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2016/05/04 08:33:53
Subject: Re:Mantic Games - Sci-Fi N&R Thread - Deadzone preorders now live - links page 76
pancakeonions wrote: These look fantastic. How do they look alongside the other races? Are they about the same size (and same base size) as Enforcers? I've asked Mantic what the base size is for the Asterians, as I've not seen them photographed alongside the other factions, and haven't yet gotten an answer. Thanks!
Almost all DZ infantry are on the same 25mm round bases, the exceptions are the larger things like the Plague Stages 1 and 2, ripper suits, peacekeepers etc.
The older style miniatures are on mini integral round bases which slot into the hole in the base but the newer miniatures (like the marionettes) go on the other side of the base which is flat.
Compel wrote: I had a "You were out" from TNT today. Turns out, the nearest TNT place to me is halfway to Nottingham. I am... not impressed at all.
Rang them up and was told that, TNT are primarily a business-to-business delivery company, so don't cater for the sorts of things you'd expect for residential customers. - EG Drop-off points.
Very, very frustrated with Mantic. I'm probably going to have to take a days leave to get this delivery. Which, tallying up the invisible balance sheet, would cost me more significantly more money than I saved in the kickstarter.
I'd contact Mantic on this topic - being in the UK, you can actually phone them & talk to a person!
It does sound unreasonable, and presumably not part of their intent. I've had numerous parcels delivered to me by TNT in the past, so I don't think their point about being an entirely B2B provider is accurate. I do live in London though, where collection points are presumably more numerous.
Very, very frustrated with Mantic. I'm probably going to have to take a days leave to get this delivery. Which, tallying up the invisible balance sheet, would cost me more significantly more money than I saved in the kickstarter.
Surely you should be frustrated with TNT, not Mantic. You would have had an email notification with tracking details from TNT anyway so you should have known that it was arriving. If you knew you weren't going to be in and there'd be no one else about to take delivery you could have called TNT and arranged another date, a neighbour, a safe location, or whatever else would have suited (I have just gone through these options with them myself). If you didn't get an email from TNT then that's on them. Your situation is obviously frustrating but it isn't Mantic's fault.
So, I took the day off to wait for the parcel. - That's basically the only applicable option for me (My work doesn't accept deliveries, unsurprisingly, my neighbours have this whole 'work and job' thing too. The reason I'm annoyed with mantic as opposed to TNT, is that it's Mantic that chose an unsuitable company for home deliveries. If I go to a Chinese restaurant and ask for fish and chips, they might do them, sure, but for a better fish supper, it'd be more suitable to go to the chippie next door.
In any case, I've now wasted a day off. At least I've done an unboxing of a lockdown pledge for you all.
So, I've got my stuff now at least and everything seemed fine until I started looking at the Veer'myn. I'm not quite sure if everything is adding up there properly. It looks like there's a lot of chopping and changing of names going on
Apparently I've got, as the "Veer'Myn LockDown Bundle'
Plastic Sprue of 5 basic Veer'Myn troops
A bag of a restic/resin Veer'myn with a sniper rifle and one with a syringe
Plastic Sprue of 2 'rat ogre' style guys, sprue is labelled "Veer'myn Nightmares"
Bag of 5 restic Veer'myn with weird weapons
Weird monster stabby thing with lots of claws.
A vehicle (the chem thrower), driver, one other dude
Weird monster type dude that has 2 other veer'myn in a bag too
Stalkers/crawlers
Progentiors
These are the actual Nightmares in the book.
The old heavy weapon rats. Basically they're the maligni now I think.
Night Terror
the chem thrower
Piper I think.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/04 20:33:18
Compel wrote: So, I took the day off to wait for the parcel. - That's basically the only applicable option for me (My work doesn't accept deliveries, unsurprisingly, my neighbours have this whole 'work and job' thing too. The reason I'm annoyed with mantic as opposed to TNT, is that it's Mantic that chose an unsuitable company for home deliveries. If I go to a Chinese restaurant and ask for fish and chips, they might do them, sure, but for a better fish supper, it'd be more suitable to go to the chippie next door.
