Author Topic: Looking for Feedback on My Miniatures (Read 2633 times)

Stinger · « **on:** 27 April 2018, 09:43:29 »

Hello All!

For those of you unfamiliar, I sculpt minis for IWM, and I like to periodically ask for some feedback to see what I am doing is good or bad or whatever! I previously asked for feedback on a wide number of my sculpts a while back in this thread; https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=56130, but I would like to ask again for some of the minis I have made in the time since then and on the previous ones since many may have missed the first post.

Particularly, I am curious about:

-Hellspawn Resculpt
-Loki Mk II (And Variants)
-Cougar Resculpt
-Uraeus
-Hound
-Thor II (and Variants)
-Roadrunner
-Arion
-Centurion Resculpt (and Variants)
-Gravedigger
-Arctic Wolf II
-Wusun Microfighter
-Ostrogoth Microfighter
-Pendragon (and Variants)
-Centurion Omni (and Variants)
-Chimera Resculpt (and Variants)

So lay it on me! I'd like to hear what people liked, didn't like etc.

Wolf Reaper · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:17:56 »

I can speak to the ones I have.
-Loki Mk II (And Variants) & -Thor II (and Variants)
I like the mini over all. The leg poses are a little interesting with the shape of the leg itself giving to a slight bent look. But it matches the art well.

-Cougar Re-sculpt
I love this mini. I already have 2 to make both variants and plan on more. I never had a want to have Cougars until I grabbed the re-sculpt. It has a lot of detail and isn't frail looking like the original mini.

-Hound
This is another one that came out quite well. It matches the art and carries the size appropriate for a 70 toner.

-Centurion Re-sculpt (and Variants)
I like the look of the re-sculpt Yen lo Wang, but I felt it was kind of flat. The wide body works to convey the size of a mech, but the thinness when vied from the side just seems a bit off.

-Arctic Wolf II
This one while true to the art, seems to have taken steroids a long the path to printing. It is way to big.

-Pendragon (and Variants)
I liked that there was chance to change from the stock planted feet of the Templar.

Weirdo · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:19:14 »

Of those, the only one I own any examples of is the micro Ostrogoth, with a few for non-Battletech purposes. In fact, I'm expecting a box containing more of them to arrive today. :)

I love this fighter. The compact size makes it perfect for fleet battles, yet the details are very crisp and it's easy to recognize the fighter class at a glance.

I've only got two issues with it, and one of them is extremely minor, and I suspect may be insurmountable due to the tiny size.

The minor one is the missile racks. The holes are so tiny, it can be difficult to paint without losing them entirely. Again though, I suspect that's an issue with all micro fighters. It can't be easy to fit fifteen holes onto a panel that's less than 2mm across.

My only other issue is the engines, or lack thereof. I have no idea where the thrust actually comes out, so I'm probably just going to pick a nice looking rear panel or two and paint it all nuclear-glow-y.

Overall, I love this fighter, and would give it a 9 out of 10. I'm assuming the Wusun is just as good, and am already trying to think of a fleet it might go well in. :)

Given how well you can do tiny units with crisp detail, are there any plans for you to tackle any battle armor sometime in the future?

Mattlov · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:24:29 »

I have the Loki, Thor, Roadrunner, and Centurion Omni.

I like all of them. They assemble well (with one exception, I'll get to it later), and are not too complicated. They allow for some posing without being excessive. Details are fine and crisp, I only have complaints about one of them, and I'm pretty sure I told you about them at GenCon last year.

Those shoulder post things on the Centurion Omni were a PAIN. I ended up drilling them out and cutting off the posts so they just sit flush with the shoulder. But there wasn't much you could do about that when making the parts and such if I remember our conversation. So my only complaint was brought about from the art that you had to turn in to metal.

Valkerie · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:29:02 »

Feedback on the four I have.

Hellspawn Resculpt
Quite awesome! Big improvement over the original. Looks great next to the TRO artwork, or the one from MW4: Mercs. Looking forward to painting it. Only tricky thing I had was mounting the LRM on the arm.

Cougar Resculpt
Great sculpt. Again matches the TRO artwork and MW4. Detailing is excellent.

Centurion Resculpt
Overall look, size, and details are great. I have to agree with Wolf Reaper on the thinness though. Would've been good to have him a little beefier in the middle.

Chimera Rescuplt
Another example of getting the mini more inline with the TRO artwork. Like the Hellspawn, big improvement over the original mini.

Keep up the great work Stinger! 8) :thumbsup:

Stinger · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:55:03 »

Quote from: Wolf Reaper on 27 April 2018, 10:17:56

-Centurion Re-sculpt (and Variants)
I like the look of the re-sculpt Yen lo Wang, but I felt it was kind of flat. The wide body works to convey the size of a mech, but the thinness when vied from the side just seems a bit off.

Quote from: Valkerie on 27 April 2018, 10:29:02

Centurion Resculpt
Overall look, size, and details are great. I have to agree with Wolf Reaper on the thinness though. Would've been good to have him a little beefier in the middle.

