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Hi.

As the subject suggests I really want to know who manufactures Cool Mini Or Not games. The Conan board game miniatures also look like they're from the same manufacturer. Any ideas on this?

Thank you / beatspores

I'm pretty sure they're made in China, but I've never seen any indication of exactly which factory. Some huge industrial concern that no-one outside the PRC has ever heard of, I suppose.

I am not 100% sure other than previously they have used Ludofact. I have also heard that they have also been using DUST Studio as well.

Thank you for your replies.

Yes, I've gotten the same answer in another forum, also mentioning Dust Studios factory and Ludofact, so very likely those are the manufacturers.

What impresses me with the miniatures of Cool Mini Or Not games and Conan are the complexity of the miniatures and yet they seem to be made as one piece.

It comes from the experience of the mould manufacturer and the sculptors, CMON has a lot of experience in the field and their sculptors know what to deliver in order for the model to be one piece.

As for the actual question I have heard the same companies too.

 PsychoticStorm wrote:
It comes from the experience of the mould manufacturer and the sculptors, CMON has a lot of experience in the field and their sculptors know what to deliver in order for the model to be one piece.

As for the actual question I have heard the same companies too.

Thank you. Could you please go into more detail about designing the miniatures that way?

great minis can be done by any company, as long as they want to spend the money to do them.

Asterios wrote:
great minis can be done by any company, as long as they want to spend the money to do them.

Yes but I want to know more precisely how it's achieved.

 PsychoticStorm wrote:
It comes from the experience of the mould manufacturer and the sculptors

I just want to highlight this. It isn't just the manufacturer that is the reason that the miniatures are the quality but also because of the sculptor knowing how to sculpt to get the right details. Depending on how many pieces the piece will be done (if it is a single piece or multi-piece, then glued by the factory), the sculptor knowing and being familar with the process is able to design it better. Working on getting minimal undercuts, knowing where the mold lines will be to create a pose that takes advantage of those and makes them less perceivable. That is just some of the ways that having a good sculptor who understands the process helps get a higher quality in the end product.

 Dark Severance wrote:

 PsychoticStorm wrote:
It comes from the experience of the mould manufacturer and the sculptors

I just want to highlight this. It isn't just the manufacturer that is the reason that the miniatures are the quality but also because of the sculptor knowing how to sculpt to get the right details. Depending on how many pieces the piece will be done (if it is a single piece or multi-piece, then glued by the factory), the sculptor knowing and being familar with the process is able to design it better. Working on getting minimal undercuts, knowing where the mold lines will be to create a pose that takes advantage of those and makes them less perceivable. That is just some of the ways that having a good sculptor who understands the process helps get a higher quality in the end product.

mold lines are done during the molding process when a type of mold is decided on, they go a cheap flat mold, gonna have mold lines and splits all over the place, go with a fancy deep mold with slips you can get some mighty nice one piece molds.

What Dark Severance said, it is the duo of the manufacturer and the sculptors knowing what the final product will be and giving feedback each-other in how to make the models look best as single cast.

Some models that are multi part do get assembled in the factory, but this adds cost and if there is a way to be avoided they will attempt it.

Asterios wrote:
mold lines are done during the molding process when a type of mold is decided on, they go a cheap flat mold, gonna have mold lines and splits all over the place, go with a fancy deep mold with slips you can get some mighty nice one piece molds.

Mold lines will always be there. However an experienced sculptor knows how to pose, sculpt their pieces with the manufacturing process in mind (understanding how the piece will be created in the mold). This lets them either have the mold line be in a place that is easier to remove/clean or have it hidden in such a way, that people won't notice it is a mold line (ie: seam of pants, within details of the miniatures, edge of weapon, etc).

 Dark Severance wrote:

Asterios wrote:
mold lines are done during the molding process when a type of mold is decided on, they go a cheap flat mold, gonna have mold lines and splits all over the place, go with a fancy deep mold with slips you can get some mighty nice one piece molds.

Mold lines will always be there. However an experienced sculptor knows how to pose, sculpt their pieces with the manufacturing process in mind (understanding how the piece will be created in the mold). This lets them either have the mold line be in a place that is easier to remove/clean or have it hidden in such a way, that people won't notice it is a mold line (ie: seam of pants, within details of the miniatures, edge of weapon, etc).

oh yeah a good sculptor is definitely needed, but on the other hand if you have a good sculptor but go cheap on the mold, then it doesn't matter how good the sculptor is you will not get a good mini.