Fleet Landing Party by BuShips

[BuShips]

Well, I finally got around to working on my FLP figures. I've got one set done, with one set to go.

Frankly, I was a bit surprised to open my boxes and find not the metal ones that MGP has shown but a sprue of the classic plastic MI with new "left arms" in metal in two poses. While an easier method to produce for them, I wonder if they shouldn't switch out the photos indicating an entire metal sculpt. That's the down side to this offering.

The "up side" is that there are eight total "light sticks" (shock sticks I suppose), while the MGP displayed photos don't show all FLP figures there so equipped.

While there are only two arm poses, you can bend the rod at the wrist area to alter them a bit. Another advantage of the plastics is that as I have done before with them you can create very individual poses. Rotating hips, arms and heads as well as cutting and bending of the legs can be rewarding in a unique figure stance.

Also, being that these are the same figures as the Mobile Infantry, there is a consistancy in Federal provided equipment which seems logical. I did notice that the text for the metal sculpts (which I thought I was buying) describes some differences between the Mobile Infantry power armor and the Fleet Landing Party armor suits (no doubt due to the variances in the metal sculpts, which I had no problem with).

I went with a dark blue, as suggested by the MGP photos. This made very good sense. It didn't matter to me that the color might hide detail in any subsequent photos as it was more important to me to go with a good "navy" scheme.

I should have taken these last photos before sealing them, as some of the highlights were lost when protecting them. Maybe I'll remember that when I do my next box of the figures. I'm not so good at doing the faces of figures and usually just settle for a diluted ink wash. At table viewing range, it's not critical to me. Maybe I should try to improve in that area in the future, as something to strive for.

Mongoose includes a replacement set of eight "no-slot" bases as well.

I am curious as to whether anyone actually received copies of the metal sculpts that seemed to be hiding in Matt's desk.

 

[Ben2]

So the minis in the pics are not the minis in the boxes.

OK?

 

[CaseyGMU]

I'm looking at the pictures they showed and looking at those models.

Should they also include at LEAST new shoulder pads?

Matt, I'd like a response to this.

 

[Lieutenant Rasczak]

The thing is, the NEW Fleet Landing Party's Helmets, Torsos, Legs, Helmets, and Shoulder Pads are VERY different to the MI Models!

SOMEONE has made a REALLY big mistake with your order buddy!

 

[Ben2]

There are no other minis with seperate shock stick arms though, so it would have to be deliberate.

 

[Aniyn]

Wow, I'd have been pretty pissed if I'd bought those.

 

[CaseyGMU]

My sweetheart of a girlfriend ordered these for me for our upcoming anniversary.

She's a sweetheart.

I'll still like getting them from her, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't have been as excited about them coming out and she wouldn't have found out and then got them for me if they're just Cap Troopers with another arm.

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

Agreed, something's screwy there.

That said, nice reposing.

 

[BuShips]

My own theory is that Matt did not know that this is the way the models come packaged. I made up a set (one of the two that I have) in order to see how they'd come out. If in fact the intent by MGP was for these to be the all-metal sculpts, I'd rather have them instead. I would be willing to pay something for the set I used up, return the second set and get a pair of boxes of the "real" ones.

I'm not trying to make a scene as much as I am letting MGP know what they are indeed shipping out for a Fleet Landing Party set of figures. I'll let them decide whether they should mitigate this. Leaving interesting conspiracy theories aside (ah, schucks), I think that the factory got caught in a tight spot by Matt offering them up to us and took a short cut. Also, I wanted to compare notes on what others that had bought these actually got sent and if any of us received the metal sculpts. I know that eventually I'll be buying some of the prepaints as well, so these can be "official proxies" until then.

Some might have been pissed off but I'll just describe my feelings as "puzzled", until MGP offers input.

"FLP, this is Fleet Command. You are in a holding pattern orbit. Please stand by for instructions". :wink:

 

[darklord4]

The 'official' picture also has mixed Carbines and Rifles.
Check out the guy on the left about to doff the guy in front of him...

