Slaine - first look at the production miniatures (these are the actual models from a boxed set shown to me by a friend)
As an enthusiastic Slaine fan in my youth (and still quite a bit nowadays) I’ve been getting very excited about the new miniatures game from Warlord. Not so much for the rules, but for the figures. The publicity has shown some wonderful sculpts based very closely on the classic artwork of the comics. However, these models were all metal castings, but the actual production models were to be ‘Warlord resin’.
Upon asking around, I discovered that this wonder substance is in fact a variant of Siocast, a flexible resin that has also recently been used by Plastic Soldier Company for its 15mm ancients ranges. Complex to master, it can produce excellent results when done well. I’d also heard a fair few stories about how hard it is to clean up mould lines on figures; due to its flexible nature, it needs very careful trimming with a super sharp blade - any filing or sanding just creates a burr.
So, I was steeling myself for possible disappointment when I got to handle the actual minis but… I have to say, I’m impressed. Mould lines were minimal and I managed to clean them up with a brand new scalpel blade. The models are lovely, easily recognisable as being closely based on the comic art. There’s some serious detail in patterns and textures that will paint up really well with washes or Contrast paints.
On the downside, a couple of the poses are slightly ‘flat’ - not unexpected with these single piece castings, especially a couple of the Skull Swords, where the sculptor has had to include a cast-on shield and sword within the moulding restrictions. The resin/ plastic is quite bendy, so will benefit from a plastic primer and good varnishing. They are also quite tall - well into the 32mm category - but I put them up against some of my existing Celtic myth collection and I think they’ll be just fine.
Handling these lovely models certainly allayed my fears and I shall be getting some for sure.