"Plastic miniatures - love or hate?" Topic

I personally don't like painting and gaming with plastic miniatures. I feel that you have to adjust your painting style to get similiar results to metal miniatures and when gaming I don't like the weight of plastics in my hand. Despite the increasing quality of plastic miniatures being produced, I can't ever see myself converting to being a plastic lover.

Do other people have this love or hate relationship with plastic miniatures?

If you have converted, what made you change your mind?

Raglan

Not a fan of plastics. I have passed on buying very nicely painted plastics because of the lack of heft.

Will never buy plastic.
Long live metal!!!

The heft of plastics certainly throws me off, but I've got nothing against them. I don't consider it a love-hate thing. I look at availability and cost. If I want to collect X army and the cheapest decent metal fig is a dollar and the cheapest decent plastic fig is sixty cents, I'll be starting my project with plastics.

There are some very nicely sculpted plastics these days, but it is hard to get an old fart like me to drop his sentimental attachment to metal. The heft of a stand of metal figures is one of the pleasures of the hobby for me. But I bear no ill will to those who choose plastics.

I have a unit of plastic ACW cavalry by Perry, and to deal with the "lack of heft", I based them on metal bases.
I do however prefer metal to plastic.

I prefer metal figures but collect plastic because of the cost. I collect 1/72 or 20mm plastics for ancients, a box of 48 figures runs $6 USD-$10 USD.And I finished buying everything I needed for about $200 USD USD. If I had done 15s or 25s the cost would have been much higher. I am currently collecting 25-28mm Napoleonics…but it will take about 2 years to finish buying what I want. I can only afford a little each month. Its about affordability and nothing else.

Love.

Damon.

By plastics do you mean the hard 28mm stuff, or the soft 1/72nd variety?
As for me, I am primarily a naval gamer, and in that I am strictly 1/3000th in metal. I believe plastic using 3D printing is the way of the future, but I will hold on to metal as long as Navwar stays in business.
But with napoleonics (my sexy thing on the side) I do 1/72nd scale plastics for two reasons:
First, and definitely most important, financial considerations (I couldnīt possibly justify to my wife even the cost of Perry plastics, much less quality metal!), and second, out of nostalgia for my long-ago childhood.

They're … miniatures.

Plastics offer easier and thus ultimately more options for modifications and conversions.

I treasure my metals, too, but some things are easier done in plastic.

On that note, nothing beats certain kind of resins for details.

I love good metals and good plastics!

I never got over plastics from when I was a kid! Currently working on a Pig Wars project in 54mm Conte/Replicants/Elheim. Next up is '73 AIW in 20mm.
Fact is, I can't justify the cost of metal in an age when so much is available in plastic.
I see some prefer painting metal. Why? Once primed, it would seem the same to me.

Heft. unweighted or poorly weighted chess pieces are almost creepy… all things being equal, metal by far. R.

I have a preference for metal but will happily use any material that a figure, which suits my purpose, is in.

x42

I love them. Much harder wearing and mutli part bits like spears never fall of. Plus no bendy muskets!

I would do everything in plastic if I could.

I like them. They are nicely detailed and easy with which to work. To me, mixing metal and plastic offers no major issues.

I have always preferred buying plastics over metals. They usually cost less and have greater variety for poses and customization. I have only rarely had the "fiddly" problem some people here complain about. I tend to have more problems getting metals to stay together then plastics. Plus the lighter weight of plastics is good for me. I generally have to travel nearly 200 miles to get in games.
On the other hand, living in the desert heat has given me an appreciation for the hardiness of metal figures. Also I have taken a liking to home casting with Prince August molds. So I have a nice collection of metals as well.
So… plastics are my first choice unless I am making them myself. :)

I prefer metal, but would do plastic if there wasn't anything else for a line I wanted.

I tried the 28mm hard plastic but I just didn't like them. I found assembling them and particularly getting a convincing join between arm and shoulder too time consuming. I reasoned if I was going to spend so much time on figures they may as well be those I like the most, metal.

I have Wings of War planes and they are plastic and metal and I'm intending to buy the Sails of Glory Ships which I expect to be the same mix of materials.

I've wanted to get a pile of old Airfix HO/00 ACW but can't seem to find any that are cheap enough in bulk, so I'm not against plastics at all just the 28mm ones I've tried.

I know some people don't get the heft thing which those of us who prefer metals go on about but I see it rather as I do drinking out of plastic cups or eating with a plastic knife and fork ie. not quite as satisfying as the heavier options…

I love plastic and Metal. I love Metal just a bit more for heft and the beauty of a unified sculpt (something nearly impossible to match with multipart plastics). However plastic models sure are fun and easy to convert.

Only with plastic is it so easy to switch out heads and weapons and immediately have a unique looking unit.

What is it about Wednesdays that causes people to spark religious discussions?

Having just completed my first unit of plastic Vikings by Gripping Beast, I can say I am a big fan. When assembling them you realise how constrained the poses of metal figures are by the casting process – you don't get this issue with multi-part plastics so you get much more realistic poses as a result. For example, have you ever seen a metal figure with the scabard hanging away from the legs ?

I've got both. I like my metal figures better at this time, but don't hate any of them – except maybe those really ugly old 15mm French carabiniers that I have to replace someday…

"For example, have you ever seen a metal figure with the scabard hanging away from the legs ?"
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So much for my efforts…

I need some Metallica playing to this!

I like some plastics for the record…

Mike

Er…I love the new plastics, cheap and easy to carry and convert/modify, whats not to love?

Love them

I had a friend who always stored his figures in his garage where he set up his games. The temp in the summer here can get up to a 100 degrees or more.

