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 Alpharius wrote:
This feels like one of the worst deals Mierce has ever had for a KS campaign.

On top of that, many of the new options feel a bit...uninspired?

The pound has tanked and it costs a lot more for raw materials there then just a year ago compared to the US or EU. I think it's better for people that still have unfulfilled stuff to see them not having a KS that's not crazy bonkers with the current British economy.

Yes, there is that!

Thank you for presenting the optimistic side - I appreciate it!

And if the same 20 people want to keep buying everything Meirce makes in this KS campaigns who are we to complain?

I'm more then happy to wait for their release month sales which always deliver (for me at least) within a week or two of when they say they'll ship and a pretty good deal if you want most things in the bundle.

As promised, Mierce has added a few stretch goals in between £5000 sculpts to try to gain some momentum:

The campaign does seem pretty sluggish at this point

In other Mierce news, large infantry is 40% off until next Monday, if you're in need.

Update on the campaign progress:

<image updated below>

You'll notice they swapped the new Jute dragon for the resculpted Brythoniaid dragon, due to popular demand, and to give a stronger 20k push.

Personally, I picked up a big dude in the 40% off big dudes sale that just happened, so dropped my KS pledge to £1 since I doubt we'll get to anything I want. Plus the Creature Caster limited plague angel just dropped

I put in for the dragon...even if we don't make it I can still use several of the new unlocked sculpts.

I've been getting a steady stream of Mierce metal, MDF and resin (barring the recent Royal Post Hack), and my backlog is slowing shrinking on the Mierce side...but steadily growing on the "me actually building and painting" side.

And that's a wrap! £20,238 total, which unlocks the zombie dragon:



We'll see if they do a little reaching for the pledge manager / those who went all in to choose from.

Lazy link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mierceminiatures/darklands-brutal-beasts

Edited my post above with the final campaign tracker and total!

So this is happening in a month.

Yes, definitely interested.

First Creature Caster, now Mierce?? I never thought I'd see the day

I only hope they deliver STL files electronically a bit faster than crowdfunded physical models.

 Boss Salvage wrote:


First Creature Caster, now Mierce?? I never thought I'd see the day

Same. There's several armies who I'd love to get STLs of the basic troops and upscale some to match my other things.

I also hope this does well and we get some more love to the smaller factions and newer ones as well that have never made much of an apperance.

I hope this works well for them and generates extra revenue and gets everything else that is in the backlog moving faster, but I can see this leading to a place I'd rather not go - we get STLs for stuff already purchased instead of the actual metal or resin models...

 Alpharius wrote:
I hope this works well for them and generates extra revenue and gets everything else that is in the backlog moving faster, but I can see this leading to a place I'd rather not go - we get STLs for stuff already purchased instead of the actual metal or resin models...

Yeah, the fact that the advert looks like an "I O U" is leaving me a bit anxious. With how far 3d printing has progressed, maybe they're going to move towards that instead of resin casting? Or licensing like many patreons?

I'd backed a ton of metal infantry that sit unassembled simply because the parts are so damn small. Gluing horns on my drunes... just no. And I'm owed a ton more, some of which like the ghasts seem unlikely to see the light of day. Depending on what they are offering, it may be time to cash out of my former pledges.

 Bossk_Hogg wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
I hope this works well for them and generates extra revenue and gets everything else that is in the backlog moving faster, but I can see this leading to a place I'd rather not go - we get STLs for stuff already purchased instead of the actual metal or resin models...

Yeah, the fact that the advert looks like an "I O U" is leaving me a bit anxious. With how far 3d printing has progressed, maybe they're going to move towards that instead of resin casting? Or licensing like many patreons?

It's just the pateron and MyMiniFactory logos. Nothing to read into as that's what everyone uses.

Very interesting, i wonder what the prices will be like?

 Monkeysloth wrote:

 Bossk_Hogg wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
I hope this works well for them and generates extra revenue and gets everything else that is in the backlog moving faster, but I can see this leading to a place I'd rather not go - we get STLs for stuff already purchased instead of the actual metal or resin models...

Yeah, the fact that the advert looks like an "I O U" is leaving me a bit anxious. With how far 3d printing has progressed, maybe they're going to move towards that instead of resin casting? Or licensing like many patreons?

It's just the pateron and MyMiniFactory logos. Nothing to read into as that's what everyone uses.

Oh, hah! I don't think I ever noticed their logos. Thanks!

Their Patreon is live, and first up are some Jutes!

https://www.patreon.com/MierceMiniatures/posts

 Sacredroach wrote:
Their Patreon is live, and first up are some Jutes!

https://www.patreon.com/MierceMiniatures/posts

Nice one, im in for now

A good deal indeed!

Too good a deal?

Should anyone with a large backlog of pending minis already purchased be worried about Mierce's...health?

With apologies to Europe, is this The Final Cashgrab?

 Alpharius wrote:
A good deal indeed!

