Zinzig

"Zombies": slow-moving like in walking dead or fast-moving like in world war Z? which do you prefer to see in a movie/tv show? and which do you feel is more likely/realistic?

The prices of DDS on ebay are, to me at least, absolutely insane. I picked up both of mine for $35 and $40. Marthrangaul I picked up for $28 (shipped...I felt bad for a second or two...) and $40. All were opened, which may cause the price to go down slightly, but I'm not a collector and someday I will paint them! Plus, opened I know they have all their parts and pieces. I've also got a druids stone (second one I've owned) which also may see paint someday. I love scoring a new box set...regardless of the fact I have enough mini's to keep me busy for, literally, the next decade at least. That said, if I could get a good deal on another Marthrangaul, DDS, druids stone, etc...yeah, I'm there. -Z

4...blue green issues as well. -Z

I like it. To me it needs a few more layers of shadows. Reverse highlighting...so you've got the whites to yellows to oranges to just barely red...and while that looks like fire, I think you should go a little darker, which would mean re-layering in everything after white to give space to put in a few more reds. Honestly, not worth it, looks very good as is and just something to consider for the next flames. Personally, for fire or flames I go from just off-white all the way to walnut brown, crossing through 3 triads and half a dozen mixes in between. For the OSL, I'm assuming his left foot is in the lava stream, right is on a rock. Imagine he's in a dark cave with only source of light being the lava and him...so the lava looks to be on both sides of the rock, but very little light from the lava would be on the top of the rock, sides would be lit, from below (I'd use an orage to red), so leave some top ridges black. For the top of the rock I'd try some bright-ish yellow/orange around the feet and got to red/walnut quickly as you spread away from the feet with a little brighter trail from foot to foot. Leave most of the rock dark so the OSL really shows. -Z

Bravo! I'm liking the variety on display here the most. That image should be in the reaper store for that mini. Well done. Ideas borrowed. -Z

Sent in my list of what I considered miscasts, got an email saying the mini's were being sent and took about a week for them to arrive. That being said, really it was a waste of time, money and effort. One of the eleven I would consider an improvement over the original, the others are all just as bad if not worse. Apparently bonesium is not the material if you like detail...or noses. Biggest disappointment for me was the cloud giantess is still missing the toes on her left foot and in the email I sent with my list, I specifically mentioned all the defects. I guess my kids just got some more mini's to paint. -Z

And that to me is the problem...deathsleet should not need fixing. A little clean-up in mold lines, maybe trim a joint to fit a little better...those I understand. Having to re-inforce a part for structural integrity, due to the lack of consistency of bonesium is a problem, regardless of where the part actually is on the figure...head, arm, tail, leg, etc. A wibbly-wobbly arm or spear to me is just as bad as weak ankles. I just want more consistency with the product and I'm going to go ahead and blame the manufacturer of the bones as I think once all these are in-house QC will be much better and I don't think we'll see week ankled dragons. -Z

So, anyone else notice this? I'm not talking about back stories, descriptions, etc. -Z

Isn't this just the way bonesium is? Call it spongey, flubbery, etc. It seems important when the model affected is yours, doesn't it? Lack of consistency of the material itself is my biggest gripe with the entire bones line. I'm not a fan of GW plastics, but at least the plastic is consistent and you know what to expect. -Z

Update: Both female add-on giants are spongy, although not to the extent of the kaladrax pieces (granted they are both much larger solid pieces). Both have spears than can be turned into "U" shapes with very little force. In contrast the fingers of the rock/earth elemental from the forces of nature add-on can barely be moved and are about the same thickness, these are however very short, so probably not the best comparison. The swords from the various giant add-ons are all bendable to some extent as well, but even those, which are all about the same size in thickness and width, have varying "bendiness". Kaladrax pieces affected are head and tail...feels more like a rubber than a plastic. Very different feel between models. I would have expected a bit more of a solid feel, but I'm used to metals with the very occasional GW plastic. -Z

Wait and see if we get an official response just in case anyone at Reaper wants an example of spongy bones before the noggin goes into the boiling dunk tank. I'll grab the box at lunch and see if I find any others that are the same spongy feel. -Z

The entire head piece on kaladrax is spongy, didn't notice it on any other kaladrax piece. The tail for instance would have to be boiled to get to bend, while the head I can move the jaw like he's a puppet. On the giant I just noticed it on the spear, I didn't even take her out of plastic. I realize some flexibility should be there, but other pieces just as thin seem much more rigid. All in all I glanced through the entire vampire box and other models mentioned with problems (orc with a club?) were rock-rigid, no bend at all. Like I said, to me it's more quality control, but if there is a workaround (like drop the noggin in boiling h2o for a bit then let sit) I'm all for doing that than dealing with the hassle of return or replace. At the same time, I'm happy to send the noggin back as an example, no problem. Reaper's top-notch and I'd rather help find a solution than knock them on it, especially considering the parts came from China. And I really wasn't sure I was backing this project til they announced the intention to bring the whole casting process in-house. Happy to support any company that wants to do that. -Z

Interestingly enough, I logged in here this morning to ask the same question. Particularly with kaladrax and one of the extra add-on giants is where the material feels closer to rubber than plastic. I can easily squeeze kaladrax's head and push his mouth open. One of the female giants also has such a spongy feeling spear I could almost circle the shaft. I'm still on the fence with the whole plastic mini's thing as it is, never been a fan of any of the other plactic mini's I've tried but I think this is most likely a case of quality control (or lack thereof). In any case I'd like to hear/see a response and see what Reaper has to say. As a side question has anyone tried heat treating these pieces to see how they react? -Z

Ozzy, Rob Zombie, Dio, Rammstein, Motorhead...easy listening stuff. -Z

I charge what I can get. For commission work consider volume of mini's you'll be painting, are you supplying paint, need new brushes, assembly required, you supplying minis vs buyer, etc. Lots of different costs in there, your time being only one. Also, consider the mini's you'll be painting. A reaper Orc is far different from a Confrontation Orc for example in size and complexity. I sold most of the mini's I've painted on ebay until one of my buyers asked if I did commission work. So I've done commission work for one person, rest of my stuff goes to ebay. I don't play any games with the mini's I paint...I just like to paint them. So any money I make goes back into the hobby or towards a new hobby. -Z