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I need to get a case asap, meant to be heading down to a friends tomorrow to have a couple of games but I forgot to pick up a case.

My only real options are:
pick up a GW case for £36
go and try and make a custom case

Both of which arent ideal since I'm not certain I would be able to get foam for the case today.

So my question is are the GW cases really that bad? Or is it just there are better cases out there for the money?

Nothing particularly wrong with them, but most other options are better.

The only real down side to them are the week clasps. Mine have never broken, but I don't trust them. I would put a strap around it to double secure it.

Why do you need a case? I think you may find that it is incredibly easy to get away with putting your stuff in a box with padding.

Yes, GWs cases are really that bad. At least from a 40K point of view


They waste huge amounts of space with exceedingly thick sides on the case itself, and on the foam inserts.

Basically every army is built around a factor of 10. Units are 5 or 10, yet the the foam inserts are 9 x 4.

If you wish to include vehicles, they will fit horribly. Due to the slightly sloping sides of the case no vehicles will really fit comfortably. Also you need to sacrifice two of the three layers to include vehicles, leaving you with a whopping 36 slots for the rest of your army.


In short, save your money and make your own. They WILL be cheaper and better.

gilljoy wrote:So my question is are the GW cases really that bad? Or is it just there are better cases out there for the money?

There are just better cases. After a while, the moulded plastic clasps and hinges tend to go, and their angled shape means that they waste a lot of space. But, as miniature protection goes, they're pretty damn good.

It's just that almost every other case on the market holds more miniatures, in customisable foam, and probably won't break as easily...

I'd carry them in padded boxes for this game and then order yourself something from the interwebs (KR get my vote, but YMMV)

Ok goin to check my dads tool shed n see if he has any padded drill box just to use tomorrow until I pick up a Kr / saobl case( hard to get in the uk)

Saying that two kr cases foe £40ish compared to one gw case for £36

I've used a couple GW cases for about 3 years now and didn't realize the hinges and clasps could be a problem... I think I'm going to replace them now.

@OP

Is it mostly plastic stuff? Just use a box that the kits come in. I carry my tau 'suits and vehicles in a Chimera box and a Battleforce box.

I got a KR multicase a while back, and I couldn't be happier with it.
They've got great support when ordering online, and the case is really good. Just make sure you get the right foam trays for your army.

Otherwise, I've also heard battlefoam is also very good.

I've got a GW army case... only case I've ever needed, really sure its not that great, bit bulky, had to modify it to fit my battlesuits and tanks, but it works fine other than that

Probably cheaper to use just about anything else to transport them though, cases are expensives!

I use the reaper case for my daemons, $45 for it, it's ok.

I have a couple of standard plasic citadel cases for my blood angels and tyranids, and a monstrous for my big tyranids. Theyren ice, but, they're expensive as well.

Yea its mainly for plastic grey knights. Only issue is with the termianators and dreads.

I like the look of the large gw army case mitw get one if i start tyranids

I would consider reaper cases, I like the for daemons, I have one 4 foam tray case for my 3 units of 6 fiends, and 2 tzeentch daemon princes, and another 4 foam tray case for my troops, and my heralds on chariots, with room to spare.

I've still got two GW cases that are intact.

Original clamshell case (inside panels still close and lock, hinges are fine and so are the clasps. Got it in 1996 or so.

Standard GW case. Got it two years later when my Eldar needed more room. The hinges are still fine, the clasps are still fine.

Of course, I don't mistreat my cases, and while they weren't cheap, Sabol and Battlefoam were hardly common in my area at the time.

Of course, the Eldar army is MOSTLY plastic and more forgiving of knocks.

My Grey Knights are in a Battlehive hardshell case by Crystal caste.
My SM are in an aluminium toolcase with custom foam trays (it's about the size of the plastic GW large case - only about half the price, and metal).

GW cases aren't bad... just expensive and not at all flexible and don't hold a lot.

I still find it to be my go to case for a small amount of figures. If I want to transport my Bloodbowl team or a bunch of figures for painting, i use my GW case. Also works nice for larger weird-shaped stuff with old foam. I can transport my fighas pretty well with it.

The issue is the foam is useless. You can get pick and pluck for it, but it is another additional cost.

But at least from durability, they are not bad. I have 3 that have lasted 10+ years with no issues.

If you are only transporting your army in your vehicle, you might try what I did:

I purchased Battlefoam trays (but I think any tray by any company would work for this) to fit my armies, and then went to Wal-Mart to buy a cheap plastic tub that was just slightly larger than the trays.