Too good a deal?

Should anyone with a large backlog of pending minis already purchased be worried about Mierce's...health?

With apologies to Europe, is this The Final Cashgrab?

This is actually the normal price for pateron STLs. They're all way to good deals which is causing issues with the industry overall as people compare non-patrons prices to what you can get via subbing and have unrealistic expectations.

As for if you should be worried about Mierce? hard to say but Tabletop World just announced they're going to STLs as well which is a big loss as their thing was always handcrafted brick by brick but now they'll just look like all the other 3d printed stuff out there that's tried to copy them. I think people are just seeing companies pull in way more money via 3d printing then they can with physical releases for their nitch, high end stuff. Which is interesting as 3d printing really is a relatively small amount of people in this hobby vs those that don't have them.

 Monkeysloth wrote:

 Alpharius wrote:
A good deal indeed!

Too good a deal?

Should anyone with a large backlog of pending minis already purchased be worried about Mierce's...health?

With apologies to Europe, is this The Final Cashgrab?

This is actually the normal price for pateron STLs. They're all way to good deals which is causing issues with the industry overall as people compare non-patrons prices to what you can get via subbing and have unrealistic expectations.

As for if you should be worried about Mierce? hard to say but Tabletop World just announced they're going to STLs as well which is a big loss as their thing was always handcrafted brick by brick but now they'll just look like all the other 3d printed stuff out there that's tried to copy them. I think people are just seeing companies pull in way more money via 3d printing then they can with physical releases for their nitch, high end stuff. Which is interesting as 3d printing really is a relatively small amount of people in this hobby vs those that don't have them.

Actually this makes a ton of sense for Mierce. In the gaming industry as a whole new product drives sales and profits. Sale of old stock is a bonus. I think this is an excellent way to add 2500 quid of sales per month by offering an eventual decade worth of products...realistically they can keep this up for years, and add needed capital into the company. I see no downside for Mierce or for the Miercenaries.

For me, this means I can print the forces in the quantities I really want...silent hordes of undead, screaming hordes of Ysians and slithering hordes of Kythones.

It also means that for a fraction of the cost, I can try out other kindred (Albans for example).

The sampling of other factions is the biggest bonus for me.

I was never interested in Jutes when they were getting produced as physical models, but for the price I'll certainly try printing a few.

I will eagerly be awaiting some Ysian and Fomorian infantry sets to have them properly scaled the way I want them!

I almost bought Tower Banbreca in the old (..or was it new?) year sale.

...This basically paid for most of my printer, right here. Quality even out of my humble ~$250 RRP printer is just absolutely outstanding, on par with Mierce's (quite excellent!) casts. *1

As for pricing I'm with SacredRoach on this one. Sales on old stuff taper off anyway - but not only that, consider what the actual margins on >$200 in resin cast minis really is, after labor and materials! Every time some small business breaks down their costs on here I shudder at how wafer thin the margins are.
Margins on Patreon? ~92%! You break even on this so, so very much more quickly than folks might think, just going off of sticker price...

Also don't forget how we get a very narrow, focused subset of some faction in a given month. This *drives* sales. I now get to print the pesky, probably horribly-low-margin-anyway infantry and a lovely centrepiece or two - how much more likely am I to fill out the faction with some traditionally purchased minis that I simply can't get digitally yet - or possibly ever - now that I've actively paid for a subscription that suckers me (back) in?

I strongly suspect this model will see them sell *more*, not less, physical product - besides thousands a month in extremely high margin extra revenue.

And yes, I'm currently running the second of three build plates for my tower Banbreca, so maybe it's the enthousiasm speaking - but the more I think about it, the more convinced I become that Mierce's financial position gets far less, not more, precarious*2 for this, if anything.


*1 Anycubic Photon Mono 4K, in case anyone is wondering - and if you wait for a sale like I did, it can be had <$175 with a spot of luck! You'll still need something for wash&cure purposes of course, but still...

*2 I'm not nearly as doom&gloom on them as some, not by far - but let's face it: nigh anyone in this industry is one or two financial setbacks away from complete ruin, it seems...

Bolognesus, I would really love to see your Tower Banbreca when it's finished, or even the pieces. I've yet to get quality models that I felt good about 3D printed, either that I've commissioned to be printed or done myself.

I can't tell if my standards are just too high, or I've had bad luck in sourcing it! Companies like Greebo are literally selling 3D prints as final production products ("Greeblood", they're very cagey about the material and process) but I can't seem to crack the code.

I do think it's likely more forgiving at the large size of Mierce creations, but the large areas of organic or at least smooth / curving surfaces seem like they'd be challenging for many machines unless you're going to lightly sand it afterwards (and maybe you should just always be doing that ).

Anyway, would love to see your results when you have them!

 RiTides wrote:
Bolognesus, I would really love to see your Tower Banbreca when it's finished, or even the pieces. I've yet to get quality models that I felt good about 3D printed, either that I've commissioned to be printed or done myself.

