Hi everyone,
You might have seen that I recently ran a poll on twitter asking mini painters and collectors what their preferred material for minis is. I was really interested to see how passionate and invested people are in this debate, and there were some very strong views expressed! 411 people voted in the poll, and without further ado, here are the results:
I have to be honest, I was a little surprised by the result! I thought that both metal and resin would be more popular and plastic might struggle a bit. Shows what I know!
I thought that as a follow up to the poll it might be interesting and helpful to summarise some of the responses and offer some positives and negatives of each. I don't think that it's likely to change the mind of those who had strong views in the poll initially, but for people just starting out or who have only really used one material it might help to inform future decisions. The sections below are summaries of what people said. Please don't shout at me if you disagree! Seriously, though, this is a conversation I'm very happy to keep having, so feel free to comment here or on twitter. One quick caveat, I said for the poll that we were assuming the miniatures were the same price, so cost doesn't come into these comparison. I'm going to start with metal.
Although not unanimous, the broad consensus amongst respondents was that metal miniatures didn't have the level of detail of a high quality plastic or resin miniature, but there was an indefinable joy in painting and playing with metal miniatures. It was even suggested that plastic wargaming miniatures just 'felt wrong'.
Metal miniatures themselves are perhaps the hardest wearing of all the miniatures, but they can be a pain to mend if they do break, and paint coming off the miniatures was often mentioned as a problem. Converting and modifying metal miniatures is also much more difficult than doing the same with plastic minis. All of this might sound very critical of metal, but the goal of miniature painting is enjoyment, and lots of people suggested that painting metal was just more fun despite it's shortcomings.
Best for: Old School Wargamers.
Within my poll I specifically stated that it was to compare 'high quality plastic', and this is an important point when looking at this material. There are many different types and qualities of plastic out there, and it can be a bit difficult to know what you're going to get. Particularly coming in for criticism were the older Reaper Bones miniatures, but the consensus was that these had improved massively in recent times.
With the highest number of votes it is unsurprising that there were lots of positive things said about plastic miniatures. Modern plastic miniatures can be very detailed while still being easy to work with. It was the overwhelming favourite for people who like to convert and modify miniatures. Although it was noted that plastic miniatures break more easily than metal ones, they are much easier to fix if they do break. Where it was noted that metal miniatures can be challenging to paint, plastic was seen to be the easiest to work with. In most cases it is easier to put the paint on the miniature and, once it's on, it stays there better too. The weight was a divisive issue here, some people liked the lightweight nature for travel, posting and storage, while for others they lacked the satisfying feel and heft of metal.
Best for: Gamers who travel and for conversions.
The variety of comments about resin suggest that there are some very different quality levels in terms of material and finish out there. Some people suggested that resin miniatures required the least work before painting, while others suggested they took the most. What is clear, though, is that you need safety equipment while working with resin. Make sure you have a mask before you start cutting, as the dust produced can be harmful.
Resin, it seems, is the go-to choice for miniature artists who don't game. The level and crispness of detail found on good resin miniatures is unmatched and the strength and stability of them means they don't tend to warp and bend in the way both plastic and metal do. Despite that resin received the fewest votes by quite some way. It appears that much as these are great for art, they leave something to be desired for gaming. The lack of flexibility which helps painting means that they are prone to shatter, at which point they are beyond repair. They were also reported to be harder to apply paint to than plastic miniatures. Fundamentally, resin was suggested to be the hardest material to work with.
Best For: Painters who don't game.
As I mentioned at the top, these are not necessarily my views, but the distilled wisdom of Twitter. That said, I'm very happy to continue the conversation if you're interested. If you're new to the hobby and would like to ask any questions, please do get in touch!
Finally, a big thank you to everyone who took part in the poll and for the friendly engagement. There were clearly some very strong views, but everyone expressed them courteously and in a friendly way. Goblin Squire
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
Categories
All
|