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This past year I recieved a Krull from Mierce Miniatures in a trade. Last week I took it out to assemble it.

Pros:
-Detail is very crisp
-Very little air bubles
-Amazing level of detail

Cons:
-Arms and head don't match up where they are supposed to go together. There will be much green stuff work to remedy this. Big Negative.
-Horns don't match up with head. More gap filling
-No instructions and tons of small parts. Much trial and error in figuring out where everything goes.
-Tons of flash and casting protrusions to clean

Overall I'm not impressed. This mini is really expensive and for the price I would expect perfection in assembly. In contrast I put together and painted two Terrorghiests in the last two weeks and they went together perfectly with no gap filling. I was planning on getting the Blood Maw but probably not if this is how much work their kits will be.

Has anyone else had better luck with a Krull kit? If so I'd love to hear about it.

I thought Krull was easy to assemble. Didn't have any trouble at all.

Truth be told, I don't think I've had a problem with any Mierce kit.

Additionally, comparing it to a plastic kit isn't really an apt comparison.

 cincydooley wrote:
I thought Krull was easy to assemble. Didn't have any trouble at all.

Truth be told, I don't think I've had a problem with any Mierce kit.

Additionally, comparing it to a plastic kit isn't really an apt comparison.

I don't see why. Resin is supposed to be better. Why didn't they make pegs or something so the head and neck fit together better or the arms. If that isn't an option they should have put the joints somewhere where it would be easier to hide the gaps.

On my Krulls arms there is serious overhang when you match them up. Same on the head to neck. For a model that costs what over $150 USD I expect better quality.

Have you let them know?

 slk28850 wrote:
I don't see why. Resin is supposed to be better.

At holding detail. Making something out of resin isn't a cure all for all modelling woes. It has its own set of challenges as a meterial both with casting and working with a finished model.

 slk28850 wrote:
Why didn't they make pegs or something so the head and neck fit together better or the arms. If that isn't an option they should have put the joints somewhere where it would be easier to hide the gaps.

Resin as a material shrinks when it cures (this is why some resin conversion packs from Forgeworld are nightmares to work with). While it's easy to assume that it will shrink by the same amount all over, that's not entirely true. Building guide pegs into it, especially om something as large as Krull, might simply make even more prep work needed tog et the pegs to fit once you start building. Flat surfaces for ease of pinning are pretty standard for resin models.

 slk28850 wrote:
On my Krulls arms there is serious overhang when you match them up. Same on the head to neck. For a model that costs what over $150 USD I expect better quality.

Got any pictures? What you're describing sounds actually more like miscast parts, not bad model design. They don't design these peices separately, it's one model broken down for indiviual casting. If parts are that out of proportion, something sounds like it's gone wrong at the casting stage.

The challenges when working with resin are understandable, but at the same time, if you're paying $100+ for a miniature, you've got the right to complain if it's not fitting together. And it is totally appropriate to compare it to other options on the market.

Krull was pretty cool looking when I looked at him, but I hate this sort of assembly problem.

Do the other Mierce beasts have these sorts of issues?

It is important to remember that Krull is actually a Banebeast, dating back to near the very start of the range, and consequently it is possible that a few decisions were made when turning him from the master sculpt into the kit that would be done differently now the company are more experienced in the production of large models.

That said, I think I disagree with the basic assumption that because he's expensive he should slot together perfectly. More expensive =\= easier to put together in my modelling experience, but frequently more technical, larger scale kits that more often than not require quite a lot of effort and skill on the part of the modeller to execute well. Resin, especially, has huge advantages in terms of detail, but also limitations in regard to shrinkage, as mentioned, and also how some fine detail can be delicate - making it probably better suited to the more experienced modeller (who is the sort whose likely to drop ~£100+ on a kit in the first place.)

I've also built three of the four Forgeworld Greater Daemons, and Krull required a similar, slightly less if anything, amount of filling and pinning to any of those but the GUO, which is, to all intents and purposes, a one piece cast. What you're listing as drawbacks of Krull are essentially drawbacks of any large, complicated resin kit, unless you're extraordinarily lucky with the quality of cast, like, once in a life time lucky.

