Fine Cast? My ....

[Lane]

Checked out the Finecast minis today.

Pro:
The detail does look good.
In most cases the flash is fairly thin so should be easy to clean up.
The flexibility will prevent some damage.

Con:
Of the six I looked closely at two had bubbles.
Multi figure packs are in boxes so you can not inspect before purchase.


Overall I think the material has potential but GW needs to work on quality control.

[VictoryTSF]

OK, I built some of the Mandrakes I bought last night. I didn't mention - I did actually have to take the box back and exchange it, I was also missing an arm! However, this kind of thing happens, and there was no quibble about swapping it. As I said, Liverpool GW, one of the best ones I've ever been in. Friendlier than the one in New York anyway...

Anyhow, I love the finecast models. They look and feel like you've got the sculpted originals. There are issues - a few bubbles in bad places (a couple of the guys have missing toes, and at least one is missing a finger) but I can live with that as the rest of the cast is ace. They go together well, and I'm itching to paint them. They weren't cheap, though. £20.50 for five models with NO options IS expensive. That said, some of these casts I've seen are such a massive improvement on the original metal that it's actually made me want to paint models I've never been interested in. Which is going to get expensive fast.

[url]http://victorytsf.blogspot.com[/url]

Oh, as for the issue of checking in boxes - I always open the box while I'm in the store or just around the corner, and I've never had an exchange refused. harder online, I agree, but one thing I can't fault GW for is it's returns policy, they've always been more than reasonable.

[UltramarineFan]

Anyone who believes the overall quality of Finecast to be less than that of metal is being blind. Yes there are issues, miscasts happen, but it really isn't a major issue, ok, so you may have to go back and swap your model but GW will swap your model for you and so far I've yet to hear of anyone needing to swap their model more than once before getting one which was almost perfect quality. The issues with miscasts and bubbles are exactly the same as they were with metal but on the upside Finecast is more detailed than metal, is lighter (no more top heavy models falling over constantly), doesn't chip, pretty much BOUNCES off surfaces if you drop it and is MUCH easier to put together (I'm looking at you metal techmarine with full servo harness), with all this in mind I think a slight mark up in price is absolutely worth it and can only wonder at why some are persisting to hate on this.

[tjkopena]

Regardless, I still do not think it's worth the 15% - 30% markup.

I think this is a common problem people are having in evaluating the Finecast "revolution." It seems fairly clear that the price increases aren't Finecast markup, they're the standard annual price increases, just like all the plastic models went up on the 28th. If they hadn't switched from the metals to Finecast, the blisters still would have gone up similarly. Presumably, given that these are supposedly cheaper to produce given more predictable and lower raw material prices, the immediate price jumps on metals would have actually been even higher, and trending higher over the long term than the resins will.

I think GW made a bad PR move by putting these out at the same time as the annual price increases. It's actually a good move for customers, saving them money, but most people won't realize that---they won't connect the dots that the metals would have gone up by at least as much. If they'd waited until later this summer to roll it out and then came out with lower or the same prices as the metals being replaced, they'd have obviated these poorly thought out "Finecast markup" claims and gained a lot more support.

[Skragger]

Anyone who believes the overall quality of Finecast to be less than that of metal is being blind. [...], with all this in mind I think a slight mark up in price is absolutely worth it and can only wonder at why some are persisting to hate on this.

Well.. the issue isn't the quality of the casting entirely per say, the issue is the price bump. GW has switched to a cheaper material to work with, but still decided to bump the prices up on us. Make the switch, we're cool with it, but don't increase the price.

Its not even the new prices themselves, it's just the fact that they switched to a cheaper material, and still felt that they should push the price higher. Now we know they're gouging us.

[Brotherjames]

I think the authors intent was that GW's Q.C. Department needs some help not that finecast is the wrong direction too go in modeling. But I'd rather pay $35 for metal sternguard than $45 for finecast but thanks just me lol and normally I'm not a tightwad when it comes to any of my hobbies I'm psyched for Dante though I'm gonna give him a "proper" axe Mortalis from the sanguinary guard box!

[UltramarineFan]

Well.. the issue isn't the quality of the casting entirely per say, the issue is the price bump. GW has switched to a cheaper material to work with, but still decided to bump the prices up on us. Make the switch, we're cool with it, but don't increase the price.

Its not even the new prices themselves, it's just the fact that they switched to a cheaper material, and still felt that they should push the price higher. Now we know they're gouging us.

Well, not really, because this comes at the same time as the price increase for ALL of GW's products, fact is we don't know how much the prices would have been if they had stayed in metal, the mark up may have been even higher and let's not forget some models prices HAVE stayed the same (skaven jezzails) or GONE DOWN (ushabti)

[scadugenga]

..and let's not forget some models prices HAVE stayed the same (skaven jezzails) or GONE DOWN (ushabti)

Skaven Jezzails actually went up by 27.28%, if this was correct:

I'm interested in some of the new boxes. Skaven Jezzails, for instance, used to be sold as a 1 model blister for like, 12 bucks. Now, it's a $49.50 boxed set. I wonder how many are going to be in there. At that price, I'm hoping 6, as it will allow two squads of Jezzails.

I'm not a skaven player, so I never paid attention to their prices, but for some reason wittdooley's post stuck in my head.

I *am* an eldar player, and some of the price increases were unfounded and ridiculous. Eldar Rangers/Pathfinders increased by 32%. Dark Reapers & Striking Scorpions went up by 18.33% each. The Eldar Avatar went up by 26.67%.

I agree with tjkopena in that GW made a huge marketing blunder in timing the release of finecast with the annual (sometimes semi-annual) screw-you to the general public that is the GW business plan. It may have been more acceptable a few months down the line--but now? Now I"m glad I have enough Eldar that I don't need to buy anything else from GW. My impulse spending will go to different companies instead. Who needs another GW army, when I can play Malifaux, WM/H, Dystopian Wars, etc? The only money that GW will see from me is indirectly through FW--and that, only for the upcoming Eldar stuff. My wraithseer is outstanding, and I have high hopes for the rest of the new stuff FW will put out for the Eldar.

[Unzuul the Lascivious]

I bought a Castellan Crowe and a Space Marine Terminator Librarian. Bubbling had destroyed several edges on the greaves of Castellan, and a large bubble had destroyed detail on the Librarian's lower chestplate lip. The cast of Castellan also featured a cloak so thin in one spot that light could clearly be seen through it. So I took them back. GW Ipswich didn't have any more Crowe models, and ALL their Librarian models but one featured the same defect. The one that didn't had a crack running along his psychic hood. So I have not yet got any Finecast in my collection, as I will have to wait for a further delivery. My advice is to open your miniatures in store, check for defects and then get a swap if they're defective. I don't see why I should settle for defective miniatures at the price they are selling them at. Also, only a complete tool would say the metals were as sharp in terms of detail as Finecast - they weren't. Given a good cast, Finecast ARE the future - they just haven't got the castings perfect yet.
As I left the store, a guy brought his Flamers back for the very same reason - bubbles obliterating details...work to be done GW...

[Clarkson]

My main problem with these compared to the metal, are the fact they are more flexible..

i bought the Nurgle Daemon Prince and the sword he has snapped in twain taking off sprue.. soo thin resin..

but easily replaced but staff.. and the detail... WOW.. it physically looks grusome..and soo easy to put together.. few mold lines.. few gaps.. but no more than the metal... even less tbh..

so Finecast is pure win so far