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Fafnir: Your order number?

Mine: #1691, Date 12/16/2010...

Raging Heroes might design interesting stuff - but have a lot to learn about customer relations...

I mean, how hard can it be to update their blog OR email customers that has been kept waiting for months :(

The Youtube clip from the caster (who just couln't stop talking of experiments and "developing new techniques" when doing the castings) - and the bad images of the casted Manticore just makes the whole thing worse.

Further up in this thread (2 weeks ago) I was promised that my 54mm Asharah should ship - still no sign of it (the 28 mm one arrived within days after the same promise though).

#1689
Date 12/16/2010

kendoka wrote:Fafnir: Your order number?

Raging Heroes might design interesting stuff - but have a lot to learn about customer relations...

I mean, how hard can it be to update their blog OR email customers that has been kept waiting for months :(

The Youtube clip from the caster (who just couln't stop talking of experiments and "developing new techniques" when doing the castings) - and the bad images of the casted Manticore just makes the whole thing worse.

The problem with casting resin is that if you are producing new and unusual shapes it can be quite difficult to get the piece to sit at the right angle. This is to reduce air bubbles and get the cuts in the right places to allow the mould to produce for an extended period, so that it minimises the chance of miscasts and mould lines. It's not like plastic pressing, there is still a large element of trial and error to get consistant quality.

Yes I do feel slightly let down, but at the same time they have posted that they are having issues and I am quite prepared to wait a reasonable amout of time. Also consider that this kit has been ridiculously popular with the unwashed masses and that might have caught them out.

Fafnir wrote:#1689
Date 12/16/2010

Looks like we were all quite eager to pre-order this fella... I'm #1688 . Who wants to bet Kirbinator is #1690?

I, too, do not mind waiting, but I would like to hear the current status. If there are more unforseen problems, that's OK, I'd just like to know where they're at and get a revised shipping estimate, if possible.

Also, as Kroothawk pointed out, Raging Heroes has improved from before... but they're a small operation with limited manpower, so I understand some delay in response time. I emailed them after hearing Fafnir's update, but it's the weekend. I'll also update when I hear back.

I was late: #1732
But I ordered 4, 2 for me and 2 for a friend, to build both Manticore AND Lamassu.

Has this thread turned into a history lesson?

I wonder how many of those order numbers are Manticores alone.

I believe I ordered pretty much as soon as I could, so I imagine they just work their way up in order numbers... which would mean the first manticore is probably in the mid 1600s or so.

Folks, the company is still verymuch in it's infancy and on a steep learning curve.


The Asharah and co minis were months late due to unforseen hurdles.

Following quibbles about the quality of casting on a couple of the Asharah heads, they have offered to give away heads from the new model Asharah, free, to those who want to claim them.

They are a company with a good ethical basis, who are attempting to bring us very detailed and attractive models whist still learning what can be done and how to best do it.

All I can suggest is that folks bear with them and show patience. In the long run it will facilitate the company improving and expanding and releasing more models like the manticore.

And all I can suggest to Raging Heroes is that they increase their updates here to keep folks who've handed over their cash 'in the loop' with what's happening.

Most folks are content to wait if they are being kept informed of progress or any hurdles.

Oh, certainly agreed MGS. I only wonder how many Manticores have been ordered just out of sheer curiosity

Well, then followed with "I wonder if they were expecting that number".

Certainly not the number of Lamassus, a model which was suggested by Grimstonefire after the Manticore presentation.

I'm sure they'll be along soon to update everyone...

http://www.ragingheroes.com/blogs/news/2846542

posted March 15, 2011

We have excellent news for you today. Our foundry has just confirmed to us that the first batch of Manticores / Lamassus is being delivered tomorrow. Production will continue throughout the week and we expect all pre-orders to be fulfilled by next Monday.

We will post pics of the first casts tomorrow. (Tuesday).

