In this first look at the 2020 survey results, Jasper highlights responses to one of the new questions on the 2020 survey. That is,
Which material do you prefer for your miniatures?Based upon survey responses, the answer is hard plastics by a small margin over metal. Resin comes in at third overall.
As I did for the GWS 2019 survey, I plan to dig a little deeper into the data in an attempt to bring more order out of the data chaos. With Jasper referencing Question 17 in his initial blog post on GWS2020, this survey question relating to miniatures' material preference is as good of a place to start as any.
Respondents' top choice for figure material is Hard Plastic (48%), Metal (38%), and Soft Plastic (5%).
Is this pattern brought about due to figure size, game genre (fantasy vs historical), game type, combinations of all three, or something else entirely? Perhaps cost is a major contributing factor in material choice? Cost for the lower age cohorts certainly seems a reasonable barrier to entry into the world of fielding large armies in metal. I have my hunches based upon these results and trends seen in the GWS2019 survey.
Since this question asked for the respondent's top three choices, I limit my analysis to the Top Three choices even though the survey graphic provides a weighted average across all choices. Does that make a difference? Even limiting material choices to the Top Three, Hard Plastic, Metal, and Resin comprise the Top Three choices as in the survey summary.
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| Figure 1 |
Seeing the result of hard plastic figures coming out as the top material choice in the aggregate, is a surprise to me. Perhaps, this is only one indication that I am out of step with the hobby. For me, metal is my preferred figure material but I am one of the Old Guard, I suppose. I began miniature wargaming in the early 70s with Airfix HO scale plastics. While I amassed sizable armies in soft plastic, by the early 90s the plastics were jettisoned and I moved on to metal figures. I really have not looked back. Well, not yet, anyway. I did recently pick up a Star Wars Legion core set in hard plastic to work with my grandson.
Since the graphic above (Figure 1) is an aggregation of the Top Three material choices, does breaking down the rankings make any material difference? Yes, it does. See Figure 2.
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| Figure 2 |
Respondents' second choice for figure material is Hard Plastic (33%), Metal (27%), and Resin (21%).
Respondents' third choice for figure material is Resin (35%), Metal (17%), and Soft Plastic (10%).
These results suggest that outside of hard plastics and metals, resin is a popular second choice. As a third choice, it is dominant. Interesting since my collection of resin figures is almost nil. Most of my resin models are for WWI aircraft. I cannot think of having any resin figures but I must have a few. Again, I seem to be out of step with the masses.
Perhaps, my out-of-steppedness can be explained by age? As seen in many of the analyses from the GWS2019 survey, age does matter. Is that the situation here as well?
Looking at Figure 3 (below), age seems to be a driver of material first choice as well. In the 40-and-under age groups, roughly two-thirds of respondents pick hard plastic as their first choice. Hard plastic as a first choice drops to 50% for the 41-50 Age Group, to 33% for the 51-60 Age Group, and down to 23% for those 61-and-over group.
For metals as a first choice of material, popularity increases with age. Those respondents in the 40-and-under groups list metals as a first choice in less than 20% of the responses. In the 41-50 age group, metal as a first choice jumps to 37%. In the 51-60 group that first choice percentage is 58% and two-thirds for those 61-and-over.
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| Figure 3 |
Next time, I will examine the effects of adding preferred figure size, game genre, and game type into this debate on the drivers of material preference.
The future may come down to one word, plastics.
For readers making it through these graphics and analysis, and wanting to weigh in with their own observations and experiences, I encourage and look forward to your comments. For your age group, do these generalized survey tendencies ring true with respect to preferred figure material?
Interesting analysis. As an older respondent to the survey (mid 50's), my favourite material is metal for wargaming miniatures. Interestingly though I prefer plastics for vehicles & for 54mm Toy Soldiers.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your response! I am in the same camp as you only a bit older. I prefer metal figures and plastic for WWI airplanes and WWII vehicles although I have yet to try metal for either of these.