Then he bought some plastics and stored them with his metal figures. After a couple of days he went out to the garage and all the plastic figures had melted. The metal figs were as good as ever. Metal figures are more robust. I think I will stay with metal. Love metal, hate plastic.

I am an equal opportunity 28mm painter.
I like them both.
Heck, I will even throw in resin into the mix o' love…

When i was 13, I discovered wargaming, and the Grant & Featherstone books. By that time, I'd been busy buying, building and painting tons of Airfix and other 1/72 and HO scale kits, so gaming with them was a no-brainer.

It wasn't until several years later that I discovered metal gaming minis.

Now, I like them both, and for different reasons, BUT, were I forced to choose I'd take the hard plastic any day of the week.

For value, detail and sheer conversion potential, nothing in metal comes close, except maybe Old Glory.

I very much LIKE having all the parts and building them up, but that probably comes from more than 5 decades of model-building.

For those who don't like the weight issue, then base them on metal stands, or washers. Problem solved.

I use both metal and plastic, and find it doesn't have to be an either/or choice, but as I said, if forced to make a choice, then plastic it is.

Had plastics (Airfix) in the 50's – still have some
of them.

Modern plastics – I no longer have the patience to fit
arms, etc., which also applies to some modern metal
figures.

Love plastics, and now get quite annoyed with trying to glue metal pieces and clean up the flash and what not…

15mm Ancients = metal
20mm Ancients = soft plastic
28mm Ancients = hard plastic
15mm WWII = whatever is good value so metal, hard plastic or resin

I use them all and really don't care what things are made of.

I mainly do 15mm nowadays, so it is still metal. In 28mm I cant see myself ever using plastics. My boys did GW plastic back about 10 years ago. I didnt like putting them together, didnt like the feel in my hand -too fragile, and I didnt like the lack of heft to them. So metal now and metal forever.

METAL FOREVER!!!!!!

both have their merits..there are some pretty average plastics out there..and some pretty good ones as well..though on the whole there is always something a bit not right about them..except for Gripping Beast which are superb..

Love.

Love the cost and conversion possibilities; hate the lack of weight.

I fill my GW-style bases with lead shot, gives them some heft if not exactly the right heft.

Love 'em.

For the rank and file I've done some plastics in 25/28. Relativly inexpensive and they paint up well (I have very low standards!). Prefer metal for officers, musicians etc. Well sculpted metal figures have a certain "gravitas".

I love the heft of metal minatures, so I prefer them overall. The Perry Twins' plastic WoTR range, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the finest miniature ranges out there today; the conversion possibilities with their plastic box sets are almost endless.

If you want to see a convincing argument for plastics you might mosey over to the LAF Medieval section and take a look at Capt. Blood's running thread showing his conversions using the new Perry mounted men at arms. Brilliant, inspiring stuff!

I dislike assembling plastics.
Amd, there s no rel advantage with the price, unless you are comparing them to some of the more over-priced metal manufacturers.

I like 'em both.

Metals have the sort of feel I like, solid. I have to base all my plastics on multi bases, or metal washers to get a similar feel…

I love plastics for conversions – it's just so easy! Unfortunately, it's also become a bit of a compulsion…

I see plastic's main cost advantage when one figures in "large" figures…namely horses. I would like to see a manufacure produce a generic horse type, if you will, with various harness and without saddle. This way you can use the horse for almost any period and any army. 60-70% of metal/lead cavalry is dedicated to the price of the horse. Also, with a metal rider, who has a very specific saddle attached, you add more weight to the figure, thus the lack of heft is not so much an issue. Also, you can produce horses, particualry in 28mm scale, which are in proportion to the riders or infantry, as most larger scales just make horses way to small. Anyone who has ever riden, or seen a horse up close will agree. So, generic plastic horses, without attached saddles, larger, costing less than lead, and making less of a lead footprint on the environment also, as to some this is important, would be a wise move in my opinion.

ilodic.

Love. Think Perry's WotR bill/bow set is the best miniatures set ever produced. Just getting into Warlord's mixed metals & plastics and really like how they do their boxed sets.

Its the future baby.

Plastic for vehicles (PSC is vastly cheaper than Peter Pig or QRF, 3.50GBP per versus 6GBP per halftrack).

I would like plastic hordes (PSC Russians, for example), especially if I can get both decent detail and costs of ~half metal or so.

I don't mind building multipart 28mm infantry (recovering GW addict, here), and I totally sold several of the other GW guys on using serious plastic glue on their minis after I dropped one of my Tau Firewarriors and accidentally stepped on him! Only damage was him coming off the base.

Now, if someone would do 15mm plastic Zulus or Mahdists, maybe some Brits with separate heads for pith helmets or turbans… I'd be all over that. I'd buy 6 PSC-sized sets (~115 or so) of the Brits, and at least 15 sets of the others!

I will play with both but the vast majority of my collection is plastic. Hard to beat the price and ability to modify.

If we're talk PERRY, VICTRIX, WARGAMES FACTORY, VALIANT, PSC and WARLORDS ect then I must say; LOVE 'EM!
A great way to 'Bulk Out' your armies.
A real asset to the Cash Strapped out there, or those who can't get enough miniatures. They paint up a treat.
If we're talking 'Soft Plastics', they are not my thing,…

I love metal figures, like HARD plastics (like GW makes)… but I HATE HATE HATE resin (for human-sized figures). I also don't like anything that is rubbery/bendy.

The Perry WOTR ranges prove that 28mm hard plastics can actually be significantly better than metals. They are the best medievals that I have ever seen.

There are many good plastics now – Perry, Victrix, Fireforge, Gripping Beast, Conquest and Warlord all have very good sets. Wargames Factory have some good and some bad sets.

I still have periods where I am mostly metal (WW2 & moderns).
Mick