Multi Piece Miniature

[twjolson]

To clarify, my first post wasn't about multiple parts for the same mini. I meant multiple mini's of the same character. Say 2 or 3 differant sculpts of, say, Judas Bloodspire.

Although, I do like the idea of easily customizing mini's with extra heads, weapons and the like. Yes it would be more expensive, but overall I think it would be worth making. GW does this, the few times I bought there mini's, especialy the multipacks, I always had extra heads, guns, etc. This is the only thing I like about GW, and the only thing I really wish Reaper would do.

The thing is that we can't expect Reaper to switch over thier mini's to something like this. At best what will happen is Reaper will make some one piece mini's, some multi piece, some multi's with extra options. They do already have one, that new mountian troll comes with an extra head. But I personally would like to see more!

[ladystorm]

I apologize.

 

I did the split and the search feature I used didn't differentiate clearly and I didn't want to read all 262 posts...

[twjolson]

I apologize.

 

I did the split and the search feature I used didn't differentiate clearly and I didn't want to read all 262 posts...

No need to apologize at all. I had been meaning to clarify my position earlier, I was just too darn lazy.

[Reaperbryan]

We have a few other minis coming down the pike with extra/alternate heads too . . .

Night Spectre and Lord Vandrian spring to mind.

 

And I personally love alternate heads, although it does present a problem on which head to shoot for the photos/datacards etc.

[FirstLevelFighter]

I doubt very much that the largest division of Reaper customers use Reaper figures for wargames.

Where did I every say that? I said many people use DHA figs right out of the package. Those people are using them for D&D. They aren't into figures as a hobby as many people on this board are. Besides sales speak louder than anything we a vocal minority say.

 

I support a preimum line of figs for hobbiest that can have as many pieces as it needs. DHA should stick with KISS.

 

Iain.

Maybe I misread your post. It seemed to say that most folks who buy Reaper minis use them in their armies for wargames, and use them straight out of the package.

 

There may very well be a large number of folks who don't paint their minis. I, personally, don't know of any, and it seems unlikely that most people who buy minis don't intend to paint them.

 

I am confused about something, and maybe that's where the miscomminication is happening. By DHA, are you referring to the Dark Heaven Army packs, or the Dark Heaven Legends range as a whole?

 

Regardless, I think that Reaper is best served by producing the highest-quality, most beautiful figures possible. If that can be achieved with a single-piece casting, so be it. If it requires a multi-part casting to result in a beautiful model, I have no problems with assembly at my end. I prefer Reaper for their vast range, reasonable price point, and excellent customer service, which they manage to maintain while still producing gorgeous figures, both single piece and multi-part minis. I use Reaper minis exclusively for D&D, and I still prefer to have the most detailed, dynamic figures. As far as I am concerned, Reaper is doing everything right.

[ladystorm]

By DHA, are you referring to the Dark Heaven Army packs, or the Dark Heaven Legends range as a whole?

while it might not be proper to answer what his intentions are, a bit of history may answer this one better.

 

DHA was Dark Heaven Apocylapse, the game produced by Reaper a lifetime ago (slight exageration...).

This is the original name of the line of miniatures that have now evolved to be named DHL( Dark Heaven Legends). They are one and the same.

[ixminis]

We have a few other minis coming down the pike with extra/alternate heads too . . .

Night Spectre and Lord Vandrian spring to mind.

 

And I personally love alternate heads, although it does present a problem on which head to shoot for the photos/datacards etc.

Tell me about it - remember that time that I painted the mountain troll with the armoured head.... but ... uh ... actually had to rip it off the figure and put the bare-head on? yowsers...

[Wren]

Speaking as a painter and as someone considering working on a Warlord band if I manage to become a bit faster of a painter, I think the multi-pose idea is very cool.

 

Speaking as a clerk in a game store, I have to agree with the concerns some others have raised. We carry several lines of minis, and most of our mini sales are from the Dark Heaven line. Most of those seem to be sold for gaming purposes. That can vary from the gamer picking up one or two minis to represent his characters, to those who GM or paint for the group and pick up a wider selection. A lot of those people are turned off by multi-part minis (as in, they will put one back if they notice it is multi-part or if I point that out to them.) As far as I can tell, the RPers hardly ever even look at the Warlord minis, although I will often point them out, particularly if I'm helping people look for a specific character type and there's a Warlord that fits it. I'm not sure if the RPers are ignoring Warlord because they tend to be a little more expensive, or if it's because they are perceived as more complex or painter's minis or what. I think even the fact of the base being separate might be turning some of them off.

 

A much smaller number of our mini sales seem to go to painters. These people pick whatever appeals, with less concern about number of parts or is it an elf with this particular weapon or whatnot, and Warlord minis are much more appealing to this group. There's also a small group of people who are just buying what they like (dragons mostly, but some other types of minis), or who purchase minis for other reasons completely. Usually school projects, but I had one lady come in and buy a whole bunch to decorate a cake with! (Apparently she traditionally did a very complex cake for her son, and this year she was hoping he'd get interested in painting the minis once their job as cake decoration was done.)

 

Reaper's L5R and Exalted minis both hold their own, althought I think it's only natural that both appeal to smaller groups of people, both painters and RPers.

 

Somewhere inbetween those two groups in numbers (of minis sold, if not purchasers) are the miniature gamers. Most of them in our store are buying Battletech or Warmachine. I think the prepainted D&D minis are stealing a bit of thunder from fantasy mini gaming.

