Disappointed in miniatures quality in Starter box

[HappyDad]

Ok, so I am new to Warmachine, and my 2 player starter box arrived a few days ago.

I have to say I was quite disappointed when I first saw the miniatures. I know the look of the Warmachine range is more wacky and comic book than Warhammer's fantasy style, and although this had put me off starting Warmachine for a few years, it has recently started to really grow on me - hence I decided to take the plunge.

However, I am a bit horrified at the quality of the plastic / resin miniatures contained in the box. Every weapon blade and shaft is distorted, the moulding lines are not great, and there is some detail missing in places. The warping is the worst thing, with even some of the chunkier jack weapons being bent.

I was looking forward to throwing the 'plastic' contents together and be playing soon, but I am now faced with the job of having to steam and try to reshape maybe more than 20+ pieces before I can get gluing, not to mention trying to clean up the mould lines without ruining the models.

To be frank, I am a bit gutted and seriously wondering about putting it straight on eBay.

I was just wondering what other peoples views were on the quality of the Warmachine minatures? I had read one review of the starter box somewhere that said the models were pretty ropey, but all the other reviews I had read (including Amazon) did not make any complaint. Just interested in hearing other opinions...

[Erik Setzer]

I've heard of the occasional issue, but yikes! Sounds like you ran into serious problems.

Where are you at, if I might ask? The weather might have played an issue, especially if the transporting took some time and it at some point sat in the heat or something. Games Workshop's Finecast miniatures, for example, absolutely loathe the temperatures of Florida, and all too often you can see the models warped in the packages on store shelves.

I've got a box that should be on my doorstep when I get home tonight, so I'll try to report how mine looks.


Also, funny you mentioned that Warmachine is "more cartoonish" than Warhammer... I was unenthused with some recent Warhammer models (new larger Khorne infantry units and special character), feeling they looked goofy, and was reminded by the manager that GW's aesthetic has always been a bit "cartoonish" and not that realistic. I think Warmachine's just a bit chunkier... but Warhammer might be closing that gap soon.

[HappyDad]

Yes, I quite agree - GW's latest WFB releases have gone 'cartooney'. My first thought when I saw the new Khorne Skull/Blood/Reaper guys was, 'Oh look, GW are now making Warmachine models!'. In a funny kind of way I think that was the final push for me to order my Warmachine starter set.

I am in the UK, and our weather has certainly not been good enough to damage an ice cream, although of course you never know where the box has been before arriving on my doorstep.

I have had another look at them tonight, and they are not quite as bad as I first thought. Every infantry weapon is pretty warped, plus one or two jack weapons. So more like 13 or so parts that I would need to sort out. They would certainly be no good as they are - they would look terrible on the tabletop unless I can straighten them out.

I am still keen to hear other people's views on the quality of Warmachine models (the metal models too). It will help me make my mind up whether to persevere or quit now. Maybe the 2 player starter box is the bottom of the barrel (perhaps in an attempt to keep costs as low as possible)?

[spiralingcadaver]

I think their metal line is fine, and their occasional resin piece is fine as long as you don't get a bad mixture (sometimes it's rubbery).

However, I think it's absurd that they're charging HIPS/metal prices for PVC quality. The switch to the new material has had me basically quit playing the game, not out of outrage or anything, but just because the price plus the pain to prep the models isn't worth it to me. I'll tolerate PVC for board games since they're priced appropriately (40-ish models of a dozen or so sculpts for around $100 with full game rules is entirely possible) but find it really over the top to charge $35 for a single PVC mini.

When they used to charge $50 for starter boxed sets in metal, infinity charges $50-ish for smaller but much better detail in metal, and Malifaux charges the same for great detail HIPS, I find it fairly inexcusable since PP is larger than either of those companies so should easily be able to afford a small cut in profit for better quality (or keep quality low and match that with the price). Their $100 starters are better deals, but come with pretty poor infantry so it's not very desirable, unfortunately.

If they charged less or made them out of better materials, or even kept it the same but had really impressive sculpts, I might be tempted, but outside trollblood infantry (organic and large for not a horrible price) I generally consider the stuff useless and would rather stick to occasional metal characters and previous editions of metal sculpts.

[Erik Setzer]

So, just finished assembling, and here's my thoughts just spilling out:

1. No instructions? WTF?!?
2. Okay, I get that it's cheaper, but that is NOT how you should pack a starter box.
3. What the heck is that material? I used plastic cement on most of the pieces with the casters, and I think it'll work, but just gave up and changed to super glue to build the rest. It seems like plastic, but not typical model plastic, so I can't use my preferred glue. Meh to that. It actually reminded me, both with the material and the way it was packed, of the pictures of Chinese Forge World knockoffs that show up online in various e-stores or eBay.
4. There were some bends, but not insane. Mostly longer slender pieces. I actually was able to bend a lot of it back into shape by hand. The sword blades were the biggest offenders, otherwise it was the handle on both warcasters' weapons, and I think one of the Khador jacks' axes.
5. Some of the mold lines made me question what I was seeing, like Escher created them. I don't think I got them all off, but that was likely impossible. Getting a chunk of flash off a shield left a "dent," but that can be painted as battle damage.
6. That "ruler" is a joke. Don't waste the money including it, PP.

