Hi all,

I'm a definite noob I'm afraid. I started a couple of months ago with the 12-goblin starter set (wanted the starter paints and brush) and then moved up to the Mines Of Moria. I know it's a fairly predictable way into the hobby but it seemed (relatively) good value for money. I don't want to use the expensive hero models as training fodder!

Anyway, with a view to eventually expanding my moria goblins and cave troll into a proper army, I ordered 'Ashrak' and 'moria goblin commanders' from Maelstrom games. These are my first finecast models. I do realise that this topic causes all sorts of grief - which I don't mean to stir up again here - but I can't tell if my new models are OK or not. I'd be really grateful for the community's advice please!

My first impression was that the models have lots of extra resin 'offshoots' that look like paddles jutting out of them. Especially their chins and noses, and from the spiders climbing up Ashrak's back. Also there are papery thin fins running along some of the edges. Are those 'fins' on the commanders back normal? Secondly, there are a couple of odd holes but I can't tell if they're part of the model.

In summary, while there's no catastrophic failure, they look 'odd'. I'm sure I could tidy them up so that they look OK, but if there's something wrong with them I'd rather return to GW for replacement.

I've put photos of the bits into my personal gallery. I assume you can all see these?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

Regards,

Elliodoc

HEEEY! welcome to the one ring!

hmm..


the 'offshoots' sound like flash. this is annoying but you are expected to chop it off with a hobby knife

the holes are bubbles GW expects you to fill these in ( goofy GW )

i hope this helps

_________________
'Though my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior'
-John Newton

Hey elliodoc, welcome.

As far as I can see from your gallery pics (which you can link to in the thread too - it helps those people too lazy to click through to find your gallery!), you have some normal Finecast models here. The 'paddles' are vents: they're how the resin travels to the model when it's in the closed mould; naturally, they harden into resin also. The 'fins' you refer to are called 'flash' - very thin papery bits of resin that squoosh out between the two halves of the mold.

Both of these are quite normal with resin models and cleaning them up is part of the hobby. You can cut off the vents with nippers or a craft knife, and you can remove flash by scraping either the sharp edge or the blunt edge of a craft (Xacto) knife along the seam.

The bubbles; well, that's where tempers fray! Ideally you'd have none. A couple of little bubbles are forgivable, depending on the location: obviously on the face or weapon blade etc. they can ruin the whole model. You usually fill them with a liquid putty such as Liquid Greenstuff (I prefer Vallejo Plastic Putty, but they're similar products). Or take the model back to GW if it looks like being too much work.

The holes on Ashrak's back look like they're part of the design of the model though; he's a ragged fellow.

First of all use a dry old toothbrush and brush hard on the model. Clippers and files to get rid of all the extra flash etc. Liquid greenstuff to fill holes and gaps. After this spray the model and you wont even notice. I know finecast is Devlan Mud but its the risk the customer faces. My finecast usualy have half a shoe missing and stuff like that. Terrible

_________________
You would of had me crawling on all fours like a BEAST!

"It's fine just remove the flash with a hobby knife, which you can BUY in store and fill in the bubbles with liquid green stuff which you can BUY in store as well. Love (your money) Games Workshop"

Just for perspective, there were venting hole pins and flash with metal figures too, and certainly flash with the plastics. The nice thing about finecast is it is much easier to remove this stuff than from metal, but I still prefer the end result with metal, not to mention the heft on the table.

Thanks for all your replies. Glad that my models are OK. I guess I was comparing them to the models in the MOM boxset, which are only joined to sprues in a couple of places and don't seem to have extra spikes and flash coming off them. I realise that finecast gets an overall thumbs down on this group, but the detail on the finecast does look more impressive than the MOM models. The MOM models successfully capture some details, but when it comes to their underneaths or the spaces between swords and bodies, they seem to have just given up!

Thank you again. So far I'm loving this group; reminds me of how the internet used to be - built by passionate amateurs and advert-free.

Elliodoc

ps I think I've worked out how to embed images from my gallery:

FWIW, nobody compares finecast to plastic models, there is no doubt the level of detail of finecast is far superior. The finecast product is replacing the metal figures, that's where the comparisons are made.

And good riddance metal models

Your Ashrak looks good to me

its more like come back metal models. I could buy something and know 100% that I wouldnt have to return it. On topic, good finecast does exist, you just have to keep trying and returning etc.

_________________
12th GBHL 2013.
13th GBHL 2014
9th GBHL 2015


Mid Sussex Wargamers

Sorry to go off topic but this has been bugging me for a while and this seems like a good thread.

I bought the Goblin commanders Finecast box a while back and got both Moria shamans in it. Anyone else had this? I notice that the OP here has only pictured one shaman (the one pictured on the box) and the box clearly states 4 figures but I got both sculpts in mine, weird no?

Just to confirm I'm not talking about a duplicate shaman but a Finecast version of this model which as far as I know isn't available anywhere else.

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catal ... rod1080162

On topic I found the Goblin commanders box to be an absolute nightmare to assemble. I've had good experiences with Finecast (my Gandalf the White was perfect) but, perhaps due to the small and spiky nature of the models, the goblins were hideous to clean up and figuring out what was an armour spike and what was a terrible miscast was no fun at all.

The free shaman kinda made up for it though

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A double "what?!" on this post.

Firstly, metal models are the best ones. Out of the hundreds (even thousands possibly ) of metal models I've had, I can't think of more than a couple of serious problems I had. For argument's sake I'll say 1% of my metals were broken or miscast. Of the score of finecast models I've bought I've had at least 4 serious problems and not one of them didn't require filling in the bubbles. 20-100% of my finecast are sub-par, depending on how generous I'm feeling in regards to having a more expensive product shoved down my throat.

Secondly, no one's Ashrak is "good." It's a non-canon, unnecessary and hideous model. I wouldn't add one to my collection on a bet.

_________________
Gondor: 2339pts
Rohan: 1318pts
Dwarves: 2482pts
Elves: 1091pts
Mordor: 2305pts
Isengard: 1762pts
Moria: 1463pts
Evil Men: 381pts

hey guys you're going a bit off topic here .





speak for yourself please. Some people (including the author of this thread) obviously like this model. I'm pretty sure this was an advice thread not another FC grumbling thread.

_________________
'Though my memory's fading, I remember two things very clearly: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior'
-John Newton

Agree with both Sid,a nd Hurin in a way.

As Sid says, you should not be using someones thread to moan about FC. No matter how pointless Ashrak is (except competitively perhaps).

Both metal and FC ave their benefits, but where it not for the weight, of carrying over 200 models in a case, iI would say metal is better than FC for its durability.

_________________
"I am the Flying Spagetti Monster. Thou shall have no other monsters before me"
-FSM.

Hm, going to join in in deviating the post...

I like plastic the best, for reasons of price, weight, durability, and ease of conversions. Second comes metal, because of the higher detail (though the difference isn't enough to weigh in against plastic's advantages). Finecast is last because the bubbles require so much work to fill and clean, a real pain, while it holds no true advantages over metal (weight is just a little bit).

_________________
"... Telchar wrought it in the deeps of time."
-On Andùril, The Lord of the Rings

Dang. Sid was right, the OP's been answered, unless they have more questions along those lines. If you want to start a thread debating the merits of plastic, metal, and finecast, a new thread is in order...

I just got my box of Finecast Goblin Commanders today and it too had both versions of the shaman in it. Moveover, it was in exceptional state the models were crisp and clean. If GW keeps this up they might have a convert.

I got both Shamen in mine as well, and I got mine about a week after release so it must have been from the first batch. I made note of it when I got it and posted about it too.

_________________
Gondor: 2339pts
Rohan: 1318pts
Dwarves: 2482pts
Elves: 1091pts
Mordor: 2305pts
Isengard: 1762pts
Moria: 1463pts
Evil Men: 381pts

So wait, you got the drummers, the drum, the captain and 2 shamans in it? That almost makes the price look reasonable.

_________________
"Leave Sauron to me."
If you're in the Raleigh, NC area, let me know.

Aye, that happened with me around a month ago. Everything on the box picture along with the newer shaman.

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Soon the Dark Lord Knighty shall have all he needs to cover the lands in an eevee-related darkness...