"Rate the Importance of Citadel Finecast" Topic

In 2011, Games Workshop launched a "revolutionary" product line – Citadel Finecast resin figures. It was described as 'fantastic', 'awesome', and 'historic'.

On a scale of 1 (minor) to 10 (major), how would you rate the importance of the creation of the Citadel Finecast line?

to me 0
to them 10

Zero.

Al | ravenfeastsmeadhall.blogspot.com

0

Compared to what? Is there an SI unit of importance? Or something like the Beaufort Scale? Is Stacey Solomon more or less important than the Thirty Years War? I can never tell.

In setting a new bar for over priced miniatures? = 10
My interest in owning them? = 0

And yes I have seen them (a friend bought one), and yes I do buy GW products.

Not important to me (zero).

To GW gamers? Who knows. I know a lot of guys at my club have given up and are using Mantic and other figs to create proxy armies. If that is indicative of the effect of Finecast, then I'd say a 10, but not in the way that GW hoped.

Like Angel Barracks, I have to split my answer. For me 3ish, for the industry 8 or 9.

Personally I have so many unpainted GW figures that, for the last several years, my only figure purchases from them are new plastic kit boxes (either because it's a new unit for one of my armies or because I wanted to build the model(s) or both). Finecast seems to mostly be character and monster figures right now, and I have so much suitable for those (unpainted old metal, conversions from plastic or metal, or alternately sourced), it's going to possibly be years before I need to buy anything that comes in Finecast.

However from a market standpoint, it's significant that a major figure manufacturer has moved to an alternative casting material for low production run individual figures. There must be some economies of scale there, and since other manufacturers deal with similar production dynamics, we'll eventually see other companies follow suit.

I think that's true even if for instance as an early adopter Citadel has a lot of teething pains to work out in the market. It's not even clear to me that's the case though. Like everyone else I've seen the grumblings on customer forums about casting flaws, durability etc., but resin is a proven material for gaming figures. I use some with my D&D group (prepaints from Dwarven Forge), and there have been quite a few lines produced over the years. I wouldn't rule out a figure purchase just because it was resin any more than I would plastic or a variety of metals.

1, since 0 is not included.
I simply do not trust resin, both for fragility and casting.

I'd need to buy one and compare it with my 'Fenblades' (a Privateer Press resiny/plastic model) before passing judgement.

They did "historic" figures? I don't remember any Citadel "historic" figures since the late lamented "true 25mm" Dark Ages figures of the early 80s.

i guess a 1 or 2. mean to say, even if they got it right, its not inventing the wheel.

Obviously it is a "revolutionary" step forward in our hobby and by virtue of being a GW product must be 'fantastic', 'awesome', and 'historic'.

Any attempt to state otherwise will be subject to CD orders and will lead to your website being closed down.

1. If I could vote zero, I'd say zero.

Eric

Importance to me: about a 2
Importance to GW: probably a 9 or 10
Importance to the rest of the Industry: likely a 5 or 6, as GW takes the hits and serves as a lesson to others on the hazards of switching from metal to resin for mass production. The people "on the ground" learning those lessons will eventually move on to other casters, and the industry will learn what GW so desperately wants to keep to themselves: how to make the switch, and how not to.

For me, 0**2, for their stockholders, depends on the profit; for the industry, probably, since they are priced so high competitors might be able to grab the lower price ranges.

So I don't like the new finecast stuff. The stuff I have that is fine cast has a crap load of bubble holes in it, missing parts and generally seems to be too fragile for any real utility in gaming.

That being said I've spoken to people who love it because of how easy it is to convert, which I hadn't really thought of.

The importance is easily missed by those who do historical gaming as the main focus is not GW but there are many, many people out there that game GW games and little, if anything else. The product seems to be selling.

To the industry then this could be something of a step in a different direction at least. Whether that is forward or backward remains to be seen.

I would guess that the quality of the product will improve over time as it would be stupid of them to keep selling a substand product and then constantly sending out replacements.

To me the importance is high because I won't be buying a lot of the kits that I might have bought if they were in metal instead of finecast. There may be some that come out in the future that I will buy becuase the model is too cool looking to be resisted but right now the plan is to stay away.

