GW have stopped making metal models

ForgottenLore · **Joined:** Sun Mar 27, 2011 10:47 pm **Posts:** 491

Lorizael wrote:

I really don't know half of what you're on about Ultragreek.

Never is a good word. Hopefully GW will never make metal models again. I long for a plastic future!

As do I, but resin is not plastic and will likely still have many (but not all) of the drawbacks of metal.

whafrog · **Posted:** Sun May 08, 2011 11:51 pm

Lorizael wrote:

Never is a good word. Hopefully GW will never make metal models again. I long for a plastic future!

I was at my local GW to grab whatever metal blisters I could. I was slim pickings. I talked to the manager there, he told me metal isn't going away completely, they will still be releasing metal characters and the like. However, many elites might be repackaged as plastics and into boxes...probably not boxes of 24, but perhaps boxes of 8 to fit with WotR. Emphasis on "might", he couldn't confirm anything specific.

Other than the cost of tin for the pewter, he said one of the main motivations was due to the general downsizing of the stores. According to him, blisters are a real PITA to deal with, they take up too much room and time to arrange. He said they were standardizing stores to be no bigger than 750 sq ft (except in markets where the real estate was super cheap, like where I live), so they had to make the most of the stock space. Small boxes of 4 or 8 models (like the size of the recent commander boxes) would be easier to deal with and take up less space.

He did acknowledge that the rumour had spurred a lot of orders of stuff that they have to spin up again, which is why they might be low on some things. I've been trying to get some Iron Guard, but they aren't due to arrive for another few weeks. All the metals are done in England, so it takes a while.

FWIW...

Old Chestnut · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 12:39 am

Quote:

I've been trying to get some Iron Guard, but they aren't due to arrive for another few weeks. All the metals are done in England, so it takes a while.

I would have thought that shipping from Tennessee would be cheaper?

Sounds more inline with what I was told.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 12:55 am

Lorizael wrote:

GW charged £30 for 10 metal models so £25 for 10 plastic sounds good to me...

Wow really! A 5 pound difference is good to you. I wonder how many plastic lovers here would actually agree with you on that pricing. I would think that there would be a 10 british pounds difference.

I was pretty upset when they converted the Mordor Troll to plastic, it still cost the same as the old metal version. Really what's up with that!? And having extra bits is not an excuse for the price, you're still missing a torso and lower body to complete a second troll.

Eorling · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:40 am

I believe that workshop are prusuing a policy of extra bits on the sprue to "ease the pain" of the high price. Not 100% effective but it does make for a better kit. In the end, I really don't know what to think about their pricing. Sure, tooling is massively expensive and their sales volume makes it hard to claw the cost back as other mainstream platic kit makers - and then you've got inflation aswell. But is it justified? I don't know. Is it good business strategy? Good enough given the fact that they are growing again. Is there a better pricing strategy to nurture growth? Probably, there almost always is, but no one can say with any certainty what that would be.

It's quite simple really, if the prices are too high for you then finish paitning your backlog and start patronising other games companies who produce more affordable models. There are quite a few to choose from now. I do however think that any move to "phase out" SBG would alienate many veteran players, sure this might not matter to them as their are legions of kids to buy it, but it would be a great shame for the hobby.

I will be interested to see how blisters are either replaced or re-introduced.

Sticky Fingersss · **Joined:** Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:20 am **Posts:** 1776

I think the new Mordor Troll is far better than the old one. It is less detailed but the old pose I felt was very limited and the extra bits allowed everyone to customize their troll however they wanted.

whafrog · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 1:10 pm

Old Chestnut wrote:

Quote:

I've been trying to get some Iron Guard, but they aren't due to arrive for another few weeks. All the metals are done in England, so it takes a while.

I would have thought that shipping from Tennessee would be cheaper?

Sounds more inline with what I was told.

Yeah, they ship to me from Tennessee, but the models are made in England first.

whafrog · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 1:13 pm

Sacrilege83 wrote:

And having extra bits is not an excuse for the price, you're still missing a torso and lower body to complete a second troll.