 

[BuShips]

The thing is, the NEW Fleet Landing Party's Helmets, Torsos, Legs, Helmets, and Shoulder Pads are VERY different to the MI Models!

It's fairly evident that the sculpts in Matt's desk were an all-new design. The text describing them was carefully made up to explain the differences from the MI equipment and the lack of jump jets. The "light-rod/shock sticks" are even different from the set in the MGP photos.

Again, I do not think that this was intentional from the top level, but was rather a way for the factory to get these out fast. In a way, if the factory "guy" making these kits up was not aware of the prototype figures that Matt had (possibly from last year even) and had not seen the same photos we have, he very well might have thought "All I need is an arm pose and that should do it". I really think that it is a miscommunication at the factory of what was expected to be offered.

The 'official' picture also has mixed Carbines and Rifles.
Check out the guy on the left about to doff the guy in front of him...

Yeah, I was aware of that as well. Like I said, I was expecting the "full-metal" guys and that was one of the reasons. :roll:

 

[Mage]

Well that is a major screw up somebody will never hear the end of, and rightly so. I just pray my brutes won't be kroot frames with militia heads.

 

[Lieutenant Rasczak]

Well that is a major screw up somebody will never hear the end of, and rightly so. I just pray my brutes won't be kroot frames with militia heads.

PMSL!

 

[hegemon]

I got an email from russel a week or so ago and here it is:

Fleet landing party
From: Russell Veal (Rveal@mongoosepublishing.com)
Medium risk You may not know this sender. Mark as safe | Mark as unsafe
Sent:
24 September 2007 09:43:07
To:
biltongary@hotmail.com



Hi Gary,

I got a bunch of fleet landing parties through from the states a week ago, however they were the wrong models (in fact plastic models with metal arms instead of metal casts) I got in contact with the guy in the states and he is working on them as I send this but a production mould needs to be made (we understood he had this but big misunderstanding) Will get this out to you as soon as I get my hands on them.



Russ

 

[BuShips]

Thanks hegemon. It looks as if my guess was dead-on. It was a miscommunication.

Unless the factory people hang out on the Mongoose website or read S&P (maybe they should now?), they wouldn't know that there is a difference between the MI units and the appearance of the Fleet troopers. They probably thought that making several arm pieces up would be enough.

In fact, the light rods are not even from the actual FLP figures so it's not like they had it sitting there, ready to go. I would hope that a list is being kept of the prior shipments of this set and a followup set (or sets in my case) is sent when they can get to it.

So like I thought, no malace was intended but it was a glitch to be sure. :wink:

 

[Sgt. Brassones]

Those look more like neo-dog handlers than anything else....

 

[Col_stone]

I have tio say i like that set actually...

 

[Mr Benn]

There are no other minis with seperate shock stick arms though, so it would have to be deliberate.

The Shock Stick arms are from the Powersuit Mk2 K9 unit

I used the helmets from the K9 squad for my FLP. I left off the thigh and crotch guards and the jump packs. GW Imperial Guards provided the carbines (minus the barrel and some of the stock).

 

[shotgun-toting chipmunk]

I hope Mongoose has a good answer for this. 'Tis seriously messed up.

I told them to let me know as soon as they were available and I'd pick some up. Now I'm not feeling so bad that the timing of the release prevented me from ordering right away.

 

[BuShips]

The Shock Stick arms are from the Powersuit Mk2 K9 unit.

That at least supports my feeling that the arms were not made up especially for this boxed set. Thanks for the info! That helps a lot.

For the money paid, I'd have surely waited for the mold to get made for the ones shown in S&P. I've got quite a few of the plastic sprue MI already assembled and painted, and even those Neodog units still in boxes waiting to be done.

I guess I went ahead and put together one set of what I was shipped to see how they might look, but they're not a Fleet Landing Party to me. I even put all of the cod pieces and butt plates on them, not really trying to make them different from the regular MI other than the paint scheme.

Knowing now that the arms are from Neodog units, I'll probably buy separate Neodog models and rename the unit as a special Naval Marine Neodog unit called the "Salty Dogs"... :lol: