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It’s harder to kit-bash (as in do zero conversion/cutting at all, just gluing) most “hero” type Primaris characters (not all though) - but at the same time, most of those types of characters have lost a lot of the options that the classic Astartes versions had that would make kit-bashing worth it anyway.

The Primaris squad level kit bashing isn’t really any harder, most times it’s a matter of finding the pair of arms that work on the torso - making Assault Intercessors into running Intercessors with auto bolt rifles isn’t any harder than taking bolter arms from a Tactical Squad and sticking them on an Assault Squad Marine (or a BA Death Company body, or DA robed Veteran body, etc.) - one of the big factors is that there are several different “basic” Primaris Marine types now.  It looks somewhat funny to be putting Gravis arms on Phobos bodies, etc.

In the end though, what have we (the hobbiests) really lost with the new modeling method?  The ability to change the front plate of armor (which actually could be done, as shown by the Chaos Marine bodies).  Everything else that you used to be able to kit bash on basic Marines is still kit bashable now on Primaris - helmets, arms, pauldrons, power plants - yes, some weapons are linked to the power plants, but that was also the case with Devastators, so no real change there.  More complex things, like loincloths, always came with some limitations of which bodies you could put them on due to shape, so that’s not really a change either.

Overall, there’s “less choice” with the Primaris line of Marines, but there are many factors involved there - one big one is that we have less options over all in different units.

One other thing here though - this seems to be mostly a Marine (Imperial and Chaos) issue anyway - almost none of the other factions had much in the way of “kit-bash-ability” before either:

     - some in the Guard - that shouldn’t have changed much

     - a little in the various Eldar - doesn’t seem to have changed much based on the models I have, however, there seem to be some good depictions of Eldar kitbashes available with a Google search (so maybe an actual leg up here in kit-bashing for Eldar/various GW Elf models from AOS, or even amongst Eldar models in various GW lines)

     - some in the Orks - this one may have gotten a little harder, but I haven’t gotten to see how the new models jive using normal “throw a bit on it to hide the gap” covering for wonky kit-bashing - Google searching seems to indicate that Orks still remain more of conversion work than just kit-bashing

So still not much of a change for all the other factions lately.

Edited by Bryan Blaire
22 hours ago, Lord_Ikka said:

Most recasts/recasters I know of don't have issues with small details- resin casting is typically better than injection molded plastic for detail anyway.

This is only true for game companies like GW as they don't want to spring for detailed metal molds because it would cost more money, and that's just the perception for folks whose only exposure to plastic models istable top games. The detail possible with injection molded plastic can be mind blowing if you step outside this narrow corridor of the plastic model world.

Edited by Brother Chaplain Kage
8 hours ago, Brother Chaplain Kage said:

This is only true for game companies like GW as they don't want to spring for detailed metal molds because it would cost more money, and that's just the perception for folks whose only exposure to plastic models istable top games. The detail possible with injection molded plastic can be mind blowing if you step outside this narrow corridor of the plastic model world.

Oh, very much agree- but we are talking about tabletop miniatures. In general for miniatures, resin can achieve a greater level of detail than plastic because of the cost prohibitive nature of very high-quality plastic molds. 

To be fair, whilst you CAN get incredible details on plastic, resin (or other mediums using a silicone/soft mold) will ALWAYS be easier to detail than plastic, as a resin part can be gently popped out of its mold by flexing it, meaning that "angles" of details are fairly unimportant providing the mold is well made, sealed and fully filled. Steel molds for plastic meanwhile can only mould detail in one axis per part- slide molds are a thing (Bandai uses them to amazing effect) but are VERY expensive. Because of this limitation, a plastic model with the same level of detail as a resin one will need far more parts. A plastic Space Marine character might need multiple pieces for the body and legs alone, which could be all one piece for a resin one. And that's to say nothing of cost!

Obviously for less detail-heavy kits where regular, precise shapes are important you want plastic (hence why resin vehicle kits are usually pains in the neck even from really good companies) but for irregularly shaped/organic models or anything with lots of fine detail resin is actually preferable from a cost-to-detail perspective.

  • 3 weeks later...

current GW plastic characters are basically just metal minis that are easier to cut. The 3rd edition move to multi part plastic was a huge step forward and this was a steps sideways. 

GW wont stop me kitbashing, hell i spent an entire week dremelling the face out of a metal, out of production terminator librarian so i could give him a helmet. 

but what their poor rules and aggressive pettyness will do is push me away from their games and closer to new games or 3rd party fan rules. Coupled with my 3d printer that is a slippery slope especially as i have serious issues controlling my spending and ADHD.  

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