I love complicated builds, I enjoy that a ton, more than painting and playing. I also like the complexity, there is much more richness to the building and playing. I don't think watering it down would be good.
Loved the video. I don't mind the step by step narration, but I do prefer the banter. Although building the models is by far my favorite part of the hobby.
Absolutely with you on this. Modern miniatures are brilliantly designed and are beautiful but also more often than not overdetailed (which make a chore painting the umpteenth skull/ poach/purity seal/thingamajig. Also you have to put a lot more effort if you want an original force because there is only one way to build each miniature.
I love the building part of the hobby as well. I am big into kit bashing though and honestly when I build a model that doesn’t exist anywhere else man that’s cool. Like when you mention 3D printing a model you designed, same satisfaction for me with small kitbashing while building. Really relaxing for me as well. Love the rant and enjoy the channel but we differ on this sir! lol
I don't mind it, really. Assembly is relaxing for me and having lots of small parts to assemble just extends my relaxation, especially since mold lines have become far less of an issue than the old minis. Batch painting is my pinch point, staring at loads of unpainted infantry just kills my drive.
Totally agree with your point about build time. After getting back into Warhammer Fantasy, I've been reminded just how fantastic a single piece metal miniature can look. Your feelings regarding the rules makes me want to recommend looking into One Page Rules. For me at least, it hits a sweet spot in terms of simplicity, how easily you build armies ect. :)
Personally I find it really easy to get over the building hurdle by just doing every step in batches. I pick a mini, cut out the parts and put them in a little, pile, then I do the same for the next one and so on until I have every mine in their own little pile. Then I clean up the parts in every pile and then I start turning my little piles into minis. Doing this with a YT video in the background is honestly a kinda zen thing for me, it just really helps for me that I am not constantly going back and forth between instructions, clippers, knife, sanding stick and glue but can just turn half my brain off and work.
His point is this isn't' doable for most GW kits now- parts are no longer interchangeable, if you cut out 10 sets of legs you've to remember the number on each of them for their matching torsos, arms are all in sets and matched to specific torsos- batch building is largely impossible now.
@@garathon66 No, I meant that I pick a mini, cut out arms legs torso etc for that mini, put them in a pile and then start a new pile for the next mini.
Hey Andy, My favourite part is building minis but the modern kits are a little intense, for sure. I'll happily build all your minis ahaha. I live in Australia so it definitely wont work but I'm keen lol Thanks for the hard work mate
For me, I like building the minis because it's a puzzle. Actually the more I'm listening, there is a limit: Van Saar. Van Saar and the like are full of fiddly bits that my sausage fingers do not like fighting with. I was making a bunch for Istvaan Traitor Guard (not very culty looking), and I was so relieved when I discovered I could use Kasrkin instead I definitely learned a lesson with Necrons, about having to actually READ the instructions, and those turned into "best effort" just to get them painted.
I can agree that some models are unnecessarily complicated and in some cases very poorly divided so that you get clear joints that are difficult to fill in. And your videos have helped me a lot to get better at painting, I started following you in January this year and feel like I've gotten a lot better after trying to follow your advice, so thank you so much for that.
my marauder giant arrived the other day too, such an easy kit to put together, 10 parts that make sense, only need some 2 part epoxy and greenstuff and you are golden although i wouldnt risk any fall height beyond half an inch
Great video with the giant, reminds me I've got one in a box in the garage so I will need to retrieve him and add him to my legacy orcs and goblins. Some mini kits these days are definitely overdetailed and overcomplicated (why have a separate Goliath cigar???), and this does sap my enthusiasm to build them. However to get round it, I'm just selective in what I build: necrons, imperial knights and heresy marines are still relatively simple and the extra fiddley bits omitted. But one of the biggest benefits of the older kits is I find them much easier to paint; unit of 20 chaos marauders? Done in a day; now that's hobby satisfaction!
Totally agree. Both in complex models and the giant being a joy to build and paint. Got mine a month before he was announced. Totally not regretting it. Really do prefer the older models when it comes to the hobby side. And now that I painted the marauder and classic O&G giant, I got a citadel giant next on my giant painting list. Keep up the good work. Always looking forward to the next video.
I think I like building the models more than painting them. I am still a beginner at painting so it is a daunting task for me. The more I think about it, models are just a bunch of small pieces put together to build a thing. Painting for me, is the opposite. I see the completed paintjob in my head and have to break it apart to individual pieces. Once I realize how many steps there are and how much work it will be, I get discouraged. It is too bad I live so far away from you, otherwise I would happily build all your models for you!
Cheers Andy! My giant arrived last week and looking forward to building/painting! I know what you mean with building. I tend to build loads over a few weeks then by the time I have them painted I forgot how much I hate building lol
I got my one of these already but haven’t painted yet, I was 10 yrs old when it came out and wanted it for a long time I’m with you on the made to order I’ve bought every one so far except the paladin with hammer I already owned Building is a bit of a chore with some kits, recently started my Phoenix guard and I had six sub assemblies just to paint the drummer properly
I really like building the new stuff and the old stuff. New marines have some tricks to remember, the parts for bodies tend to be all close to each other for one body and having a clear workspace to cut out all the parts for legs and torsos is the best course of action. Then you can do and do all the arms and mix and match. The hell blasters even have letters marking each marine, A, B, C, D and E, so A legs go with the torso parts marked with A etc etc. The only thing I don't miss about older kits, old marines specifically, is fiddling around with both arms and the bolt gun/weapon being a seprate part, so trying to perform a balancing act when I really need a 3rd hard to hold things together.