Overall, while I do have some gripes, I don't think it's awful. I got the box for $69 (plus tax) on Amazon, but even at $99 it's not too bad. The models actually look pretty nice once they're assembled, and seem like good starting points for the game. There's also a rulebook, which saves some money, especially as I can probably just get the army book(s) to get the unit rules. Split over two players, it'd be about $50 each for a caster, two jacks (three for Menoth), and five heavy infantry. Seems reasonable.

I think PP went with a cheaper manufacturing process for these models in order to keep the cost of the box lower. That makes sense, but it could lead to some people having a bad first impression of the models.

- - - Updated - - -

and Malifaux charges the same for great detail HIPS

I got a box of Malifaux models this week, too, the Guild Torch and Blade box. While I might have questioned the price at first for just six models, those are some seriously detailed models. Still, I nearly went insane assembling them. Samael is the worst offender, and there was a piece I couldn't figure out where to attach, which most people seem to have left off, and about the time I finally figured out where to put it, it snapped because it was tiny and thin. So... yeah. But it's a pretty unimportant piece. The models still look amazing, and I want more!

[HappyDad]

We are on the same page then Erik. Glad it is not just me. Well done getting them assembled so quickly! Mine are still sat on the table.

My set included an A4 fold out, called the Introduction Guide that did include assembly instructions for the jacks, but not the infantry.

I agree about Malifaux models - they are glorious, but not for the fat fingered, and I have had a few tiny bits left over and wondered where they were supposed to go too. Lol. I also was not impressed by the price when I fist bought a couple of news, but after assembling thought, actually, they are worth it.

There is no way I would buy many PP minis at their prices having seen the quality of my starter contents. I may pick up a few bits on eBay to increase the starter armies in size and it was Cryx that drew me to Warmachine in the first place so I may get some of them, but I could not justify collecting at that the price / quality.

It is bit of a shame, as I was hoping PP and Warmachine might replace WFB in my life, now that GW have priced me out (and blew the planet up). Guess I will have to keep looking. Maybe I will be blown away once I play a few games of Warmachine...

[Deadlift]

I bought into warmachine because I was just fed up with the GW arms race and the confusion that is fielding a 7th edition army. I chose CoC as my faction and bought 25pts of stuff including the battlebox.
The model quality is terrible. I was shocked to be honest. Miscasting that was so bad that the 2 sides of a piece didn't line up. Mold lines across really import pieces like lenses. Don't even get me started on how fiddle the stuff was to put together. I had to google for instructions. The metal models were fine, really nice in fact as well as some of the resin stuff. But I don't enjoy buying models and worrying what the quality of the cast is going to be like when I open it. I'm slowly building and painting what I bought. Once it's done it's all going on eBay and I'm going to give Infinity or malifaux a go. I don't care what the GW apologists say on the forums, WMH is cheaper to get into, but the quality of the models in my experience are so hit and miss that I won't spend my money on anything more.

This guy was horrible.

The contact points to glue his Swiss army like arms were tiny, so much so I couldn't even pin them on.

But then this thing was perfect.

[spiralingcadaver]

On Malifaux, yeah, didn't say they weren't fiddly as hell. Almost all of the time it's worth it to me, just a few of those straps or whatnot where it felt like they shoudln't have included them or made them just a detail on the surface, since they'll snap if you stare at them.

On alternatives to 40k, I'd highly suggest Infinity as a game that feels like a smarter version of many 40k/specialist games stuff (less "combo armies" and more balanced list, lots of things with similar stat lines and universal weapons/special rules where it's more often a balance of a known quantity rather than unique new rules), with a good price.

[HappyDad]

Infinity and Dropzone Commander are the two bug names I have yet to try. I have never hard anything bad said about Infinity.

[Aaron LeClair]

My issue is with PP it seem some of their models are made up of more than one type of material. Like the Menoth colossal I got was a mix of what seemed to be 3 types of resin, their hard plastic they use and metal. Not sure what they are thinking.

As for starter sets tho, never had a issue with them, but their instructions are lacking if you never put one of their models together before, and some times even if you have you still get confused because of the angles they show.


I know someone who is totally in love with Infinity, but haven't tried it myself dude to just not having the money for another game. I just stopped buy GW products all together at this point.