Brilliant (Sarcasm) - just spent a fortune on lead, fireforge converted mongols etc
Sounds great doesn't it??
Very much looking forward to these and hope they have armour!!
Darrell.
I'd emailed GB a few months ago about something or other, but they had mentioned they were going to both a light and heavy cavalry box. I don't know any more than that, but I suppose with two boxes there'll be quite a bit of variety so that we can put them to the various uses we'd like.
A thought I had too, with the Haradrim, except that the GW plastics are pretty expensive these days. :(
At SALUTE this year we are releasing TWO new boxes of plastics; Arab Light Cavalry and Arab Heavy Cavalry. Earlier this week we received the mould test shots for the lights. Test shots are used to make sure everything on the mould is aligned and forms properly and are usually slightly less crisp than the final product from the mould once any issues from the test shots are sorted and the locating pins tightened. We were so pleased with the tests that we stuck a few together - so, here are a couple of quick snaps we thought we'd share. Remember they were roughly stuck just to test and Martin didn't trim any sprue bits or mould flash (which is present on these test shots but won't be on the final versions!!) Caveats over...what you think?
The Turcoman's hat is a little small and Fez like.
:(... and the hands are also too big compared to the heads.
There comes a time when you just have to say what you think - and I think these are incredibly crudely done.
I didn't think much of the Arab infantry, and these look even less good.
The horse has got a banana-shaped head and stick legs. The riders' arms are all wrong: the bow arm with hardly any detail or shape at all; the sword arm at an unnatural angle.
The horse archer appears to be wearing a pancake on his head. His torso doesn't fit on his legs properly. His open hand is weird. There's no detail to speak of. The costume detailing is... sketchy...
Yes, it could just be down to the photos, but to judge from these, they're distinctly ropey-looking figures.
The horse has got a banana-shaped head
the bow arm with hardly any detail
What Captain Blood is all to true.
But still... Plastic Saracens... I could use some boxes of these...
To bad Perry cant make all the miniatures for all the eras and games...
:o Hold your fire chaps, until we've seen a unit painted and based :o
Caveats over...what you think?
That would be a good thing, no? :)
Well, the post quoted from Gripping Beast said...
...inviting people to say what they think of the figures in the raw...
You're right, of course. A really good painter would be able to make these look a lot better than they look here. But that wouldn't really address the sculpting / fit problems apparent in these photos...
LAF is a polite, constructive forum. We're all very respectful of other people's offerings - including things people are trying to sell us. Every now and then though, something comes along where a bit of frank criticism seems the honest thing to do. As long as it's specific (and not personal or petty) that's okay, surely? Especially when the seller has asked 'what do you think?'
Perhaps GB will pick up on the reaction, and take the opportunity to address some of the issues people have cited before going into full scale production.
That would be a good thing, no? :)
There's a feeling that you have do give these new plastic producers some leeway 'cos they're a bit inexperienced, and maybe GBP's last couple of kits were a sign of improvement (I dunno, didn't look too closely at them) but I think they're starting to slide backwards again.
For one thing, I personally wish they'd try to do multipart limited-pose minis with anatomy that kinda makes sense, rather than multipose minis with strange one-armed-bandit robo-limbs. It looks like they're using moulding/casting decisions that even GW gave up on a few years ago.
Spot on Cap'n. Only dog I got in this fight is if I can bung 'em in with Perry Fuzzy Wuzzies as cheap an' cheerful mounted ***s in the Sudan!:P
But I'm not buying the idea that said versatility is meant as an 'empowerment' of customers to build their models in any way they want.
Erm, not sure that is an acceptable word there, regardless of how Victorian Gentlemen themed your posts are. :?
And yet the Perrys have shown it can be done - and it does indeed provide a lot of pleasure (for me anyway :)).Not to take away from your fabulous conversion work or that of dear Stuart lately or anyone else I've missed – but having built quite a few of those Perry models (Late Medieval, ACW, WW2) I'm still not sold on the concept. There are certain poses that work best, most others make the model look like a string puppet with pieces of equipment tacked on. At least if you don't spend time on 'fixing' with GS – which, for some of us, is a rather tedious task.
I'm going to commit a horrible blasphemy: I don't think Bob Naismith's sculpting and design is all that and a bag of chips. I don't think a well-known name and 30 years experience makes that horse look much better!
Perry plastics, the Wars of the Roses stuff, are perfectly decent and give a very good effect en masse - I much prefer this to the 12 all stood in the same pose of the old GW stuff (sorry TWD). And GW have shown that it's possible to make excellent plastics, the skaven and elves from the Island of Blood is a good example of what can be achieved.
In terms of poses, at least. Not so much variation and customisation maybe, and still a lot of bits in some cases (especially those dual- or triple-purpose kits) but they've almost left behind the idea of separate, 'posable' arms, legs, heads, torsos etc. to be awkwardly bodged together in weird uncanny-valley shapes and poses.Precisely. GW models are increasingly no longer "multi-pose" and IMO the end results are far superior.
I think you may have hit upon the central problem ::)
although I'm going to commit a horrible blasphemy: I don't think Bob Naismith's sculpting and design is all that and a bag of chips. I don't think a well-known name and 30 years experience makes that horse look much better!I've gotten my head bitten off several times for expressing this very same sentiment...
I believe he's known as Bish-Bash Bob in some circles...
I've gotten my head bitten off several times for expressing this very same sentiment...
~Eric
Just joshing of course, I don't think he'll be that worried...
if a person twists his torso to one side, the lace/buttons/whatever down the front should reflect the torsion of the body - on these, the stuff runs down to the hips when the torso is turned to the side, looking totally unnatural to meIt appears to me to be the case that the torsos and legs are separate pieces, which would explain that. I agree, it's a bit unnatural-looking, and I guess the trade off (sort of? If you can look past the lack of shirt twisting) is increased posability. Sort of a perennial problem with plastics - increased options for posing, but many of those don't look natural.
I think that this will be a very good set.
I wonder if I could mix in some parts and horses from the Fireforge Mongels to get even more variety.