The Taproom

This topic has 6,719 replies, 38 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 7 months ago by Barliman.

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February 20, 2009 at 12:01 pm #4409
Barliman
Participant
There is a long saga of production complications behind the absence of the Easterling release. I remain hopeful that they’ll emerge at some point, but it may be a while.

More to the point, I’m surprised that anyone is disappointed with news of the Helms Deep range. OK, I’m a wargamer, and thus find more use for orcs and warriors than hobbits and elf-maidens, but any release of figures designed by The Man has to be a good thing.
February 20, 2009 at 12:46 pm #4410
Barliman
Participant
And on another matter entirely, I’m becoming more and more puzzled (and astonished?) regarding the presence of Thurnigwethil in the Fellowship poll. Michael says that Chris has accepted her as ‘a valid candidate’, which I find hard to believe, and that TE will decide whether or not the figure could be produced (if it should win). Um-hum. And we know what TE would say already.

Was it basically a boob, do you think, and is there now a lot of ducking and weaving going on? Ah well, I guess we’ll probably never find out, because it seems unlilkely the vampire will make it to round two. It’s very curious though. I mean, what would happen if the suggestion DID ultimately win, and then the figure couldn’t be produced?
February 20, 2009 at 12:56 pm #4411
ESTEL
Participant
Oh, I am not disappointed, as the last Helms Deep release has left large gaps in it. If Mithril is economically sucessful with this range, then let ist be. It’s good for us!!

To Master Gildor I have to say: You will find a place for all those figures, even if there is a little one in your life, which could not be painted .
We will keep our little one the first months in our sleeping room. If you and your wife do that too, you have time enough to get used to the situation, that your figures are sleeping stored in boxes or so .
Even with a diorama/painting/hobby- room most of my figures are stored away. I fear many more times, that most of the new released figures will have to wait long before being painted after my little is born.
February 20, 2009 at 2:43 pm #4413
Gavin
Participant
Hmm, I hope they find a way to co-market the old Helm’s Deep Range along with the new one, just to really show off Mithril’s range.

As for Thuringwhetil, you could probably make such a figure, call it such a thing in your head and then release it as “Vampire” – something akin to GW’s “Terror of Arnor” figure.

Still, Rohir!

Might have my little warband of (mithril) Rohir mostly painted by the time the new range is out…

Gavin
February 20, 2009 at 2:52 pm #4414
Gildor
MMP Elder
well there are some of us , including myself, who would like to see other things than armies in REGULAR series… most of all if such an army already exists (even if not complete)
there was a time when series consisted of personnalities, townfolk, thematic, but not necessarily armies… I’m growing a bit upset to see only armies armies armies… what about Bilbo and the 13 dwarves… what about a Council of Elrond series, what about a new Laketown townfolk series (last time it was down was way back in 1989 or so…)
February 20, 2009 at 3:22 pm #4416
ESTEL
Participant
Gildor Inglorion wrote:

well there are some of us , including myself, who would like to see other things than armies in REGULAR series… most of all if such an army already exists (even if not complete)
there was a time when series consisted of personnalities, townfolk, thematic, but not necessarily armies… I’m growing a bit upset to see only armies armies armies… what about Bilbo and the 13 dwarves… what about a Council of Elrond series, what about a new Laketown townfolk series (last time it was down was way back in 1989 or so…)

Yes, I would like that very much, too. Council of Elrond…. brilliant!! With chairs, throne of Elrond and so on, dwarfs, Northern men….
and the 13 dwarves?? Yessssssss, my precioussss…. Yesssssss…..
February 20, 2009 at 3:26 pm #4417
Barliman
Participant
Problem is, which do you think will sell more figures – an army M-range or a range of characters? Mithril is in business to make money, and it seems that they currently have their commercial hats on rather than their ‘collectors’ hats.

