Pewter VS. Plastic

[Talishko]

What games even use resin as the primary substance?

None that I play. I know that resin is not as easily available as metal, but as a modeller and painter I prefer resin. I have some Kraken Editions resin minis and they are stunning!

I believe Smart Max do MAUSER EARTH and SMOG in resin, and Uncle Mike's Worldwide does Strange Aeons in resin too.

I prefer metal - always have. It permits greater undercuts and detail than plastics (and I don't care what people say, the best plastics are not as detailed as the best metals in either my opinion or experience), and it also allows me strip a model totally clean if I want to regardless of what it was painted with or when.

Plastics are okay if I have no other choice, but in those cases I'd probably go and find a different game with metal models.

Resin I'm on the fence about. It holds detail even better than metal, and is easy enough to work with. However, it is hard to strip resin, and often many resins have physical drawbacks (like being brittle, or bending if left somewhere even vaguely warm for example).

As for the "feel" of a model's material... Well I weight my bases with lead, so that should further indicate my preference!

With your painting skills I find it hard to believe that you ever have to strip minis...

I know you can bend resin under the warmth of a hair-dryer (for converting, etc) but I never thought it would deform if I leave the mini case on the floor (I have underfloor heating so it's quite warm down there). Good to know, I'll have to look out for it.

[Etna's Vassal]

I can't help it, I DETEST plastic.

Yet I play Monsterpocalypse (as pre-painted plastic as it gets), so I'm a total hypocrite. Then again, I consider Monpoc to be a collectible boardgame, so that's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it.

When I pick up a centerpiece model (giant, dreadnought, warjack), I want it to have some heft to it! A plastic mini going *thwip* as it's hitting the table as it moves in nowhere near as pleasing as the mild *thunk* you get from a metal mini. I have a Forgeworld Death Guard army, and I actually feel let down every time I pick up their cases, not because the army was so ungodly expensive (dumb investment there), or the fact the army book is awful (and it does suck really badly)- but because the cases are so damn light. It doesn't feel like a billion dollars worth of minis, it feels like an empty case! My 15mm armies are more satisfying to move around because you can FEEL the mini in your hands.

I'm ranting now, so I'll let this train of rage-filled thought go. Suffice it to say, even if it is more expensive, metal all the way. If plastic costs the same as or is more expensive than metal (*coughgamesworkshopcough*) I quit buying the product.

[EricJ]

the miniature weight is actually one of the main reasons we decided to do our base inserts in Metal! Gives your metal minis even more substance, not to mention that bottom weighted minis don't fall over and mess up your paint jobs nearly as much

[Prophaniti]

Plastic, metal and resin all have their merits and drawbacks. I would consider the right resin to be the best choice for any display figure as the moldmaking process keeps the detail of the original piece much better. The casting, on the other hand, doesn't really lend itself to mass production. The paint had better stick though!

For precision large kits (i.e. tanks) I much prefer injection molded plastic. I find large metal and resin kits fit together much less well and are prone to distorting. In the case of metal I find the 'heft' becomes more of an excersise than a satisfying feeling, especially when painting the things.

So it would seem I appreciate metal less than the other mediums. Not really true (except really soft alloys, which I hate as they damage easily). Metal is a perfectly good choice for 'display' figures and some figures where the detail requires it. I like a certain amount of weight too.

I suppose ultimately I'm more concerned with the appearance of the finished article, than what it's made of.

[Viktorias_Secret]

Through tough experience I voice the choice of METAL. My opinion is formed mainly from my hurtful experience with Rackham miniatures. Both the quality of the sculpt and the durability of the miniature (ie. bending weapons, wings, appendages, etc...) suffer in plastic. The weight is a little less of a factor since you can glue a washer or coin under the base but there is a psychological effect there.

I think that the right kind of plastic for larger models is acceptable. But, in general, there is no beating metal and I am happy to pay a dollar or two more for a skirmish game model that is cast out of it. If you ask around this forum and poll Malifaux players I think the majority would say: "Its the miniatures, man!"

I don't think that folks would have the same reaction over plastic minis.

[Larkin Vain]

I personally like both as long as they are good sculpts. I do prefer plastics for larger models and models that can be customized with different options.