DaltonCalford
Mongoose
Are the boxed sets based on metal or plastic? How big is the average miniature?
Metal or Plastic? What Size?
- Thread starter DaltonCalford
- Start date
They are metal.
Dreadnoughts are the largest ships, at around 10cm long, frigates are an average 2.5-3cm, while the smallest (Explorers and Fighters) are about 1cm.
Dreadnoughts are the largest ships, at around 10cm long, frigates are an average 2.5-3cm, while the smallest (Explorers and Fighters) are about 1cm.
Clanger
Mongoose
The original mini's you got with the Noble Armada Game were plastic and you got a good selection. They released them as a separate entity "Ships of the Line" I think.
4 each of Hawkwood explorer, frigate, galliot. Decados raider, frigate, galliot. League escort, cargo ship.
I think it is now a bit of good luck getting the set now though.
4 each of Hawkwood explorer, frigate, galliot. Decados raider, frigate, galliot. League escort, cargo ship.
I think it is now a bit of good luck getting the set now though.
DaltonCalford
Mongoose
msprange said:
That is a shame, I was looking forward to this game but I am no longer buying metal Mini's.
DaltonCalford
Mongoose
Ben2 said:
I have a great deal of plastic miniatures that I have purchased from Mongoose. They have shown that they can produce excellent quality complex miniatures for a game line.
Since they have done it in the past, it is not unreasonable to expect them to be able to do it now. The complexity of a box of starships in the scale we are looking at is far less than the range of molds they had to produce for the starship troopers line.
In general, I have always loved the plastics they have produced but I have never liked the quality of their metals.
Starship troopers was a much bigger licence, with only two initial factions. Likewise GOMC-1 only had one generic plastic set.
There are five initial factions for Noble Armada, and while there was a previous every faction plastic sprue produced, in terms of expected returns, I don't think Mongoose want to put that sort of money into it, plus they'd then be releasing this months from now (due to the longer lag time for getting plastics into production) compared to next month.
There are five initial factions for Noble Armada, and while there was a previous every faction plastic sprue produced, in terms of expected returns, I don't think Mongoose want to put that sort of money into it, plus they'd then be releasing this months from now (due to the longer lag time for getting plastics into production) compared to next month.
Ben2 said:
As I understnd most of the new ships are very small (FA scale) and so its prob a great deal more economic to produce in metal.
Plastic and resin (like Firestorm Armada) are really good for big ships as less likely to break the stands and easier to move about - IMO.
Personally I really like the look of the Decados Dreadnought and a few others but most of them are not really to my taste.
Agreed, but for small miniatures, especially those suspended on flying bases, I'm very much a convert to resin. It's supposedly* much better than plastic for costs, and it can hold the detail the sculptor puts in just as well as (or better than) metal.
* I'm no expert, but this is my understanding.
locarno24 said:
Also no expert in resin casting, I deliberately only garage cast in metal, but as I understand it mould wear is much more significant with resin moulding.
Still as a former chemist, I know materials science moves continuously maybe not as much a problem now with more modern resin formualtions.
Never personally found metal to be a major problem re flying bases with most small to medium ship minis, agree tho that the density of metal for large minis makes a problem for flying bases. Thats why way back from the first release of BFG battleships I have always mounted latge metal minis on more than one metal stand., usually 2mm brass tube. (Occasionally a single 4mm tube- eg. Adira)
Pros on cons on both sides. Personally I won't be ruling out either in the near future if ever. I buy if I like the sculpt and / or the specific game.
I'd be keen to learn the sizes of the ships as I'm interested in them for a ACTA conversion based around the Lost Fleet series of books by Jack Campbell.
It might sould odd, but I'm interested in the smaller ships. As I want to use fighters as destroyers, and work up from there so that by the time you get to the NA destroyer minies they are standing in for battleships.
Couple of reasons.
A: It will be cheaper to put fleets together this way.
B: I have a theory that small ships on a big table will look cool in a "vastness of space " kind of way.
C: If the battles do get up close it will be much easier to move small minies around each other.
It might sould odd, but I'm interested in the smaller ships. As I want to use fighters as destroyers, and work up from there so that by the time you get to the NA destroyer minies they are standing in for battleships.
Couple of reasons.
A: It will be cheaper to put fleets together this way.
B: I have a theory that small ships on a big table will look cool in a "vastness of space " kind of way.
C: If the battles do get up close it will be much easier to move small minies around each other.
Clanger
Mongoose
The Decados would be rich having a "few" Dreadnaughts 
. They spend all their firebirds on debauchery and depravity as we all know.
I think having combined Fleets would be a no no. Lets face it can you see an Al - Malik Nobel taking orders from a rigid unimaginative Hawkwood or a Hawkwood Noble taking orders a "merchant prince" Al - Malik, shudder the thought.
. They spend all their firebirds on debauchery and depravity as we all know.I think having combined Fleets would be a no no. Lets face it can you see an Al - Malik Nobel taking orders from a rigid unimaginative Hawkwood or a Hawkwood Noble taking orders a "merchant prince" Al - Malik, shudder the thought.
Kyu Kage
Mongoose
locarno24 said:
That and an army of Reeve's at your back...
Besides, I'm thinking of running the scenario as the Decados being accused of something related to the Symbiots and the Hawkwood/al-Malik fleet going for the "containment" option with the biggest guns they can.
Either that or call it a recreation of an Emporer Wars battle.
Ben2 said:
Spartan games produce resin ships they hold the detail amazingly well keep costs and prices down and are lighter in weight so save you money on postage !!! and they are a smaller company !!! only problem they have had is they totally sold out their first batch so fast they have had to employ more staff to keep up with demand.
i have to agree metal minis is a bit backwards this day and age, time to more forward.
i wont be purchasing any metal minis I'm sorry to say. Its time for industry to change, resign is now tougher and has more detail and holds the paint better.
Always want to see mongoose go from strength to strength but large metal minis is a bad bad idea. sorry.. count me out. until the change.
Mr Evil said:
This is one reason that we have limited the size of the models in the range - no more Drakh Carriers, the Noble Armada dreadnoughts max out at around 4 1/2". About the same mass as an old Omega.
While we are adding resin facilities this year, they are not realistic for mass production. You'll see us do resin models for lower run large items, such as space stations (and the Judge Dredd Manta Prowl Tank I keep talking about - we have an ex-Forge World sculptor interested in that project...), but there is no way we could expect to do the bulk of the range of Noble Armada in resin. We would never be able to keep everything in stock.
Metal will be around for miniatures for a long, long time to come. It is still the ideal material for models that have higher runs, but that are not so high that plastics become an option. And this is the area where most miniatures games lie.
