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New marine minis - poor sculpts?


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http://uk.games-workshop.com/storefront/st...1878&orignav=10

 

Is it just me, or are 90% of the new SM minis utterly rubbish? I think GW are sick of having marines outsell everything else 10 to 1.

 

I hate virtually all of the new marines since the termis (and termi chaplain), and many released before them. Especially the ugly, ugly dread. It's a shame really, I'm going to have to stop painting marines soon.

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Is it just me, or are 90% of the new SM minis utterly rubbish? I think GW are sick of having marines outsell everything else 10 to 1.

 

 

 

Well I don't see GW being sick of their bread and butter enough to intentionally tank the line. You don't change what people buy by destroying what brings in 40% of your revenue.

 

 

 

I hate virtually all of the new marines since the termis (and termi chaplain), and many released before them. Especially the ugly, ugly dread. It's a shame really, I'm going to have to stop painting marines soon.

 

 

 

Some of the new minis are good, some are certainly bad. Scouts could use necks and they would be fine. Some of the Chaplains could have less stuff on them so they aren't so busy. The Ven Dread...I don't know...its a mixed bag I think. Now the new Chaos Possessed and Terminator Lord I can do without. But it all comes down to personal likes/dislikes.

 

 

 

But the same can be said for any of the new mini lines coming out. Just as many Ork players over at Da Waaggh upset about the new Kommandos as folks upset over the new Chaplains here.

I'm going to have to disagree.

 

I think that the some of the new models have been brilliant, the sniper scouts for example. Ok, the heads are a bit weird, it doesn't take too much effort to swap them with others, and besides, if I had a choice between multi-pose plastic, or two metal poses, I'd go plastic everytime.

 

The new chaplains, those are amazing sculpts (IMO, of course), and although the Terminator Chaplain isn't the most imaginative mini, it was designed as a generic Terminator Chaplain and can be converted easily with an arm swap, to suit most tastes. Same goes for the Jump Pack Chaplain.

 

I'll be the first to say that the new venerable dread is just ridiculous. The fist looks ungainly, and they wasted an opportunity to make somthing unique, as it stands the FW models beat it hands down, especially for the amount they're asking for it.

 

I think that when you state that 90% of the new SM minitures are rubbish, is just your opinion, and I have stated mine. To be fair, nobody is asking you to buy it, and you can always order the older models.

To be honest, I stand with Ahmato. Barring the possessed (which, in themselves, aren't bad sculpts...I just don't like the way they look), I think GW's marines have been getting, for lack of a better word, sexier. I mean...the new chaplains are gorgeous (only exception being the power-fist "hug me" Chaplain), and that Chaos Lord is drool-worthy.

 

My only REAL gripe is that GW should spend as much time on the other races as they would on Space Marines. To be honest, there are ENOUGH marine kits to keep people busy for ages to come. Even new-comers will be stunned at the sheer amount of choice when it comes to the Adeptus Astartes (last I checked, Space Marines accounted for over 70% of my local GW's 40k selection).

 

I think GW should stop putting out mass marines for a while (maybe the select character here or there) and focus on revamping every other race to the level of quality that the marines have reached. I think if that happened, we'd see a LOT of other races being played, and not just your regular power-armored 4/4 smorgasbord.

 

 

DV8

The grass is always greener eh? You get used to a certain distinct style, and when GW diverts from it their models suddenly suck?

 

I agree that the scouts look like they'd taken a few steroids too many, but the sculpt certainly isn't bad. Personally I think it's all down to when poeple see the newest "most cool" model, then when GW does some basic stuff, it's suddenly poor quality. Also, there's the matter of taste and how people percieve stuff.

 

GW also probably has to do some changes in their style from time to time, to keep a sort of progression going on, maybe they try new casting techniques, or have certain limitations to parts and angles at which the models are standing at to lessen mold release angles on the metals, to preserve the life of the mold. Who knows. Many things can cause models to look different, and they can often be external requirements put on the sculptor.

 

Offcourse, it's still the end product that counts, but for my part I've not noticed any drop in GW quality, rather the opposite.

 

Cheers

I think GW should stop putting out mass marines for a while (maybe the select character here or there) and focus on revamping every other race to the level of quality that the marines have reached. I think if that happened, we'd see a LOT of other races being played, and not just your regular power-armored 4/4 smorgasbord.

DV8

Tau are being revamped. Eldar are getting some seriously sexy models, ooohhh baby. Orks are coming back in style. That's gotta count for something, right? :ph34r:

For me, its all about the plastics. I really like the new dread a lot, but if its all metal....well, not so enthused. The new scouts Rock! I think making them plastic was great and good move. For me, the last mini was the Crimson Fist character with the power glove. Other than that, I think they've made great strides with each and every release, the last being the Templar's line.

 

Though, Helbrech with the Olivia Newton John head band is borderline :ph34r:

I seriously do think that some bright spark has said "Marines will sell - they don't have to be great."