To the industy I think it is too early to tell. It will certainly improve shipping costs I would imagine and there is the conversion factor that I hadn't considered.

1.
Poor casting, and then if you had problems with them, GW told you to take it up with the store, but the store tells you to take it up with GW…
Nice run-a-round guys!

"Historic"? Maybe they meant "historically bad casting and service"…

To me: zero, zilch, nul, nada, нул, μηδέν, zéro, null, und so weiter.

To GW: who knows? So far, the negative reviews seem to outnumber the positive.

LT

To me? about 3 (eg only if I really liked the model)
To them? 10

1 (minor) I'm not likely to buy any GW resin. There're a lot of other companies that produce resin and I'd rather buy from them; cheaper and better quality.

Zero.

I call it ass cast! It is a non-starter for me.

zero

It's up there near lancing hemorrhoids with a wood burning kit.

'Poor casting, and then if you had problems with them, GW told you to take it up with the store, but the store tells you to take it up with GW…
Nice run-a-round guys!'

Don't know about other countries, but in the UK your contract was with the store and they are legally responsible.

negative 1,000,000

They (GW) lower their costs to make it and at the same time increase the cost to their customers.

Then you have the quality issues bubbles, figures melting in the heat or being miscasted.

Words fail me.This is truly the beginning of an epoch. GW maintains it's lead as the foremost innovator in the hobby. I have thrown out my lead mountain and now I only game with these whatchacallems. Well I haven't actually thrown out all of my old metal but I did throw out some of the flash I scraped off a figure last week. Come to think of it, I haven't thrown out any of my old figures. It's the revolutionary new whatchacallems that I don't have any of. So I rate them

0

I'm not feeling the love for Finecast on this thread…

The GW gamers I know are grumbling over this and they are normally very supportive of the company. So to them, it's important.
I see this as just another step in GW's slow decline.

To the great unwashed ie me! (guess I can't give a minus) it would be a 1, I can't see really that's its added but to the cost. Sorry I ain't playing ball with GW on this one, it seems abackwards step! I thought the plastic kits where over priced but they have certainly took the p-ss with this one. I gather finecast is cheaper than metal so why is it so much more expensive to purchase! I do like their stuff I have got a fair amount of their stuff collected over many many years. I collected the full set of LoTR when they ran the magazine, and to honest the only metal I have is LoTR stuff, all the other GW I have are plastic ranging from 40k, warhammer and even in the past had some epic 40k. When I was younger yes we are talking back in the 70s/80s all you could get locally was plastic Airfix, tamiya, esci and a very limited range of soft plastic figures and enamels were the only paints you could get. So back then Citadel/GW were the one saving grace we had, and I bought in big time with all the enthusiasm that you have in your younger days! From citadel journal to the lonewolf miniatures, so I now kinda feel alittle bitter that I've being pushed out! Sorry priced out by a company I feel I have being loyal for over half my life! I dropped my sub to white dwarf and I can't see me renewing it! What's the point of buying. A magazine looking at all the new stuff just to look at the price and think I can't afford that no matter how nice it is. So back to finecast I've looked at some of their stuff and it looks good apart from the air bubbles and a very hefty price tag, so its got to be a 1, sorry GW but you've lost another loyal customer, review you pricing policy and you may just get afew customers back including me.

1) Resin is nothing new large scale garage kit manufacturers have been using it for years . They have not solved the miscast bubble issue . and the costs have risen . Someone here called it "new
Coke" so i expect to see meteal return .

The sad thing is this thread would sound exactly the same even if the product was perfect in every way. Feelings here on TMP are generally so far beyond "no love" that they could almost qualify as hate crimes… 8)=

1

I would rate it higher if:

- Quality was still as good as metal
- Detail was as good or better than metal
- Cost should go down (that was a main reason for the move, right)

I think they failed in all aspects from what I've seen. I have one model (a Tau leader type) and it has a bubble that will have to be fixed and other details are the same as metal, cost was more though.

