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I got my order on friday, and honestly I couldnt be happier... I have to say, I almost cried when nethrymaul stayed together without glue... assembly on these bones is so easy. Obviously I am going to glue them, but the fact that they hold together because of hte quality of the joints means that assembly will be a piece of cake.
I dont know about you guys, but I have in the past struggled to put together complex metal minis, especially when parts or joints did not lend themselves to pinning. These bones are amazingly user friendly.
My girlfriend and I spent a couple hours going through them (and picked out a couple to paint first). Honestly, it was worth the wait, I really like them.
Finally unboxed and de-bagged the lot... good god that's a lot of tiny plastic baggies. Feel bad about throwing them away so am going to try to drag them to work where I can recycle them. But anyway, gone through the whole set as I've unpacked them, some initial thoughts:
- All of the "medium" or smaller size ones basically fit nicely in the case I got in place of Sophie (I love Sophie, but I knew she wasn't going to carry my minis to the game on her motorcycle). Some of them I doubled up but they were small ones that fit comfortably together in one slot. Of course once I paint the ones I've doubled up, I'll have to make sure they're varnished well so they don't chip. Minis that would be "large" or larger, like the giants, largely don't fit in, and while I could double more up minis and cut the foam to make bigger slots for them, for now I think I'll keep them out, as it's unlikely I'll frequently use them anyway (and/or carry them in a smaller container as needed). But it's nice that the vast majority of the minis I can fit easily in the case as is. Of course, it also means I've got little room for extras! But for now that's alright. (I've also got other mini cases, including the one I have my largely unused WarMachine army in that I could commit to the purpose).
- They are a softer, rubberier plastic than I expected. The upswing is that they are quite durable (and thicker models are still quite hard). The downswing is that there is a LOT of unwanted bendiness... lots of weapons are bent out of shape, and there's a handful (2-5) of minis that are very slender or in a pose where not a lot of the mini touches its base, and they have actually come skewed off the base (leaning too far forward or backward on the base). This handful I may actually rebase, so I can stick a pin in them to ensure they'll stand up straight. I am not sure about what to do with the bendy weapons because while I can probably fix them with the hot water fix, they are likely to get rebent in storage. I may just have to deal with them as is.
- I own some DHL and Warlord equivalents of the models that have been now created as Bones, and I will say that while the Bones preserve a good amount of detail, they are NOT as crisply detailed in some areas; facial details in particular seem to lose out. They are not BAD, they are just not as GOOD as their metal equivalents. This does not come as a huge shock or surprise to me, mind, and I'm still absolutely certain I got my money's worth (especially as Vampire turned out to be such an amazing deal). And I haven't painted them yet, so we will see what happens when they are painted--could be the difference is quite minimal.
- You will need a sprue cutter or similar sharp implement. Some of the small minis come on sprues, and while some of them yank off easily (the normal (not Golarion) goblins in particular seemed designed to come off the sprue quite easily), others you're going to need to cut them off.
- Generally mold lines and "flash" are quite minimal. I think there was one item total that had anything on it that I would consider flash (a bit of plastic that hangs off the miniature, where the mold squished it away but it was not cut off, lord knows if that made any sense). There are a few minis where I am probably going to have to pick at the mold lines with a sharp knife and/or file but very few--generally most of these you are not going to have to do much to prep them except wash them.
- THAT SAID, one minor problem with a few minis is that some of the larger ones were clearly cast in multiple pieces (they'd pretty much have to be) and were then put together with slotted parts. That's fine, but some of them, the "put together" bits have notably visible lines where they come together. This is most noticeable in my set for the eye tyrant, where the top and bottom of the mini are separate pieces that are put together around the "jaw" line. I may use some glue or green stuff to fill in the gap because it really is distracting and paint will sink into it rather than cover it up. Non perfectionists will not care, and it is not a big deal and easily fixable with the materials I have to hand.
I do not see the multi-piece minis falling apart easily, although some of them you can pry apart and then reassemble, gluing as desired. There was a single mini in the whole set where the arm was not put on properly. It took me some work to yank it off, but I did and then reattached it easily and it fit much better. (I did not bother to glue it, pretty sure it will stay on on its own). There was one other mini where the hand holding the creature's axe is separate and was falling off. That one I probably will glue on when I get around to painting it.
Note the vast vast majority of these are nice, neat single piecers and will require little to any prep work, save again for washing them. You'll want to wash then to get any mold release agent and other stuff off it before painting them.
I concur entirely, DQ.
Have you tried the boiling water de-warping method yet? I have not, but will post here when I get around to it.
No, but like I said I'm concerned they might bend again once I put them back into storage. I probably won't worry about it save for figures I am using for special projects -- which then will also get stored more carefully.
What's the "green stuff" I've heard mention of a few times?
As for the bendy weapons, I was planning on trying some sort of stiff sealant...hoping it would keep them less bendy.
