Author Topic: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics  (Read 5461 times)

Scotty

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Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« on: 27 August 2019, 12:46:26 »
In the relatively short time the new plastic models have been available, I've ended up with 3-5 of each.  As much as I love Shadow Hawks, I don't need eight or more of them.

All the same, I do want to be able to field different variants, like the Royal Shadow Hawk that IWM produces.  The gun looks like the biggest difference between 2H and 2Hb, but the 2Hb gun isn't available in the Scrapyard.  I'm significantly more likely to spend $3 on a couple pieces to convert a mini I already have than I am to spend $12-18 to buy a new mini for a number of reasons (especially with an impending storage space crisis looming  xp).

Is there any chance to be able to have variant kits available for things like the Shadow Hawk, or even Battlemaster (Royal, 2nd PPC arm) or Awesome (9Q, fourth PPC) from IWM?
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abou

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #1 on: 27 August 2019, 13:21:38 »
I think that is a really neat idea. With CAD to help with the masters, it would be fast to implement. The it is just a matter of cutting and drilling for pins or something.

Fan funding?

CranstonSnord

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #2 on: 27 August 2019, 13:38:28 »
IWM does sell the AWS-9Q arm sprue:  20-847B  Awesome Mech arm sprue  $1.85

Historically IWM has been willing to sell non-scrapyard sprues, but it can take a lot of time.


carlisimo

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #3 on: 27 August 2019, 13:41:52 »
IWM does sell the AWS-9Q arm sprue:  20-847B  Awesome Mech arm sprue  $1.85

Historically IWM has been willing to sell non-scrapyard sprues, but it can take a lot of time.

What are scrapyard sprues?

Scotty

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #4 on: 27 August 2019, 13:44:09 »
IWM does sell the AWS-9Q arm sprue:  20-847B  Awesome Mech arm sprue  $1.85

Historically IWM has been willing to sell non-scrapyard sprues, but it can take a lot of time.

That's the arm sprue for the old metal Awesome; it would not look good at all on one of the new plastic Awesomes.  Which is kind of what I was getting at: single metal pieces or sprue for the new plastics, because converting a Game of Armored Combat Awesome into a 9Q is going to get my money a lot faster than basically having to buy the whole Awesome over again.
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abou

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #5 on: 27 August 2019, 13:45:45 »
The Scrapyard is on their webstore. You can buy individual parts for miniatures. You won't find everything, but they are more than accommodating at IWM. One time I made a big order and asked for a Black Knight PPC cannon. They included it in the package with no issue at all.

http://ironwindmetals.com/store/index.php?cPath=16_44_34

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #6 on: 27 August 2019, 18:33:49 »
In the relatively short time the new plastic models have been available, I've ended up with 3-5 of each.  As much as I love Shadow Hawks, I don't need eight or more of them.

All the same, I do want to be able to field different variants, like the Royal Shadow Hawk that IWM produces.  The gun looks like the biggest difference between 2H and 2Hb, but the 2Hb gun isn't available in the Scrapyard.  I'm significantly more likely to spend $3 on a couple pieces to convert a mini I already have than I am to spend $12-18 to buy a new mini for a number of reasons (especially with an impending storage space crisis looming  xp).

Is there any chance to be able to have variant kits available for things like the Shadow Hawk, or even Battlemaster (Royal, 2nd PPC arm) or Awesome (9Q, fourth PPC) from IWM?

Anything is possible in the future, I will add the Shadow Hawk parts to my to do list.

pheonixstorm

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #7 on: 27 August 2019, 21:24:32 »
Any time frame on when parts/mechs from the rest of the new boxsets will come up for sale? Not going to bother asking about the recent KS stuff lol

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #8 on: 28 August 2019, 16:54:29 »
In the relatively short time the new plastic models have been available, I've ended up with 3-5 of each.  As much as I love Shadow Hawks, I don't need eight or more of them.

