still prefer Remy's Veer-myn, if not the material that they're cast in. I even prefer Mantic's Deadzone Marauders to space Orcs from other lines. Mantic's Deadzone Orx were hurriedly reposed after a flawed start, and while they're improved, it's hard to say they wouldn't be better if they had been scrapped and done over with more talent and care. But look at their competition. Most GW Orks hold their weapons without purpose, squatting with legs awkwardly akimbo as if they're struggling with constipation on an invisible toilet. I respect and prefer quality manufacturing, but whereas bad manufacturing can ruin good design, even the best manufacturing can't sell me a design I don't like. I've seen Mantic's Marauders unfavorably compared to Kromlech's Orks, to cite an even more extreme quality comparison, but for me this gets back to the same thing. Kromlech's material / casting is unquestionably better, but they basically follow (amplify?) GW's ramshackle / comedic / EXTREME! Ork design, and that aesthetic just doesn't appeal to me. So while I respect the craftsmanship of Kromlech's Ork sculpts and the quality of their manufacture, I don't buy them. If I want my Orx to wear functional sci-fi power armor that doesn't look like it was thrown together from junkyard salvage by an iron age blacksmith, I'm better off modifying arm poses on restic Marauder Ripper suits - annoying as that is - than trying to streamline a Kromlech Juggernaut into something it isn't.

Quality-wise, some companies rank higher than others. But design wise, every company produces models that make me slap my head and think "INSERT COMPANY NAME . . . Almost." Mantic has their share of designs that fall short - I find their fantasy line largely unimpressive - but by and large, I prefer the visual style of their sci fi line to anyone else's.

I agree with the majority of Vermonter's points. It's the reason I bought a ton of pvc/restic Enforcers even knowing the plastics were eventually coming out - I prefer their design over any other sci fi super soldier on the market. It's the reason I have a Forge Fathers army for Warpath and a pile of Corporation and Veer-Myn models. It's also the reason I have a ton of Urban War/Metropolis Viridians and a ton of Pig Iron troopers and a ton of Copplestone Assault Troopers, too, as well as a platoon of Khurasan's Federal infantry in 28mm and literally 15-20 Antenociti's Workshop sci fi military APC's and tanks and armored cars. It's also the reason I don't own (any longer) any Dreamforge stuff, because the style does not agree with me in the least. I buy the aesthetic I like. While I would prefer better material, what I have is a healthy mix of pvc and resin and metal and hard plastic. So far, I like Mantic's overall sci fi aesthetic more than any other company's.

I wish we could just convince them to make a weapon/accessory sprue for the warpath universe like dreamforge did for the eisenkern dudes. I can only use bits and pieces (mostly pouches as stick grenades are a bit outdated for most games...), but the pieces that do work are hard plastic, cheap, and nice to have around.

Maybe if we petition hard enough during the WP kickstarter...

Mantic have a good record of listening to customers, so give it a go.

I suppose it'd be more viable to make a metal accessory set in that case, like what they did with the orx.

 Compel wrote:
I suppose it'd be more viable to make a metal accessory set in that case, like what they did with the orx.

Maybe? It depends on how popular that kind of accessory kit would be. I don't really have a firm handle on that market data, but I'd like to think that a really useful, well done sci fi trooper accessory sprue would find a large enough audience to justify plastic.

Anyhow, I'll certainly join the campaign to request it from them during the next KS.

Metal marauder parts were cool, but I think a nice hard plastic sprue with several guns, maybe a few melee options, grenades, holstered pistols, knives, maybe sights for guns... etc. I guess corporation marines and enforcers post deadzone all tend to have a lot of pouches so they probably wouldn't need quite as many of those.

That would have utility across multiple gaming systems: a small sprue with a selection of rifles, carbines, bullpups, SAWs, LMGs, HMGs, rocket launchers, guided missile launchers, pistols, SMGs, grenades, pouches.

Before they do this they need to stop using the "puzzle piece" connections for arms and heads. Something generic (or even ball and socket?) would be great so we can swap between individual models as well.

The plastics do not use those puzzle piece connections, do they?

EDIT: My DZ zombies have ball/socket for arms.

No that's true the zombies are definitely a step in the right direction. I was specifically thinking of the Orx upgrade pack where the arms and heads only really fit on certain bodies, but if they had designed the original models a little differently it would have been a lot more customizable

Well the zombies are a little guilty of it. The two section heads only really go one way, the eating/barfing guts upper torso only really goes one way. Same with the two arms bashing with the rifle. Heads are maybe a tad like that but not as bad, and most torsos and arms are just right.

Kinda like the firing position arms with missing detail on the peacekeepers . Not 100% modular but fairly darn close and you can generally skip such parts for both kits by the look of it.

