Wargames Atlantic: Plastic Classic Fantasy Spiders Reviewed!

[Belgian]

Thought this might be of interest, my review of the new plastic Wargames Atlantic Giant Spiders. Although sold in their fantasy range, this particular kit also contains parts to create space spiders armed with laser rifles! In the review you can find some useful scale comparison pictures along with other useful information about this boxed set. Short conclusion, if you're looking for quality and quantity, these spiders will certainly be of interest to you for your fantasy and science fiction games.

https://wargameterrain.blogspot.com/2021/05/wargames-atlantic-plastic-classic.html

[Cubs]

"Attercop! Old Tomnoddy!"

These should be very popular. Giant spiders seem to be a perennial fave.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Very economical kit, and useful for a variety of scales and genres, especially with a bit of supplemental material from a well-stocked bits box - which will be paid back with a slew of spare legs when you're done.  My only niggles with the set:

1) The wrapped victims are kind of oddly scaled, with the taller one still being small for a scale human (perhaps it's an elf, or shrunken and desiccated by having been fed on) and the shorter one being very squat - which is okay for a Dwarf, but it also has distinctly hairy feet that fit a hobbit better.  They're still nice enough, and they're pretty good trade bait if you need all of them for yourself.

2) Some of the legs are a little fussy about which other ones they'll fit with, and it's not entirely obvious which clash until you've started sticking them on despite the parts guide.  Definitely better to do these things with solvent plastic glue rather than a cyanoacrylate superglue so you have some time to fiddle with things.  If nothing else you'll want to make sure you've got enough legs on the ground for a stable stance, especially if you skip on bases (which are really unneeded on these things).

But those are really minor complaints, and the kit as a whole is an A+ for me.

The small spiders are also perfect for the "pet" cyberachnids that House Van Saar can take in Necromunda if you steal the "techno-mask" bits from a larger spider and attach it to the little guy instead, perhaps adding other parts from one's bits box as well.  GW doesn't even make the darn things at the moment, and when they do they certainly won't be as inexpensive as these things are.

[Grumpy Gnome]

I have some of these and agree with your review Belgian. Fiddly legs but otherwise a good Kit and economical. They are now my go to kit for giant spiders.

[Belgian]

Very economical kit, and useful for a variety of scales and genres, especially with a bit of supplemental material from a well-stocked bits box - which will be paid back with a slew of spare legs when you're done.  My only niggles with the set:

1) The wrapped victims are kind of oddly scaled, with the taller one still being small for a scale human (perhaps it's an elf, or shrunken and desiccated by having been fed on) and the shorter one being very squat - which is okay for a Dwarf, but it also has distinctly hairy feet that fit a hobbit better.  They're still nice enough, and they're pretty good trade bait if you need all of them for yourself.

2) Some of the legs are a little fussy about which other ones they'll fit with, and it's not entirely obvious which clash until you've started sticking them on despite the parts guide.  Definitely better to do these things with solvent plastic glue rather than a cyanoacrylate superglue so you have some time to fiddle with things.  If nothing else you'll want to make sure you've got enough legs on the ground for a stable stance, especially if you skip on bases (which are really unneeded on these things).

But those are really minor complaints, and the kit as a whole is an A+ for me.

The small spiders are also perfect for the "pet" cyberachnids that House Van Saar can take in Necromunda if you steal the "techno-mask" bits from a larger spider and attach it to the little guy instead, perhaps adding other parts from one's bits box as well.  GW doesn't even make the darn things at the moment, and when they do they certainly won't be as inexpensive as these things are.

All fair points and to be honest hadn't thought on using the scifi bits on the smaller spiders but that's a great idea!

Regarding the halfling size, it might be sized as their halfling soldiers but not sure on that.

I have some of these and agree with your review Belgian. Fiddly legs but otherwise a good Kit and economical. They are now my go to kit for giant spiders.

Thanks and yes, they must be the cheapest proper wargame spiders on the market so far.