So, funny thing about the Centurion Resculpt, I actually had it thicker initially. And it doesn't look right. You'd think it would, but it just looks... off. This was the subject of a ton of discussion over on the QCC before it was released and it's just... off.

Quote from: Weirdo on 27 April 2018, 10:19:14

Of those, the only one I own any examples of is the micro Ostrogoth, with a few for non-Battletech purposes. In fact, I'm expecting a box containing more of them to arrive today. :)

I love this fighter. The compact size makes it perfect for fleet battles, yet the details are very crisp and it's easy to recognize the fighter class at a glance.

I've only got two issues with it, and one of them is extremely minor, and I suspect may be insurmountable due to the tiny size.

The minor one is the missile racks. The holes are so tiny, it can be difficult to paint without losing them entirely. Again though, I suspect that's an issue with all micro fighters. It can't be easy to fit fifteen holes onto a panel that's less than 2mm across.

My only other issue is the engines, or lack thereof. I have no idea where the thrust actually comes out, so I'm probably just going to pick a nice looking rear panel or two and paint it all nuclear-glow-y.

Overall, I love this fighter, and would give it a 9 out of 10. I'm assuming the Wusun is just as good, and am already trying to think of a fleet it might go well in. :)

Given how well you can do tiny units with crisp detail, are there any plans for you to tackle any battle armor sometime in the future?

Funny thing is, there is actually only 10 holes on those missile launchers for that exact reason. 15 would have been impossible...

As for tackling more, I am not sure. I personally struggle with organic shapes, just part of my software and my designing style that makes them very awkward to design. Second, those two microfighters took a lot more time and effort than I expected. I may attempt to make some more in the future, but overall I'm not sure.

Colt Ward · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 April 2018, 10:56:52 »

Only one I have on that list is the Hound. I think its accurate to the art, and its so solid a design I ordered more parts for various reasons . . . a pair of legs & hips are going into my kitbash Warhammer. I also got two sets of the weapons just to have them- the only one I needed out of that was the AC mount, which I am using for a MAD-4X to -2R/-3R conversion since I think it is the nearest to the AC that has been available for a while.

My only complaint is the arm post on the Hound. I have one that keeps falling off, I think the way the should plate, top of the arm and small/shallow post all combined to cause it a problem.

Stinger · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 April 2018, 11:11:07 »

Quote from: Colt Ward on 27 April 2018, 10:56:52

Only one I have on that list is the Hound. I think its accurate to the art, and its so solid a design I ordered more parts for various reasons . . . a pair of legs & hips are going into my kitbash Warhammer. I also got two sets of the weapons just to have them- the only one I needed out of that was the AC mount, which I am using for a MAD-4X to -2R/-3R conversion since I think it is the nearest to the AC that has been available for a while.

My only complaint is the arm post on the Hound. I have one that keeps falling off, I think the way the should plate, top of the arm and small/shallow post all combined to cause it a problem.

Noted! Thank you for the feedback!

That one was tough overall just due to the way the shoulders were. I think it I were to do it again, the shoulders would be separate pieces from the torso, similar to how Dak did the Primitive Archer. With that, because the shoulder is so deep, I recommend holding the mini upside down, dropping A LOT of super glue into the shoulder well and letting it dry or hit it with some accelerant. Should hold it in place :D

NeonKnight · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 April 2018, 11:24:52 »

Quote from: Stinger on 27 April 2018, 09:43:29

Hello All!

For those of you unfamiliar, I sculpt minis for IWM, and I like to periodically ask for some feedback to see what I am doing is good or bad or whatever! I previously asked for feedback on a wide number of my sculpts a while back in this thread; https://bg.battletech.com/forums/index.php?topic=56130, but I would like to ask again for some of the minis I have made in the time since then and on the previous ones since many may have missed the first post.

Particularly, I am curious about:

-Hellspawn Resculpt

Got 2, really liked the scupt.

Quote

-Loki Mk II (And Variants)

Don't have as of yet

Quote

-Cougar Resculpt

Have one on order, will let you know once it arrives.

Quote

-Uraeus
-Hound
-Thor II (and Variants)
-Roadrunner
-Arion
-Centurion Resculpt (and Variants)
-Gravedigger
-Arctic Wolf II
-Wusun Microfighter
-Ostrogoth Microfighter
-Pendragon (and Variants)
-Centurion Omni (and Variants)

Do not have any of the above, so, no comment

Quote

-Chimera Resculpt (and Variants)

Hmmm...I have, but I just looked at the Webpage for IWM, and the MUL, and I don't know how I managed to glue the arms on backwards...As before I glue anything I always dry-fit and check to make sure piece X goes where ever first.

Well...now I gotta break a mini :(

Stinger · « **Reply #9 on:** 27 April 2018, 11:27:48 »

Quote from: NeonKnight on 27 April 2018, 11:24:52

Hmmm...I have, but I just looked at the Webpage for IWM, and the MUL, and I don't know how I managed to glue the arms on backwards...As before I glue anything I always dry-fit and check to make sure piece X goes where ever first.