Don’t get me wrong – I like both types, and have at least a hundred non-military Mithril figures simply because I like them; but let’s be honest and realistic, there will always be greater demand for an Orc swordsman than for Erestor seated at a council table; and since the latter will take Chris at least as much time (if not more) to design, and will take just as long to mould and cast, I suspect it’s a foregone conclusion which would be the most profitable to Mithril. I’d only buy one (or at a push two) Erestor-type figures, but I’d buy maybe a dozen or more Orc swordsmen. Hence the ‘armies armies armies’.
February 20, 2009 at 3:56 pm #4418
erchamion
Participant
As always there are views to suit all tastes. And so it is hoped that in the future Chris and Mithril meet all these tastes. The Hobbit Company, Elves blacksmiths, Rhovanion, Easterlings, Variags, The Kingdom of Arnor, The Council of Elrond, The Lords of the Fourth Age, Old Forest, Dunland, etc. …. and also, of course, continue armies.
Wow, too many ideas here …..
February 20, 2009 at 4:06 pm #4419
Gildor
MMP Elder
I understand your point master Barliman… but think about that :
Do you think the Man would need to create and work on his own “brand” of Phaeton Miniatures for “non army” figurines if Mithril allowed him to make such attempts. Chris sculpts what he is told to scupt I think… If choice was his, I am not sure he would make armies upon armies…

Indeed there is always the Gold Fellowship…. but that is not “commercial” release. Besides with Games Workshop around, and Mithril trying to copy Games workshop by doing the same ie. armies…. they try to confront a giant they have no way to beat. On my point of view, if Mithril wants to survive they have to do things radically different than GW… It’s not about what customers want, it’s about “originality” and create interest through it…
February 20, 2009 at 4:28 pm #4420
Barliman
Participant
Regarding the risks inherent in blatantly intruding on to GW’s “turf”, yes, I’ve raised that point with The Man more than once. It’s dangerous, and may ultimately end in tears – like it did with Gw346 and Gw347. But at the moment Mithril have hold of the ball and will keep running with it for as long as they can.

And as for Chris only sculpting “what he is told to sculpt” – well, I can only say you don’t know Chris very well if you think that’s true – he’s a typical figure designer, which means he’s an artist. I’ve never yet – in 30 years of being involved with wargame figure companies in one capacity or another – met a designer who will design anything other than what he WANTS to design. That’s why so many figure ranges end up incomplete. The designer’s attention strays or his interest wanes, and he moves on to pastures new (am I mixing lots of metaphores here? I suspect so). Chris currently likes the idea of designing representative ranges from the various armies of Middle-earth (there, um, may be others en route…), so that’s what he’s going to do – for now!

I can only hope that his attention doesn’t stray too soon!
February 20, 2009 at 4:49 pm #4422
Wendy
Participant
Gavin wrote:

And this is after I gave up the first time and stripped the figures. Indeed, I came to the conclusion that the Knights all need to be bought unpainted. The details on the mail is just too soft to undercoat them normally. And a lot of the figures had moulding issues that needed dealing with by filing off undercoated metal.

Then, finally, I undercoated the figures using Vallejo plain black paint. This was a bad idea. The black does not adhere as undercoat. The paint started crinkling.

Mucho frustation.

So much so that I am busily painting a GW Rohir battle company and no Mithrils this week

Gavin

Ah, since I wasn’t happy with the undercoat, I stripped mine too before painting them too. Well, I chipped it off more than stripped. It came off pretty easily. It does seem like the undercoat was so thick it obscured some of the detail. Then primed with a light spray or two of primer.

The thought had been going through my mind to sponsor a Mithril painting competition. I have an extra M22 still in blister, an extra Bilbo barrel rider, and I could come up with one more. (Not as good as prizes offered by Mithril, but just for a bit of fun.) My thinking was it would be open to any Mithril figure(s) and voted on by everyone, maybe on Mithril’s site (though I haven’t talked to Michael about it yet). First place would get first pick of the three, second gets second pick, and third place gets what’s left. Not right away though; maybe next autumn would give enough time. Oh, and the figure(s) would have to be newly painted, not pulled from the collection… Anyway that’s been bouncing around in my head since I was unexpectedly given some Mithrils including two M22s in blister a couple months ago.
February 20, 2009 at 5:03 pm #4424
presto247365
Participant
In other news, there is a new little Hobbit in town. Leah Ann, born February 2nd. Something else to keep me from getting to the paintbrushes!