I have taken to clipping and sorting all the parts of a model/squad all in one go using a little bits box. It's definitely a chore, but that way when I sit down to build I'm not scrambling around a sprue looking for one little bit. Agreed that these new kits are getting out of hand.
Depends on the kit really, I could feel the same about some SM kits but I built a unit of Death Guard recently and I loved the individuality of every disgusting dirty boy. You can still make models your own with kitbashing and this helps make building my Black Templars more fun for me.
I dropped warhammer a while ago and a lot of the other army games I play tend to have that style of building models that was very enjoyable. Admittedly they are in now way as flamboyant as anything you find from GW nowadays but if that means I don't have to glue together individual fingers to models that's fine with me
Alright Landlord. I'm at the point where I can't build minis without getting bored so pretty much everything I do is a kitbash these days, takes even longer but it's certainly more fun.
i have to agree, i am finding the building of models is becoming tedious, i recently got the Nightmare Kill Team box and the Night Lords took so long to clean up and build because of all the tiny bits added they are still sitting on my desk unpainted as i just lost all enthusiasm to paint them. but i must add, great job on painting the Giant he does look good when finished😁
I don't have problems building kits myself. I'm too poor to buy them. So I sculpt them all from used chewing gum I find under tables, chairs, counters, and ledges in public places. JK😂
I need to be in the mood to build modern kits. I do like the Easter eggs that get put into some kits - but i think the ones I've found haven't gotten in the way of the build process. I guess it's like some Lego kits have details that you'll never see from the completed state - some are technical, but others are narrative. (See Sughammer's D&D castle video for some of those fun details. But amusingly enough, I recently painted my Marauder Giant MTO model maybe 3 weeks ago for the same reason - was in a rut with new kits, and just wanted something fun to paint. Super happy to see him on your table too. :)
Your later commentary about the glues of old is also so true. The giant is a model I wanted as a kid, but couldn't afford, so jumped on it when it came up for MTO, but while I didn't have him, I had some metal ogres and minotaurs from that time, and they were such a nightmare then that I was glad I didn't get the giant back then, as I remember the issues I had with ogre arms then, that I think trying to build the giant then would've been probably the death of the hobby for me. But yeah, gel superglues really changed the game. I was anxious going into building him, just having flashbacks to sticking my fingers to my models back then, but I was shocked how little fuss it was. (I did struggle a little with the barrel and knife, but found the Mouldline Remover tool perfect for drilling out that hole a little to fit them, but he does still look good without them) Do you use the Army Painter Speedpaints? Their metallics are quite remarkable for the contrast paint method.
I like building minis, but I only play Marvel Crisis Protocol and Star Wars Shatterpoint, so "new year, new army" means 20 figures max for me. I buy and build more, but there's no rush to get through them
I had lots of fun building about 400 Cadian infantry around 10 years ago and I really prefer building older models. Some of the newer kits are nice but they are becoming less common. Now it's just an annoying task to complete so I can get to painting. And it's only the newer kits that are starting to defeat me. I tried building the new Chaos Knights and gave up when I could not get the first one together. I don't think I've ever given up on a GW kit before.
I think i am the same as you - things have changed since i was a kid, miniatures used to be a lot more simple to assemble for the most part. Things are less customisable out of the box.
I think part of it is enabling more dynamic poses as well as detail? I agree Old World kits feel so much less work. The monopose kits too you get in boxes like Leviathan are so much nicer for high volume units like Termgants. Not sure I’d want multi-part ones.
The one that stands out for me is the idoneth deepkin. I love the concept of creepy, undersea elf pirate-raiders that deal in souls... But just looking at how tiny and fiddly those models are, and how thin and spindly so many bits are, I was like, "That's going to break, that's gonna break, oh, you better BELIEVE that's going to break..."
Thank you ! I also use to enjoy building minis but now so many annoying extra bits that don't need to be there or should have just been sculpted as bigger pieces.
I agree, modern models are over detailed sometimes, for example look at the new skeleton kits compare to the “old” tomb kings ones. Can’t imagine painting 120 of the new skellies for a rank and file army. I think they need to simplify some of the designs for certain horde army “core” units
6:48~7:00 Is that why a Ogre/Ogor Bull/Glutton comes in eight parts? Couldn’t have just had different arms with the respective weapon options already attached or have the soles of their shoes already on the model’s feet instead of has separate pieces? They did it for the gunner for the Ironblaster (at least one of the feet). Anyway, not finished with the video yet but the model already looks great and I can’t wait the see the final result!
