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What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
http://ww.one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29868		 Page 3 of 6
Author:  The Arkenstone [ Mon Dec 01, 2014 6:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
I would really like a size compare between Geene and GW Smaug. From what I can tell they are pretty close but Geene might be a litter larger. No base though and its so spread out I'm not sure how easy it would be to put it on a base.
Author:  Mothball [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 4:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Looks superb. I won't buy it, though. My painting wouldn't do it any justice.
Author:  Sticky Fingersss [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 9:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
WOW! is the base the same as the Mumak?
Author:  Quendil [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 10:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
It depends whether I can afford it at £300. My concern is at that price it may not be available for long
Author:  Sacrilege83 [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 8:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
The price has stopped me.
Author:  Rangefinder [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 8:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Cost and limited gaming function outside of specific scenarios.
Author:  GothmogtheWerewolf [ Tue Dec 02, 2014 11:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
The price and the amount of space it would take up, but mainly the price. Otherwise, I really love that model, shame.
Author:  Michaelc [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 12:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Poor dollar/leg value.
Author:  Wise Old Elf [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 12:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Even with the impressive price (albeit rumoured) I would be tempted to buy Smaug, were he not sculpted in awful resin. I can't begin to imagine how time-consuming and irritating the intricacies of assembling (by which I mean repairing and resculpting) Smaug would be. Can't GW just realise they would sell so much more Hobbit miniatures if they were cast in plastic!? It's almost like they're stuck in a vicious cycle =

GW produce miniatures in awful finecast > Less buyers > GW raise prices to counterbalance low sales > Less buyers > GW unable to cover costs of plastic moulds and manufacturing for the Hobbit SBG due to low sales so stick with overpriced finecast > Even less buyers... :-o

Just imagine GW, if Smaug was plastic you'd be £300 or so just from my pocket alone.
Author:  The Arkenstone [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 1:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
That's no Mumak base or I'm a hobbit. Comparing a Bilbo model to the Mumak base, it looks to me like Smaug's base is close to 50% longer which would make the beast 20-24" head to tail. That's with the tail curled off to the side.

Model looks truly titanic, but I'm still undecided. Will wait for GW pics with (hopefully) more angles and close ups.

The price is staggering no matter how you look at it though.
Author:  the marshal [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Wise Old Elf wrote:
GW produce miniatures in awful finecast > Less buyers > GW raise prices to counterbalance low sales > Less buyers > GW unable to cover costs of plastic moulds and manufacturing for the Hobbit SBG due to low sales so stick with overpriced finecast > Even less buyers... :-o


not saying they wouldn't sell more if they used plastic for everything, but have you actually tried any of the newer finecast models? Pretty much everything from the hobbit line has been coming out fault free. Finecast has improved immensely over time (amusingly it's now quite good after they stopped calling it finecast). A lot of people though refuse to give it a chance after the terrible launch. I prefer metal, I always will, but the current resin products from gw, particularly ones produced specifically for the hobbit, have been to quite a high standard.

As for Smaug, I'd be very surprised if they used the same resin as they used for finecast. Forgeworld experimented with this a bit. These days forgeworld are using the same resin as gw for their smaller pieces and using their older style resin for large items as they found finecast wasn't well suited for it. When you have a team of professional resin casters literally in the same building and you are about to create one of the companies largest, most expensive models to date, you'd probably consult them.

I'd be willing to bet that the plastic vs resin decisions for the hobbit have been more based on release issues then money issues. We know that the movie details changed very late in production, going from two movies to three, and we know originally the first movie was set to end roughly after the barrels out of bond scene. The last plastics we received line up with this cut off point. This would have meant no early glimpse at the gundabad warriors or laketown guard. Gw probably had planned releases for the second movie for these miniatures. To suddenly have to change those plans will have impacted their available resources and willingness to take on the extra risk of plastic casting.