DeleteI have given hard plastic miniatures a go, but I find assembly a bit of a drag. I would rather be cracking on with painting. Although metal miniatures usually require some form of clean-up, I don't find it as onerous a task as sticking plastic dudes together.
DeleteI have not given hard plastics any serious work, yet. I did recently pick up some hard plastic Star Wars figures to try. Assembly for these was quite easy.
DeleteInteresting, I know for myself, in addition to the cost factor, the weight of plastic figures is a significant advantage!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your input on the topic, Mark! It is interesting to me that you prefer the weight of plastic over metal? For me, I enjoy the heft of metal. Moving a heavy stand of metal figures around the table provides a sense of satisfaction that I do not get with plastics. Perhaps adding weight to the stand of plastic figures would resolve this issue for me?
DeleteCheers Jonathan, I'm thinking more of the challenges of carrying large armies (thousands of figures) around! Plastics are easier to do this with than metals, and also need less careful packing to avoid bending/breakage of muskets etc in my experience.
DeleteMakes perfect sense!
Deleteinteresting as always Jonathan, clearly I have significant armies of both plastic and metal and have never felt restricted by either. A good figure is a good figure after all. As for resin I feel that is a red herring question asking people for a third choice perhaps ?
ReplyDeleteGlad you continue to enjoy these types of analyses, Matt! more to come, for sure.
Delete"A good figure is a good figure" sums it up nicely! You are in the camp of figure material agnostic. Good for you! You are an enlightened one.
One additional comment I will add is a slight annoyance at the trend in plastics to ever greater detail. This is an unfortunate and unnecessary trend in my view. Lovely as they are the increase in detail makes some of the more recent figures virtually unpaintable by mere mortals. That is of course another can of worms separating the painters from the gamers !
DeleteAnother good point about figure detail. With my aging eyes, I can no longer even see, let alone paint, the fine detail on many of today’s figures.
DeleteHaving started "proper"" wargaming in the early 70's, I do believe the future is hard plastic for the bulk of any army supplemented by metal for those items where it would not be cost effective to create a mould. I would also say this trend started about 15 years ago with Perry & Warlord games. So like most good surveys it's telling us what we already know. Cheers Greg
ReplyDeleteThank you, Greg! The future may be in hard plastic and the survey suggests so, no doubt. This trend started fifteen years ago? Time flies and I have definitely fallen behind the times and latest trends. But then I have never been a slave to fashion...
DeleteHi Jonathan, I think Warlord Games brought out their plastic 28mm Romans in 2007 - correction 13 years ago. Not sure about Perry's ACW Infantry. Cheers Greg
DeleteThanks for the follow-up on hard plastic time lines!
DeleteThe results are no surprise to me, because you start with serious wargaming at the Age of 25-40.
ReplyDelete1) There are a lot of starter armies in Plastics
2) If you want to built up fast and not too expensive armies you have to use smaller figures OR plastic
3) Many very realistic figures are made in plastic as well.
For me plastic is still a Little more effordable. There are still some good companies out there although plactic miniatures were a lot cheaper during the late 1990s, when I saw Italeri-Sets with 50 miniatures for 5,80 DM in our local model-shop! Then in the early 2000s they just changed the prize from DM into Euro with 5-6 Euros per set. Then after a decade or so, when I didn't collected figures the market changed dramatically with increasing Prices (although normaly still cheaper then metal-figures). Therefore I changed my attitude and prefered to buy collections from other Gamers at a very reasonable Price.
I think that the question is, what you want/can pay for just a hobby or even for one hobby among others and Family. When I check the Shops of Major manufacturers of metal-figures in the US or UK (28mm), I'm almost always thinking: for this price I could buy 2-3 Units or in plactic a whole army. I don't say, that they are too expensive, because I know that they have to sell it for a Price like this.