Seems to me they could release a body sprue with no bits for 1/2 the price.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 1:15 pm

If it turns out that they're simply re-releasing the metals in boxes of 8, I'll be quite happy. Obviously this makes tons of sense for WoTR, and 8 of an elite infantry unit like, say, Khazad Guard or Gundabad Blackshields isn't out of line with how many one would use in the SBG. My only worry is the price. It has been $18 Cdn for 3 models, so hopefully a box of 8 will be $36 or maybe $40.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 1:18 pm

whafrog wrote:

Seems to me they could release a body sprue with no bits for 1/2 the price.

I was actually looking into a Reaper Troll that I saw in my FLGS. The size seemed about right, the head and arms were detached and it was only about 12 bucks. Dropping $60 on THREE Trolls doesn't seem too bad. In fact, it almost reminds me of the oooold days when Cave Trolls ran $18 or so...

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 2:33 pm

whafrog wrote:

Seems to me they could release a body sprue with no bits for 1/2 the price.

I think that's expecting too much from a company that eliminated ordering bits from their catalogue 5 years ago. I think their way of thinking is "you want the bits, you're going to have to order the whole thing." When it comes to the plastic troll, I thought that maybe when I buy it, I'll also pick up an extra catapult troll (a model that I already have) and I would convert that one with the plastic bits so I can have a completely different looking troll. But now that might not be possible since metal is on its way out.

I don't know what this talk is of re-releasing the metals in boxes of 8 or having a plastic kit of 8. To me the sensible thing to do for gaming is have every metal formation converted to a 24 box set (3 companies worth) that comes with a command option in the sprue.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 3:31 pm

Sacrilege83 wrote:

I don't know what this talk is of re-releasing the metals in boxes of 8 or having a plastic kit of 8. To me the sensible thing to do for gaming is have every metal formation converted to a 24 box set (3 companies worth) that comes with a command option in the sprue.

I don't see that being worth it for them. Not everybody will want a box of 24 Khandish Warriors, or Serpent Guard, or Vault Wardens. Separate Numenorean and High Elf boxes have been clamoured for for years, and a Fiefdom Warriors box (with 12 Foot Knights and 12 Pikemen of Dol Amroth) has been suggested as well. Here are all the Common choices that are currently metal-only:

-Numenorean Archers
-Warriors of Arnor
-Citadel Guards
-Men-at-Arms of Dol Amroth
-Foot Knights of Dol Amroth
-Royal Knights
-Outider Eored
-Rohan Royal Guard
-Hobbit Militia
-Hobbit Archer Militia
-Orc Tracker Warband
-Mordor Uruk-hai Warband
-Giant Spider Brood
-Moria Prowler Warband
-Cloud of Bats
-Serpent Guard Warband
-Serpent Rider Warband
-Khandish Mercenary Warband
-Khandish Mercenary Riders
-Easterling Kataphrakt Cohort
-Ghostly Riders
-Spectral Host
-Carn Dum Warband

23 Formations, one of which (Barbarians) doesn't have minis yet at all. Plastic Spiders and Bats may very well be seen with The Hobbit releases.

Jobu · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 3:51 pm

Wow, there is a 7-8 week wait on some of those fantasy metals.

whafrog · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:22 pm

Sacrilege83 wrote:

I don't know what this talk is of re-releasing the metals in boxes of 8...

He never said metals in boxes of 8. They are moving away from metals where possible, except for characters. So, for example they might create a new plastic sprue for citadel guard, and release those as a small box of 8.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:38 pm

Lord Hurin wrote:

If it turns out that they're simply re-releasing the metals in boxes of 8, I'll be quite happy. Obviously this makes tons of sense for WoTR, and 8 of an elite infantry unit like, say, Khazad Guard or Gundabad Blackshields isn't out of line with how many one would use in the SBG. My only worry is the price. It has been $18 Cdn for 3 models, so hopefully a box of 8 will be $36 or maybe $40.

