Why are the minis green?

[Pragma]

It starts out with simple questions like why are the master sculpts green? Then it becomes where can you get this magical green stuff? What tools do you need to sculpt it? How do you build an armature? What's the best way to sculpt chainmail? That way lies madness, sweet wonderful madness.

[Ellyria]

Haha, that's too true!

 

Okay, I have another stupid question. I've noticed there are multiple versions of certain minis. Example: Callie and Sascha each have a $2.50 white plastic looking version and a heavier duty looking $5 version. Should I assume the $5 ones are going to be easier to paint and always go for the more expensive one if there is an option?

[Caffiene]

I've noticed there are multiple versions of certain minis.

Yeah. One is metal, and the other is "bones" plastic. There are some differences, with the obvious ones being weight and flexibility just because of difference between metal and plastic, plus some people say there is a slight difference in the sharpness of the details (with Bones being a little less crisp).

 

In terms of painting, Bones plastic is actually designed to be painted without needing primer, and most people seem to report them being fairly pleasant to paint. The price difference is really only to do with the cost of the materials, and apart from that the differences between the two mostly come down to personal preference of the painter. The preparation process is a little different, but there isnt necessarily a "better" version.

 

You could always try it out for yourself... get both versions of a mini and paint both up to see if you have a favourite. See if you feel the metal version is good enough to be worth getting one metal mini instead of two Bones minis for a similar price.

[flygyrl]

I have painted both bones and metal and it is really a personal prefereance and what you are planning to do with the mini. The bones ones are ideal for gaming since they can take more abuse than the metal. However my personal preference for painting is still metal. I consider the bones as practice pieces but if I want to paint something that I plan to display I always go back to the metal.

[Ludo]

As a gamer, I prefer the heft of a metal mini. As a painter, I almost prefer the bones. Prep work is considerably faster on bones. You can paint right away if you don't care about mold lines etc.

[purple llama]

Painting them is pretty much the same to me, but every time I have to prep a multipart metal mini I find myself wishing it was bones. The metal is soft but the plastic requires way less force when you want to cut or pin something. I don't even have to drill a hole on the bones, just slide a pin right into it. Don't even actually have to pin joints, just a drop of super glue and it's not coming apart anytime soon.

 

On the other hand, you can bend metal minis and they stay bent. This is bad when it happens unintentionally (dropping, holding too firmly) but it's great when you want to change the pose a bit. Plastic bends itself right back, which is great for getting your brush behind things, but if you want to repose an arm your option is pretty much to cut, glue and greenstuff the joint.

[Pragma]

Given a choice between $5 metal and $2.50 bones, get two bones.

[YronimosW]

Painting them is pretty much the same to me, but every time I have to prep a multipart metal mini I find myself wishing it was bones. The metal is soft but the plastic requires way less force when you want to cut or pin something. I don't even have to drill a hole on the bones, just slide a pin right into it. Don't even actually have to pin joints, just a drop of super glue and it's not coming apart anytime soon.

 

On the other hand, you can bend metal minis and they stay bent. This is bad when it happens unintentionally (dropping, holding too firmly) but it's great when you want to change the pose a bit. Plastic bends itself right back, which is great for getting your brush behind things, but if you want to repose an arm your option is pretty much to cut, glue and greenstuff the joint.

 

This matches my impression exactly: when assembling Bones plastic, I just use a drop or two or three of Super Glue, and have it assembled almost instantly. Cutting and trimming and customizing Bones plastic is pretty easy, too - it's a pleasure to customize and assemble "Bonesium". It's fairly easy to paint. And, most importantly to me, it's light and seems to take the abuse of being drop-kicked by Cheetohs the Barbarian when he throws dice and knocks over his cola at the game table. Bones seems to be cheaper, too - great for those of us on a budget.

 

But, metal has always behaved itself much better when bent into shape - Bonesium seems to have a bit of a memory to it, and springs back into shape after being bent, even after being softened in boiling water and then "frozen" in place with cool water - and that shape is typically not particularly straight. The metal also feels more substantial, it has that "you get what you pay for" feel of solid quality about it, and it's difficult for those of us who've been in the hobby for decades to resist that "old school" appeal of metal (bonus points if you happen to be working with lead miniatures - due to safety concerns that drove manufacturers toward a less toxic but more expensive alternative many years ago, you don't see too many old-fashioned lead minis circulating around anymore.)

 

In the end, I think that, for table-top gaming use, I would go with Bones. If you are a beginner and looking for something to practice on, Bones are less expensive and should be a good place to start. If you are an experienced painter and painting display-cabinet works of art, I would go with metal.

 

But, that's really up to you, and for personal preference.