I don't genuinely believe GW are trying to screw with us. I blame mostly poor business structure for most their general problems, and I think a lot of the problems we've had with the hobbit releases are linked closely to the rather chaotic post production the movies had (last minute major villain changes for example saw even lego releasing kits featuring Yazneg as the big bad rather then Azog). It sucks that we are getting finecast now, but I'd wait until the full set of releases is done to get too judgemental over it. We may yet see plastic gundabads and siege trolls after all.
Author:  CaptainBlake [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
the marshal wrote:
not saying they wouldn't sell more if they used plastic for everything, but have you actually tried any of the newer finecast models? Pretty much everything from the hobbit line has been coming out fault free. Finecast has improved immensely over time (amusingly it's now quite good after they stopped calling it finecast). A lot of people though refuse to give it a chance after the terrible launch.


This argument gets brought up again and again...it is not only the qualit of the material (which is still not very good and yes I have tried newer models). But you cant strip Finecast, so if you screw up the painting you have a 400$ mini that looks like nothing. And there are few here who could do the model justice painting wise. It's not something you can get away with by applying a base coat and a wash...except if you like throwing money out of the window.

Also the material is weak...I'm curious to see how well the those wings and neck keep their shape over time.

I find it absolutely ridiculous to make such a miniature out of cr*ppy resin.

They could make plastic molds, they have enough money from other ranges to pull that off. Even Warhammer players could buy the dragon...
Author:  Guitarheroandy [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 6:59 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Look, I'm a lurker on here really, so maybe I'm a bit less than qualified to comment, but I feel I need to on this. In response to the thread title, I won't buy this as it's utterly useless for my gaming needs, it's a lot of money and it's too big for me to store.

BUT....

Wow!!! On the basis of that one picture, it looks like it's a superb model! Also, this is just a brilliant thing that GW have done - they have produced the one model most thought they never would or could! I can only imagine the difficulties and challenges associated with doing this, from the movie makers' demands to the challenge of sculpting, moulding and casting, to painting it...but here it is anyway.

Anyway, for all the brilliant painters and collectors out there who want such a thing, it's finally available and they can buy it! I think that's great!!! The range would be incomplete without it.

I know some people have this thing against Finecast and I do get that, because it has its flaws, but even so...this is Smaug!!! This is THE iconic Tolkien model and here it is!! From what I understand from conversations with folk in the historical wargame figure manufacturing world, realistically, making the moulds for this size and type of kit in plastic would be a bit of a financial risk, as the costs of plastic moulding are high - higher than metal and resin and the model is so huge and costly, they'd be worried about making enough profit... I could be wrong, but that's my hypothesis.

Anyway, it seems to me that GW takes a lot of c**p a lot of the time, (some admittedly justified, some certainly not) but fact remains that they have done a rather good job with this. Well done GW...:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:
Author:  Ukfreddybear [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 7:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Well said Andy. 8)
Author:  Grungehog [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
As I have already said the model doesn't suit me, the base size and rules are what I really want to know about.

from what we have seen...(which isn't much as of yet really!) the model looks like a really nice Wyvern, very much akin to PJ's films.
It looks really cool however I can say with positive certainty will not be purchasing him.

My reasons
1)Peter Jacksons design, really nice features, except the lack of aforementioned anterior limbs and that under-bite
2)The material, as others have pointed out resin cannot be stripped, therefore you NEED to get it right the first time
3)The cost, if I was a big shot stuntman with a decent enough salary to start paying back my current student loan, I probably would buy the model as a token of appreciation to GW for their work on both trilogies (and to sculpt an extra couple of legs on mind) I am not!

In other words I'm really excited this model is coming out, however I feel like Hyperglycaemic in Charlie s chocolate factory.

Bring on the rules!!!!!!!!
Author:  Amarthadan [ Wed Dec 03, 2014 8:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Dying to get a better look at the model. :)
Author:  Galanur [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
MORE OF THE BEAST!"

http://waaaghgaming.de/weitere-bilder-von-smaug/
Author:  Sacrilege83 [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:17 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Yep, thank you :yay:
Author:  Amarthadan [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:25 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
Oh baby yes. That has gotta be the best GW model so far from what I can see. :)
Author:  Sacrilege83 [ Thu Dec 04, 2014 12:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What will stop you from buying the GW Smaug model?
So are you going to get it Amarthadan?
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