Mako Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I was going to put this on the end of another thread, but it turned into a bit of a wall of text so I thought I'd split it off. Here's my considered view of the plastics I got today. I've taken some close ups of them, so here they are (click on them for huge ones), and my initial thoughts are below each. The dark debts sprue is an odd one. I can certainly see the softness people are saying is on the Hungering darkness, he is a bit smooth, mainly where the teeth join the head. BUT, and this is the killer bit, the skeleton right next to him is sharp as anything. Same goes around the sprue, some details are softer (the illuminated being fed on) but there are plenty of sharp details (Jakobs watch chain, people. That thing is so tiny I can barely see it!). I've tried to take pictures that show both in each shot so it's clearly not the photograph. So I thinks it's a style choice, most of the details are comparable to metallic, some are better, and a few are worse. But it's not the moulding or the materials the sculpt has been done that way deliberately. HD is a gooey blobby monster. Ok, maybe a few more details would make life easier on painters, but he looks right for what he is in my mind. On to the depleted and beckoners. Again, there's some softer organic detail, and some pin sharp stuff. The beckoners are an exceptional sprue, and yet the tiny tiny details in places like the shoulder straps are mostly fantastic, but just a touch softer in places. Nothing that would prevent a wash and drybrush from picking it out though (this is my new benchmark test, the W+D test). Graves and Tannen - I would actually say that the buttons and things on Graves are the softest bit of clothing in the whole bunch. They're still good, but not as good as others. And yet in the photo, he looks crisper than in reality. Still though, the details are lovely. My biggest issue with these two is the casino chip in Tannen's fingers. It's nothing remotely like circular, and that's the worst I can say for this pair. Which is nothing really! Tannen has a really dirty grin too... IN SUMMARY: The new models are a different style to the original Malifaux metals, definitely. In places the details are a bit softer than they would have been, but aside from the teeth on HD they're softer in areas like skin and clothing, that should be smooth. The details in other places are so small and fine they look soft, but are just tiny and hard to pick out (Miss Terious' coffin chains hurt my eyes to pick out the links. Painting her will be interesting!). None of the sprues lack sharp detailed areas, some (like the beckoners) are stunning and beyond the showgirl models in refined details. Lace shoulder straps, seriously! Some are as good as the metals but stylistically different - typically they're cleaner, less busy sculpts. And yes, in one or two places the detail is softer than the metals. Not many though. So I think that the HD may only just scrape a pass on the W+D test in places, and the other models will either be fine or sail through. I can't tell you how good the details on the beckoners are. Really. However, this is the caveat: they are clearer models, less fussy and detailed (I have brutal effigy in front of me too, and that thing is fussy as anything comparatively!). They will all likely benefit more from extra effort in painting them than the metals would have. And equally, simple paintjobs may not work as well as they did on the busy metals. So for beginner painters, they will be ok, but maybe harder to get pleasing results from with quick and simple methods. But they really will reward a bit of extra effort much more I think. Overall, I'm really pleased with them. I can't wait for my paints to arrive so I can get cracking. Perfect? No, I wouldn't say so. Better/worse than the metals? - Yes on some details, yes on some of their poses and flexibility in that and spare parts, yes on cleanup and i guess pinning too (I hate cleaning metals so I am biased on that). They also provide a clearer oppounity to show off your painting, which I realise may not everyone's preference but I love it. - No on some details, but not that many although those teeth are a shame. There's less details on some, that's not a negative for me but you may like your models heavier on details than I do in which case yes, that could be a negative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgraz Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Nice write up Mako. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edonil Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 ...Dammit Mako, I didn't want to start up the Dark Debts crew. Grrr... Anyway, thanks for posting your thoughts, great analysis of the kit as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted September 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Cheers, when I opened the big box I instantly saw what people meant (the back of HDs mouth has soft tooth detail and it's a really obvious piece), but when I looked closer across it all I was really happy! Also, I got a sleek black tape measure heh. No bright colours for me! I have to admit, in the interests of fairness i dug about on the sprues for flaws. I could easily have gushed about their wonderfulness, but I can do that in my thread as I paint them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
osoi Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks Mako, cant wait for my order to arrive (admittedly its just got Yamizako and 10T Archers in it that are new plastic atm) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Shaper Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Thanks for the write up Mako... it makes me want my order to arrive even quicker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDL1113 Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 Nice.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Viruk Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 A very interesting read, thanks for sharing it along with great pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted September 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 No problem! I should mention, cleaning up HD is a breeze and he fits together fairly well (a seam to fill, but no big gaps), but his upper teeth took extra work to shared the separation between them, I'd say that's the weakest area of the sprues all told. And even that is no real problem after work with a knife and file for a few minutes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rameses Posted September 7, 2012 Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I was initially very unimpressed by the Dark Debts boxset. It wasn't until I assembled and primed the models was my opinion changed for the better. Now I'm excited to get them painted. But first up... stripping Colettes crew and going Goth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mako Posted September 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 7, 2012 I have to admit I loved it from the concept onward. HD has just been ok, kind of as I expected, but the rest has been really gorgeous. I'm prepping them even though it's a month until I get any paints! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikey Posted September 8, 2012 Report Share Posted September 8, 2012 I was initially very unimpressed by the Dark Debts boxset. It wasn't until I assembled and primed the models was my opinion changed for the better. Now I'm excited to get them painted. But first up... stripping Colettes crew and going Goth. Photos or it didn't happen!! Seriously though, I'd be really interested in seeing that. I have gone/am going a tad goth on my Death Marshalls - white skulls painted onto their faces, going to try and goth up Lady J. Only my painting skills aren't fantastic. Their not bad, but not fantastic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.