 

Given the breadth of Reaper's lines, however, I think it would be reasonable to do a few multi-piece packs as described. I will admit that one thing I envy GW users for is the way they can build up such cool bitz boxes.

[Java Fiend]

Speaking as a clerk in a game store, I have to agree with the concerns some others have raised. We carry several lines of minis, and most of our mini sales are from the Dark Heaven line. Most of those seem to be sold for gaming purposes. That can vary from the gamer picking up one or two minis to represent his characters, to those who GM or paint for the group and pick up a wider selection. A lot of those people are turned off by multi-part minis (as in, they will put one back if they notice it is multi-part or if I point that out to them.) As far as I can tell, the RPers hardly ever even look at the Warlord minis, although I will often point them out, particularly if I'm helping people look for a specific character type and there's a Warlord that fits it. I'm not sure if the RPers are ignoring Warlord because they tend to be a little more expensive, or if it's because they are perceived as more complex or painter's minis or what. I think even the fact of the base being separate might be turning some of them off.

I'm one of those old school AD&D gamers who will not buy a Warlord figure -- or Warhammer, or Confrontation, or Rackham, or Freebooter -- because it's got multiple parts. I happen to like one-piece miniatures. As a result, my miniatures consist mainly of Reaper DHL, Ral Partha, Grenadier, Rafm, and reaching farther back, preslotta Citadel, and Superior. I even happen to like broccoli bases. So there.

 

Given the breadth of Reaper's lines, however, I think it would be reasonable to do a few multi-piece packs as described. I will admit that one thing I envy GW users for is the way they can build up such cool bitz boxes.

And isn't that what the Warlord line is for? Keep DHL one-pieced as much as possible, and integral-based too, thank you very much.

[Chairman Aeon]

while it might not be proper to answer what his intentions are, a bit of history may answer this one better.

But in this case you can speak for me. ;) I'm not even sure why I refer to the figs as DHA when I didn't even play the game. I do indeed mean the Dark Heaven Legends figs which come with integral bases.

 

I'm just not a fan of multipart models. I certainly understand that sometimes you ger pieces that must be cast seperately because of molding problems etc. I just finished pitting together 4 Heavy Gear minis that are 6 pieces each and look forward to Gorten's chickens also 6 piece each. I doubt if anyone will be able to tell the Gears were multipart since ther is limited room to pose them, hence they look the same anyways. So if Jolie's book or Hyrekia staff* need to be cast apart from where they will end up, I understand. If you try to sell me figs with arm and head sprues in pewter I'm not biting.

 

As for multiples of characters I'm all for that. Allows me to model an RPG character on a Warlord character and have multiple figs for them. One with sword out and bow stowed, one with bow out and sword sheathed, ...

 

Iain.

 

* Unfortunately Hyrekia may get dressed up, but I don't think she'll be going anywhere with that staff in my cases.

[twjolson]

s for multiples of characters I'm all for that. Allows me to model an RPG character on a Warlord character and have multiple figs for them. One with sword out and bow stowed, one with bow out and sword sheathed, ...

I really hope someone at Reaper takes note of this, having more then one sculpt of the same characters would be awesome and it's an idea that has me excited to see implemented. Especially with the fact that Warlord figures aren't just faceless sword fodder, they are characters, personalities, they have history, they are 3-dimensional. So it makes alot of sense to do multiple sculpts. Not to mention the further customizing it allows for peoples armies. Each sculpt should be quite differant though, to make it worth it, more then just exchanging a bow for a sword. The new poses would have to be a pose that couldn't be done even with extensive conversion.

[Mourningcloud]

Amen brother. if there ever was the possibility of a repose (i wont call it a resculpt, as it would essentially be the same character concept, just in a different pose), id like to see many of the more "character" type minis, who are always invariably unhelmed, with their helmets on in a more battle ready pose.

From warlord, Tariq dune ranger, from DHL 2725 Alaine female paladin and 2772 Iris female gnome come to mind, due to the really cool helms they are all holding (if you've never seen it, Iris the gnome, an fairly unremarkable miniature, is holding a beautifully articulated, rodent -think badger or squirrel- themed helmet dangling from her belt in the back, where no one can see it-its the best part of the whole mini!!)

[Madzerker]

I guess I am one of the wierd ones that wouldnt want new poses for existing models. The reason is then that is one sculpting slot that could have been something new and different being used for same thing. Now if they were to sculpt more copies of grunt non characters I am all for that because it is just more poses, but if i already have a Gerald what am I going to do with the second model?

[twjolson]

I guess I am one of the wierd ones that wouldnt want new poses for existing models. The reason is then that is one sculpting slot that could have been something new and different being used for same thing. Now if they were to sculpt more copies of grunt non characters I am all for that because it is just more poses, but if i already have a Gerald what am I going to do with the second model?

I would liek the grunts to have more then one pose. However the point of more then one pose for the main characters isn't to have more then one of them, it's for you to be able to pick which you thing better and to make yours differant then other armies. I know you can do that somewhat with conversions, but the idea I have in mind are a pose so differant that you wouldn't be able to achieve it with conversion.

[spiritual_exorcist]

I wouldn't mind the same character resculpted in the Warlord line, and even a slightly adjusted statistic block to reflect it.

 

The first one that comes to mind is something Like Thorgram with Hammer and shield, possibly an alternative statistic block that removes the Scry Shot, and possibily Spy.

 

Still when it comes down to it I think i'd simply rather have new models and completely new statistic blocks instead.

 

I really think that all in all more sculpts are better than resculpts. The exception being when older sculpts become dated, as I've loved many of the updated characters that have been done.