It would be interesting to compare French, British, German and US wargamers. Maybe then it's even more different. You know that the statistical Shopping cart is completely different from state to state. Today for example you could not find one shop in Freiburg selling metal historical miniatures. But you will find Revell or Italeri even in the Müller-market (Drugstore).
Besides: I finshed my second battalion of Bavarians. In Plastics - no surprise to you. :-D Cheers!
Excellent stuff, Andre'! You lay out a very convincing argument for the rise in plastic on the table and in collections. I believe your armies are primarily 1/72 or HO scale soft plastics. Is that correct?
DeleteYour notion that location make contribute to these differences in figure materials is an interesting one that I will add to a follow-up analysis.
Thank you!
By the way, when do we get to see your latest Bavarian infantry battalion?
All of my WAS-armies are in the 1/72 scale. H0 in Germany is too small. German H0 is 1/87 and only typical for the huge modeltrain Hobby. I think that 1/72 is still popular in Germany because we very Long had the view on the 1/72 figures as models for Dioramas. (In the armymuseum in Dresden for example are very nice Dioramas using 1/72 scale even using the old Revell-sets.) I can remember the Revell-catalogue from the late 1990s, when figures and vehicles were only presented to built up Dioramas. Since the 2000s we can find the hint "wargaming aproved" on the box of Italeri-sets, although they didn't changed the miniatures but just found out, that it's maybe a better idea to sell figures if you give the advice to adults that they can Play with the figures in a more suitable manner (I can remember, that I first played with Revell-minis when I was a Boy and I used them as toys). Perhaps the first idea, when Revell started their figures-range was to produce models and toys at once. Therefor the old sets includes mostly realistic poses (good for model-fans) AND Action poses.
DeleteIt's the same like in other Hobbies, that the collectors or enthusiasts have different Backgrounds. My first Meeting with model figures was a huuuuuuuge collection of Dioramas with flat figures in the Museum of Gusow (which belonged to the very important Brandenburg General Derfflinger!!!) - the history of humans told from the Egyptians up to the battle of Waterloo (if I remember right). Later the size of the collection declined (maybe the same happened to the whole Hobby of flat figures). The Museum gave me a hint, what is possible with figures, although I used plastic figures as toys nevertheless.
I think that a Division in soft and hard plastic figures makes no sense at all. There are 1/72 manufacturers with hard and some with soft plastic and even the same manufacturer may produce some figures in soft and others in hard plastic. Both versions have their advantages.
I sometimes have the Impression that for some Gamers Plastic OR Metal has some similarity with the question of Lutheran or Calvinist ;-). I don't buy plastic miniatures because I think that they are generally better. I even have the Impression that if I would present to you my Units, that you could not find out which figures are metal and which are plastic before testing the weigth of the base. I prefer the figures which are closer to the real soldiers or better reflect the typical poses of a soldier or create more interesting Units.
I use plastic, metal and resin miniatures. Although the resin figures are the most expensive and I use them only because
- there are no plastic pandours on the market
- they are looking well (however they are fragile)
The photos of my Bavarians are on the HoW-forum.
Cheers!
Your recounting and explanation of the development of 1/72 scale in Germany is fascinating. I knew your WAS collection was 1/72 but thought you also mixed in HO too. Thanks for the correction. visiting the museums you described would be a real treat. Perhaps one day after we exit our current crisis.
DeleteThere may be a bit of figure snobbery or at least good natured competition between metal and plastic collectors/gamers. I may occasionally veer off the line and onto to the side of the metal enthusiasts but try to remain without prejudice.
Oh, you missed the part with "decline". I saw the Museum 15 years ago and would not recommend it today after this experience. I would prefer the Torhaus Dölitz and Leipzig, if I would visit Germany and love Napoleonic wars.
DeleteI missed that! If or when I make it back to Germany, this museum will be on my list. Thanks for mentioning this figure museum.
DeleteInteresting stuff Jonathan - I wonder how much Economic and Environmental issues are going to affect the hobby during the 2020s? My guess is not too much.