Any recommendations for what type of glue I should use? I can't touch Kaladrax without a leg or the tail falling apart.
What's the "green stuff" I've heard mention of a few times?
Kneadatite Blue/Yellow Epoxy Putty, commonly known as "green stuff," is the putty most miniatures are sculpted out of (if a sculptor doesn't use green stuff, they use something in that general family of substances). It is a little tricky to work with at first but holds detail extremely well and has a good working time but still cures within a few hours. Miniature hobbyists use it from everything like filling simple gaps to doing complicated modifications like adding gear and armor, to of course sculpting entire minis.
As for the bendy weapons, I was planning on trying some sort of stiff sealant...hoping it would keep them less bendy.
You need to make sure they get put into the proper place before you try doing that. Or else you'll just seal them in bendy position, presuming the sealant works. The trick is usually to put them in hot water for a minute or so, bend the bent item into proper position, then drop into cold water.
Any recommendations for what type of glue I should use? I can't touch Kaladrax without a leg or the tail falling apart.
Superglue (CA+). Bones are made of PVC and will work with superglue just fine.
Thanks DQ!!!
This is green stuff. It is a kind of modeling putty that comes in two parts, and when combined they become active (and thus will harden when they dry), but can be stored for long periods of time. A common form like the one linked come in a light green or yellow and blue thus combining to be green (hence green stuff) but this kind of putty comes in other colours as well.
It is often used for sculpting additional details on to minis, or to fill gaps in joins/cover up errors when cutting minis to do conversions.
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- I own some DHL and Warlord equivalents of the models that have been now created as Bones, and I will say that while the Bones preserve a good amount of detail, they are NOT as crisply detailed in some areas; facial details in particular seem to lose out. They are not BAD, they are just not as GOOD as their metal equivalents. This does not come as a huge shock or surprise to me, mind, and I'm still absolutely certain I got my money's worth (especially as Vampire turned out to be such an amazing deal). And I haven't painted them yet, so we will see what happens when they are painted--could be the difference is quite minimal.
There was a post of the reaper forums where someone posted 2 pictures of the same mini painted the same way at the same time (so that paint colors from mixes were identical) and posted a poll to see how many people could guess which was the bones and which was the metal. the voting was interesting. Much of the detail is hidden in the fact that the plastic is semi-transparent, so on small details like faces, you can't see some of the detail until you get the first coat of paint on it.
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Got mine today....they are beautiful. I can't wait to be able to paint them but I can't start until after I move which is whenever my house sells. Good Lord, Kaly's tail is like 2 feet long! It is truly amazing the size of him. And C'thulhu is really cool looking, the stuff of nightmares....
All the minis look great and I can't wait to mess about with them.
- I own some DHL and Warlord equivalents of the models that have been now created as Bones, and I will say that while the Bones preserve a good amount of detail, they are NOT as crisply detailed in some areas; facial details in particular seem to lose out. They are not BAD, they are just not as GOOD as their metal equivalents. This does not come as a huge shock or surprise to me, mind, and I'm still absolutely certain I got my money's worth (especially as Vampire turned out to be such an amazing deal). And I haven't painted them yet, so we will see what happens when they are painted--could be the difference is quite minimal.There was a post of the reaper forums where someone posted 2 pictures of the same mini painted the same way at the same time (so that paint colors from mixes were identical) and posted a poll to see how many people could guess which was the bones and which was the metal. the voting was interesting. Much of the detail is hidden in the fact that the plastic is semi-transparent, so on small details like faces, you can't see some of the detail until you get the first coat of paint on it.
Received my package today and boy am I a happy painter!
I tested the boiling water straitening method out on a few minis today. I only did a handful of them but so far all of them have held their shape afterwards and the thin pieces, like the weapons on the medium sized minis, that were bent went back into shape by themselves once I dunked them in boiling water for a minute or two. I then just dunked them in ice water. I only had to force the shape back for the larger ones. I'm curious to see if they will hold up like that by tomorrow.
I did have one mini that was barely connected to it's base, and is so slanted that it's probably not fixable by doing that.
Some of the mages in the set even had some curves and bends in their staffs that actually made some of them look more interesting. I think I will keep a few of them that way.
Cool, thanks for the info.
I haven't tried it myself yet, but I did buy some dishwasher-safe superglue, just to prove that I'm serious. :P
Just received my ship notice, and should be here on the 5th.
Hydra x1
Jabberwock x2
Red Dragon x1
Deathsleet x1
Haunts x1
There Be Dragons x2
Fire It Up! x1
Figure Case x2
Mind your Manors x1
Ebonwrath x1
X-Large T-Shirt x1
vampire x2
16 items,
SUPER BUTT-LOAD OF MINIS!!!!!:D
Only 555 miles from Reaper Offices as Sofie flies.
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Reckless, just introduce a new flesh golem giant to your PC's called Fisthead!
