Best models before their plastic versions.

[Zugg Zugg]

I was looking at my classic metal rat ogre alongside the latest plastic ones and couldn't help think the metal one is perfect in everyway and the plastic one is not.

Why the plastic rat ogre is awful:
torso is strange
gorilla arms are ugly
Ridiculously small head

Why the metal one is perfect:
Everything looks proportional
It looks like something that could exist
It fits the description. An ogre sized rat person.

PXL_20210814_064901736.jpg

• Zugg Zugg
• Aug 14, 2021

Classic rat ogre next a gorilla with a rat face

With that said. What is your list of models that are better than their updates.

I would also add:
Dark elf cold one riders.
Gutter runners
Dark elf blood bowl team
Skaven jezzail and warpfire throw teams
Empire general on griffon and any griffons / hippogriffs mounted model

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Share your favourite classics.

 

[Luke82]

Black Guard of Naggarond immediately come to mind. The 6th Ed executioners are another potential but the molecule-wide contact point for the blade raises serious concerns!

 

[Pierric]

There was once a Delaque gang that became... some strange kind of nocturnal ghoulish lurkers...

 

[Raven Morpheus]

1990s Deathwing Terminators.
1990s Grey Knight Terminators.
1990s Chaos Terminators.

Although they aren't very dynamic looking.

I'm also partial to the Rogue Trader era Terminators, that were released in a box of 8 (a Squad of 6 plus a captain and librarian), for Space Hulk they looked the part, like they were keeping their limbs and everything tucked in because they're in the confines of a space hulk corridor.

Like you said though, tip of the iceberg.

Frankly I find that so many of the metal models were just better than their plastic replacements. Mostly for one single reason - the details were better cast/moulded. I find so many of the plastics from GW, particularly the aforementioned models, have details that are so shallow that they are easily filled in (despite using thin paint), or there are vague bits that you have to work out what they are, or where one part starts and the other ends.

Don't know about the most recent round of GW models though, the most recently designed/made stuff I bought was a Van Saar and Cawdor gang in plastic, they seem OK but I've not compared the details to the old metal one's.


Would have to disagree on the Empire Griffon though, if you're talking about the one below, that has to be one of the worst. The metal version was terrible looking and quite small compared to the current plastic iteration.

 

[Zugg Zugg]

1990s Deathwing Terminators.
1990s Grey Knight Terminators.
1990s Chaos Terminators.

Although they aren't very dynamic looking.

I'm also partial to the Rogue Trader era Terminators, that were released in a box of 8 (a Squad of 6 plus a captain and librarian), for Space Hulk they looked the part, like they were keeping their limbs and everything tucked in because they're in the confines of a space hulk corridor.

Im noticing a trend. I definitely agree with you on the 90s chaos terminators. Those models alone almost pushed me to collect chaos. I think it was just a lack of funds at that time that prevented me. That and around that time gw was releasing all their skirmish games. They were amazing though.

I'll be honest I don't know the difference in appearance between old terminators and new.

Like you said though, tip of the iceberg.

Frankly I find that so many of the metal models were just better than their plastic replacements. Mostly for one single reason - the details were better cast/moulded. I find so many of the plastics from GW, particularly the aforementioned models, have details that are so shallow that they are easily filled in (despite using thin paint), or there are vague bits that you have to work out what they are, or where one part starts and the other ends.

Boy have I had that problem before. The amount of times I haven't really known what a thing was or noticed that a thing was there until a few coats in. At this stage I just accept that I'll find something there to paint in later on.

Onto painting. I miss the solid cast. I like not have to paint behind the gun. I liked them hugging the gun to them.

Don't know about the most recent round of GW models though, the most recently designed/made stuff I bought was a Van Saar and Cawdor gang in plastic, they seem OK but I've not compared the details to the old metal one's.

I like the current cawdor but beyond weapon choices and a loss of a second shoe they stuck pretty close to the original design.

I think they did well with van Saar both in the old and new.

Would have to disagree on the Empire Griffon though, if you're talking about the one below, that has to be one of the worst. The metal version was terrible looking and quite small compared to the current plastic iteration.

View attachment 136727

I like the smallness. Perhaps it's just me on this one.

There was once a Delaque gang that became... some strange kind of nocturnal ghoulish lurkers...

I like the new delaque but I agree they went very far in a different direction on them. Before they were believable as being just another bunch of humans getting by. Now I can't imagine how they hold a conversation with any non-delaque. No wonder they rely on psionics.

Black Guard of Naggarond immediately come to mind. The 6th Ed executioners are another potential but the molecule-wide contact point for the blade raises serious concerns!

Yes, absolutely. I regret never getting around to adding those guys and the executioners to my army. I think 90s collector me was a little naive thinking the range would still be there when I had the cash for it.

 

[Scavvierising]

Daemon princes. Weather it's the power armoured 40k one or the 90s fantasy ones.

 

[Punktaku]

Plastic vs. plastic, I’d say the new Goliath and Orlock are far better than the original plastics. Especially those no-neck gorilla-armed Goliaths (the one with hand on hip being worst of the worst). Those old ones were good for conversions, though.

