Idea for Conan Miniatures

[The Warlord]

Not trying to duplicate threads, but the other one is 'official', and mostly off topic.

I've got an idea which I think may have some merit. As a long time minis gamer, I'm looking forward to the new Conan line. However, I don't have the time I used to, and am frankly not that interest in painting a large amount of minis at the moment.

I suggest Mongoose put out proper pewter minis for PC type characters, main villians, and creatures, but use non-collectible plastics (kinda like the D&D or Star Wars lines) for 'mooks'. I don't get excited about the idea of painting 20+ picts, for one game, and 15 Vanir for another. What about releasing, say three pict poses (shaman, chief, warrior) and three Vanir poses, etc. in prepainted plastic. I'd buy them by the truckloads!

This will enable gamers to spend quality time on their pewter minis and GM's proper time on pewter 'main adversaries' and monsters. The idea of painting up 20 Kush warriors doesn't excite me, and if left to pewter I'll probably stick to using dice as counters. However, if there were prepainted plastics available, I would definitely buy them. I'm not concerned about the paint jobs on nameless mooks, so no worries there.

Painting minis for RPGs adds more to the already involved time of putting together the game itself. In other systems (warhammer) the minis are the game.

So, if I'm expected to plan the game AND paint up 100 minis, I'll pass and just use die markers. No-work pre-paints, however will get my hobby dollars. Not dissing the minis idea, but trying to help Mongoose get more of my money.

 

[Pharoah Kromium]

Sounds a good idea for those with little time or inclination to paint; for myself, I just love a decent metal figure. Spotted one or two Rackham figs today that would make great demons/summonings...

 

[The Warlord]

I just love a decent metal figure.

Hey, me too! I'm not talking about A figure here though. If one week (group plays weekly) we're in the pictish wilderness and the next up into Nordheim, no way will I have time to paint up a tribe of Nordheimers.

I will pass on buying multiple blisters of picts, try, to paint them all up, then run out to do the same with barbarians, and just use other counters than can be substituted for any other mook in the game. Dice, beads, etc.

RPGs, don't require WYSIWYG, so I really don't *need* to buy any minis. Again, trying to help Mongoose make the sale more attractive.

Also, a tub of plastic mooks and a tray of nicely done characters is easier to store than a trying to protect 100 individually painted metal models.

 

[Lando The Archmagi]

I suggest Mongoose put out proper pewter minis for PC type characters, main villians, and creatures, but use non-collectible plastics (kinda like the D&D or Star Wars lines) for 'mooks'. I don't get excited about the idea of painting 20+ picts, for one game, and 15 Vanir for another. What about releasing, say three pict poses (shaman, chief, warrior) and three Vanir poses, etc. in prepainted plastic. I'd buy them by the truckloads!

I second this idea. Would help my tournament games as well as any f2f games I start. (no one wants to play Conan in my area unfortunately), just online currently.

 

[Belkregos]

this idea sounds great, im always looking at the fragile parts of any figure as I know they will break, I only buy figures that are don’t have parts sticking out,
Plastic for mooks makes sense

 

[Mayhem]

The downside is that, AFAIK, it costs a lot to tool up a factory for plastics production - more than it does for metals production.

Whilst this may be viable for wargames, it has less appeal for figures that are produced purely for RPG purposes.

That said, some manufacturers seem to manage - Fenryll, for example, produce an astonishing range of RPG figures. Although they use resin, rather than plastic.

***

To be honest I'm quite surprised that Mongoose have ventured directly into miniature production - I would have thought that with so many existing manufacturers out there, they would have been better off coming to some arrangement with one of them.

(Mind you, perhaps that is exactly what they did, and have just been very discreet about it).

 

[The Warlord]

Whilst this may be viable for wargames, it has less appeal for figures that are produced purely for RPG purposes.

I disagree. In fact Wizards of the Coast has two very successful lines of pre-painted plastics to go along with their RPG games. My LGS has tables littered with little plastic WotC minis on RPG nights.

Part of the Wargaming hobby is the modelling contests, painting up unique units you've created, etc. It's much easier as you're only working on one force. RPGs minis aren't stuck to any standard and the variety of creatures/characters is limitless. So, in fact the opposite is true. No wargamer would show up with prepainted models, and RPGers could care less as they'll take anything they can get.

I think sticking to only metal or only plastics should be viewed as an outdated model. If Mongoose does something like this they can set a new trend. They would get interest from those enjoying the painting/modelling aspect, and those players/GMs who just need counters. I can see non-Conan players buying some of this up.

My gaming group is as good a crossection as any, with two wargamers and two solely RPGers. The two wargamers would love to paint up their character, while the two RPGers have no interest in painting what-so-ever, and would probably use a pre-painted nameless barbarian as their model. That's fine. A purchase they wouldn't have previously made.

Plus, like I said, me as the GM would love to paint a few arch villians, but when it comes to fighting off a temple of cultist, I'd much rather just reach my hand into the tub and pull out all the black robed ones.

There simply isn't the time to paint up all the models that would be needed. Again, this is an idea that'll, IMHO, net Mongoose more sales.

 

[The Warlord]

Found this guy in the General Mongoose forum:

I am real glad Mongoose is doing well.

I am also glad they are continuing RPG stuff, because we don't do miniatures.

Keep that B5, Conan, and OGL coming!

Razuur

I've asked him to post a reponse here.

 

[Mayhem]

Whilst this may be viable for wargames, it has less appeal for figures that are produced purely for RPG purposes.

I disagree. In fact Wizards of the Coast has two very successful lines of pre-painted plastics to go along with their RPG games. My LGS has tables littered with little plastic WotC minis on RPG nights..

The difference, of course, is that WOTC is HUUUGE.

They can afford to swallow up the high initial cost of plastics production because tehy plan on selling bucket-loads of miniatures - something they enforce by only providing them in random packs, by the way.

In addition, WOTC *are* producing the minis as much for their tabletop skirmish game as for the RPG market.

So a comparison is not really in order.

As a final point - the quality of the wotc minis is extremely low. They are made of soft rubbery plastic - quality wise, they are closer to toys than miniatures.

Thats fine, if you are buying them purely to play with. If you are also buying them to look good, or as a collector, I think most people would give them a wide berth

 

[The Warlord]

OK, what about going the route of Twilight Creations? They sell a 'Bag of Zombies' (100pcs) for $10.

They're a small company. Sure, they're solid grey plastics, but they work. Imagine a 'bag of picts' 100 light brown plastic picts, or 'bag of barbarians' in grey. Even better you can have a 'bag of cultists' in red plastic molded w/ robes, then, switch it out with black dyes, use the same mold and have 'bag of stygians'! lol.

Not sure where you're getting the toy idea from. A few posters have agreed this would be helpful. I'm really not sure where the quality of paint job or whatever comes into play in RPGs. Who cares if they're closer to 'toys'? They serve the same purpose. To mark locations on a grid.

Currently, we use odds and ends as characters/creatures. Mostly dice to represent opponets, and a few minis for PCs (though they're definitely proxies - I mean a ninja dwarf for a border?)

If Monogoose wants to go solely minis route, I'll probably buy next to none. All those picts will still be used with dice, maybe we might have a few PC minis, but that's about it. Why should I purchase a stygian wizard, and paint him up nice, when the table top is full of dice, beads, popcorn, and such. Now, if I had at least a handful of black robed stygian models/figures that needed to be commanded, I would be more inclined to invest time and money in their 'leader'.