ReplyDeleteThank you! As for the impact of economic and environment on the hobby market in general and figure material in particular, that is a good question. I guess time will tell.
DeleteThe simple conclusion is that many wargamers are sheep: they are being told by the main manufacturers that hard plastic is the way forward, and they are parroting it back. Personally I'm a soft plastic or metal person. The former on the grounds of weight and cost, the latter for the quality of casting. Both for the ease of use as they come without the need to glue them together.
ReplyDeleteWe are not ALL sheep, my friend! I am still firmly entrenched in the land of metal and you, often found in the land of soft plastics. Your fine battles in 1/72 plastic bring me back to the early 70s as I flipped through the pages of Wargamer's digest as a lad.
DeleteSo, figure manufacturers are believers in Says' Law in which supply creates its own demand. That is an effective method to herd sheep!
I think that my armies are mostly plastic with some metal for most periods and mostly metal with some plastic for others. Cost is the primary driver, however assembling and converting the multi part hard plastic figures can be quite enjoyable in it's own right, conversely I wouldn't touch soft plastic, a mixture of prejudice and unfortunate experiences from my youth. I have resin vehicles which are quite nice, anything made by GW which isn't plastic is now resin and I know warlord games now make use of it for some figures but I don't really fancy it, no doubt from prejudice!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
I appreciate your feedback and insights, Iain!
DeleteSo, hard plastic really offers you extra bang for your buck (or pound) since assembling multi-part hard plastic offers added enjoyment at lower cost over a comparable metal figure. Win-Win for you!
I maintain a similar prejudice to you with respect to soft plastics. My early airfix figures and later Italieri and Revell figures were soft plastic. I had a devil of a time keeping the paint from flaking off. Of course, that was almost 50 years ago and I could probably find a solution to that problem now.
Hi Jonathon - for me, plastic are more affordable and that would be the main reason to use them. If I could get 30 - 40 metal 28mm figures of the quality of the Perrys or Warlord for £20, I would still buy metal all the time! I have just bought some Fenryll resin figures from France - not because I am anal about the sharper quality of detail etc - just because I like the figures and resin is what they come in - I have bought a few Hasslefree figures in the past and went with the metal option as the resin were twice the price for the same figure. I do have some other resin figures - the Black Cat female gunslingers - again, they were bought because I like the figures and being a skirmish scale, I only thereneeded a few. I was interested in Amtmann's comments above because I think he is right, you might find a philosophical difference between European and Anglo American/Commonwealth gamers - I have noticed a few times quite a lot of European gamers are doing really great quality paint jobs on Italeri, Esci or similar 1/72 soft plastic figures, whereas in the other countries, few serious gamers seem to use these relatively cheap figures - interesting, I wonder why that is? Is it because we all started as kids with Airfix and sub consciously see metal as "grown up"..? Personally I doubt hard plastic will ever totally replace metal figures, partly because they are not cheap enough to make them overwhelmingly attractive based solely on the fact they are cheaper....based on the intrinsic value, they could be a lot cheaper and still be making money out of us all!
ReplyDeleteExcellent feedback, Keith!
DeleteAndre's suggestion that location may play a part in this debate is an interesting one. It will be curious to examine location as a factor in figure material choice. Perhaps as in real estate, it is all about location, location, location?
Philosophical differences between European and non-European gamers is another interesting thought. When I peruse blogs filled with painted figures, my sense is that, generally, Europeans are better painters. Well, certainly better than me!
Why soft plastic? The ranges are incredible now. They are cheap and lightweight. They are well proportioned and fit on element bases comfortably.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good case for soft plastics, Graham! As I noted above in another response, I had trouble keeping paint from flaking off soft plastics. Of course, that was nearly fifty years ago and I may have learned a trick or two since those days. Do you experience an issue with paint flaking from soft plastics?