 

It's strange that a lot of them are sculpted by Diaz, yet are still poor. His Emperor's Champion was one of the best marines ever, and all his Guard stuff has been great. I think it's a voulme thing. Plus all the silly decorations they're covered in nowadays. This, imo, is where the rot set in (though the details on these minis are better than some of the more recent ones)

 

http://oz.games-workshop.com/games/40k/spa...ages/Calgar.gif

 

 

The comment about them trying to sell less marines was tongue in cheek, but the first sentence in this post I firmly believe.

 

The chaplains, with their massive, un-grippable crozius shafts, I really hate them. The chains and scrolls on everything are awful.

 

It's not like all the new marines are so ugly that I want to puke, but they're worse than the previous Goodwin versions, which is just insane, they should be getting better, but they're not.

I've been less than impressed with most of the new sculpts, except for the Chaplain in termie armor. I really hate the scouts heads. Something with the no neck and slit for mouths. They just look.....funny. I actually like the new dread except for having the head showing.
You all are spoiled by places like this and an internet full of expert conversions and paint jobs.

 

Go back in time a few years and look at the models. GW has improved in every respect.

 

That's what I am comparing them with. The only bd thing about the previous bunch was the size. Apart from that they were better. Vet sgts, chaplains, everything. We don't have the new libbys yet, but without getting too pesemistic, I'd put money on the fact that they are worse than the last ones.

 

Compare Tycho

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j100/broon1/41-38.gif

 

With this monstrosity

 

http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j100/broon1/60116388.jpg

 

Repeat as desired

i think it mainly boils down to a matter of the undecorated military look (3rd edition), vs the ornate artificier look (2nd ed captains and tycho), vs the scrolls and chains everywhere look (4th ed).

 

i honestly dont have time to paint much anymore, but my sigma legion minis are all completly purity, scroll and skull free, straight up military. i cant really manage that with a great majority of the new minis. too many wooden doodads and candles and voodoo dolls everywhere.

 

i just find the current style with its even the ultras are all dark and chainy look a little much, only because they are forcing a lot of people to go with that and taking away the old idea of codex. the quality of the models, in and of themselves, has definetly improved though, i think the main thing is that the artistry involved has changed completely. its been a good long while since we saw 2nd edition style artificier armor, like tycho, like the captains... with fancy ornate decoration, looking like it was done to show nobility not brutality, wings and jewels and such.

 

i guess liking them or not is more a question of style than of quality i think.

too many wooden doodads and candles and voodoo dolls everywhere.
;) great.

They have too much stuff but GW has always aded much stuff on their metal miniatures. The plasitc ones are very costumizable. But in general the metal Space Marine miniatures are going down, the legs get shorter and the poses looks strange sometimes and these two things combined make Space Marines look really not as nice as the 'old ones' ~ third edition. And sometimes the crozius handle and other things that are out of proportion (even for Space Marines and GW stuff in general) make Space Marines look like they are made to be painted by (very) little kids who have never touched a brush.

On the whole, this all boils down to personal taste. Different strokes for different folks, as the saying goes.

 

I don't like Tycho, but nor do I like that new LC commander. But the new jump pack chaplain is simply awesome, as is the semi-new terminator chaplain. The plastic scouts, as Kurgan mentioned could use necks, but are otherwise a welcome addition and are a converters dream.

 

Really, the only bad sculpts so far are the possessed... but again.... my opinion only :) I am certain there are people that like them.

I really don't see the problem with getting new models.

 

don't like 'em? get the old ones.

 

Some things i think were lost opportunities which i think is what makes people upset. IMO the posessed marines could've been great, but the models they put out look piss-poor (IMHO)

 

I am more upset that they are giving so much attention to marines. Orks have multiple vehicles that are either way to terrible to use or non-existant, seems to me that should be a first priority. MAKINg A MODEL FOR EVERY UNIT IN EVERY CODEX. Instead of redoing the space marines a zillion times, and releasing whole new ranges for different chapters, where the only real difference is a little symbol on the shoulder.

 

i dunno

 

(and that ven dred :ph34r: :) )

I'm quite happy with the nw marines myself, the exception being the venerable dreadnought, which looks rather like it would do better as some sort of epic 40k model IMHO.

 

In any case, it's not like it's impossible to get hold of older SM models. Your average wargaming club/local game store should have a metric ton of them around the place, not to mention e-bay.

The quality of the sculpts is not what bothers me, because as any Hcore converter agrees; anything can be modified to suit any tastes.

 

What I have a problem with on a major level is the quality of the casts.

Has anyone else noticed a major drop in the quality of the plastics/ molds that GW has been using recently?

 

I don't mind spending my money to keep some good artists in work, and I certainly enjoy the hobby to no end... but it seems silly to support these artists by purchasing their work if one can't make out the detail and/ or has to spend upwards of 10 mins per mini to clean them of mold lines.

I think I know your problem, Dammekos.

 

It's not the sculpts you don't like. It's the Space Marines.

 

The fact that they have character, and are, to quote someone else "covered in paper".

 

They're Warrior Monks. Not robots.

 

Personally, I love the new direction (and that Lightning Claw Captain you posted is actually one of my favourite models). They're Space Marines now, not generic warrior robots that kill stuff.

 

I will concede, though, that the Venerable Dreadnought is hideous. That's the first model I've been able to say that about for ages, though.

 

But like you say, different strokes make the world go around.

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