I'd still suggest the problem is not Mantic, nor their choice of TNT, but instead your particular nearest TNT office not being up to standard, because there doesn't appear to be anyone else having these sorts of issues.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/04 21:13:54
NTRabbit - If you're not a Mantic representative, get on the horn and get them to make you one. That's not a backhanded snide remark. I think you'd make a bang-up representative for them down under. (Bang-up is an American term meaning "outrageously fabulous".)
If any of you lucky folks who are getting your stuff sooner than the rest of us care to put up some pictures, please do. Yes. Since I'm asking for your valuable free time, maybe post the models you're happiest with, and perhaps one of the ones you're most disappointed with, whatever they are?
I'm hearing the metal Kalyshi aren't so good, which isn't that big a deal to me as I was probably going to replace them with Eldar or Dark Eldar anyway. I am hoping that the metal Teraton turned out great, though. Need more great Teraton sculpts. Many more. Why can KOW have hard plastic Salamanders, but Warpath having hard plastic Teratons is "yeah, right, in your dreams, turtle boy! snicker snicker!" TMNT was huge over here at one time, after all, and it moved a hell of a lot of (bad) plastic toys. Chew on that bit of rawhide, you British crumpet-eating game makers. Yeehaw.
All the talk about the Wrath of Kings plastic figs turning out so well has me chomping at the bit. (An American term meaning "outrageously fabulous".)
Dakkadakka: Bringing wargamers together, one smile at a time.™
If any of you lucky folks who are getting your stuff sooner than the rest of us care to put up some pictures, please do. Yes. Since I'm asking for your valuable free time, maybe post the models you're happiest with, and perhaps one of the ones you're most disappointed with, whatever they are?
I may have bad luck with delivery companies, but I at least I'm prescient. - Here's my (almost) full box break down.
I think I've got a bit more of a cold than I thought I had though. In any case, I'm still learning this whole online review / unboxing thing.
But yeah, that letter from Ronnie in the box read really weird.
Favourite model? just from looking at him, the Plague Aberration looks awesome. I like the Enforcer Pathfinders too for that matter, though.
The metal Kalyshi though, they're flipping awful.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/04 21:40:01
Vermonter wrote: NTRabbit - If you're not a Mantic representative, get on the horn and get them to make you one. That's not a backhanded snide remark. I think you'd make a bang-up representative for them down under. (Bang-up is an American term meaning "outrageously fabulous".)
If only they were hiring, it's my professional area too!
Where I've seen the metal Kalyshi called out specifically, it's mostly people saying "I wish they'd made these in boardgame plastic too"; the flash is about what you'd expect, maybe a little more than, but the bows and staffs are coming weirdly bent, and they don't look durable enough.
Still waiting for my shipping notice down here though.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/05/04 21:54:04
The flash has been the worst I've seen... possibly ever.
And I've been working with Knight Models Batman miniatures recently, who aren't exactly the most user friendly of metals. The metal feels *very* soft, with flash extending off the moldlines down the middle of one models face for literally half the distance their face is again.
I uploaded some other pics too.
Here's the letter.
Spoiler:
I'm not the only one that thinks it's a little weird, right?
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/04 22:30:09
I couldn't read every word due to the flash, but it sounds like Mantic is either prepping to pull a Privateer Press or seriously bleeding money due to lack of retail/distributor sales. Either way, it sounds bad.
I don't have any of the new Deadzone plastics, but I have the KoW plastics now, and they are mostly great kits, except for the salamander kit which is very much 'almost'. (Note: that is not an American term meaning "outrageously fabulous".) I'm very optimistic about their future plastics.
Wow, Compel. You deliver fast. I owe you one, if I ever end up getting something before you do. That probably won't happen with any Mantic KS, though.
NTRabbit - it's your line of work? You're working in table top gaming? Like, making a living at it? I thought that didn't happen in real life.
Regarding the letter, maybe I'm just a bit thick-headed because I almost electrocuted myself repairing the dryer today. (I did manage to melt a nice pair of needle pliers I usually use for miniatures, dammit.) The letter seemed perhaps a bit on the megalomaniacal / world domination side, but no more so that is standard corporate speak. I'm not really seeing the bleeding wound subtext.