DeleteAs a 10mm gamer, plastic is simply not an option for me. The new Victrix 12mm figures look excellent from what I've seen online; ditto their vehicles. I'm sure they will prove to be very popular but they are too big to fit alongside my existing collections.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure hard plastic is popular due to the Perry's, Warlord, Victrix and Flames of War to name but a few, as you can get 28mm figures at roughly 50p each, compared to metal ones at £1 and upwards, often to silly prices. Also hard plastic allow for conversions swapping between sets etc which gamers of a certain ilk love. I would do the same in 10mm if hard plastic versions were available.
Anyway, looking forward to more survey feedback from yourself.
Thank you for your insights in 10mm, Steve! Hard plastics seem to offer more flexibility than metal at lower cost but not as much flexibility as soft plastics.
DeleteLike you, I'm not keen on plastic figures. but I suppose you've gotta move with the times. I did buy some plastic Vikings and Saxons, but nearly had a meltdown gluing the buggers together! I for one shall stick with metal until I can't.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ray! I may be too much of a metalhead to move wholeheartedly to hard plastics but never say never.
DeleteWith the evolving world of wargaming and materials, the real interesting potential of this survey might not be realised for perhaps 2 or 3 years when ratings may change due to resin being the ‘new’ material that both warlord Games (28mm napoleonic) and Plastic Soldier Company (15mm Ancients) are moving towards on a greater commercial scale.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Warlord have decided to call their material ‘Warlord Resin’ so there’s confidence for you!
I am a hard plastics fan. I have just put a 10 figure base together and I really like the lightweight quality of the result. The weapons don’t bend out of shape (read spears and pike!), though putting them together is a grim thing for me due to the solvent glues needed.
What would be interesting is what actually drives a person to prefer a certain material. I have always thought that the prime reason for soft plastic is firstly budget and (less relevant these days) choice. For metals, people either like the heft or hate assembling figures. For hard plastic, weight, cost and sharp sculpting might be up there.
In other words, people voting on a material is not necessarily a good indicator of the best material, but rather an indicator of the materials that most likely either annoy them the least. So you could absolutely love metal and prefer it, but vote for soft plastic because in practical terms it fits your budget, or even if I may dare say, some may feel their painting skills don’t justify the price of metals or that they even fear the detail. So there are multiple levels of drivers that could still be explored that are outside the scrutiny of this post because the data needed to go there was never built into the original survey,
regardless, one thing for sure the options available to use are ever increasing.
Thanks, Norm, for your always comprehensive response. You seem to be able to take a good read of the hobby on whatever front. I enjoyed your comment on material preferences leaning toward whatever annoys the hobbyist the least! Classic!
DeleteYou bring up an interesting perspective on preferred figure material. I answered the question not from which material necessarily maybe best for my situation (cost, space, weight, easily assembly, etc.) but from which material are my preferred figures made. I see from your reasoning, the two may not be the same. Good point. I wonder how many responded with one thought in mind and how many with the other?
While the longitudinal data on material preference begins with the 2020 survey, asking this question in earlier years may have lent visibility of this evolution or revolution to hard plastics.
Who’d have thought the choice of material would be such a fascinating subject. I certainly didn’t until I read your article and responses. I particularly enjoyed Amtmann’s perspective on Germany. Hopefully Phil will chip in with a French view.
ReplyDeleteFrom my own point of view I based my answer (metal 1st) on the basis of what I have, or plan to buy. Given that I currently game exclusively in 10 and 6mm, the answer can only be metal.
Without taking into account scale, you could easily conclude that I chose metal because of age (I’m closer to 60 than 50). However, I’m thinking about 20mm colonials but haven’t yet considered any of the plastics ranges. Yet. Maybe I am an old git after all!
@nanducket: I'm closer to 60 than 50, and I chose metal and soft plastic. I really don't want to glue my figures together as it simply delays them getting to the table. Have a look at the "Plastic Soldier Review" website, and poke around in the colonial ranges to see what is there. Order a box or two and have a look at the quality. You may be surprised.
