Do you still buy metal minis?

[IronWolf]

My group is showing interest in painting metal minis. So I will probably be buying a couple to to start work on. I do think the metal minis are in many cases better to represent a PC with (unless there happens to be a plastic mini that looks just like you had pictured for your character).

 

[JediSoth]

I used to collect and paint the metal minis, but as I've gotten older my skill at painting deteriorated and I started to run out of time to paint them. So now, I collect the WotC plastic minis because they're much more convenient for me.

JediSoth

 

[exile]

I prefer metals for most games. I have a growing collection of Warhammer 40K, Reaper (Warlord, Dark Heaven, L5R, and Exalted), Warmachine/Iron Kingdoms, Confrontation, Mordheim, and RAFM Modern Heroes. I am looking to add some of the Wargods of Aegyptus figures to the collection.

The only plastics that I buy on a regular basis are the WOTC Star Wars miniatures. I haven't played the skirmish game with them yet, but plan to put them to use when I run an upcoming Star Wars game.

Chad

 

[Gilladian]

I said "no" but that's not strictly true. I sometimes buy monster minis. I've been collecting metal minis since about 1978 (the earliest ones I still have are the first LOTR mini's. Frodo's sword is long gone...)

I stopped seriously collecting when they went to the bigger, chunkier ones in the mid '90's I guess. When the scale really changed from 25 mm to 28.

I HATE spikey swords and half-clad babes in chainmail! I want detail, realism and true-scale!!!!!

Gilladian

 

[Draamal]

I haven't been buying minis lately but when I do buy them it is just according to what I'm looking for. If I see a metal mini I need I buy it. If I could use some random minis then I buy them.

 

[Ibram]

my collection is probably 60 metal 40 plastic (and all of that plastic is in various Games Workshop minis for my various armies).

over the past year or so I have been buying more and more reaper minis (i love their selection, and the detail is amazing). I bought one boster of WotC minis, but did not care for the minis at all, they looked far to crude next to my hand painted ones.

I'd say it takes me about a month to paint a mini, but thats because I rarely have the time just to sit and paint for hours on end.

 

[Nighthawk]

Metal, metal, metal.

 

[Psychic Warrior]

Where is the fun in picking up a mini when you can't paint it yourself? WOC needs to come up with paintable plastics or go back to metal. :\

You do realize you can repaint the minis quite easily right? I've done it to no less than 20 so far (mostly for figure representing PCs or reocurring NPCs). I use older GW paints and they seem to adhere just fine.

And they did do metals minis - it was called Chainmail and it was a colassal disaster.

I can't stand the plastic minis that WotC produce. I dislike the bendy plastic and can only assume that they've employed a labor force of monkeys to paint them.

Warhammer prove that quality plastic minis can be produced, so why WotC decided on their own bendy, monkey painted versions I have no idea

So, I purchase metal minis. Some new (Reaper, Warhammer and others), but many off Ebay. I still love the old Ral Partha and Grenadier figures and have a sizable collection. Not sure exactly how many, but maybe a thousand or so. Some are pianted, but mostly not. If I ever get the time, of course...

Warhammer proved that they can charge outrageous prices for cheap plastic minis. As for the paint jobs - the last 3 expansions have seen a huge leap in painting quality. The original and second expansions were marred by an abundance of black and brown making them look like the monkey inspired minis you describe. Later expansions look excellent. Are they up to Heavy Metal (painting feature in White Dwarf magazine for Warhammer players) quality? Of course not - but they are a sight better than I can do.

For the bendy plastic syndrome try dipping the affected minis in boiling water for about 3 seconds. Works wonders to straighten out spears, swords etc.



For my own collection I have about 2000 metal minis and at least as many plastic ones (not all WotC but nearly half). I still buy metal minis and plastic when I have the cash.

 

[megamania]

I have both and will continue to buy both. Each have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

[Flyspeck23]

As I've got less and less time to paint miniatures, I welcome pre-painted plastic - if reasonably well done (and: even a badly painted plastic mini is better than an un- or half-painted metal one).

So the answer is: both. But metal only for important NPCs or strange and unusual creatures.