"Plastic Figures: Single-Piece or Multi-Part?" Topic

Which do you prefer?

Multi

Single

Single.

Starship Troopers from Mongoose scarred me for life….

This question is rather vague. What scale? Infantry or vehicles? Both?

Infantry, 15mm and smaller, I would prefer single piece. Larger I would prefer multi-part.

Vehicles, multi-part.

Neither

Unless there is no alternative I will buy metal,

Fewer parts, better.

Multi – appeals to the crazy head scratch builder in me

Single, except separate horses and riders.

Ditto what "rmaker" said.

Multi for variability in poses, but with the caveat that there should be no more than 5 to 6 parts per figure. Which means no 1/72 Caesars Miniatures at-least-7-parts-in-a-figure nightmares.

link

Single

From an SF PoV … it depends on the scale :-)

TBH, I prefer single-piece … especially anything below 28/32 mm.

From 28 mm up, I'm "OK" with multipart, but I don't really enjoy it … it's just more work.

However, the games I play are very skirmish-centric, so I don't often encounter the problem of identical single-piece poses that much. And if I do, I only have at most 2 or 3 MP minis to sort out.

Multi, but not too many parts.

Multi, I like to kit-bash.

Single. I would prefer them all ready assembled. Another reason for metal.

Not too many parts please.

single and the reason I buy metal.

Multi definitely for 28mm. 1/72 is usually fine with 1 + detached shield or something. I take forever to paint anything, so a small amount of modelling time first is negligible to my overall purchase to tabletop timeline.

Older now, so prefer single piece, whatever the size or scale

Multi. As others have said, kit-bashing is a Zen art all its own.

Multi for me (28mm) but 15 or 6mm single piece.

Soft plastic 1/72 single part. Hard plastic 28mm, usually multi-part, but I'm happy with one piece casting hordes: they're usually cheaper and faster to paint.

1/35 – 5+ pieces
28mm – 3-4 pieces
15mm – 2-3 pieces
10mm – 1 piece

Vehicles – chassis/body and all weapons separate

Not just for kitbashing (which I might have done once or twice inlgames.com/free-arch.htm ), and for "normal" variance, but also for the type of dynamic pose you can't get in one piece.

For my painting service, it's a hard question, multi part means an assembly fee, single piece is just easier.

For myself, when do I get the time? It would depend on the figure. Do I want basic or complex poses or conversions?

+1 etotheipi

One piece. I hate assembling figures.

single – most of the plastic figures I have seen can only be assembled in one way anyway which, to my mind, negates the whole point of making them multi-part…

For under 25mm, one piece (except vehicles can be multi, up to 12 or so parts); for 25mm and larger, hard plastic 4 parts or so for figures, many parts for vehicles, for other materials (stuff that doesn't glue with model glue), one part, thank you.

Rob

Single piece. I intensely dislike assembling figures.

Multi, and with the correct number of weapons to represent historic units, not the Bolt Action fantasy units.

Single, in multiple poses. I paint assembly line style: all figures of each pose, lined up; make the same paint stroke on each, in succession, then repeat next stroke, down the line, until all are finished. Most efficient way to paint.

With multiple poses, I mix the poses on the same stand, to create variety. With multiple stands intermixed, they look fine.

Gamer, not a painter/artist. Need to get them onto the tabletop, to fight for glory. Cheers!

Shouldnt this have been a poll? My vote: I subplant my vote with a comment instead: all those with "metal" comments you are in the wrong forum. Please return to your place.

my vote: no parts whatsoever who on EARTH has time to put those dinky parts together??

Ditto Roman Peter.

Multi means extra value to me! I love to build figures with as much variety as possible. I think I love assembling them more than I love painting them.

15/18mm I prefer single piece, but in 28mm I'm having a lot of fun with Perry ACW and Napoleonic figures that are usually 3 or 4 pieces each and give me about the amount of variation that I like in larger scale figures.

Many parts! Especially for 28mm upwards.

I love eg. the Perry or Victrix sets.

Single

Single and of course the one true scale.

I prefer as little assembly as is possible. Take the new Necromunda figures, they are such a pain to make! So many bits to make one figure! And don't get me started on those tiny heads for the big bodies!!! I got so annoyed in the end I gave up and use them as spare parts.

Single – multi-part soft plastic 1/72nd figures are a pain to glue. I know it offers variety, but even so.