DeleteNandanket, I am glad you found this analysis although unexpected. You never know when you might learn something! Andre's description of figures in Germany, I found enlightening as well.
DeleteI may be in the "Metals 1st" bucket simply due to age too...
20mm Colonials, now that sounds interesting!
Trebian, that is a good suggestion to go to PSR and have look around. Many years ago, I had a collection of ESCI Zulu Wars figures and I thought they were remarkably well done. Painted, they looked great.
DeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteI didn't like plastic figures in past. Now - I hate to stick metal ones together :)
Thanks, Michal! Sticking metal figures together is messy business.
DeleteDefinitely metal for me as well, and I like to think that the boxes of unpainted figures lining the walls of my workshop will afford me a level of protection if someone ever lets a nuclear bomb off.
ReplyDeleteI too like the heft of metal, and I find assembling figures frustrating and know I wouldn't have the patience to put together a whole box of plastics. I'd also always be watching to make sure a head or an arm doesn't drop off during a game. I do however prefer 15mm resin vehicles with a few metal bits stuck on to provide a bit of weight over their solid metal counterparts, but still prefer both over plastic.
Two peas in a pod, Lawrence! I, too, have enough lead in the basement to withstand a direct hit, I think.
DeleteI really do love these little dives into the realm of statistical analysis of our silly hobby. Who doesn’t like a little anonymous social comparison? 😀
ReplyDeleteAnd then revealing themselves. It’s like flashing.
For me, the data is correct. I am waist deep in my forties and will buy metal or plastic in 28mm scale without much thought for the material one way or the other; it’s more about the pose and as said above; a good figure a good figure. The biggest selling point of each; metal miniatures tend to have better individualistic poses and plastic is better for rank and file with small variations.
I will say this; my plastic dark age troops never drop their swords or spears, the metal ones do it all the time.
In smaller scales like 15mm, I want single sculpts no assembly and also wouldn’t think twice about material, I just don’t want to put them together.
I’ve enjoyed reading this post and the comments of others. 😀
Stew! I am very pleased to see that you enjoy these wargaming side trips down the analysis highway. With the completion of the GWS2020 and data in hand, expect more frequent excursions as I make my way through the results.
DeleteYou are a model wargamer for your cohort although you seem to lean more to historicals than I imagine your peers. The breakdowns between historical vs Fantasy/Sci-Fi and age group are always fascinating to me.
I cannot imagine assembling 15mm or smaller, multipart figures. Try epoxy for metal sword and spear adhesion. I rarely lose one.
The commentary response, thus far, has been terrific and full of interesting insights.
I know I prefer metal figures for my own armies, to the point where I rarely buy anything else. Yes, I miss out on some new releases, but it has halped me avoid chasing whatever is new and shiny.
ReplyDeleteDoes geography play any role? I wonder if English gamers tend to prefer a different material than American gamers. I have the feeling, perhaps baseless, that portability matters more for English gamers than it does here in the states.
Scott, with your recent foray into 28mm plastic SYW armies, I figured you may have switched this stance. Whatever material you choose to paint, it all looks fab!
DeleteThe effect of geography on material will be an interesting question to pursue. Do you think English gamers require more portable armies since (my perception) is that they are more club gamers?
My, what a veritable hornets’ nest this subject has unexpectedly raised! Thouroughly enjoyed reading both the post and every single comment above. In my view this is a multifaceted issue, most of which has been touched upon in various conments above. I would jut like to highlight two points. From the demographic angle I would add that older gamers prefer metal also because they have less domestic and (probably) financial pressures - kids all grown up and independent and maybe they are also financially better off after long careers. Second point is commercialisation. Take rulebooks. Many rulebooks today are lavishly illustrated with (mainly) 28mm plastics, usually from particular ranges. Warlord’s Black Powder makes a typical example. The eye candy is of such a high level it just makes you want to rush and get as many boxes of plastics as you can handle. Same goes for some wargame publications.