 

[Stoof]

Plastic vs. plastic, I’d say the new Goliath and Orlock are far better than the original plastics. Especially those no-neck gorilla-armed Goliaths (the one with hand on hip being worst of the worst). Those old ones were good for conversions, though.

Captain clone X would like a word...

Captain Clone X

• Stoof
• May 17, 2019
• bounty hunter necromunda

Scourge of the Trolls!

Whilst I do have a soft spot for those old plastics, the new ones are better. But the metals beat them both IMO.

 

[Trafalgar Law]

The 6th edition Phoenix guard. Way better than the later plastics with their shorter tunics and no oversized helmets.

The metal high elf spears and archers also come to mind. The plastics were shorter, has no neck and giant hands (a common problem with that generation of plastics).

The entire metal Inperial guards range. Most never even got plastic versions, but the catachans and cadians are poorly proportioned.

 

[Punktaku]

But that Captain Clone is a conversion! And I agree. Old Metal better than both.

 

[Zugg Zugg]

The 6th edition Phoenix guard. Way better than the later plastics with their shorter tunics and no oversized helmets.

The metal high elf spears and archers also come to mind. The plastics were shorter, has no neck and giant hands (a common problem with that generation of plastics).

I can't even get a mental image of plastic high elves other than the lothern sea guard.

Plastic vs. plastic, I’d say the new Goliath and Orlock are far better than the original plastics. Especially those no-neck gorilla-armed Goliaths (the one with hand on hip being worst of the worst). Those old ones were good for conversions, though.

That's hardly fair. All plastics in the 90s were just filler to build your hoard. No one liked them. Accept for the halberdiers. They were perfect. And the mordheim plastic humans.

Daemon princes. Weather it's the power armoured 40k one or the 90s fantasy ones.

Chaos was the real winner in the late 90s. Both fantasy and 40k got so many good models.

The entire metal Inperial guards range. Most never even got plastic versions, but the catachans and cadians are poorly proportioned.

I don't think there is a person alive who thinks plastic guard is better than the metal. I bet the sculptors of the plastic cadians cry every night about it.

 

[Gunkaiser]

Chaos Dreadnought while somewhat derpy looking isn't nearly as bad as the Hellbrute...

 

[Zugg Zugg]

Chaos Dreadnought while somewhat derpy looking isn't nearly as bad as the Hellbrute...

I always wondered why it had that super long outstretched claw. It looked off.

But it also matched the chaos aesthetic back then which was the ten thousand years ago tech with horns

 

[Zugg Zugg]

Another old plastic which is better than new plastic was the old ork bike. I love that bike so much. I should search for a bunch on ebay. Somehow the new ork bikes while being cool just aren't as awesome. I think it's the massive track and huge autocannons. It just looks right to me

 

[Zugg Zugg]

Oh to add to my list of older one was better:

All skaven warmachines. This one is probably person rather than universal since the new ones are nice

The lightning cannon
The doomwheel
The screaming bell

The old doomwheel looked more like a death trap only the craziest rat would ride
The old screaming bell structure was straight forward. No rat ogre required
The old lightning cannon looked amazing though.

images.jpeg

• Zugg Zugg
• Aug 15, 2021

The old warplightning cannon

 

[Ben_S]

The entire metal Inperial guards range. Most never even got plastic versions, but the catachans and cadians are poorly proportioned.

I just thought of that too. I don't think the plastic Cadians are too bad (isn't everything poorly proportioned?) but the Catachans really could be retired.

Skaven plague monks.
Zombies.
Goblins of pretty much all variety.
Possibly most orcs/orks too - they've only just re-learned how to stand up.
The old chaos warriors and, even more so, chaos space marines.

I've always preferred plastic models to metal, but often like older styles more than newer ones.

 

[Zugg Zugg]

I just thought of that too. I don't think the plastic Cadians are too bad (isn't everything poorly proportioned?) but the Catachans really could be retired.

Skaven plague monks.
Zombies.
Goblins of pretty much all variety.
Possibly most orcs/orks too - they've only just re-learned how to stand up.
The old chaos warriors and, even more so, chaos space marines.

I've always preferred plastic models to metal, but often like older styles more than newer ones.

I agree for the most part. The plastics are often an improvement. The purpose of this thread was to mention the metal models that were glorious

 

[Stoof]

Old plastic skeletons were better than both the metal and the new for one huge reason - you could use them for any skeleton based needs you could possibly have! Terrain & basing gold.

These days they mould the armour & shields etc onto the bones.

 

[cronevald]

I'll put in my votes for the '86 or so Chaos Warriors and ogres. I know it's a lot of nostalgia but those were some of the first Citadel sculpts to really catch my eye when we started getting them over here. There's something in them that was just never quite captured in many of the later minis.

 

[Zugg Zugg]

I'll put in my votes for the '86 or so Chaos Warriors and ogres. I know it's a lot of nostalgia but those were some of the first Citadel sculpts to really catch my eye when we started getting them over here. There's something in them that was just never quite captured in many of the later minis.

Pictures please