Dear Folks

Seeing as I have just done some bagging of the GW range I should also mention those that I think show genuine innovation, imporvment or variance.

Dwarf miners - a great kit all round with additional bits to boot (including TNT!!!)

Ghouls - I wasn't a big fan of the last metal range of ghouls (though I liked the fat ones before that, go figure), but these plastics are great with a true innovation in look. Just a shame that they didn't include a few more add ons beyond the kazzilion thigh bones

Dryads - the old metals had charm but these new platics have a real look to them that is frankly awesom. They don't look like walking log scarecrows and the variant branch options have been especially well done (except the one with the poxy play dough faced "spirit"). Also liked the owl and runic stone

Kroxigor - The new Kroxigor have a massive feel about them where the old ones were just looked like iguanas on legs

High Elf Chariot - very clever design with the ability to convert into two variants. The lions look great and I have had heaps of ideas since their release for their use in other formats

Dark Elf Hydra - the new hydra isn't the best that I have ever seen, but it beats the hell out of the previous wart covered version

Chaos knights - the new plastic chaos knights harken back to the old 80's designs with spikes and skulls and symbols galore - just fabulous

Trebuchet - good looking war machine


Anyway, lookf forward to others observations.

Edmund

Personally I really don't like the current plastic ghouls. Give me the metal ones any day.

Agree with the Chaos Knights, they are fantastic models.

Dear Preacher

Yes, as a rule I love metal too. The feel of that little nugget in your hands. The previous ghouls were acceptable but not, in my opinion, anything exceptional. What I like about the plastics is that they are a) clearly ghouls (even if the GW obsession for spiky bits is showing through) but with a different feel and B) I believe that they have captured their (in my opinion) feral nature as they swarm forward in a hunched/predatory and deformed/debased stoop. I think that the arms, the way that they slot in, could have been done better so that the models could be interchangable with other sets, but I also recognise that they were wanting to get that"grasping" I'm coming to get you feel. No, I feel that they have real merit and are a new and interesting take on the genre.

Edmund

Agree . . . but I still don't like them. I've got 40 odd of the new ones and they always get put on the table last.

In general GW's model designs have improved a lot over the years. Most new designs are at least as good as the ones they replace or better.

The current skeleton plastic set is much better than the previous one.

The blood knights are very impressive - maybe a few unnecessary spikes but still they look great.

Most new skaven models are also a great improvement over their 6th ed versions (especially clanrats, stormvermin aren't that good but still comparable with the old version)

I agree about the hydra - much better than the previous one.

Also the new mounted marauders are much more impressive than their 6th ed versions.
As for chaos knights - they look nice but personally I prefer the old metal versions - they wore fewer decorations but this gave them a very nice, simple, feral look the new plastic models lack...

Not all GW designs are that great though. I hate the new minotaurs and phoenix guard for example. As for plastic ghouls - I never liked them (small, hunched, look stupid), all 74 ghouls I have are metal models.

Anyway in the link below you'll find the best ghoul models ever (imo), made by heresy miniatures.

http://www.heresyminiatures.com/hv020.htm

Dear Assur

The heresy ghouls are good - and I have always found the figure holding the baby exceedingly disturbing.

Agreed, the look of the new plastic skeletons is an improvement. But it is the fact that they are all marching in step that I am not keen on. I like to be able to position my models in any position I want to, not just marching.

I actually prefered the metal mounted marauder horsemen. They had a feel of lite cavalry and being mounted on the "ponies" gave them a real steppes feel - you know, light and agile. However the new plastics are much bigger physically, both rider and horse, and as such I feel that they have lost the light cav feel and look a bit too much like a cartoon. Where I feel the opposite for the new chaos knights.

The blood knights I am neutral to - the way that the steeds have been sculpted gives the impression of the way a dog runs, not a horse.

Not a big fan of the new skavern - remind me too much of monkeys.

As an addition to the discussion while I like the new plastic versions of cold ones (both Lizard man and Dark elf) I am not too keen on the steggadons. The way that their arse is higher then their head disturbs me and looks slightly, well... feminine I'm on my knees in a "come hither" scaley sort of way (read into that what ever you like... who knows, you might be right :blink: )

I liked the Yehti models, though despise them painted white. Painted them brown and their weapsns flint stone and they, for me, double as trolls (or at least what I imagine a troll might look like).

Edmund