"Figure Longevity: Not Much Replacing!" Topic

You were asked – TMP link

How often – or do you ever – replace figures?

44% said "I never replace figures"
31% said "I replace figures rarely"
11% said "I replace figures sometimes"

I recon a set of metal figures lasts 3 to 4 years max if played with like us about 40 times a year. After that the damage and paint flaking on metal is an issue. This may not be for 3D printed which seem less prone to damage and minimal to no paint flaking. Minimal to no damage in 3 to 4 years.

I have never had to replace a metal figure in more then 50 years of gaming ??
No paint coming off either?
Seems very odd that 3D printed figures are more durable ??

Russ Dunaway

Maybe the metal figures he's using aren't being primed?

I sell off collections too often for,it to be an issue.

I've had to repair a few metal figures over the years.
But never had to "replace" them.

Plastic figures on the other hand are easily broken beyond repair.
Also more likely to have paint flaking off them.

If your metal figures only last a few years, you must be shooting at them with BB guns. Or, you are playing more roughly than anyone I've ever played with.

Depends what you mean by 'plastic' – I imaging hard plastic are easily broken but apart from the odd bit of brittleness I have never had a problem with soft plastic figures – I have had some of them 40 years at least and the paint doesn't flake off either…Metal you get a bit of flaking/chipping and muskets/spears/swords can get bent or broken but I don't think I've ever had to replace any.

There lots of variables.
If you are a bit clumsy your figures will not last very long. Just like most other pieces of equipment.
Until lockdown I was using metal armies about 150 times a year for the last 50 years. This includes opponents using them too.

No problems , but I am respectful of my little chaps.

martin

Hold on here….. let me see if I have this right. We can actually play with our figures?

Kidding aside, I have never had any issues with metal figures. Pick them up by the base. Resin and plastic figures tend to break a bit. Snapped flag poles, spears, out stretched arms. I like many eras to game and as such, they don't see too much action as I rotate through them.

Matthew

Certainly my 3D printed figures bounce if dropped and suffer no damage, light weight and partially flexable.

I have never lifted figures by the base, too me if you can do that then the base is too hidious to be allowed on table, worse than unpainted figures on a thin base, but that is purely personal opinion.

lus of coure if you do lose a bit (vanishingly less so since the advent of locking tuttets on 3D printed 1/144 vehicles) it can be re-printed and replaced.

IMHO, figure durability largely depends on the people you play with and how they are based.

Well behaved gamers tend to treat figures, especially well painted ones, with care. I've never come across a player that I've had problems with in that respect but, I have heard of players who treat figures badly.

Figures based individually generally get clunked about much more than figures based multiply on larger stands. Likewise, un-based vehicles tend to suffer from 'clash and bash' (I base mine like figures to stop this happening).

I did once see a younger gamer in a games store in Ilkley, at the end of his game, simply sweep his figures into a box using the crook of his arm. I dare say they looked a bit weather worn after a time.

Before seeing this post, I'd never considered that figures needed replacing because of wear and tear.

"3 to 4 years, max!" UshCha, what are you doing to those poor figures? Barring dropped typemetal and the odd case of lead rot, a metal figure should outlast the wargamer. Many have.

But yes, with weekly use, an annual clear coat is usually advisable.

The very few "printed" figures I have held were thin with fragile parts such as weapons?

I am an Army Painter, relying heavily upon The Dip Technique, and Magic Wash. My figures, as well as every set of figures I've ever played with, always see some damage during play (not all are damaged by me, it seems we take turns inflicting harm upon random figures). They get handled, spears come out of hands, some get dropped, paint chips, extensions break off. I consider it normal, and I expect it to happen, in every single game, no matter whose figures are used, no matter who the players are. We are all careful, but we are all Human, so @&#$% happens.

For this reason, I paint to the GEtGW standard -- I view my mini's at arm's length, 98% of the time, so I paint for the 98%, not the 2%. I also build as much of my terrain, as I can -- huge part of the hobby for me. I do not go for uber-realistic terrain, either. It will be handled, and it will be dinged in handling, and storage. I build it to last, using simple techniques. It is better than felt forests and rivers, but it is not trainset modeling, either.

I played games with a professional painter. He painted mini's for Reaper, and other manufacturers for their advertisements. He averaged 11-12 hours of painting time, per individual figure! They were amazingly superb! They were on thin bases, and he asked us to pick them up by the bases, only -- that was not easy to do. I tried. I dropped two, damaging their paintwork. I felt bad, he was not happy. If you play with them, @&#$% happens!

I expect @&#$% to happen. I build that into my expectations. Players feel bad when they tell me something happended, but I smile, tell them it's not a problem, @&#$% happens. We move on. I fix them later.

I rarely replace figures. I have sold some armies off, then bought different figures to replace them, years later. I have upgraded some with better figures, but this is rare. Once they are in the collection, they are usually pretty permanent fixtures within the collection. Cheers!