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Oh, I am not disappointed, as the last Helms Deep release has left large gaps in it. If Mithril is economically sucessful with this range, then let ist be. It's good for us!!

To Master Gildor I have to say: You will find a place for all those figures, even if there is a little one in your life, which could not be painted .
We will keep our little one the first months in our sleeping room. If you and your wife do that too, you have time enough to get used to the situation, that your figures are sleeping stored in boxes or so .
Even with a diorama/painting/hobby- room most of my figures are stored away. I fear many more times, that most of the new released figures will have to wait long before being painted after my little is  born.

well there are some of us , including myself, who would like to see other things than armies in REGULAR series... most of all if such an army already exists (even if not complete)
there was a time when series consisted of personnalities, townfolk, thematic, but not necessarily armies... I'm growing a bit upset to see only armies armies armies... what about Bilbo and the 13 dwarves... what about a Council of Elrond series, what about a new Laketown townfolk series (last time it was down was way back in 1989 or so...)

Problem is, which do you think will sell more figures - an army M-range or a range of characters? Mithril is in business to make money, and it seems that they currently have their commercial hats on rather than their 'collectors' hats.

Don't get me wrong - I like both types, and have at least a hundred non-military Mithril figures simply because I like them; but let's be honest and realistic, there will always be greater demand for an Orc swordsman than for Erestor seated at a council table; and since the latter will take Chris at least as much time (if not more) to design, and will take just as long to mould and cast, I suspect it's a foregone conclusion which would be the most profitable to Mithril. I'd only buy one (or at a push two) Erestor-type figures, but I'd buy maybe a dozen or more Orc swordsmen. Hence the 'armies armies armies'.

I understand your point master Barliman... but think about that :
Do you think the Man would need to create and work on his own "brand" of Phaeton Miniatures for "non army" figurines if Mithril allowed him to make such attempts. Chris sculpts what he is told to scupt I think... If choice was his, I am not sure he would make armies upon armies...

Indeed there is always the Gold Fellowship.... but that is not "commercial" release. Besides with Games Workshop around, and Mithril trying to copy Games workshop by doing the same ie. armies.... they try to confront a giant they have no way to beat. On my point of view, if Mithril wants to survive they have to do things radically different than GW... It's not about what customers want, it's about "originality" and create interest through it...

Gavin wrote:

And this is after I gave up the first time and stripped the figures. Indeed, I came to the conclusion that the Knights all need to be bought unpainted. The details on the mail is just too soft to undercoat them normally. And a lot of the figures had moulding issues that needed dealing with by filing off undercoated metal.

Then, finally, I undercoated the figures using Vallejo plain black paint. This was a bad idea. The black does not adhere as undercoat. The paint started crinkling.

Mucho frustation.

So much so that I am busily painting a GW Rohir battle company and no Mithrils this week

Gavin

Ah, since I wasn't happy with the undercoat, I stripped mine too before painting them too.  Well, I chipped it off more than stripped.  It came off pretty easily.  It does seem like the undercoat was so thick it obscured some of the detail.  Then primed with a light spray or two of primer.

The thought had been going through my mind to sponsor a Mithril painting competition.  I have an extra M22 still in blister, an extra Bilbo barrel rider, and I could come up with one more.  (Not as good as prizes offered by Mithril, but just for a bit of fun.)  My thinking was it would be open to any Mithril figure(s) and voted on by everyone, maybe on Mithril's site (though I haven't talked to Michael about it yet).  First place would get first pick of the three, second gets second pick, and third place gets what's left.  Not right away though; maybe next autumn would give enough time.  Oh, and the figure(s) would have to be newly painted, not pulled from the collection...  Anyway that's been bouncing around in my head since I was unexpectedly given some Mithrils including two M22s in blister a couple months ago.

I dunno, excuses.

What does she want to drink? I don't think we've got any milk...(I think I'd be embarrassed if we had)

Congratulations!

Huuuuoooommmmm .... yes. And it's good to know what  you said last, Master Barliman ... hom
I can share that view completely .... rhuoommm ... so far The Man let a much more wider range of Tolkien characters and figures from different races and places see the light .... rhuoommm ....
than that other company will ever achieve as their interest is only based on mass production ... huomm ... I'll never forget those plastic pieces and badly casted metal things .... arghhhhhhh....
(though they might be acceptable by 'wargamers' who are in need of some hundred orcs or whatever army they have to complete ... that's alright for me) ....

Huoommm ... as for your criticism about Mithril producing "armies", Master Gildor, just let me mention, that those releases always included one or more characters based on Tolkien's LOTR ... huom ... we have Celeborn and Galadriel in the "Battle of Mirkwood" series, we have Forlong the Old in the "Lossarnach series", we have Imrahil in the "Swan-knights series" .... don't we? ....huooomrhuom ... here I do not again want to compare Mithril with that other company in terms of ideas for new releases .... huommm ... they, for example were not able to mind those Swan-knights because they simply did not appear in the movies ... rhuooommmm ... hom ... etc.

As for the Helm's Deep series I have to correct one or two statements given before .... in the LT - "Helm's Deep" series we find Gamling, Erkenbrand, Hama, and Grimbold among the well-known characters ..... rhuooommmm ... hommm

huoommm ... it has become a bit busy here since I called in last time, Master Barliman ... huom ... ahem ... any chance of having a bowl of you-know-what, please? ... hom

Huooooooooooommmm ... just saw the pic .... congratulations to you and your wife, Master Presto247365 ... the picture reveils why you have been absent for quite some time ... huoomm
well done, so to say .... rhuoommmmmhom

Aww, congrats Presto!!

As for Helm's Deep mk2 - any chance of Eomer on foot, I wonder? Of course I'd commit violence for an unnamed Rohir female warrior figure, but that's just me.  A sort of wink-wink-nudge-nudge Eowyn (who was not at Helm's Deep, makers of movie and Games Workshop be damned ) Hell, maybe Theoden on foot too!

But more Rohir warriors, Dunlendings and Orcs are always, always welcome.

And I want to say, that I agree COMPLETELY to Master Gildor : It's not about what customers want, it's about "originality" and create interest through it... !
I miss that  old ( I have to say) originality. The result is, I didn´t bought mithril figures for years. Sorry. I mentioned it often here:
I am a fan of the old minis under the M100 very deeply !
PS: GW ? Is that a miniatures company too !?
And Yesss: Wendy, that´s a absolute fantastic idea . . .

Last edited by rita.de (Fri, Feb20 2009 6:23pm)

Well, Mr. DAVE Daines, seems that you have confused honourable Master Erchamion with honourable Master Estel . . .

rita.de wrote:

Well, Mr. DAVE Daines, seems that you have confused honourable Master Erchamion with honourable Master Estel . . .

Too much scrumpy after so long a break , my apologies Master Estel .