All the same, I do want to be able to field different variants, like the Royal Shadow Hawk that IWM produces.  The gun looks like the biggest difference between 2H and 2Hb, but the 2Hb gun isn't available in the Scrapyard.  I'm significantly more likely to spend $3 on a couple pieces to convert a mini I already have than I am to spend $12-18 to buy a new mini for a number of reasons (especially with an impending storage space crisis looming  xp).

Is there any chance to be able to have variant kits available for things like the Shadow Hawk, or even Battlemaster (Royal, 2nd PPC arm) or Awesome (9Q, fourth PPC) from IWM?

This is one of my major disappointments on the new Clan Omnis; I LOVE The variant Omni parts! Walking away from those seems foolish to me when the minis we have look so damn good and the alt con parts allow so much variety in customs, ect.
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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #9 on: 28 August 2019, 17:48:16 »
It's not "walking away". IWM made metal minis in parts due to the spin casting process, and have offered a wonderful service (the Scrapyard) to allow us to access components. Spin casting allows relatively low-cost production of variant parts in small quantities. Remember, the old "archive" level for IWM was 6 units/year ....

Now the minis are produced overseas via plastic injection. Much higher up-front costs, expensive metal injection blanks, and assembly overseas. Not an economic model for producing 6 variant Timber Wolf arms per year ...

Now the ideal middle ground would be if IWM was interested in making metal parts based on the plastic mini components - eg. an Awesome right arm for the 9Q variant, or right Timber Wolf arm for the C config. And if it made economic sense for them to do so. And the rights situation allowed it (by no means a certainty).

In the meantime, kitbashing remains an option.
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Scotty

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #10 on: 28 August 2019, 18:33:25 »
Now the ideal middle ground would be if IWM was interested in making metal parts based on the plastic mini components - eg. an Awesome right arm for the 9Q variant, or right Timber Wolf arm for the C config. And if it made economic sense for them to do so. And the rights situation allowed it (by no means a certainty).

This is basically what I was trying suggest in the OP.
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Kansas City players, or people who are just passing through the area, come join us at the Geekery just off Shawnee Mission Parkway for BattleTech!  Current days are Tuesdays in the afternoon and evening.  I can't make every single week, but odds are pretty good that somebody will be there.

BirdofPrey

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #11 on: 29 August 2019, 05:08:33 »
If the minis came unassembled on sprues, it wouldn't cost that much extra to put variant parts on the sprues, so I wouldn't be surprised if we could have built multiple versions of a mech if Catalyst Games Labs wanted to sell kits, but it's clear that CGL wasn't to emphasize the gaming part of the hobby rather than the building part of the hobby by selling packs of preassembled minis.

Kinda sucks for the people who like building and painting minis, but it's probably better for the health of the game by having more mass appeal.  I mentioned this before, but many people who are interested in various wargames aren't thrilled with having to build models first, and see it as a needless chore rather than a fun secondary hobby.
Now I WOULD love it if there were an option to buy both preassembled and unassembled minis (and if you're going preassembled, why not prepainted as well?), but that would add extra overhead of having many more SKUs (best case is double if kits were still sold as a pack of multiple mechs, but selling each mech separately would balloon the inventory management woes considerably)

Black_Knyght

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #12 on: 29 August 2019, 12:56:12 »
The new plastic figures also have become problematic for converting because of their size/scale creep. Looking at my 9Q Awesome and my new plastic Awesome, the size difference is significant, and probably won't scale well with current IWM parts.

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Re: Variant Parts/Kits for New Plastics
« Reply #13 on: 30 August 2019, 13:02:17 »
Well, its also about looking around for parts on a mini.  I know the last time I asked about a large batch of parts, about 30% of them were not in the scrapyard.  I had to submit a list of the model and describe what I wanted, and then they sent me back a list of prices.  I did it in spring, paid for it and had it all wrapped up for our Agent to pick up for me at GenCon.

With that said there are some GREAT bits that could be used in any box for possibilities.  I think I ordered 2 sets of the Hound's weapon sprues, so a BFG with 1 attach point, a pair of ML/SL/LPPC, and a SRM4 box.
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