"Plastic or Metal?" Topic

I mainly game in 28mm and I think we are going through a bit of a golden age in terms of the quality and variety of minis available. New technology and competition between several excellent companies has given us plenty of choice and a wide variety of periods to choose from. I started gaming in the 1980's and almost everything was metal in the larger scales. There were some plastics, but they were soft plastic which is a pain in the ass to work with for me.

The plastics we have today are beautifully sculpted, have sharper details, easy to file/sand/convert than metal, and are much less expensive owing to the cost of materials and manufacturing. My question is what is the appeal of metal minis today, especially in 28mm? I can see liking the weight and appreciating the tradition of metal, but that is all I can think of. For those of you who stick with metal, why do you prefer it over plastic?

I like the feel of metal and the figs are a little more forgiving when dropped – also there are some figs in metal that are just unlikely to be available in plastic – and there is a little more variety, especially for things like big hat generals (SYW here) in metal

Metal. I really do not like assembling plastic figs.

The heft of metal and and ease of assembly both count with me. With all respect to Frederick, the plastics in my experience survive dropping better--so long as you don't step on them.

I've also noted that when individually stored in foam trays, plastic figures have a disconcerting habit of sticking a bayonet (or sword, spear, flag or hand) into the foam tray above them, riding out of position and getting lost and possibly damaged.

That said, my remaining 28mm forces are predominantly plastic, and this is unlikely to change--if only because I have few plans to add more. Those plastic kits are inexpensive and allow a great deal of variety and customization. But it's not an either/or thing. My big hat generals are more likely to be metal than the forces they command.

I don't have to assemble them, I still buy plastic, it's just not my favorite

I have both in 28mm

Plastics

• Can be assembled so that every figure in a unit is unique. Great for skirmish level
• Usually, but not always cheaper
• Weigh less
• separate pieces means that can avoid undercut limitations of metals and get more dramatic poses
• Can be hard to assemble and clean up. Several people I know have become so frustrated, they won't buy plastics any more

Metals

• Physically stronger, better for wargaming
• Don't fall over when the table is knocked

The third option is 3d printed

• Brittle. Arms, weapons, spears likely to break off
• Some stls are same price as a metal figure if you only want to print one
• Can scale to avoid scale creep
• Have to buy and deal with machine
• Easy to create a massive painting backlog

Agree that this is a golden age. It blows my mind that there are three companies producing high quality plastic Napoleonics

John

I am happy with my enormous metal collection (98% 25mm/28mm) and stiil prefer it to plastics. I only buy plastics when absolutely desperate for something, and even then only if there's no or minimal assembly. I will not buy sprues of things with multi-parts. I can't work with all the glues and things necessary and I dislike the fragility and the light weight. Also the lack of good detail compared to the best metal castings. And the difficulty of getting primer, paint, or lacquer to adhere well in some cases.

My only exception is for oversize things like buildings, props, giant monsters or animals -- where plastic or resin is far cheaper and I will accept the compromise.

And I'll paint some plastic figures for boardgames, to improve the game experience, but I don't enjoy it and grumble quite a bit.

Trying to spray prime or spray lacquer plastic figures and having them fall over or get blown to the ground is immensely aggravating.

I have both and having grown up building plastic models I really don't mind plastics. I do prefer less parts over many. Having had to assemble many, many multi-part metal figs, I don't understand why people think that's a plastics only problem. Plastic multi part figs are easier to assemble than metal multi part figs. One thing I like about my 3d printers is that I can print a whole figure as a single piece. Brittleness is definitely an issue with 3d prints but modern resins are getting really good and some of my new prints show surprising resiliency compared to my earlier prints. My FDM printed terrain parts are very strong and newer FDM prints are getting better and better at more detailed prints.

90% plastic 10% metal. Only buy metal if no plastic available
All my 15mm DBA are metal but I haven't bought many of them in years.
Paul

Began with metal and pretty much the same reasons as already stated, though I may have already bought my last 28mm figs. Getting a little shaky in my painting. Don't need surprise stripes.
Have large Epic Pike & Shotte armies (unpainted) and some Travel Battle fig armies (spray painted). Both types are plastic.

Plastic only if I don't have to assemble them – so mainly 54mm or 20mm and Epic TYW.

I dislike plastic models and dislike them even more when they can only be assembled one way in a pose that could easily have been cast in metal – but that is what 20 years in the industry does for you.

So, metal always.

+1 Fifz.

Will never do plastic ever. Would leave gaming before
I would do plastic. Refuse to put figures together, love the weight of metal and metal is the one true gaming material.

Single piece metal castings prefered. I do plastic, but the assembly on some them is too much work.

I like plastic (both hard and soft) and metal. They each present different problems and opportunities. Hard plastic and metal take and retain paint really well; soft plastic takes paint, but loses it easily in use.

I like 3D printed figures, too. Does that count as plastic, or is it a third material?

My self-introduction to the hobby included both, especially Revell plastic model kits, Airfix 1/72 plastic, and Hinchcliffe 25mm metal. I taught myself how to get results with each type of material.

I guess the follow-up question will be: For vehicles, artillery, and similar items, do you prefer metal, die-cast metal, soft plastic, hard plastic, resin, or 3D printed?

Plastics require building (hate metal with separate weapons) and while cleanup is minimal it's still there (so clean an arm x2, head, weapon, etc and still put it together). Resin minis shatter easily, even had some break while painting them and the finer style makes repairs more tricky. I'd rather clean one metal mini and get on with painting than the building of plastics. I'll use any mini for what I need but given the choice I take metal.

Most of mine is plastic. Made models as a kid so assembly is no problem (usually, depending on manafacturer). Have some metal and less 3d.
I find that plastic is more forgiving of oops. Have metal bases and the figs usually land on these with no damage. Can just glue a musket or saber back on. On a hard surface, metal usually lands with a thud and requires repaint at the least ?

I don't do 28s any more but my 15s are a mix of metal and plastic, I don't particularly care which, as long as any assembly is minimal.

My 20mm stuff is mainly plastic though, soft bendy plastic at that. No idea why, I just love 20mm plastics, harking back to playing with Arfix stuff when I was kid I guess.

Plastic figures do tend to be more realistically proportioned than many metal figures though.

Obviously a personal thing.

I dont like assembling metal figures if there is no pin or locating hole, as it just leaves a weak joint in a vulnerable position eg at the wrist.

I never liked metal kits of vehicles..too much superglue on the fingers.

No problem with assembling plastic figures-I actually like the fiddling.

On the whole I think the best metal figures are better than the best plastics, thinking especially of AB 20mm WW2 or Crooked Dice 28mm
Back in the 80's the reverse was the case for WW2 and it was only Figures Armour Artillery that made metal WW2 an option for me.

jwebster nicely done

It depends how much assembly is needed. Most 28mm plastics are individual models that must be assembled. That's okay if I am making 6 cowboys. It is not okay (for me) if I need 400 Napoleonic Russians. I see their appeal, but they are not for me for army building unless they are single piece castings, or they don't need anything more than a backpack glued on.

I detest resin and plastic figures. As a hypocrite, of course, I have some amongst my collection.

Warships – metal, plastic & resin, all AOK

Tanks & AFVs – metal

Figures – metal

My big problem with most plastics…gaps. A LOT of green stuff filling gaps. Pain in the back side.