Newer IMEF troopers - size and bases

[ignacj]

Did anyone notice that newer IMEF troopers (50322, 50323, 50324, 50325) are about substantially bigger then older IMEF figures like 50263, 50254, 50175. 

Why this inconsistency? The newer trooper look gigantic compared to the old ones - full head taller, bulkier body. 

Also the newer troopers have molded in base that need substantial cutting in order to fit on a regular reaper 30mm round base (included w mini). Why change from tab/slot configuration?

Is this a new norm? A new IMEF series?

 

"Hello little boy"

 

 

ig

[Jordan Peacock]

Huh.  I checked back in on this thread, because I was curious to see if you'd gotten an answer.

 

My first guess was "Different sculptor?"  But then I went into the Reaper online store, and ... huh.  Bobby Jackson, and more Bobby Jackson.

 

Is it the pose?  I mean, the "short" guy in the middle looks like he's crouched down, while the other two look like they're far more upright.  Differences might be further exaggerated by the fact that it looks like the guy in the middle is pretty well nested into his base, whereas he's flanked by two guys who look as if they've got broccoli bases pasted on top of 30mm lipped bases, granting them a little more artificial height.

 

I take it that these are sculpted in the green stuff the old-fashioned way, so there could simply be a bit of variance from figure to figure, but when I visually compare individual familiar elements -- the size of the gun, the size of the boots, the size of the helmet -- they look not far off from each other.  I'm thinking that if the difference in pose and basing could be accounted for, the disparity in apparent heights of these minis might not actually be that outrageous.

[Reaperbryan]

We asked Bobby to make them a little bigger. 

 

I am not sure why we changed base types - that would be a production-level command decision and one I'm not involved in.

[Jordan Peacock]

I am wrong!  Okay, next up ... how to convert your "old school" IMEF marines so they won't look so shrimpy:

 

Hmm.  Maybe cut at the knees, leaving the shin-guards intact, drill holes with pin vice, insert wire, re-assemble with very slight gap, gap-fill with putty, allow to cure. Extend height by ... 2 or 3 mm to put it back into the ballpark, perhaps?  A lot easier to do with the Bones than with the pewter, I imagine.

 

[Crowley]

Just now, Jordan Peacock said:

I am wrong!  Okay, next up ... how to convert your "old school" IMEF marines so they won't look so shrimpy:

 

Hmm.  Maybe cut at the knees, leaving the shin-guards intact, drill holes with pin vice, insert wire, re-assemble with very slight gap, gap-fill with putty, allow to cure. Extend height by ... 2 or 3 mm to put it back into the ballpark, perhaps?  A lot easier to do with the Bones than with the pewter, I imagine.

 

That'd work. Might look up how to convert true scale space marines for some ideas. Also keep in mind that people come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes!

[YronimosW]

On 6/23/2017 at 3:47 PM, Jordan Peacock said:

I am wrong!  Okay, next up ... how to convert your "old school" IMEF marines so they won't look so shrimpy:

 

Hmm.  Maybe cut at the knees, leaving the shin-guards intact, drill holes with pin vice, insert wire, re-assemble with very slight gap, gap-fill with putty, allow to cure. Extend height by ... 2 or 3 mm to put it back into the ballpark, perhaps?  A lot easier to do with the Bones than with the pewter, I imagine.

 

 

I was about to say the same thing you did:  that it might be an illusion caused by a combination of the bases (which do seem to add at least a millimeter or so of height to the guys on the ends), and the pose.  Even though ReaperBryan confirmed that the models are in fact bigger/taller, I have a feeling the effect is exaggerated a bit by the bases and poses.

 

Perhaps the opposite of that, then, would work:  build the bases up a bit on the older, shorter models to lend them a little more perceived height?

 

At that scale, it would probably be enough to work - as you said, the size of the guns, boots, helmets, and other details are close enough to be identical in scale, so I'm sure it wouldn't take much to trick observers into not noticing the difference in height.

 

And then, as Crowley said, the differences in height can easily be handwaved as part of the natural variety in human height.

 

[Doug Sundseth]

Often mixing figures at slightly different scales thoroughly will make the differences look more like natural variation. But historical gamers have done what @YronimosW suggests for a long time. Bases that are the same thickness at the edge and slightly different under the figures' feet are not easily noticed in play.

[Dark Horse]

Has anyone tried cutting the base of the larger figures into a tab to see how close that brings the "old school" and newer Troopers closer in perceived size?

[Gamingdog]

On 6/26/2018 at 9:09 PM, Dark Horse said:

Has anyone tried cutting the base of the larger figures into a tab to see how close that brings the "old school" and newer Troopers closer in perceived size?

I have on the bones versions atleast. they match perfectly when you do that