Well...now I gotta break a mini :(

Wait, are the arms facing backwards or left and right switched? I am having a hard time picturing it lol! :))

NeonKnight · « **Reply #10 on:** 27 April 2018, 11:32:14 »

Quote from: Stinger on 27 April 2018, 11:27:48

Wait, are the arms facing backwards or left and right switched? I am having a hard time picturing it lol! :))

How it should look:

And attached, how mine looks ???

Psycho · « **Reply #11 on:** 27 April 2018, 13:16:18 »

Having recently finished 2 Loki II's (Prime and Alt A - both can be seen on CSO's FB page), I can make some observations: I kind of wish the feet and legs were a single part instead of being broken at the ankle. I get that compatibility with the Thor II was part of the process here, but I think the extra effort may have been worthwhile in this case. As Wolf Reaper noted, the legs feel like they are somewhat bent - matching the art - and don't leave much room for posing that would necessitate any major degree of tilt at the ankle. Also, having knocked one over after assembly, you can guess where it came apart. I worry that the ankle could be a weak point for a mini that otherwise has felt very solid. I did find that the SRM rack and lower arms suffered heavily from the micro-fractures that have been a problem for RP'd minis. Other than those two points, yeah, good looking minis. Scaled well. Good detail. No issues in assembly. Faithful to the illustration. Despite making a block of text, there's really very little to complain about.

Wotan · « **Reply #12 on:** 27 April 2018, 14:45:16 »

I just recently build the new Hellspawn and Chimera. Both are easy to assemble, parts are fitting well and you can pose them easily. But on both sculpts i don't like your solution on the missile doors. While nice looking, they dont hold in an opened stage. The connection with the torso is marginal and will break first - even more on the barrel of the Chimera.
That would be my only point to improve. If you go for the next missile doors take a look how to make them more resistant.

Sartris · « **Reply #13 on:** 27 April 2018, 19:30:32 »

I enjoyed assembling the Arion (and appreciated the assembly instructions). Looking forward to other quadvees

I have most of the mechs minus the hellspawn and centurion and I’ll echo the positive sentiments above. I feel that IWM mininatures have become less difficult to assemble since the Project Phoenix and 3067 days (some exceptions remain like the absolutely must-pin Mad Cat and Vulture IV and the tiburon’s feet).

My one quibble from the listed minis is the size of the Arctic Wolf II. It’s a big guy compared to other 40 tonners

Nomad · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 April 2018, 06:57:30 »

I have a couple Loki IIs, two Thor IIs, a Cougar, and a Roadrunner. Of those I've put together only the Cougar, but I have no complaints about the assembly - went together easily, is a great looking model, and faithful to the artwork. I'd say generally I love the newer designs over many of the older - all of these help refresh the line and give Battletech a much needed injection of modernity. I'd say generally speaking that whenever you can design ball joints for shoulders, hips, and feet that it makes assembly much easier and gives us more options for posing/positioning. Keep up the great work!

Stinger · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 April 2018, 09:51:21 »

Thank you all for the feedback!

Thinking more about the Loki II, I definitely should have made 1 piece legs and left them is a cool pose, silimar to the Templar III.

For the Arctic Wolf II, I have no idea how that happened. I've check the files I've sent a few times over and they are fine. It happened somewhere between me and the printer, but it was no one's direct fault.

If anyone wants to finance a properly sized Arctic Wolf, let me know lol. Mold making isn't cheap...

As for missile doors, I'm sorry about the Hellspawn! It was supposed to be easy(ish) to leave that open. I'll keep that in mind for next time. As for the Chimera, I knew the door wasn't easy to cut up into an open state. It was meant to make it so you could match the tro art or match how it looked in MechWarrior 4. I'll make sure to make it easier in the future!

RoundTop · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 April 2018, 12:09:45 »

Stinger: don't apologize. You make cool stuff. Take the improvements, yes. Acknowledge where things can be better. But don't apologize for having 95% awesome, and 5% slightly fiddely

NeonKnight · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 April 2018, 12:17:56 »

My only suggestion would be, things like the Chimera's Arms (which I've swapped now), but because they could so easily be positioned as I did without looking at a picture, is maybe put the posts as may SQUARE for one side and TRIANGLE for the other.

Luciora · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 April 2018, 12:25:00 »

Just wanted to chime in and say your work has been excellent. I'm primarily focused on getting the IS side of mechs but they've been all great and none have given me any trouble to assemble.

Only nitpick I have is with the Centurion's thin arms, but that is a legacy art issue. 😊

Valkerie · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 April 2018, 13:30:41 »

Quote from: Stinger on 29 April 2018, 09:51:21

As for missile doors, I'm sorry about the Hellspawn! It was supposed to be easy(ish) to leave that open.

I did find it easyish to leave open. My only concern was that the grove for the door might not have been deep enough to get a really good bond. Some carving with an exacto knife and it was where I wanted it. Door is still holding nicely today.