EDIT
That said, if you do believe the pieces are miscast, rather than challenging to fit, get in touch with Mierce, I haven't been unlucky enough to receive any kit with an issue yet, but haven't heard anything but good noises from those who have needed replacements.

I'll second what Azreal said about contacting Mierce if you think a component is miscast. They are very good at rectifying unsatisfactory products.

I mentioned off the cuff that a delicate piece of a model I'd ordered was broken in transit and they immediately offered to sort it out.

Krull is one of the older models from when Mierce was Maelstrom. Last week I put together Hanokh and Xantos, two of the smaller monstrous beasts and very recent sculpts, and they were both an absolute pleasure to work with. Both required pinning and green stuff, but that is to be expected.

I've sent an email ot Mierce and am waiting their reply.

If it is the norm that large expensive resin kits require me to be a professional sculpter then I'll probably pass on them in the future. I don't think it is reasonable to charge those kinds of prices for models that add extra steps of labor on your part. I don't mind filling gaps but if I have to do major sculpting to cover up defects that is where I draw the line.

slk, can you post some pictures of the problematic areas? I've not heard of anyone have to go beyond the pin & gap fill stage with Mierce stuff before.

This is sounding more like a miscast, but pictures may help you to confirm what the situation is.

OP you got this in a trade?

Lesson to unpack and check your trades at the time eh?

sounds miscast and if Mierce offer a replacement then kudos to them.

Posted pics. I check all of my trades when I get them. There was flash on the pieces making it impossible to tell until I had cleaned it. I have added pics to the opening post. Those are the only three that were even partially in focus out of the 36 I took. Hard to hold the pieces and the camera at the same time.

 slk28850 wrote:
I've sent an email ot Mierce and am waiting their reply.

If it is the norm that large expensive resin kits require me to be a professional sculpter then I'll probably pass on them in the future. I don't think it is reasonable to charge those kinds of prices for models that add extra steps of labor on your part. I don't mind filling gaps but if I have to do major sculpting to cover up defects that is where I draw the line.

Is this your first time ever working with a larger resin model?

I mean, my Krull went together pretty easily. Do you have any photos at all?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Well, from the three you posted I'm having trouble seeing the problem.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I mean, if those are your "big problems" I think resin models may simply not be for you.

That first photo (arm join seam) looks like a standard issue join seam. No resculpting required. Pin, glue, and use a bit of liquid green stuff to fill the join in. I've had worse on plastic kits - particularly Tyranids that have back carapaces in multiple pieces. I've got far worse on the plastic Lord Chompy Bits in my backlog right now.

The second and third (head shots) do look strange, almost as if the head didn't cure enough and so didn't shrink to fit the neck join. I'd say that piece warrants a replacement.

I think you are new to large Resin kits? i have put together a few low production run garage kits and they all took a lot of work, it is the nature of the beast, the high price comes from the limited runs not because of the ease of assembly, the comparison to plastic kits is moot.

Just bumping this to see if the OP got any sort of response/outcome from Mierce?

 Azreal13 wrote:
Just bumping this to see if the OP got any sort of response/outcome from Mierce?

The person that responded to my email seemed to think the body shrunk too much so they're sending me out a new one. I'll post when I get it to see if this is resolved.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Great customer service. Quick reply.

Good to hear, and yes, great customer service, especially as you got it second hand!

The new body fits very well with head and arms that came with the first one. So not only was the customer service agent right about the problem he was also very quick to remedy it. I give them 5 stars.

I'll note that there are still minor gaps to be filled but they are within reasonable parameters and don't bother me. Thanks for the responses.

Mierces consumer service is bloody awesome.
I've had some minor problems and every time I received an email I was super happy with the reply and the quick and perfect solution.

Top notch.

Yep. I got a shipment of existing models from the KS recently, and a few pieces had broken in transport and a few pieces had miscast.

Box arrived Tuesday, I sent an email that night, They replied Wednesday, and the replacement pieces were shipped today and I will probably have them here by Tuesday at the latest.