yakface wrote:
Hmmm 'Failcost' now? First it was 'Finecost' or 'Failcast', but now they've been combined into a word which now shares no similarities with the actual product...fantastic!

filbert wrote:Part of me wonders why GW have chosen to release this range in a 'Big Bang' method instead of staggering the release to allow both their stock and supply methods to get up to speed and to allow for vagaries of casting to be ironed out.

yakface wrote:Or why stop there, let's use a whole SERIES of words to describe it. How about CRASSUS ARMORED TRANSPORT?

yakface wrote:
Hmmm 'Failcost' now? First it was 'Finecost' or 'Failcast', but now they've been combined into a word which now shares no similarities with the actual product...fantastic! I suggest we take it even further and choose a completely random word to describe this miniature line. Fzorgle perhaps? Or why stop there, let's use a whole SERIES of words to describe it. How about CRASSUS ARMORED TRANSPORT?

Sorry couldn't resist.


Anyway, given that finecast models are short in supply and being rushed as fast as possible to retailers to fill the holes in the miniature lines, I wouldn't be too surprised to hear that initially there are more miscasts. I would expect that once stocks have been properly replenished and production of the miniatures reverts to its standard levels that you'd hope for a drop in the number of defective minis produced...not to mention that experience with the casting material can only help as time goes on as well.

nerdfest09 wrote:Why does the word 'Fzorgle' in yakface's post come up with 'lash of submission' when you scroll over it? :-) strange or the whim of chaos?

Chibi Bodge-Battle wrote:... it might just be one poor example.
The OP has it before scheduled release if I understand correctly.
Early production teething troubles, who knows
It is better to hang fire and see if this is the norm, before writing off the whole show.

Hellfury wrote:

nerdfest09 wrote:Why does the word 'Fzorgle' in yakface's post come up with 'lash of submission' when you scroll over it? :-) strange or the whim of chaos?

From the beautiful mind of Triggerbaby did this meme come into existence:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/60/179282.page#180065

Adam LongWalker wrote:There is one other thing that I am concerned with. If the material is as soft as what people are saying. Down the road, how do you strip those fine cast models? If you can't use files on them because you can damage them, what tools that you need do you scrub them down and remove the paint material on them? What chemicals will you use on this soft material?

KingCracker wrote:Go ahead and try, Ill mail you a fist in the mouth for trying to look cool on da interwebz.

Fetterkey wrote:

Oh yeah? It's literally the thread you're posting in right now.

legion4500 wrote:Do i think a price jump is needed? NOPE. Do I like the finecast more then metal. Absolutely!!!

carmachu wrote:

Fetterkey wrote:

Oh yeah? It's literally the thread you're posting in right now.

legion4500 wrote:Do i think a price jump is needed? NOPE. Do I like the finecast more then metal. Absolutely!!!

How is it better, with the miscasts in that one mini AND a staff he couldnt straighten with either heat or cold?

NEWSFLASH:

I heated the staff with my girlfriend's blowdryer. It only took ten seconds for the staff to go from flexable to cooked spagetti soft. The staff went limp as soon as i picked off the desk to move to a plate. This requires extreme care. The resin stuff got mushy real quick. Weird. placed in freezer for 5 minutes. Staff is now straight. Foreworld resin will fight like a bastard to get soft, and even then it is brittle when bent. Not a good sign.

carmachu wrote:
How is it better, with the miscasts in that one mini AND a staff he couldnt straighten with either heat or cold?

To Our Valued Customers

In the upcoming weeks we will begin to remove all of our existing metal models from our miniatures line in preparation for something both exciting and a little scary: Our new line of plastic/resin hybrid models called Citadel Finecast!


Why are you no longer using metal?

All of us here at the Games Workshop family have been painting and playing with metal models since we were young, and since some of the very earliest days we have been producing metal models via the Citadel Miniatures line. In many ways therefore, this transition is a bit of a sad one for us, but as they say, all good things must come to an end!

The truth is, the price of raw materials for metal models has been steadily increasing in recent years, and worse these costs sometimes spike heavily in short periods of time. These spikes can cause a tremendous hardship on the overall operations of our business, which is part of the reason our metal model prices have been set so high. We basically have to protect ourselves just in case such a spike hits and lasts for an extended period.

In comparison, the raw costs for the materials to make resin/plastic are much more stable (and tend to be cheaper), which means that in order to make sure our company continues to grow and prosper it was only a matter of time before we had to make this shift. We figure its better to make this tough change under our own terms now instead of being rushed to make the change in the future when the raw metal costs dramatically rise again.


What will the new plastic/resin be like?