I can't tell if my standards are just too high, or I've had bad luck in sourcing it! Companies like Greebo are literally selling 3D prints as final production products ("Greeblood", they're very cagey about the material and process) but I can't seem to crack the code.

I do think it's likely more forgiving at the large size of Mierce creations, but the large areas of organic or at least smooth / curving surfaces seem like they'd be challenging for many machines unless you're going to lightly sand it afterwards (and maybe you should just always be doing that ).

Anyway, would love to see your results when you have them!

Shame I printed in white resin, it looks *really* soft in the pictures - meanwhile in reality, it's crisp as hell.

I'm looking at the Gasts that are currently sort-of at the head of my new painting queue and even just primed black, they're crisp as heck.
Again, just a humble ~$200 printer - but one of the ones with 4K at 5.5" LCD diameter resolution.

I'll get back with pics once I have anything painted - although keep in mind, I'm neither a good, *nor* a fast painter so it'll be a bit, haha.

I printed a few of the regular- sized skeletons last night and was quite satisfied with the quality.
It may not be cast resin quality, of which the Mierce stuff was quite crisp, but for a mediocre painter like me it will absolutely suffice for goofing around with kindreds I wasn't super excited about picking up in the first place.

Still not reach the printed quality of some of the Kingdom Death photoresin stuff though. Of all the commercially printed figures I've gotten those have been the closest in quality to the cast stuff. Some of their early releases were iffy, but the latest batches have been n i c e .

 Alpharius wrote:
A good deal indeed!

Too good a deal?

Should anyone with a large backlog of pending minis already purchased be worried about Mierce's...health?

With apologies to Europe, is this The Final Cashgrab?

I do worry about this to be honest...

- They only have a certain amount of sculpts done digitially. They have a finite catalogue to draw from here

- It not only devalues their current range, but makes buying any of their big items (which has always been Mierces selling point) questionable. As has been pointed out, if they release a £175 model digitally, its cheaper to buy the kit and print it at home.

- The cost per unit isn't prohibitively high; I'm confident enough to skip this month and just pick up whatever takes my fancy later down the road.

- They only have a finite amount of sculptors to draw from, and I would imagine a lot of the freelance digital sculptors already work for others or have there own Patreons; why would I work for Mierce if I could do it myself?

- Theres some digital units that could be released through Patreon before backers have been able to get there minis, simply by losing track.


On the flip side however, theres a lot of things Mierce can bring to the table.

- Theres already a game available that people can read reviews of and play

- Its a pretty broad setting, with lots of common tropes that can be transplanted into other games (the Jutes and Atalantes being great first few months I feel). I can see a lot of GMs subscribing

- There is room to expand in a better way then others have; one faction per month, come back to them same time next year, any significant drop off bring in another faction.

- Digital scannings come a long way, and they have a substantial back catalogue they could, in theory, convert.


I'm on the fence.

The bit about selling products without fufilling pre-orders is something I know others have experienced - I still feel miffed about turning up to Salute one year, being excited to see the models in person, only to see the models I backed at Kickstarter and been told 'were delayed' for sale in significant quantities - and then waiting a further three months (I think in the end I arranged to pick them up from Mierce because I was so naffed off). Mierce does have form for things like this, and whilst this might help them address production issues... it might also lead to the return and encouragement of old habits.

I suspect it'll be a Patreon I duck in and out of as the mood takes me, and will be watching this thread carefully.

 Bolognesus wrote:

 RiTides wrote:
Bolognesus, I would really love to see your Tower Banbreca when it's finished, or even the pieces. I've yet to get quality models that I felt good about 3D printed, either that I've commissioned to be printed or done myself.

I can't tell if my standards are just too high, or I've had bad luck in sourcing it! Companies like Greebo are literally selling 3D prints as final production products ("Greeblood", they're very cagey about the material and process) but I can't seem to crack the code.

I do think it's likely more forgiving at the large size of Mierce creations, but the large areas of organic or at least smooth / curving surfaces seem like they'd be challenging for many machines unless you're going to lightly sand it afterwards (and maybe you should just always be doing that ).

Anyway, would love to see your results when you have them!

Spoiler:

Shame I printed in white resin, it looks *really* soft in the pictures - meanwhile in reality, it's crisp as hell.

I'm looking at the Gasts that are currently sort-of at the head of my new painting queue and even just primed black, they're crisp as heck.
Again, just a humble ~$200 printer - but one of the ones with 4K at 5.5" LCD diameter resolution.

I'll get back with pics once I have anything painted - although keep in mind, I'm neither a good, *nor* a fast painter so it'll be a bit, haha.

Thank you for the pic, Bolognesus!

Also to highlord - I did not know that KD was selling prints, that's really helpful to know . I definitely think we're on the cusp of this becoming super viable... Looking forward to the revolution