[BZ]

Nice review!
Those spiders are great! Its pretty hard to build them, but so it has a lot of freedom for different poses.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

Nice review!
Those spiders are great! Its pretty hard to build them, but so it has a lot of freedom for different poses.

After some experimentation I found it was best to do the two "keyed" legs (the ones with the squared tabs) then the rearmost pair of legs.  Almost anything will fit in the back, but it's important to get that pair in place early since they (along with the keyed central legs) largely define the plane of the body relative to the ground.  Until you've got that part done it's too easy to stick the other four legs on in positions that won't make a stable model in the end.

I do like the fact that you can vary the angle the body can be set a lot, and the fact that the keyed legs can be attached either sweeping forward or back, or even one of each.  Opens up a lot of pose variety, although I'm not 100% it was intentional instead of a happy accident. 

[BZ]

After some experimentation I found it was best to do the two "keyed" legs (the ones with the squared tabs) then the rearmost pair of legs.  Almost anything will fit in the back, but it's important to get that pair in place early since they (along with the keyed central legs) largely define the plane of the body relative to the ground.  Until you've got that part done it's too easy to stick the other four legs on in positions that won't make a stable model in the end.

I do like the fact that you can vary the angle the body can be set a lot, and the fact that the keyed legs can be attached either sweeping forward or back, or even one of each.  Opens up a lot of pose variety, although I'm not 100% it was intentional instead of a happy accident. 

Ive done only 4 of them and was more concentrated on the dofferent poses rather then the effective and quick building. But I may buy more...

[Chief Lackey Rich]

But I may buy more...

You and me both.  I finished a whole box mostly as fantasy builds, but now I'm looking back and thinking I could do some more alien-looking scifi builds and there's a project that could use a bunch more of the abdomen pieces.  Need to replace some of the Frostgrave stuff I've run out of first though, and get some Stargrave kits to play around with.  Never enough time and money for all the figs I want to do. 

[BZ]

And I have some leftover goblin riders...

[Grumpy Gnome]

It would be nice if they did not have just one arm with a “hand”... the asymmetrical nature may be very alien but it seems awkward.

[Chief Lackey Rich]

It would be nice if they did not have just one arm with a “hand”... the asymmetrical nature may be very alien but it seems awkward.

Fair point.  You could just give the model both gun arms though - there's both a left and right handed weapon arm on the sprue.  You'd think something with all those limbs and eyes could dual-wield better than a humanoid, right? 

[Belgian]

Nice review!
Those spiders are great! Its pretty hard to build them, but so it has a lot of freedom for different poses.

Thanks, regarding the minis they are indeed harder to build than human minis but as said much more possibilities.

I also start with the legs with cast on squares makes the construction a bit easier to plan and handle.

These are so versatile and can easily be used as scifi and fantasy creatures even without using the obvious scifi parts included.

These will be very popular considering the quality and price.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Fair point.  You could just give the model both gun arms though - there's both a left and right handed weapon arm on the sprue.  You'd think something with all those limbs and eyes could dual-wield better than a humanoid, right? 

True! Pew pew!

[Chief Lackey Rich]

It would be nice if they did not have just one arm with a “hand”... the asymmetrical nature may be very alien but it seems awkward.

I suppose we could hold out hope for another sprue that lets you convert the existing one into D&D driders and/or aliens/spider-people with a similar body shape.  That would give them the opportunity to stick a pair of "open hand" limbs on the frame as well as vastly increasing the utility of a kit that's already pretty good.  Both fantasy and scifi are weirdly under-served when it comes to "bug" races and I don't think I'm the only person who'd happily buy a bunch, right?

Something like the Wyrd Jorogumo, only with options for both elven and arachnoid torsos/heads/limbs and a mix of both scifi and fantasy weapons for both would be ideal.  If you were careful about it getting the parts for four or even six models on one sprue should be doable, letting you throw one or two conversion frames in a single box with three or four of the existing set.

https://giveusyourmoneypleasethankyou-wyrd.com/products/jorogumo-1

You listening, Wargames Atlantic?