Lukez wrote:
Before they do this they need to stop using the "puzzle piece" connections for arms and heads. Something generic (or even ball and socket?) would be great so we can swap between individual models as well.

Well, since they pretty much have dropped pvc/restic, I wouldn't worry about it. Everything coming in 2015 and later is hard plastic, metals, and Mars Attacks boardgame plastic. (and some limited Resin stuff)

The Boardgame plastics still have the puzzle piece connectors as can be seen on the Grogan Keeper but given most minis will be preassembled in future you won't really see it plus it must make assembly at the factory easier if the parts only fit one way.

 judgedoug wrote:

Lukez wrote:
Before they do this they need to stop using the "puzzle piece" connections for arms and heads. Something generic (or even ball and socket?) would be great so we can swap between individual models as well.

Well, since they pretty much have dropped pvc/restic, I wouldn't worry about it. Everything coming in 2015 and later is hard plastic, metals, and Mars Attacks boardgame plastic. (and some limited Resin stuff)

That's great! When did they decide that? Got my Dreadball Xtreme last week and thought their boardgame plastic was really nice. Hard plastic is always welcome too. Not too keen on metal and would prefer restic in those cases, but you can't win em all.

I don't think it was a public decision as such.

I suppose Mantic may go back to it, if for some reason the right situation came up for it.

Lukez wrote:

 judgedoug wrote:

Lukez wrote:
Before they do this they need to stop using the "puzzle piece" connections for arms and heads. Something generic (or even ball and socket?) would be great so we can swap between individual models as well.

Well, since they pretty much have dropped pvc/restic, I wouldn't worry about it. Everything coming in 2015 and later is hard plastic, metals, and Mars Attacks boardgame plastic. (and some limited Resin stuff)

That's great! When did they decide that? Got my Dreadball Xtreme last week and thought their boardgame plastic was really nice. Hard plastic is always welcome too. Not too keen on metal and would prefer restic in those cases, but you can't win em all.

It's inferred. No restic in Mars Attacks or Dreadball Xtreme or Dungeon Saga or Kings of War 2. The last restic releases are Deadzone related, from the KS, from over a year ago.

 judgedoug wrote:

It's inferred. No restic in Mars Attacks or Dreadball Xtreme or Dungeon Saga or Kings of War 2. The last restic releases are Deadzone related, from the KS, from over a year ago.

And Warpath has been talked up several times as being an all hard plastic project, though again I'd expect a couple metal or resin guys for backer exclusives and characters like usual.

There was discussion in Kings of War 2 that some of the large sized units could transition to restic instead of metal if there was enough interest or quantities purchased .

I see that as a plus, since some of those kits might be a POTA putting them together in metal, and I'd rather not have to pin everything in place.

What do I know though, I've developed a mild addiction to restic these past few weeks.

The new plastic enforcers are now out in the wild, it seems. Or on facebook anyhow.

Considering all the doom and gloom about how mantic were hiding the plastics from us because they were going to be a Basilean level disaster from us, or whatever...

They look like, well, plastic enforcers. So...

 Compel wrote:
The new plastic enforcers are now out in the wild, it seems. Or on facebook anyhow.

Considering all the doom and gloom about how mantic were hiding the plastics from us because they were going to be a Basilean level disaster from us, or whatever...

They look like, well, plastic enforcers. So...

Spoiler:

Yay!

I don't think there was any doom and gloom about that aspect (we've seen the sprues, we know they're great!), just people like me being loud about being annoyed that Mantic is shipping stuff without bothering to spend eight minutes taking pics of assembled models and sending it out as an update.

 highlord tamburlaine wrote:
There was discussion in Kings of War 2 that some of the large sized units could transition to restic instead of metal if there was enough interest or quantities purchased .

I see that as a plus, since some of those kits might be a POTA putting them together in metal, and I'd rather not have to pin everything in place.

What do I know though, I've developed a mild addiction to restic these past few weeks.

I think you've been breathing in a few too many restic shavings from those Sedition Wars minis you've been working on. I actually kind of like their metals a lot more.

Do we know if the new plastic Enforcers are going to completely replace the old restic ones, or will they be sold side by side?

 Barzam wrote:


Do we know if the new plastic Enforcers are going to completely replace the old restic ones, or will they be sold side by side?

From what I understand, completely replace, with the faction starter including one sprue (as the original intent was to NOT have the Warpath Enforcers in there) plus extra bits to make them medic/defender/etc.

Medic and defender in the starter? Surely not, they couldn't then sell the somewhat-less-of-a-deal boosters like for the other races. I suspect they'll do a 5-man plastic booster with the restic shields and medic parts though. Won't need a separate release for the burst laser as the HP come with those. Maybe another one for incinerator if its not on the HP sprue, possibly with the metal fusion gun guy but I'm not as sure on that point.