Why does this sound like a Masters of the Universe character? ;)
I received mine, just started looking through, but one of my giants has two fists instead of a fist and a head... sigh, gonna have to figure out these separated component items to make sure they have what they should. Gonna be at least Friday before I can give them a good look-through.
This sounds like a job for:
Customer Service
Phone: (940)484-6464 x700
Fax: (940) 484-0096
questions@reapermini.com
Superglue (CA+). Bones are made of PVC and will work with superglue just fine.
Any recommendations for what type of glue I should use? I can't touch Kaladrax without a leg or the tail falling apart.
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You're getting:
Dungeon Dressing x1
C'thulhu x1
Kaladrax Reborn x1
Swamp Things x1
Hydra x1
Nethyrmaul x1
Deep Dwellers x2
Frost Wyrm x1
Forces of Nature x1
Fire Giant Warriors x1
Spider Centaurs x1
Undead Giant x1
Mister Bones x1
Deathsleet x1
Demons x1
Figure Case x1
Frost Giants x1
Fire Giants x1
vampire x1
All 13.6 pound worth will be here Friday and the wife flies to visit her parents Sunday!!!! Has anyone had to sign for theirs or is it just left on the front porch?
Just got my minis. Decided to dump them all on myself, take a picture, and post it to Facebook. Friends who decided not to get in on the Kickstarter and seething with jealousy right now.
Mine were on the truck for delivery at 6 AM. I had to take off at 5:15 PM, still no minis. Luckily my wife was home and they got there are around 6 PM.
Just went through them, looks like I got everything I ordered except one of Demons add-on doesn't have a head. Of course, wouldn't you know it, that is one of the items I got for a friend. I sent off an email requesting a replacement, but I don't expect to hear back from them anytime before next week.
Question for the masses: does your Damiel (Paizo's iconic alchemist) figure have his backpack, or is it missing on yours, too? One of my favorite figs and was disappointed to see that missing. The retention sprue is there but not pack/barrel. Anyone mind checking?
Unwashed--came out of plastic missing backpack.
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Question for the masses: does your Damiel (Paizo's iconic alchemist) figure have his backpack, or is it missing on yours, too? One of my favorite figs and was disappointed to see that missing. The retention sprue is there but not pack/barrel. Anyone mind checking?
Brandon, I just checked and my mini has the backpack
Brandon, I think I didn't attach the backpack on my metal Damiel; if I can find it, I'll give it to you. :)
But 'd have to come *all the way* to Seattle to get it, Sean! Oh, WAIT! =-)
Got my email!
You're getting:
Hydra x1
Frost Wyrm x1
Forces of Nature x1
Fire Giant Warriors x1
Spider Centaurs x1
Starter Set 2 x1
Undead Giant x1
Deathsleet x1
Demons x1
There Be Dragons x1
Figure Case x1
Mind your Manors x1
Orcapocalypse x1
Undead Paint Set x1
Starter Paint Set x1
Frost Giants x1
Ebonwrath x1
Fire Giants x1
Dungeon Attack x1
vampire x1
Kind of wish I got 1 more vampire and Nethyrmaul and Kaladrax but I didn't have the funds.
Question for the masses: does your Damiel (Paizo's iconic alchemist) figure have his backpack, or is it missing on yours, too? One of my favorite figs and was disappointed to see that missing. The retention sprue is there but not pack/barrel. Anyone mind checking?
Thanks for mentioning this, I wonder how many other smaller miniatures have possible parts that might be missing. I'm afraid I might not discover them missing until much later. Currently I am working on space marines and soldiers, I'm in a d20 Modern/Future kick at the moment.
My guy did have his backpack.
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14 lines of order and haven't heard a peep since they sent the address verification email. Perhaps by Gen Con?
If you are in the US you probably should email Reaper and see what is up.
If you are in either Canada, or somewhere in the Rest of the World (ROW), then you haven't been shipped yet. There is some sort of issue with the Broker status stuff for Canada and the shipper, and they are waiting on a truck from UPS for the ROW orders...and there is no word as to the timing of either of those resolutions.
As a ROW...it is a bit frustrating....calms down, takes deep breaths...
Just curious, does anyone have a list somewhere of what the sizes (in pf/dnd scale) each of the minis should be. I am looking at basing my non-medium or small minis, but I am not certain what size they should all be.
small/medium are 25mm bases. Larges are 50mm. Huge 75mm. Gargantuan 100mm. Colossal start at 150mm I think.
If you mean standard size 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch.
Or if you mean the size of each individual mini, just place one next to each of the apropos PF mini.
I what size the bases should be, I mean the size category of the individual minis. And it feels to me like the bones minis are a little bit smaller then typical wizards minis, but I am not sure if that is an issue that wizards scale was over the top, or if they actually should be smaller. For instance, the golems to me seem just a little too big to be medium, but dont seem big enought to be large. Or say, the bone giant, nethyrmaul or cthulu, where do they fit? I am honestly not sure.