[imgz url=http://mmp.faerylands.eu/uploads/10_img_2966.jpg]http://mmp.faerylands.eu/uploads/thumbs/10_img_2966.jpg[/imgz]
February 20, 2009 at 5:10 pm #4425
Barliman
Participant
I dunno, excuses.

What does she want to drink? I don’t think we’ve got any milk…(I think I’d be embarrassed if we had)

Congratulations!
February 20, 2009 at 5:11 pm #4426
Gavin
Participant
Wendy, this is an excellent idea!
February 20, 2009 at 5:16 pm #4427
Theobald
Participant
Huuuuoooommmmm …. yes. And it’s good to know what you said last, Master Barliman … hom
I can share that view completely …. rhuoommm … so far The Man let a much more wider range of Tolkien characters and figures from different races and places see the light …. rhuoommm ….
than that other company will ever achieve as their interest is only based on mass production … huomm … I’ll never forget those plastic pieces and badly casted metal things …. arghhhhhhh….
(though they might be acceptable by ‘wargamers’ who are in need of some hundred orcs or whatever army they have to complete … that’s alright for me) ….

Huoommm … as for your criticism about Mithril producing “armies”, Master Gildor, just let me mention, that those releases always included one or more characters based on Tolkien’s LOTR … huom … we have Celeborn and Galadriel in the “Battle of Mirkwood” series, we have Forlong the Old in the “Lossarnach series”, we have Imrahil in the “Swan-knights series” …. don’t we? ….huooomrhuom … here I do not again want to compare Mithril with that other company in terms of ideas for new releases …. huommm … they, for example were not able to mind those Swan-knights because they simply did not appear in the movies … rhuooommmm … hom … etc.

As for the Helm’s Deep series I have to correct one or two statements given before …. in the LT – “Helm’s Deep” series we find Gamling, Erkenbrand, Hama, and Grimbold among the well-known characters ….. rhuooommmm … hommm

huoommm … it has become a bit busy here since I called in last time, Master Barliman … huom … ahem … any chance of having a bowl of you-know-what, please? … hom
February 20, 2009 at 5:22 pm #4428
Barliman
Participant
Certainly, Master Tree! And those are some very valid points you make, especially regarding the fact that named characters feature in Chris’s ‘army’ ranges whenever they can.
February 20, 2009 at 5:23 pm #4429
Theobald
Participant
Huooooooooooommmm … just saw the pic …. congratulations to you and your wife, Master Presto247365 … the picture reveils why you have been absent for quite some time … huoomm
well done, so to say …. rhuoommmmmhom
February 20, 2009 at 5:40 pm #4430
Theobald
Participant
Huoommm … just to make it a bit more confusing in here I would like to tell that the proportions of Ingold’s right arm are perfect (as I guessed before) … rhuoom … there have been some doubts about this here some time ago … huooommm … I received the three new figures today and will spend some time with attaching some parts …. great figures indeed … huom … Brand still wears that scarf-like thing from Bard around his waist and carries a nice design of armour on his shield: a falling dragon …. huoomm … then there are those long arms of Grishnakh and all those other perfect details …. huooomrhuoomm … hom … I need the rest of the day simply to enjoy …. hom
February 20, 2009 at 5:48 pm #4431
Gavin
Participant
Aww, congrats Presto!!

As for Helm’s Deep mk2 – any chance of Eomer on foot, I wonder? Of course I’d commit violence for an unnamed Rohir female warrior figure, but that’s just me. A sort of wink-wink-nudge-nudge Eowyn (who was not at Helm’s Deep, makers of movie and Games Workshop be damned ) Hell, maybe Theoden on foot too!

But more Rohir warriors, Dunlendings and Orcs are always, always welcome.
February 20, 2009 at 6:06 pm #4433
Turambar
Participant
seems, Master Barliman, that the fellows are awake in the meantime. It´s hard to answer someones post because there are fifteen new posts . . .
Just let me say congratularions to Leah Ann and the family to presto !
And Gavin, hurry up, because I also have Rohiirims as a current work in progress
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