While we'll all certainly miss some of the benefits of working with metal models, I think you'll find that there are a whole lot of positives with our new Finecast material as well. First off, we are using a different material for the Finecast range then is used by our Forgeworld division, which we have done for a number of reasons:

1) It is completely non-toxic and does not require any additional safety precautions compared with preparing metal models.
2) It has a make-up that allows us to cast models using a process that is much more conducive to mass castings than the standard resin moulds used by Forgeworld.
3) It is much more durable than traditional resin models.

In fact, we've been able to use our existing master models and make new Finecast moulds off of them. In many cases, the material produces slightly finer levels of detail and crispness (hence the name Finecast) then were previously available in metal. In other words, some of our classic models will look better then they ever have!

Of course, once our design team starts to master the nuances of sculpting specifically for the Finecast medium, we fully expect to see some the best miniatures we've ever made produced.


So why are the models so expensive?

You're probably wondering why, if the raw costs to make Finecast are less than those to make metal models, are the prices of the models going to be cheaper? While we would love nothing more than to tell you that was the case, but unfortunately it isn't. In nearly all cases, the prices of Finecast models are going to match what the model cost when it was metal or more.

I know this is a tough thing to swallow, but there is a good reason. Games Workshop has been committed for years to making games that are comprised nearly entirely of plastic models. In almost every case, you, our valued customers have let us know that this is the direction you want to go. You want MORE plastics for every army we make. We have taken this concept to heart and we have continually poured money into bringing out more, more, more plastics. And we know that eventually we will get to that a point where nearly every model in our all of miniature lines is indeed plastic.

Unfortunately, the costs for producing plastic kits at the rate we have been releasing them is high. We have a fantastic team of designers, artists, production crew, sales staff, etc, but keeping these quality people obviously costs money. In addition, we are proud that the vast majority of the labor used to make our products comes from the UK, which again costs us more than if we shipped our labor costs overseas.

The result of all this is that we have had to set our prices high enough to ensure we can continue this forward growth. We know that the prices of our models make it very difficult for some to afford our games and we do apologize. However, we hope that you can see the value in the money we spend towards the massive amount of plastic kits we continue to release and the awesome designs and artistry our talented team infuse our worlds with.

As the raw costs to make Finecast are cheaper than making metal models, by keeping the prices the same (or raising them slightly), this ensures we will continue to have enough money in our company to keep this kind of forward momentum going and the stability of the Finecast raw costs will hopefully ensure that we don't have to raise our prices again anytime in the near future.


How will the transition work?

As indicated above, in the next few weeks our existing stock of metal miniatures will be pulled from shops and sent back to us. If you are die-hard lover of metal models, then now's the time to run out and start buying!

On Saturday May 28th, the first Citadel Finecast models will go on sale. Initially we will be offering about 100 models in the Finecast range, with more to be added periodically. However, in some cases we've found that certain metal models do not transition well into the new Finecast material. In such cases, we will continue to sell the metal versions of the model for a limited time, but eventually these models will have to be phased out of production. Take a look at the included spreadsheet for the list of these models. Again we apologize, but we just don't have the resources to resculpt all of these models without affecting our upcoming release schedules. The only thing we can suggest if you're a fan of these models is to buy them while you can!

Also remember that while we've been working with resin via Forgeworld for a while, this is a whole new type of material for us. That means we're going to have to go through a little bit of growing pains. The entire Finecast range will be packaged in clear plastic, allowing you to thoroughly examine the model before you buy it from a store. In the off chance that you do encounter a miscast model, you can always return it to the store your purchased it from for a replacement model. If you purchased the model online and it is miscast, please call our customer service specialists immediately. When we launch the Finecast range next month, we will have a dedicated team available to ensure that, one way or another, you the best possible miniatures we can make.


Let's see the models already!

But enough of the doom and gloom, let's get onto to the good stuff.

Included below are a few sneak peak pictures from the new Finecast range that will be rolling out in the next few months (starting May 28th). We think they really show off some of the positive things the new material can accomplish on classic models...and perhaps if you look closely you might spot a shot of something brand new coming down the pipe!

Kilkrazy wrote:The bad reaction of consumers to previous GW publicity seems to have convinced them that, if anything, total secrecy is the way forwards.

Hellfury wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:The bad reaction of consumers to previous GW publicity seems to have convinced them that, if anything, total secrecy is the way forwards.

I can't blame them. Lately they seem singularly incapable of communicating with their customers in anything other than a condescending tone (Re: Standard bearer articles, etc) when not gushing over their own products in an advertising fashion.

Frankly, I prefer the silence as opposed to the condescension.

You do know you can strip paint off resin right? Dawn power dissolve and purple power can do so, with minium scrubbing.....dont see a difference for a resin/plastic hybrid.

yakface wrote:



Ah, if only we lived in that dream world!