Unboxing Som'er Teeth Jones 'The Bayou Boss' Set

[i_was_like_you]

While using plastic cement generally makes for a much stronger bond between pieces, it doesn't protect fiddly bits from breaking further down themselves. Also, despite how much I recommend using plastic cement, once we get down to smaller models like the ice gamin or gremlins, they're too small for it to properly function, as the melting action melts the entire piece or pieces we're trying to work with. Which means using superglue, which can be prone to snapping under pressure, such as from bumping another model or from being stored in foam trays.

[zFiend]

Also what are the "scratches" / "crackles" on Som'ers back?

[Murphy'sLawyer]

I'd say the main concern for gameplay, at least in the case of the Skeeters, is where on the model is safe and durable enough to actually pick it up, without grabbing it by a flight peg between the model and the base or resorting to mounting a tree or sign post or something specifically for the purpose of moving the model.

Looking at doing just that with mine. Need to look around for a good idea, though the tree trunk is a good one.

[i_was_like_you]

Not sure which Ten Thunders crews / models are going to get the signpost treatment yet, but I bought a pack of chopsticks with red lettering on them. They'll work for a prototype, then I can get some of the fancier ones later. Save me having to attempt to freehand the characters.

[Omenbringer]

Off topic but for the 10 Thunders models I would recommend using toothpicks to create faux bamboo shoots (I can provide the paint recipe if you need one). I have used that technique with my Anima Tactics Li Long model which is gingerly standing on a thin bit of metal.

[i_was_like_you]

Off topic but for the 10 Thunders models I would recommend using toothpicks to create faux bamboo shoots (I can provide the paint recipe if you need one). I have used that technique with my Anima Tactics Li Long model which is gingerly standing on a thin bit of metal.

 

That would be great! 

 

For the chopsticks, I was just going to use the top portion as a signpost, even if it says, "beef, pork, chicken, and shrimp" on it. 

[zFiend]

Um.. I can't but wonder how is this possible.

 

Here we have a Ht 3 model, that goes on a 40mm base on a 30mm base for comparison, then we have a Ht 1 model, that goes on a 30mm base:

 

 

And a couple more, to ask a question how am I supposed to base this? 

 

 

I am extremely disappointed with this box set Those Skeeters seriously won't be able to withstand even a hard stare on the table, as well as them being so damn huge they will be tangled with other models all the time with those fiddly bits of theirs. The antennae being the worst. 

[McSwervy]

 

 

And a couple more, to ask a question how am I supposed to base this? 

 

 

 

 

So I think how I'm going to do it once I've finished up everything else (the f***ing fishing pole gremlin... I'm going to rip my hair out...) is get some flying stands, take a pin vise to them, and mount them up on those.  I'm going to work at the legs with some green stuff and make them look like they're flying.  I don't know, the only thing I've done with them thus far is take the sprue out and verify that the antennae hadn't broken off.  We'll see if my plan works out.

I'm not really disappointed with the box, I genuinely love all the poses for the gremlins, but the thing is just so damn hard to assemble.  And I've been doing this for a while, so I can only imagine someone who is new to minis games trying to get this box up on the table.

[Mason]

I'm working on the box at the moment, and while Somer, Lenny, and three of the Gremlins weren't too bad to assemble, this fishing pole gremlin is driving me crazy.  It's easily one of the most difficult models I've ever tried to assemble.  I haven't hit the skeeters yet, so we'll see how that goes. 

[Clement]

Good news though,  google "Mosquito in flight" and you'll see that they seem to fly around with their legs all over the place spread out, so you should be able to just jam it on a flying base/piece of wire/etc.

[wizuriel]

May the big hat have mercy on my soul , I just purchased the box set :S

[wizuriel]

This gremlin with the pipe is insane. Seriously can't get his arm/gun to stay together. I can't see these models surviving casual play for long

 

The fishing line one is also brutal.

[hypoking]

I hesitate to jinx myself here, but mine seem to be staying in one piece.

[wizuriel]

Well just had one gremlin fall and lose a foot. bloody [censor]ing [censor]. 

[zFiend]

It's a lovely box isn't it?  

