Latest News on A Call to Arms: Star Fleet

[emperorpenguin]

Damn that's not good.
That also pushes up the cost of travelling to the tournament, for me, by €30 each way as metal minis can't be in hand luggage.

That may well prevent me going

Very odd - I take metal minis with me all the time when I travel and have never had a problem. The last time was at Gen Con last year (and this is getting into the US where, unlike the UK it seems lately, they don't just let in anybody), and they were metal SF miniatures. Caused the border guard to smile when when she saw 'the Enterprise' but that was the extent of it.

Well when my brother and I travelled to Mongoose Towers in 2005 for "Wheel of Fire" we had problems at both Dublin and Birmingham airports with security who told us that metal models were a "potential weapon". Followed by "Are they Star Wars or Dr Who?" in reference to Centauri and Brakiri ships

It depends upon the security staff you get, sometimes at Dublin airport you'll be asked to remove belts and shoes and other times told not to, it gets very confusing.

 

[archon96]

try going through american security where you practically have to strip.

 

[gord314]

My experience with american airport security is that they don't want to mess with miniatures. I have brought metal miniatures as airplane carry ons many times and have never been asked to even open the case they were in.

 

[Jean]

Hasn't happened with our metal heavy cruisers

My poor dyslexic brain saw that as "heavy metal cruisers" and started wondering just what sort of metals you were using or if that were the piped-in music that accompanied said exhibit ...



Jean

 

[Finlos]

How many people / what rough percentage of us have requested resin vs metal minis?

 

[Kirksfolly]

Wow! What about replacement ships? i have two replacement ships and a ship-part that are being replaced. I assume these will still be the resin models?

They may well already be on their way to you, in which case they will be resin. Most replacements will be resin.

Thanks for clarifying Matt. Appreciated.

 

[Star Ranger]

The problem is when it's out of the packing case and on the table, at which point the unsupported nacelles on the thin metal pylons start to droop. It could be interesting if someone's Constitution gradually turns into a Kirov during the game. :lol:

FASA's designs were so detailed and accurate, they made the pylons too thin. Plus I think they were still using a lead based alloy at that time which did result in minis that would bend easier than the tin alloy minis that we see today that are less bendable and more brittle. Thus I don't expect that situation to happen with the 2500 line. The increase in scale will result in thicker pylons if nothing else.

 

[Captain Jonah]

The problem is when it's out of the packing case and on the table, at which point the unsupported nacelles on the thin metal pylons start to droop. It could be interesting if someone's Constitution gradually turns into a Kirov during the game. :lol:

FASA's designs were so detailed and accurate, they made the pylons too thin. Plus I think they were still using a lead based alloy at that time which did result in minis that would bend easier than the tin alloy minis that we see today that are less bendable and more brittle. Thus I don't expect that situation to happen with the 2500 line. The increase in scale will result in thicker pylons if nothing else.

Thats good, the last thing the Feds need is a bad case of the Droop :wink: :lol:

 

[MongooseMatt]

How many people / what rough percentage of us have requested resin vs metal minis?

3.

 

[Greg Smith]

FASA's designs were so detailed and accurate, they made the pylons too thin.

My Connie has never had any problems. My movie Enterprise was a constant pain IIRC.

 

[Sgt_G]

How many people / what rough percentage of us have requested resin vs metal minis?

3.

Make that 4. I was looking forward to having an all-resin fleet.

 

[storeylf]

How many people / what rough percentage of us have requested resin vs metal minis?

3.

What are you actually counting?
There were 5 on page 1 of this thead that said they'd rather have resin.

 

[tneva82]

How many people / what rough percentage of us have requested resin vs metal minis?

3.

What are you actually counting?
There were 5 on page 1 of this thead that said they'd rather have resin.

Emails that came to them?

Posts on here don't affect whether they will be delivered in resin or metal. Only email to them.

(what I would like to know is that if I order fleet box(es) this or next week can I get them resin or is that only for EXISTING pre-orders only?)

(not concerned about lack of quality. Just that I prefer lighter models due to ease of carry + less likely to get paint jobs chipped. I HATE retouching models for chipped paint job)

 

[Finlos]

I was wondering what %age of people had sent emails to Matt requesting resin minis. I didn't expect the number to be that low, however, unless he was pulling a number out of a hat.

I am happy to hear that resin miniatures will at least be an option available to future empires but I shall wait and see how much of a premium I have to pay before I order them.

 

[jb45]

im looking foward to getting the bigger minis.
what about having a metal and resin/plastic kit.the main body of the ship could be metal,and the nacelles and pylons in resin,might work.

 

[MongooseMatt]

LATEST UPDATE
Just to keep you all in the loop...

At the moment, we are slightly ahead of schedule in the transition from resin to metal. Production moulds for the Romulan squadron set are already complete and we will have a plentiful supply of this set by Tuesday/Wednesday next week. We are already well on our way to bringing other sets online, both squadron and fleet, and we'll keep you informed as to when they are ready.

We will also have singles ready earlier than planned, beyond those found in the squadron sets. The Klingon FD-7, for example, will likely be available next week as well.

By this time next week, around 90% of all Federation fleets sets pre-ordered in the US and Canada will either be in our customers' hands or be in the post on the way to them. Once again, I'll update you on the other sets as they start moving out, but they are now only days away.

We have a provisional date of around March 12th as to when we start shipping to distributors world-wide (again, a little earlier than we had expected), but we will confirm this a little closer to the time as we wish to build stocks up first.

Finally, the first metals arrived in the UK earlier today - you will have a chance to see them if you are attending Cavalier (http://www.twws.org.uk/cavalier2012.htm) this weekend, but a Federation Battlecruiser is already on its way to our painter, and we'll do some side-by-side comparisons hopefully next week. However, looking at a metal Ramius right now, there is _no_ loss of detail whatsoever.

More news as it comes in!

 

[tneva82]

By this time next week, around 90% of all Federation fleets sets pre-ordered in the US and Canada will either be in our customers' hands or be in the post on the way to them. Once again, I'll update you on the other sets as they start moving out, but they are now only days away.

So if I order fleet set(federation) around tuesday-wednesday next week I might hope to get them in say...about 2 weeks or so? (that's time frame I'm more than happy. I'm used to such a delivery time all the time)

Anyway good if things are proceeding faster than expected for a while

 

[Red-24]

Any chance we can see some side-by-side photos of unpainted, uncleaned, unassembled metal and resin?

I have no doubt that the will look great painted. I'm more concerned with the amount of prep needed to get the to the painting stage.

 

[steelvow]

And what about european fleet boxes orders ?

 

[tomrommel1]

Yes when will my fed fleet box be here in Germany?