I know the point of this topic is to move away from metals and convert to resin/plastic, but I must have misread Hurin's opening phrase because 'plastic' was absent, but that should have been assumed that's what he meant. Plastic box set of 8. They've always sold plastic box sets in 24 for what is now $32.75 Cdn, I'll be sincerely dissapointed if a plastic box of 8 would become $36 or $40Cdn because that is really crazy and a rip-off!

To me, like hurin mentioned before, somethings need to be sold as 8; like the castellans or werewolves if they make them. Those 1 company limited formations. But they should really keep the common infantries to a 24 box set, my opinion only.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:44 pm

whafrog wrote:

He never said metals in boxes of 8. They are moving away from metals where possible, except for characters. So, for example they might create a new plastic sprue for citadel guard, and release those as a small box of 8.

Indeed that was me extrapolating. After years of "it's too expensive to do EVERYTHING in plastic!" from GW, it seems very unlikely to me that they'll do it all in one fell swoop whether in boxes of 8 or 24. On the other hand, a simple packaging change wouldn't account for the fact that production of metals seems to have stopped or at least slowed significantly.

Wouldn't it be very stupid of GW to yank the metals before whatever replacement plan they have is in place? I need some Khazad Guard and Rohan Royal Guard at the moment, but can't seem to get them. Now, is the money I would've spent on them going to other GW products? Nope, I'm planning on converting some myself out of unused Dwarves and Riders I have lying around.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:49 pm

Sacrilege83 wrote:

I know the point of this topic is to move away from metals and convert to resin/plastic, but I must have misread Hurin's opening phrase because 'plastic' was absent, but that should have been assumed that's what he meant. Plastic box set of 8. They've always sold plastic box sets in 24 for what is now $32.75 Cdn, I'll be sincerely dissapointed if a plastic box of 8 would become $36 or $40Cdn because that is really crazy and a rip-off!

To me, like hurin mentioned before, somethings need to be sold as 8; like the castellans or werewolves if they make them. Those 1 company limited formations. But they should really keep the common infantries to a 24 box set, my opinion only.

I was actually referring to metal boxes. It was my hope that they were sticking to metals as, despite some claims to the contrary, the plastics still aren't equal to them detail-wise.

I could definitely go for Common formations in plastic, though. Boxes of 6 mounted RRG? I'd snap up 3 or 4 for sure.

Sacrilege83 · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 5:56 pm

^My worry is the detail. I know the re-release of the swan knights were met positively, but come on if you're remaking the swan knights those helmets left a lot of room for improvements. I really didn't like the conversion of the armoured Lothlorien elves to plastic, I found their metal counterparts in better detail.

aelfwine · **Joined:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:23 am **Posts:** 508

I doubt its going to make much of a big deal to me, at least. The GW LOTR range has already hit the point where there isn't a whole lot left to buy, and many of the more recent models are rather bland. War of the Ring helped them push this point back about two years, but here we all are (again). There are still a bunch of metal models I want and I'll just have to stalk ebay until I get them. Which is what I would have done anyway.

Though I may find myself making some final 100 dollar order from the full price GW webpage, to get all the not-terribly-common-on-ebay new command models.

Also, the barbarians of Carn Dum? They are Dunlendings of some description, so just repaint your wild men of Dunland or your Dunlending armoured warriors. I would not wait for GW to release figures for them

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Mon May 09, 2011 6:03 pm

Sacrilege83 wrote:

^My worry is the detail. I know the re-release of the swan knights were met positively, but come on if you're remaking the swan knights those helmets left a lot of room for improvements. I really didn't like the conversion of the armoured Lothlorien elves to plastic, I found their metal counterparts in better detail.

Exactly, and those are the multi-part plastics which apparently are so superior. Never mind the fact that with these as the new standard, prices seem to be increasing...

GW have stopped making metal models

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