1

0

To me? 1, since 0 is not an option
To them? 10, as they've obviously staked a lot on them.

Absolute zero.

Maybe this rubbish will be the start of the end for the Evil Empire's unscrupulous plans.

, can some of you people put aside your ridiculous amounts of hate for a second and give an unbiased answer like Pictors Studio or Redroom did?

That said. It'll all be plastic eventually. :) We should be seeing the new CSM codex relatively soon, so we can get some crappy metal and resin models replaced with nice plastic versions.

Heres hoping to see some Forgeworld kits go plastic too. Especially the Thunderhawk.

Sorry but you should not have to re-sculpt a mini to make it useable, and at the prices charged they should be 100% problem free.

Making "finecast" a total crap product for gaming.

Big impact on the gaming world as a lesson on what NOT to do.

and nazrat,, I would be way more hateful if it was Reaper, or Euraka minis that started making finecast like minis.
My GW armies are done painted and playable and my rules books are 15 years old and still work fine. All the newer stuff seems to be broken..

Importance? Oddly phrased question.

I have not, nor will I ever buy Finecast. I expect a measure of working and trimming and modelling, but I REFUSE to pay extra, over and above all previous costs, for the EXTENT of correction these models require, and in return get rewarded with FAR MORE flimsy casts that break with even casual handling.

I have ALWAYS liked the heft and solidity of metal miniatures, and have only grudgingly accepted plastics for the range of conversions they allow for, but Finecast??

So it IS important to me, rate it a 10, but not as some, "threshold of awesomeness," but more like a, "line in the sand," I will NEVER cross.

(and yes, I have been buying up metal versions of my wants online/eBay/Bartertown)

Cannot really answer for the following reasons:

1) You always seem to get more bad press than good on the internet – only seen a few 'it is great' and even less 'what is the fuss about' posts. No idea how many figures are sold without problems are you?
2) I have no personal experience of painting / owning and the only ones I have seen had less bubbles than the resin building in front of me (it sized for 6mm by the way)
3) If it keeps the costs down it can only be good for the folks who use these ranges
4) Weight does not bother me – I can send a 54mm metal figure flying as easily as a 28mm.

I cannot see a company the size of GW backtracking so I guess at some point it will become a workable solution and the cost creep up as normal.

I think I have to rate it as a 7 – important for GW and the major slice of the market they have but little impact yet to myself directly

Andrew
Please help me sort out my blog(s) TMP link

This is a company whose entire marketing strategy consists of exploiting children. Why would I want to love that approach or love them for doing it?

Finecast is significant to me only in the context that I will never ever buy a piece.

I do use resin, such as Combat Wombat's for example. A one man operation – and yet I haven't received a single item from him with the pitting and bubble problems that GW have been selling. If they want love they should try putting out decent product. They have the resources to do it.

I personally am not going to love any company who disrespects its customers to such an extent.

--
<, can some of you people put aside your ridiculous amounts of hate for a second and give an unbiased answer like Pictors Studio or Redroom did?

Importance?

According to Games Workshop, this is a "revolution" in the gaming industry.

Does it really matter if people shopping the GW stores have no choice other than buying figs in resin, no matter the quality? They will eat the food given to them and enjoy it. Else why shop and play there?

I think we also need to discuss the declining quality along with rising prices of Reaper miniatures.

less than zero

Finecast, together with their preventing Maelstrom from selling to Switzerland, has reduced my GW spend from a few hundred pounds per year to zero.

Mick

0 – For me
2 – For the industry. People really had a come-to-Jesus moment with GWs insane prices and poor quality, they realized that there was a vast industry of high quality significantly lower priced options than GW. Industry win.
10 – For GW much like the convertible Yugo was for Yugo. The internal pundits stand around the models and pleasure themselves over the awesomeness of their accomplishments while outside people just laughed.

According to Games Workshop, this is a "revolution" in the gaming industry.

Are we now taking marketing hyperbole at face value? Were you expecting modesty and self-deprecation in the sales pitch for an expensive new product?

I don't like Finecast, but this is a silly thread.

1 for me. IMO, a huge mistake.

Zero