We want to thank you all again for your patience. We won't bore you with the gory details, but this project has been quite an epic task from the very beginning, and we are really excited to be able to provide such a miniature at a reasonable price. (Speaking of which, pre-order pricing ends Wednesday…)

Once again, thank you all for your confidence and for making this Manticore such a success!

Though I would be chomping at the bit to get my hands on one too, am sure the chap will be worth waiting for.

There will be c1700 happy bunnies very soon
You lucky people!

Just ordered a manticore waiting on that epic forest spirit as well

Sanjay

OK, this is definitely the least glamorous picture of the Manticore / Lamassu, but we know seeing is believing so here it is: a photo of the Manticore / Lamassu kit straight out of the mould, with absolutely no cleaning or retouching. Obviously, this image does not do justice to the miniature. We simply wanted to confirm to you that the first casts are indeed ready.

We'll have more pictures very soon, that will show more details. The first batch is being sent to our shipping service today, so the first pre-orders should be shipped on Wednesday.

The ball is now in your court :-) We absolutely want to see how you will be painting your Manticore / Lamassu so keep us posted...

One last detail: pre-order pricing ends tomorrow.

thank you for not sculpting the mount's harness or legs into the back of the creature

this manticore will rock for D&D (compared to the old ral partha metals or the crappy pre painted wizards minis)

[insert: corrected the word NOT]

Sanjay

Awesome! I also just got this email:

Raging Heroes Email 3/15 wrote:Hello,

This email is to update to you on your Manticore / Lamassu pre-order.
We have just posted a blog entry (http://www.ragingheroes.com/blogs/news).

Our foundry has just confirmed to us that the first batch of Manticores / Lamassus is being delivered tomorrow. Production will continue throughout the week and we expect all pre-orders to be fulfilled by next Monday.

We will continue to keep you updated via the blog. If you have any question or concerns regarding your order, please do not hesitate to write us at contact@ragingheroes.fr

Thanking you for your continuing patience,

Best regards,
Caroline
Raging Heroes Team

(The blog post contents are the same as what they've already posted above )

StarFyre wrote:thank you for now [not?] sculpting the mount's harness or legs into the back of the creature

The way they sculpted the beast's harness is really nice for those refraining from placing the rider on it. Its back armor plate serves as both armor and the harness! I think I'm going to have to drill a tiny hole in there to put a magnet so Mr. Urkan is removable.

Kirbinator wrote:

StarFyre wrote:thank you for now [not?] sculpting the mount's harness or legs into the back of the creature

The way they sculpted the beast's harness is really nice for those refraining from placing the rider on it. Its back armor plate serves as both armor and the harness! I think I'm going to have to drill a tiny hole in there to put a magnet so Mr. Urkan is removable.

I don't think you'll even need a magnet. He should be able to straddle the mighty beast without much trouble so long as you're not shaking him or anything.

Got this email last night:

Raging Heroes Email wrote:Dear Manticore / Lamassu customer,

We are very happy and excited to tell you that our foundry has been working round the clock and has cast virtually all pre-orders. The dispatch of pre-orders has already started, with the rest to follow on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Although it has been a fairly long endeavour, we have now established a good process for the future and we will be able to release more resin figures and large kits such as the Manticore in the coming months.

The additional delays of the past few weeks were due to a major technical setback just after we had begun casting the first 20 Manticores. The issues were eventually solved, but it was a bit touch-and-go for quite a few days, and we probably all have a few more grey hair then when we started. However, everything was masterfully resolved by the foundry, and the final casts came out even better.

Once again, thank you for our patience and you confidence.
Don't hesitate to keep us posted with your suggestions for Manticore-sized kits, and also, do send us pics of your painted Manticore / Lamassus.

Best regards,
Raging Heroes Team

I don't know if we'll be getting individual shipping confirmation emails or not, but it looks like all the pre-orders will be shipped by Wednesday. Hooray!

