FANTASY PLASTIC
It's always a celebration, when a Kickstarter pledge is delivered to you. This was a Kickstarter I had really anticipated since a great flame for Game of Thrones or the Song of Ice and Fire is burning inside me since last fall, when I listened all the books and (re)watched all the seasons of GoT.
Read on to find out about contents and my evaluation of these new plastics.
This is what I had chosen
11 boxes and the stretch goal resin characters
Resin characters - yet to be assembled
Wizards
Theodore the Realm Warden
Box contents
Each box for Northmen contains sprues for the warriors and a single command sprue, which
unfortunately does not include special heads for the heroes / officers.
Northmen Cavalry
unfortunately does not include special heads for the heroes / officers.
Northmen Cavalry
Northmen Archers
Northmen Warriors
Comments on these chaps: as we can all see, they are much the Starks from the GoT TV-series, which is pretty cool I think. Well, that's actually the only reason, why I joined the KS.
As one can expect from FFG, the models are very nice, if somewhat bulky. They build into good poses and there's enough variation.
UNDEAD
First I joined this KS because of the Northmen, but when time elapsed and I had already built an army of Starks and their bannerman forces I "changed sides" and opted more of them undead models as my choises. My plan is to build a Warband for Saga Age of Magic (Undead Legions) and also for the ASOIAF Tabletop MIniatures Game - fan made Others faction
Undead peasants
Samples of peasants built. Great variety and detail!
Undead warriors
As you can see these are really awesome plastic undeads! They will make
a perfect The Others -faction as well, 'cause minis are showing signs of Starks, Lannisters and other
Houses of Westeros. I do need to add some fur & leather to make Wildling Zombies present.
KITBASH!
As I'm writing this Night's Watch Builder Crossbows are only two weeks away from their release for ASOIAF TMG. I would expect to field two of them - one has been pre-ordered and the other one is here! I kitbashed Northmen Archers with other bits (including crossbows from GW plastics and FFG and bits from Northstar's Frostgrave Soldiers). I'm quite happy with these chaps and they are not much smaller than CMON's 32mm minis, especially after basing them on high bases (Star Wars Legion Bases). Some heads without helmets seem too small compared to the body.
I'm the watcher on the wall!
Flaws?
These sets are really good, that much is clear. Few details, which could have been better:
On Northmen warriors and archers there's one separate leg (I don't know why there are separate legs anyway), which doesn't really fit either of the possible waists.
Undead warriors have an empty space on their waist and a bit of chainmail, that fits
it perfectly. That's all fine, but why is there this space in the first place?
I can't find anything else, that would fit this space!
I can't find anything else, that would fit this space!
Final issue: price. These boxes contain 12 / 18 (undead peasants) infantry models or 6 cavalry models. Standard price for a 12 mini infantry box is 20€, that is 1,67€ model. A cavalry models costs 3,33€.
For a comparison FFG's 48 men at arms cost 81 €cents apiece and 12 Templar knights 2,25€ apiece.
So why are these new (infantry) models double the price? They are nice indeed, but that doesn't quite cover the double cost IMHO.
Size comparison
With these high bases the models reach the height of 32 CMON models. Their sturdy build also makes them proportionate enough.
The horse is a bit smaller then the Stark Outrider horse from CMON.
SUMMA SUMMARUM: I WARMLY RECOMMEND THESE MINIS!
Great. Looks like you have some work in front of you...
VastaaPoistaYes indeed. Excluding NW Crossobows these are not on high priority as this fall's gaming calendar looks pretty booked already...
Poista