But like I said, Im probably operating on a few less bran cells right new.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/04 23:21:44
Dakkadakka: Bringing wargamers together, one smile at a time.™
They know people put in big the first time around, but the game fizzled out due to rule issues and/ or model quality.
They want people playing their games, not just having them sit in the closet waiting to be painted (like mine currently is).
Must say I am starting to warm up to receiving my pledge, especially after the debacle of Dungeon Saga, which at this point I would be just as happy to get rid of.
Hell, I even put together my Forge Father and Enforcer plastics today, and starting cleaning off some restic ones!
What the hell was that all about?
Poorly lit photos of my ever- growing collection of completely unrelated models!
Thanks for doing the video. I won't watch, I plan to wait and see myself, but I'm glad you did it.
@HT I'm pretty ready to be get my pledge. I've been doing little bits of dressing cover myself. A video terminal with a giant smiley face sign on top, Neglected Potted plant and a garbage pile that'll sit up against a wall.
They know people put in big the first time around, but the game fizzled out due to rule issues and/ or model quality.
They want people playing their games, not just having them sit in the closet waiting to be painted (like mine currently is).
Must say I am starting to warm up to receiving my pledge, especially after the debacle of Dungeon Saga, which at this point I would be just as happy to get rid of.
Hell, I even put together my Forge Father and Enforcer plastics today, and starting cleaning off some restic ones!
What the hell was that all about?
Will you be bringing DS to the Brookhurst Hobbies Bring n Buy?
I feel like Mantic is just starting to generate enough fluff to make their rule books interesting reads in their own right, and their KOW2 plastics have renewed my interest in the range. They Re head and shoulders above every other fantasy game right now. If they release those Kingdom of Dust minis soon and maybe some expansion, worldwide campaign, or RPG game books, they could capitalize on the market's untapped interest in big fantasy battles worlds. Deadzone will need more work to reach the same point, and the sci fi market seems much more competitive.
I feel that it is certainly better than the previous PVC offerings, but
1) has arrived heavily warped (the Veermyn hero's base is completely twisted, making standing impossible)
2) is still in no way superior or an equivalent alternative to the resin that some of these were sold as.
Mould lines are still in evidence, just reduced, and have caused slippage on the detail where the mould halves have not aligned. Detail on some fine areas is poor, see the heads and tails on the rat swarms vs. the original renders.
Yup, it's why I requested a refund for this project (and got said refund, finally, a month or two ago). Funny enough, they *did* ship me my (now unpaid) pledge. Ah, Mantic...
Anyway, while I haven't taken anything out of the sealed baggies (I'd be surprised if they actually issued a return shipping label but it's only decent to keep it pristine until they either decline to or, in their usual fashion, ignore me completely for the next week or two), I'm pleasantly surprised with the quality of the now-PVC models.
As in, they're a *lot* better than I'd expected them to be. Of course I'm peeking in through the (glossy) plastic so it's perhaps not 100% accurate but:
- they seem remarkably devoid of horrible mould lines (there's some, but not much, and a lot of it is fairly cleverly hidden/removable);
- little to no warping on mine, from what I can work out; and
- detail is actually surprisingly good. Fairly sharp edges, decent ridge detail, you name it. It's certainly not anything I'd call 'soft' when dealing with wargaming minis in general.
*However*: while they're certainly fairly sharp, I'm 100% positive they could have been sharper in resin. Especially the big plague stompey-thing from the booster, while it looks pretty good and I wouldn't have minded actually paying $25 for it, even in KS prices, if they'd been honest about material choices up front, would likely have been sharper in quite a few places if produced in resin, as promised.
Honestly though, while the quality of pretty much everything in the box seems decidely un-Mantic-ally consistently good in quality, I'm still sufficiently miffed about the bait and switch with that sudden batch of restic that I stand by requesting that refund (and will happily ship the damn lot back if so directed). Spotty consistency is to be expected but that was plain bad faith.
On another positive note, however: literally all of the HIPS stuff I've seen (quarantine pledge) is really pretty damn impressive. If they can keep the warpath stuff on this level there's going to be quite a few kits in their range which will distinctly overshadow their excellent undead products by quite a bit.