ReplyDeletePersonally I have both metals and plastics. My main 6mm collection is obviously metal but I have both plastic and metal in my 28mm work. I do not distinguish much as long as the figures are well sculpted however I have to agree that assembly in plastics is a real PITA. I’m nearing 60 btw.
Hi Mike! I am not sure this stirred up a hornet's nest since no one has been stung or harmed (yet) but it has stirred up a lot of interest. I appreciate all of the commentary and replies have been most interesting.
DeleteYou make a great point about commercialization. Whether in rulebooks, advertisements, websites, magazines, etc., the preponderance of 28mm plastic figures on display and under review must certainly drive demand for these products. With limitations on number of gamers, money, time, and interests, this commercialization of 28mm plastics may come at the expense of metal figures.
Given the huge ranges and wide spread availability in both 1/72 and 1/32 of soft plastic figures, I wonder if the popularity of the more limited hard plastic wargame sets is as much a reflection on the magazines target audience as on the relative popularity?
ReplyDeleteAs often seems the case these days, I am too far out of steps but when I answered the survey I had to smile that I really like my hard plastic armies but they are vintage Elastolin and Merten toys NOT modern wargame releases and my metal figures are now largely home bast. Almost felt a bit misleading to cast my vote at all!
Hey Ross!
DeleteTo answer your first question, see Mike's comment straight above your post. Mike wonders the same and makes good points.
Well, you are not alone in being out of step. Wait! If so many of us are out of step, we must be all in step with each other.
Your vote on material preference was not misleading at all. You made me smile when I read your choice of hard plastic and metal figures. You still prefer hard plastic and metals but you march to a different drummer. I commend you for that!
Tracking this over multiple years will be interesting. Historically (ha!), metals tended to be better sculpts than the available plastic minis, and exist in a wider variety, but this has been changing. The newest generation of hard plastic 28mm historicals (perry / victrix especially) look as good or better than metals, and come with all the advantages of plastic - lighter to transport, less prone to chipping / breaking, easier to convert, etc. As quality and choice increase, I'd expect the number of respondents who prefer plastic to grow.
ReplyDeleteMarkus, I expect your foresight with respect to trends in material to be spot on. That is, plastics may gain even more popularity with time.
DeleteWith your wide assortment of gaming interested from historical to fantasy/sci-fi, I am interested in how you view your own gaming along the Historical vs Fantasy/Sci-Fi spectrum. I imagine you might place yourself smack in the middle of this spectrum but I don't how you view your gaming interests.
I don't know if it's a spectrum, honestly. I love historical gaming, and used to play historicals far more than SF/ Fantasy. Since being on the east coast, the opportunity for historicals has diminished. I'm working on that, though.
DeleteFirstly my interest is in historical wargaming. I do admire many of the plastic ranges available and if they came without the need to build them I might, just might be tempted. I think it is clear that price is the determining factor here, more bang for your buck. Personally I will continue with metal.
ReplyDeleteI am with you, George! I am a historical gamer and prefer metal over other materials. Thank you for your response!
DeleteI am interested to see if there is any correlation between the preferred material and the time periods being played. I would assume that the prevalence of plastics for WWII gaming as well as the companies like the Perry's using plastics for rank and file are skewing the outcomes.
ReplyDeleteI still prefer metal overall as it lacks the excessive assembly times required from some sets, tends to stay together once assembled, and has enough mass to not tip over for skirmish games.
I just started painting resin models (thanks to trying some fantasy and scifi gaming), and it does hold details well. That said, I find it needs more prep work (cleaning and filing) than metals and lacks mass to remain vertical on difficult terrain.
Preferred material vs gaming period will be interesting to examine. Preferred material vs scale may pose some insights as well. What about location?
DeleteMetal is my preferred choice too.
