Added variety for Late Medieval miniatures.

[Noktu]

I'd be delighted if Late Medieval billmen packs would sport 3 sculpts, instead of 2.

Poses could be existing ones, but swap sallets and kettle hats between models to create more variety.

Also archers could benefit from the same treatment aswell.

Just some thoughts. (:

[Techno]

Absolutely fair thoughts..

In an ideal world.....I'm sure Leon would love to do this, Atte.

It's basically down to (that word) economics.

Leon's costs aren't just down to paying me....or one of my 'sculptor chums' to do this....(This part is relatively cheap')...There are many other costs to consider...Plus the fact that it would 'split' figures from the same range, or code, onto separate moulds.

That means (potentially) doubling, or trebling the time it takes to make variations of the same 'code' that go into a pack.

Hmmmm......It's quite a difficult thing to explain, I'm afraid.

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Hmmmm......It's quite a difficult thing to explain, I'm afraid.

What you are trying to say is that it's not cost effective.

[Techno]

In a nutshell......Yes, Ian !

(By quite a lot.)

Cheers - Phil

[Noktu]

Oh right, of course.

Sorry, the whole cost efficiency had not crossed my mind! So please disregard my fantasies.

[Techno]

Good grief, Atte.

Don't worry about it.   

There are SO many hidden costs for the 'manufacturers', like that nice Mr Leon has to consider.

I'll go back to 'going on' about the time I worked for the Evil Empire. (I genuinely apologise for this.)

Before I actually worked for them....White Dwarf appeared 'by magic'  every single month....and I just picked it off the shelf at one of the local newsagents.
It wasn't until I worked in the Studio, that I appreciated how many folk were actually involved (then) in simply producing just the magazine....(Bloomin' heck !!)

Producing the little soldiers is just the same.....I've got a very easy life compared to Leon.
A lot of the time....I truly don't know how he juggles everything, and keeps from going completely insane.

Sorry....I forgot.....Leon's got youth on his side. 

Cheers - Phil

[lowlylowlycook]

Techno, so how do the Fantasy packs with all the customization work you did on them work out for cost effectiveness?

[Genom]

The newer stuff is probably more cost effective because it was all done at the same time. From what I understand of moulds a really made up example that might help to explain.

Say a new commission for a range has a 24 figure pack, made up of we'll say 4 command, 10 infantry of pose A, 10 infantry of pose B. They're all put in the same mould, so one spin up of the mould for casting and you've got everything you need for a pack.

So you want to add Pose C to that pack. So that's a new mould. You're then needing 4 command, 7 of pose A, 7 of Pose B from the first mould, and 6 of pose C from the second mould. That's two casting runs. and spare miniatures from each casting.

Maybe simplified, but when you start looking at the size of the Pendraken ranges and scale that up to actual numbers I can understand that cost effectiveness will start to slip with wastage and the extra time taken.

[Techno]

Techno, so how do the Fantasy packs with all the customization work you did on them work out for cost effectiveness?

Because, Cookie.......

Leon had really, really thought about it properly......I was genuinely impressed with his idea(s)/thoughts....And that does take a lot, nowadays 

Leon got me to to do 'oodles' (lots) of conversions of the existing models.....So he could get all the variants of the same particular code(s) on the same 'bit of rubber' (mould).

Saves an awful of of time....and money.....in the end.

At the mo', I'm trying to work out how to do something very similar to codes X,Y and Z for some new ranges.....And I'm not telling you what they are, unless 'Sir' gives it away. 

Cheers - Phil

[FierceKitty]

Cossacks, Ming Chinese, and the Burmese Banana War of 1873?

Oh, OK, compromise, then. The Burmese can wait for 2020.

[Leon]

Techno's spot on here, adding an extra post isn't really viable from a costs point of view unless we know that it's going to increase sales substantially.  With the sculpt, master mould and new production mould it's close to £100 to add that one pose.  With our margins, we'd need to be selling over 100 packs of that new mould to make it worthwhile.  So the question becomes would an extra pose make the pack attractive enough to sell that many more?

Techno, so how do the Fantasy packs with all the customization work you did on them work out for cost effectiveness?

As Phil said above, the Fantasy was dealt with slightly differently in that we already had 4-6 poses in the old ranges which we could convert for the new packs.  Phil was able to alter weapons, put a pouch on, add a beard, move a pose, etc. to create maximum variety but without it costing as much as that many sculpts would normally.  It is a method that could be used on other ranges (we did similar with the ACW type 1 / type 2 packs) but we also have to weigh up the potential sales.  Fantasy will always be a big seller so we took a bit of a gamble and went for it.  Having Fantasy rules helped sales as well, so I think that one paid off for us and we'll be looking to do the same on future Fantasy ranges.

[Techno]

So....I'm not to tell everyone that I'm working on Wombles with AK 47s then. 

Ooops.....Damn...What a give-away !

(B*gger off, Ian !    )

Cheers - Phil

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

New halflings? 

[Techno]

No....and no clues.   

Cheers - Phil

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Gota be Duck Knights then !!!!