I'm really impressed. I mean, damn, even the veer-myn which are really not my cup of tea, conceptually, just really invite you to start building and painting. Really impressive. (Shame they couldn't do a bunch of goaty/ox-ey beastmen to that standard; I'd likely be spending money with them again in a heartbeat).
Bolognesus wrote: *However*: while they're certainly fairly sharp, I'm 100% positive they could have been sharper in resin. Especially the big plague stompey-thing from the booster, while it looks pretty good and I wouldn't have minded actually paying $25 for it, even in KS prices
I sure wouldn't have been willing to pay $25 USD for a bit of resin that size, that's as bad as the idiotic prices the other Nottingham mob try to hang on their middle of the road products, like some sort of detached from reality premium label. I'm fully in favour of them switching not only from resin to boardgame plastic, but from metal as well, because you end up with good, usable product, at realistic and affordable prices.
The next time they run a Scifi KS, say to work on the Rebs and Marauders in a couple of years, I'm hoping they expand the notion from last time and make it a "restic, metal, and resin-free project", with everything in hard plastic or boardgame plastic.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/05 17:08:29
"...and special thanks to Judgedoug!" - Alessio Cavatore "Now you've gone too far Doug! ... Too far... " - Rick Priestley "I've decided that I'd rather not have you as a member of TMP." - Editor, The Miniatures Page "I'd rather put my testicles through a mangle than spend any time gaming with you." - Richard, TooFatLardies "We need a Doug Craig in every store." - Warlord Games "Thank you for being here, Judge Doug!" - Adam Troke
- I wouldn't call this particular sculpt 'middle of the road' by any stretch. Quite the contrary, it's damn good. Not Mierce good, but surprisingly close, come to think of it. (which puts Mantic's 'supremely good sculpts' counter at two, now: this and the S1. Glad I actually *do* have that one in resin)
- Resin is inherently fairly expensive to produce.
I get you like cheaper, good enough models, but I'm fine with paying a premium for that better production quality, as long as the sculpt quality is actually there (such as with this model).
To each his own, but to say this would have been a 'middle of the road product' if produced in the proper resin as promised seems more than a little harsh to me.
And honestly, I'll take metal over restic for things like centaurs any day. the horsey parts will be fine but the human parts and weapons will be noticeably better in metal and at €1,50 per cavaly model more (at EU RRP, outside of bundles, so not a way you'd even ever buy Mantic models realistically...) I'll actively take metal to avoid some of those quality issues.
Which sculp are you talking about, Bolognesus? The only plague monster I recall was the bald Image Comics monster, and there's no way I'd put that in the same room as the G1 plague guy, let alone on the same shelf.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Right now, Mantic seems to returned to it's strength of producing nice, simple, good-not-great minis which would sell well at decent prices. The Abyssals are great fantasy plastics. The Enforcers have great designs. Forgefathers are simple, but fun. This seems like mantic's niche. I hope they remember that and work to strengthen their brand here rather than attempting to aim for premium anything.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2016/05/05 17:25:46
- I wouldn't call this particular sculpt 'middle of the road' by any stretch.
I was calling all the most recent produce from the other Nottingham mob middle of the road; every single thing produced for their most recent fantasy game hasn't stretched above mediocre, and frequently falls into awful, while being priced like something from a boutique maker like Mierce. I still won't pay $25 USD for one resin medium sized monster, I don't care how sharp it turns out in resin. Boardgame plastic gets near enough for a fraction of the price, and it's lighter and more resilient to boot.
I would argue that places like Mierce exist entirely for people like you, in that minority - leave the Mantic stuff in the affordable category for the majority of us who aren't in a top tax bracket.
As for metal, I'll take it reluctantly for Kings of War, because I can put the minis on large unit bases, but for single bases in scifi the material is horribly impactical, and just too heavy for me to ever want to use - and that's forcing myself past the issue of pinning, which I hate doing, and in many circumstances am physically incapable of doing, especially on spindly stuff like Infinity minis.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2016/05/05 17:46:20
" - Rick Priestley "I've decided that I'd rather not have you as a member of TMP." - Editor, The Miniatures Page "I'd rather put my testicles through a mangle than spend any time gaming with you." - Richard, TooFatLardies "We need a Doug Craig in every store." - Warlord Games "Thank you for being here, Judge Doug!" - Adam Troke