There seems to be a limitless variety of ways to parse the data moving forward. I do think scale will be quite telling as plastics seem dominant in 28mm.
DeleteI also think the continual rise in shipping costs may very well drive our beloved metal alloys into extinction. Historical gaming has too much variety to really support local game stores anymore, so I think lighter weight materials will continue make gains in the near future.
I am also intrigued by the comments about 3D printed materials in gaming. I know it is really taking off for terrain and vehicle designs, but the entry point still seems a little high for the casual hobbyists.
28mm or even 28mm Heroics seem to garner a lot of the plastic market. Don't forget 20mm for plastics as well. I grew up with 20mm, 1/72, HO scale plastics from Airfix, ESCI, Italieri, et al. The results may provide a few surprises as well.
DeleteA number of manufacturers or sellers now offer a flat rate shipping option so that shipping of metal figures may not be beyond reach. Perhaps merchants recognizing that to complete with plastics, shipping costs must be subsidized.
As for 3D figures/vehicles, I have yet to give any a try.
Metal head here as well, but I guess at 52 that's common in my age group. I do some plastics, but far more lead in comparison. I prefer painting metal as well as I enjoy the heft they bring. Plastics assembly is quite annoying and they tend to look more stiffer and less natural if that makes any sense.
ReplyDeleteChristopher
Christopher, we are in complete agreement! Perhaps, age is the common binding agent?
DeleteThe older I get the more "Easy assembly of my minis" becomes more and more paramount in the buying&prep stage. In that light, Metals are far preferred to plastics. But plastics seem to fast becoming cheaper these days and make for some effective infantry options, leaving characters/commanders purchases in metal or resin. (Much like you've outlined.)
ReplyDeleteI do prefer metals though overall - the heft, less detail to paint and frankly more often more charm in their typically handsculpted design appeals to me far more then the CAD efforts of plastics.
I thoroughly enjoy your breakdowns of the questionnaire stats btw!
Dai, seems many of us responding to this post prefer metal. I think for many of the same reasons you state.
DeleteI am very pleased to see that you enjoy this analysis. There will be many, many more slices into these data so I hope your enthusiasm continues!
Most interesting, Jon. I barely even remember this question, and would have ticked off "metal" without a second choice (my commercial 15 mm Galleys and some scenery are resin, but among my ? 15,000+ painted figures, I don't think there are more than a handful that are anything but metal. I am, of course, also solidly in the "metal" age demographic. I am so used to the heft of metal, that when I pick up plastic figures, they are likely to go flying up to the ceiling! Given the cost advantage, and the ever increasing quality and available breadth of offerings of plastic models, they are likely to join in share as the years advance. I probably will still own few if any, though!
ReplyDeletePerhaps our demographic group are all metal heads? Like you, I enjoy the heft and solidness of a well packed stand of lead figures. Call us old fashioned, I suppose. Besides a few model kits, I don’t have any plastic figures. Well, outside of the recent Star Wars Legion figures I picked up.
DeleteCost, light weight for transport, a greater variety (including weapons options, heads, hats), the ability to create poses that aren’t east to do with the restrictions of metal casting, greater robustness (they bounce when you drop them rather than go thud and bend out of shape) and the ability to easily convert and create your own variants are all deciding factors for plastics for me. I am of that age to have a strong metal bias, but the quality of plastics in my view is now beginning to surpass metal. I will continue to buy both mediums, but for conflicts requiring large armies where a quality plastic alternative is available, they will be my choice going forward I think.
ReplyDeleteWell reasoned, Mark! If I had a big, new project to tackle, I might consider plastics. The Perry figures crossing your workbench sure look tempting.
DeleteAnd for my money the Perry figures are best value. Not only are they well priced, but they have a minimum number of parts to glue on and have sensible wargames compatible poses. The Warlord WWI and the Victrix Napoleonics I have done are fabulous figures but OMG the number of pieces to be glued on!
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