So i was thinking all weekend about todays post and just what to do, and then it struck me:
The Future of Hobby Miniatures and Wargaming!
So prior to pickimg up the hobby last year with Malifaux, i had been out of The Hobby since i was 16, thats a good 11 years.
And i got to thinking: "Why did i quit in the first place?"
The answer was simple. I didn't like the direction the hobby was heading.
Now I know I'm not alone here, that there were many people who around the same time decided to bail and never look back, but what was the reason for this?
Well let me first tell you about some of my first ever models I owned/painted...
They were Ral Pather AD&D, my favourite of them being the Golden Dragon:
But what did I love about these models? Part was the size, they were so much bigger than the others I had seen through games like Heroquest, but more so than anything it was that the mini was a multi part with an amazing amount of detail.
And so we get to the turning point for me. Things were going one way or the other: on one hand GW started making multi-part boxed sets, however these were all plastic, and i am sorry but i think when you pick up a model the size of your fist, it is supposed to feel meaty, not like a delicate kit-model.
On the other hand, virtually all their metal models were single piece sculpts, this caused awkward poses and a lack of detail to become even more apparent (just look at the metal GorkaMorka Orks with shootas sculpts).
Anyway, fastforward 11 years, it's April/May 2011 and I randomly stumble across a website advertising Malifaux. A couple of things strike me, 1). metal models, 2).Incredible detail and character that i had never seen in a model range before. I just had to get involved.
And so, a quick purchase of the Gremlin crew later and a long painful wait for it to arrive via the post, i was then privvy to see for myself how beautiful the sculpts were.
the attention to detail was obvious, as was the intent to make each model a little scenic story in itself.
About a month or two later i aquired the Le'Croix boxed set, and i noticed a change, the models contained less 'thin' bits. Gone were the intricate components, like the Grem holding the gun to his head, or the telescope, and in came big chunky components.
Looking at other book 2 models, I can see the same almost across the board: What should be fine detailed models are less so. Multi part kits replaced with single sculpts, and this has partially broken my heart.
Is this the future for wargaming? Are companies forced to abandon the quest for amazing multi part models in the search for a greater profit margin?
Currently Wyrd Miniatures have yet to move imto plastic models, and with the high detailed Avatars coming out, i do hope that Book 2 was a one off.
Fingers Crossed
Interesting article.
ReplyDeleteSwings and Roundabouts. For every person who mourns the loss of fine thin details on their mini's there's someone who's grateful that their figures are less susceptible to bending and breaking.
However, I'm with you on plastic figures, though perhaps they suit large army games more than smaller skirmish games. Personally I hope Wyrd stick to metal & resin.