 

I was really looking forward to getting the Ophelia box so I could get some Enforcers for my Som'er. After actually getting and putting together the Som'er box, I highly doubt I will actually expand the gremlins with the new plastic line. Such a waste of money Som'er was. 

[wizuriel]

Going wait for the unboxing to decide, though Ophelia is no longer a purchase during Gencon for me. While I think the new plastic for them look better than the metal crew, I think the metal crew look better than gremlins missing feet or broken pieces because of the insanity of putting them together. 

[hypoking]

Same boat, after putting together Somer n' palls I'm in no rush to replace my metal kin.

[zFiend]

Worst thing is that these got delayed due to "not meeting the standards" and came out like this. 

[hypoking]

I imagine they were coming to life, cursed tiki doll style, and killing their owners. Ya know, the usual quality control stuff.

[Mason]

Fishing Gremlin is all finished!

 

I basically had to slap balls of greenstuff into each shoulder joint, get the arms lined up with the body and each other, and then slather the green stuff in super glue to make it cure.  Then I went back a few hours later and very, very carefully cut away the greenstuff until I was down to the plastic, and applied another bit of super glue to fill in any small cracks I couldn't see that might become a problem later. 

 

He looks pretty good now.  XD

[GMort]

If any of you guys have altered the models to make them work and have pictures of them with the improvements showing (so green stuff still showing rather than painted over) then I'd like to see them with a view to adding them to the unboxing article in the 'assembly tips' sections.

I'll also be adding some of the more constructive comments relating to problems as well as soon as I'm back from holiday.

[DevlinMudd]

I've got a lot of the metal Gremlins already so I didn't want to get all of this box, luckily a friend really wanted Johanna so I just bought the four Bayou Gremlins and Lenny off him.

 

I found Lenny really easy to put together, though there is a bit of a gap between the pig and his belly. It's quite hidden so even if I stuff up the gap-filling it won't worry me too much.

 

The Gremlins I did find fiddly, two places in particular: getting the arms on square for the Gremlin with the fishing pole, and getting the frog to hang properly from the squatting Gremlin. How that's supposed to look nice without major plastic surgery I do not know, because straight off the sprue it shoots out almost perpendicular to the boomstick and looks ridiculous.

 

Also I'm pretty sure that I got the angle of the feet on the squatting Gremlin wrong, because once I put the satchel on him he leads forward far too much. Not a problem because I can fix it up when basing him.

 

I think the biggest problem with this kit is that some of the joins don't have pegs, and most times the flat part that you have to connect to the torso also connects to the sprue. So you when you cut it off the sprue and trim it you've altered the angle of the connecting section slightly, which is enough to throw off the join. This is what caused me the problems with the squatting Gremlin's feet and the fishing pole Gremlin's arms. When two pieces did have pegs it was a cinch. I don't know how common this is with other plastics kits - the only other ones I've built from Wyrd are Burt, Wong and Gracie.

 

The hats are a bummer too, they'll all require filling to get rid of the seam. But I can't see any other way to do them in plastic and have them look good.

 

Overall I'm really happy with the five models I got to put together. They fit in really well with the old Bayou Gremlins (thankfully, I have eight of them!) and the poses are interesting and worth the extra assembly time. I had my doubts about the move to plastics after the initial sets of models but am relieved to say that I'm pleased with them now. I do agree that they're not great as an entry point into the hobby for non-modellers, but this hasn't been a problem in my local scene at least.

[Mason]

I just did a second box of Bayou Gremlins and these ones went together much, much easier than the first ones (including the fishing gremlin).  It might just be from knowing which areas were going to be a problem, but this batch was barely much of a concern.  Practice makes perfect, I guess?

[Yannu]

I just got my box today and put it all together in over an hour. Sure that this box is far from easy to put together, but it's ok for me.

Personnally I love the look of all the models and that makes it worth the effort of putting all the little pieces together

[grave13]

I have looked at the blue prints to somers and ophillas crew and i dont see what all the fuss is about......I mean has anyone ever put together a brass arachnid from the plastic Ramos crew? That little chestnut was a nightmare