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I'm starting a tyranid army and I'm looking to pick up a hive tyrant.

My FLGS has the old metal hive tyrants at a reduced price of £22. Where as GW has the finecast Hive tyrant at £36.

Now I know the old metal ones are apparently quite hard to build, whats the concencious among my fellow dakkadites,

is the finecast worth the extra £14 since it would be easier to build??

Is it this guy you mean?

If so, no problems with him, he actually stands up quite well without pinning etc, quite balanced.
Might need a bit more glue then normal but Im no modelling expert and got 2 assembled well enough (and one had a damaged torso piece).

I'd like to say metal but the size would mean parts snapping off (super glue) when it falls over and such. As well as being hard to build which I have no knowledge about.

imho get the finecast but discuss the return policy with the store owner as you may need to return one or several finecast models to get one without major defects.

If you can manage it, I would go with the finecast. The resin models have far more detail... plus I don't really like working with metal models.

I would go with failcast purely for the fact that it will be easier to model and it wont need so much pinning etc because of weight.

Oh no i mean the same hive-tyrant you can get in Finecast, I can pick up the older metal version that was out before they fail-casted it.

Might go down and buy it in GW tomorrow so I can check in store wither or not its been damaged

You'll have to pin whichever one you get, but the failcost will be easier to do, and far more resilient to damage. Unless you have a dremel to drill the holes for pinning the metal one, it's more trouble than it's worth.

I didn't have problems with the metal, but if you're not super experienced at pinning, mise well try the finecast.

Metal, it just feels better to hold a metal model in your hand.

I would go with metal, as you mentioned, it is far cheaper.

Metal. Ignore the hyperbolic claims of it being impossible to work with, and needing a score of pins just to stay up lest a light breeze causes it to explode into it's constituent parts.

Also, that is a pretty substantial discount. That's probably worth any difficulty you DO have.

almost 50 50 metal to finecast lol.

Does seem to be down to personal preference too

I built metal tyrant. Didn't enjoy the process, but you can't argue with the cheaper price. If I was in your position, I would do metal. It was one of my first metal models, and I didn't pin it and it holds up very well.

I've just got done greenstuffing a Finecast Tyrant and priming him to be painted as a Swarmlord. There were a few air bubbles and other casting issues with the Finecast model, but nothing severe. I have a fully painted metal Tyrant as well that I've had to fix a few times from wear and tear of playing. The weight difference is great and the Finecast model is far more durable. Out of the two... I feel the Finecast is a slightly better alternative and I was able to magnetize him heavily.

If you are concerned with the weight of the bastard-monster, then you need to go with failcast. There is also always the option of grabbing a Carnie and kitbashing that sluggoth into a hive tyrant.

I own a couple of each, and I prefer finecast, since there's no need to pin.

I prefer the metal one that came out in 2002/3?
The one that looks like the Alien Queen.

A buddy of mine has one of each. And I helped him with the modeling part of both, since he was quite new to the hobby. He got a metal one off ebay cheap, and a finecast later from a GW store. I can say, with firsthand experience with both, the finecast was much, much easier to work with. No pinning was needed, and it was resilient enough to fall off a table without so much as a scratch.

The metal tyrant would fall over sideways on the table and break arms off constantly. Moving it was a chore, it was huge and heavy.

I myself have not seen the quality issues others seem to shout about with finecast models, and I've modeled or seen modeled at least 35-40 individual finecast models. There were tiny flaws in the finecast tyrant, but nothing that wasn't easily hidden, or looked natural or intentional. We're talking pin-head sized holes.

Don't buy the hype, haters gonna hate, finecast is alright.

If you have not worked with finecast, i prefer it to metal...easier to see what your painting, but heed these words "open that bug in the store and check for folds bubbles and whatnots"

Finecast!Always!My prized metal Tyrant has been repaired so many times it is unreal!His tail doesn't even fit anymore because of all the coats of super-glue!

I actually need a Finecast Tyrant,to convert into the Swarmlord after I find some extra Boneswords.Dioes any one know where I can get boneswords,just on their own?Sorry,I don't mean to hijack this thread.It was just there at the time,and I would have forgotten if I hadn't wrote that then.

I'd just go for the cheaper as they are pretty much the same.

Bat Manuel wrote:I'd just go for the cheaper as they are pretty much the same.

Just curious what finecast you have painted?

I love the metal version of the HT. Mine went together very easily without having to reglue any parts or ever breaking. I did pin the head on, but that was only because I positioned the head/arms in a weird position. I personally do not like Finecast as has been mentioned they have pieces of detail that is missing and instead replaced with a few dozen holes, which is quite annoying. Also if you intend on painting the model you must do ALOT of cleaning on the finecast models or the model has a rough/fuzzy look that leaves your models looking like theres 4-5 too many layers of paint on the model when its just excess resin that did not come off.

If I were just buying it to play with the finecast are much easier to assemble.

The finecast are a nightmare to paint though as detail is missing in most cases, and you will find little holes all over the model that paint will not adhere to, as well as intensive amounts of cleaning. My experience with finecast is 3 zoanthropes, and two HT's.

I believe I can give you the pros and cons right here

Metal:
Obviously a heavier model, some people will tell you it's hard to glue/keep together but pinning can solve that really easily.

Finecast:
The finecast hive tyrant might be mussed up, as everyone "says" they are prone to miscasting. however, if the model is perfectly fine, then you've got a good, lighter model to work with

(Personally, I haven't even touched finecast thanks to all the rumours, so I'd go with the metal hive tyrant, its cheaper, and once again, pinning helps keep it together)

I never thought i would be defending Finecast.

as well as intensive amounts of cleaning

for the most part you can do it with your finger ...it just comes off.

The finecast are a nightmare to paint though as detail is missing in most cases

I think they use the same molds as the metal ones iirc.

and you will find little holes all over the model that paint will not adhere to

DIdn't open it in the store did you, but couldnt wait to exchange it so you painted a miscast is all i can think of.

But in all fairness all my fine cast is marine stuff maybe the Nid's got hosed.

On Finecast,the paint will not chip like onm metal.I have Draigo in Finecast,and due to heat in my case,whenever I transport him in it,his sword bends to like 90 degrees,and then paint is still perfect.

Went into my FLGS to pick up the metal one, they've put the price up, only saving £8 now.. Just going to go and get the finecast one today in store. Open it there and then and see if its ok

ONLY 8 quid...

I'd personally go for the metal one