-------------------------------------------------------

Edit: Update! Looks like we will be getting individual emails. Just received this:

Raging Heroes Email wrote:Dear Stephen Garber,

All of the items from order #1688 have now been shipped:

1x Manticore / Lamassu available for Pre-order - Manticore + Lamassu Head

They are being shipped via UK's Royal AirMail to the following address: ...

It also included a link to where I could track the package (I got the insured shipping) where my status says this:

Your item, posted on 17/03/11 with reference (number deleted) has been passed to the overseas postal service for delivery in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

Awesome!

I left my order a bit, so I'm 1738. Got my email, and I hope now that the wait will result in a truely fantastic kit.

Well, I eagerly awaited the arrival of this model. Earlier today, I checked my mail to find the ticket letting me know that my product had arrived. Scrapped for time, I rushed down to the mail office, picked up my little black box, and carried around with me from 3:30 until 10PM when my classes finally ended.

At face value, this boy does not dissapoint. The pieces are exquisitely detailed, with little to know mold lines or flash. I cannot stress how beautiful this thing looks. The wings are freaking huge, and the manticore itself is sizable to boot. Every little bit shows great care and detail.

Additionally, the resin takes great to glue. Expect pieces to stick together effortlessly, whatever resin they've been using, it works great.

However, there are a few things that really hurt the model. Namely, it seems like the guys doing the design of the model itself didn't really put much thought into the assembly. This thing is an absolute nightmare to put together. Expect to spend several hours with a pot of boiling water to reshape the parts so that they have even a remote chance of fitting together. Even after that, it's as if the entire ankle joint for the forelegs doesn't even exist. This wouldn't be a problem if the feet weren't attached to the base, but since they are, expect to spend a considerable amount of time essentially building the ankles from scratch. it doesn't help that the rest of the model will require a lot of gap filling. And it's not like the good people at Raging heroes lack the foresight to do the job right--the right wing clips in perfectly. It wreaks of a lazy job, and feels like the parts aren't even from the same kit. The biggest cause of this major issue is that the tree trunk that the rear legs are perched upon simply won't line up with the positioning of the forelegs on the base.

It's a shame that such a beautiful model is weighed down by such horrible assembly issues. It'd easily be a 9 or a perfect 10 if that weren't the case, but it's really dragged down by some really poor design choices. When it's done, expect it to look amazing, but expect to put in a lot more work than you should to get it there.

6/10

Conclusion:
Nice face, shame about the legs.
I'll post some pics when I finish assembling mine. I figure I'll try to avoid fitting the trunk on the base altogether and try to model a cosmetic workaround. The integrated base just ruins the rest of the model. I know it allows for an amazing and dramatic pose, but the way it's implemented just doesn't work.
I'd recommend this model to people who like beautiful models, and wouldn't mind dealing with a lot of frustration and effort to get them that way. It's in no way an impossible model, but a lot of work is needed to make it servicable.

Figured I'd post up this pic here as well:



The Lamassu head in particular looks awesome! And I think that is how I will be buildling it, with chaos dwarfs on the near horizon (summer) and since I'm starting to save up for them . Will post more pics when I have it assembled!

Have fun RiTides
looks ace

Free resin casting blocks for terrain making too


Automatically Appended Next Post:
ps If you mean the Mantics Abyssal Dwarves saw a video of them on a turntable and they look good in the round.

Small update: Raging Heroes is available from the first stores and looking for even more retailers:
http://www.ragingheroes.com/pages/retailers

Nice! Hope they can get some across the pond (Showcase comics!)

Convince a store to stock Raging Heroes and you get a free mini

...that sounds like a decent idea. Gives me an excuse to get mine built and painted.

...shame I lost the tail when he fell when I was packing him to go home for the summer...

I'll have to make him look all wounded and battle worn.

Anybody have any more experience with this thing? RiTides, what has your assembly been like?

I'm really tempted to buy one with the new storm of magic release, but don't want to have to deal with a model as hard to put together as the hellcannon or the old steam tank.