It ended up having a few inches around the sides of the tray, which for me ended up perfect for holding books, templates, small bit-boxes that hold glue, dice, rulers, small tool set for on-site fixes.

You can get a very cheap plastic tub that holds as much as the $150 cases (without foam) for 10 bucks, if you want wheels, a handle to pull it with, and an option to pat-lock your case they are still less than $50 at Wal-Mart.

Currently I have a small GW case and a KR case. They both do the job, but I prefer the GW one.

The hard plastic of the GW one means it's not going to get bashed up so easily in the back of my old Land Rover as I drive to and from the games club.

I also have to occasionally leave my minis in my car over night, the aforementioned old Land Rover with holes in the roof. I know the KR cases are made from a high Kraft outer, and no doubt with semi-chemical fluting, but even so if it rains I'd prefer my minis to be the plastic case. So when I buy a new case the end of the month I'll most likely be buying another GW one.

KR are the best option available, but GW cases aren't bad. I have a backpack that came with the Apocalypse gamer's edition or whatever that fits a GW case perfectly, so I haven't had an issue with the supposedly weak clamps. I did replace the foam inside with more efficient foam from KR Multicase though. Now isntead of holding 108 minis it holds over 200.

Well £30 for a KR case, or £36 for a GW one and I'll have it today... might just go get one, although its the cost of a hive tyrant lol

Edit:

I can get the big Army Case for £40... worth it?

They are embarrassing in public, but they work ok so long as you don't have weirdly sized or shaped models.

gilljoy wrote:I can get the big Army Case for £40... worth it?

The big one has stronger latches and is generally better.

I had 8 or 9 of the small cases from GW (which I sold and/or traded up to the double sized ones which I now have 4 of) and I don't have any complaints. None of my clasps have ever broken over the past 10 years and more than dozen individual cases.

I have no complaints as well. IMHO they are pretty durable when you have to have them sent cross country.

I do have a bunch of GW large cases for all my armies and I've never had a clasp break or had more than the odd bit need to be reglued. I will say I really like the battlefoam cases and may consider them for my future storage needs. Like someone mentioned earlier I'd never seen a battlefoam case by the time most of my cases had been purchased. However I've been quite happy with all my GW cases.

I like pistol and rifle cases. My entire Empire army (200+ models, and only that low because I like cavalry) fits well in a standard rifle case.

My Chaos army (4 vehicles, 5 units of 10 guys) fits in two pistol cases.

(Couldn't find the link for the rifle case, I think it was ~$25 at Wally's World)

biccat wrote:I like pistol and rifle cases. My entire Empire army (200+ models, and only that low because I like cavalry) fits well in a standard rifle case.

My Chaos army (4 vehicles, 5 units of 10 guys) fits in two pistol cases.

(Couldn't find the link for the rifle case, I think it was ~$25 at Wally's World)

Rifle and pistol cases are a bit more expensive in the UK but still very good value. (and not especially difficult to get, despite what some people claim - you just can't walk into a department store and buy them)

I use army transport's motor pool and I've been continually impressed by the quality. The design, functionality, and protection are second to none. Despite its size, it fits my awkwardly shaped raiders and venoms comfortably, with enough room for all of my troops.

Its well worth the price.

http://www.saboldesigns.net/motorpool.html

I would get a Feldherr one. Light, and keep my models in good condition, never had a single problem with it.
They also dont scream miniature gamer at passers by as they have no icons on apart from the company's logo, which is small.

http://www.feldherr.com/de/feldherr-medium-108-full-size-figure-case.html

Plastic bins from any retail store. I use 2 to transport my 4000+ point Orcs&Goblins army, and still have loads of room in my second case. Granted, that's the large flatish one. They have bunch of different boxes. If you can find it Really Useful Box has a ton of different sized boxes with basic latches. Not super strong latch, but it works for transporting a unit.

You can get the Really useful boxes in the UK from Tescos and Hobbycraft.

I use the 4litre boxes for project storage at home (they keep out prying fingers), not sure I would use them for transporting minatures though.

I'll also second KR cases if you have the time to lay your hands on one (i'm now in possession of 5 of the beauties!).

Ended up picking up a GW case just because I needed one ASAP.

Although I'm going to get a KR case for my stormraven / landraider when I ever get one. As well as using KR for my Tyranids