I’ve never really enjoyed building, because I want to get to painting. Counter point to that is as a painter I love the modern kits most of all because they are so detailed and I’m not willing to give that up. I would prefer if things like the chaos legionnaires kit was more universal and felt less like your being forced into certain poses. I get around that by converting and kit bashing some of the minis in each squad, which I do enjoy as I guess it’s a creative process rather than forced production line 🤷♂. I also try to build when I only have a little free time (not enough for painting or proper creativity) then I’m still hobbying listening to music or audio book etc and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on painting time. And if I can have built minis in the pipeline I don’t ever have a situation where I have to build as I have nothing to paint if I don’t.
Nice work - I like building for the most part, my way into the hobby was Gunpla. But i agree some kits are an ass - the Death Ark for Necrons and Stormsurge ankles were bad times!
I personally love building models, and I think complex models are fine, but it does become a task when the models have really bad mold lines or go together awkwardly with very large seams (lookin at you skaventide). It's definitely one of those things where if you love the process, it's gonna be easy, but if you only love the results, the its gonna be a lot harder to get into.
I enjoy the current building process, but I might be a bit outlier. I’ve been aware of Warhammer nearly since its inception, but I never engaged with any of it since 40K 10 and AOS 4th. I have no affinity for old metal models and even the subsequent recasts that followed after (despite being the right age!) I loved hero qeust and space crusade, but the main proposition never appealed to me… until the latest version. The sculls and models all look fantastic to me, the detail is exquisite. I’m finally in and collecting furiously. If a little extra fiddlyness is the price to pay, so be it!
Another great video 👍 Now that you have Grumio, can we expect Shredder, Copier and WaterBoy? As to building models, I tend to agree that some are getting overly complex
To answer your question why building is more complicated: Because the details of the models increased, plain and simple. With the moulds GW uses to create the sprues, every part has to be flat, nothing is allowed to stick out of the sprue. That means intricate models will have to be split into many parts which results in more complex builds. I absolutely loathe building models as well but it's not like GW purposefully makes their kits hard to build. They even try to make it easier by making the push-fit models we see for example in the new AoS Skaventide box.
When Necromunda was re-released, I was super excited and went out and bought it straight away.. then I got it home and opened it. It was absolutely ridiculous, individual hair/head piece options for every model, each one ridiculously small and fiddly, not to mention the cigar for the Goliath gang leader!!! I was so put off I put it away and never played it.. sold it some years later. 😔
I enjoyed building the Ballitus Dreadnought. HATED building the Redemptor SO much. It's sitting their half painted as it just killed my will to finish it. I loved the Armiger knights. HATED building my squad of sisters. And push to rage fit??..... Grrrrrr
I honestly like building more then painting. Less trying to get details just right and more making little dudes. Could be the Lego kid in me. Also when I fell out of the hobby I got into Gunpla and that's all building. Same with Figure-rise.
As a person who is chronically ill , I find it difficult to build miniatures nowadays , I was into Warhammer back in the 80s , since returning to the hobby while being unable to work due to illness , I don't understand the sculpting choices , for example I recently picked up the kroot kill team and had to give up on building it as some of the parts were so small and infuriating, as often the limbs were in multi pieces , I think GW are closing off the hobby for some especially those with limitations like myself , recently I have moved on to star grave , I'm considering paying someone to build my GW miniatures as I have a huge pile of shame , anyway been watching your channel for a quite awhile , loving your content , keep it up 🙂
Building is the part of the hobby that I really do not enjoy. The newer kits are fantastically detailed, but seem far too over-engineered for me to build quickly. My pile of shame keeps growing because I can't be bothered to build 😂 Greay video Andy, nice to see your take on a classic model!
I think it's really dependent on the kit these days, the Horus heresy tacticals for example are great not only do you basically put them together in numerical order, but all the parts for each marine are close to that marine on the sprue, then there's something like the eldar corsairs, where consecutive numbers aren't even on the same sprue let alone in the same area, the decision making seems entirely random
I enjoy building minis, but still agree that sometimes there does seem to be fiddliness for fiddliness's sake. It's sometimes like GW doesn't know who their audience are with some kits being extremely easy to put together (including the easy-to-build push fit models) while others require a degree from the Airfix University and no rhyme or reason for the level of complexity. Ideally GW should take a lesson from Gunpla and mark their kits as Entry Grade, High Grade, Master Grade etc do show the level of complexity of the kits. They could even then release the same models with different complexity levels to target the comfort zone of the buyers. They're coming close to this with the latest Horus Heresy tanks that have detailed and modeled interiors so they do have the technology to do it. Imagine being able to choose between an Entry Grade quick to build set of models or go all the way to a Master Grade kit with hundreds of pieces and optional components so you buy buy according to your needs and how much you enjoy building models. I'd be all over that.
I love the building part of the hobby. BUT just the old kits from the 80s and early 90s! When I see the dozens of sprues of modern sets, I get afraid and annoyed in advance. No thank you. It's pure oldhammer for me, that I really enjoy!
I also get the impression the older kits have less detail but more texture? I can’t think of a modern plastic kit with the texture in - say - the Troll Hag kit.
100% agree with you the building has become tedious for me. Hundred plus pieces, a lot of them tiny which in my opinion don't add to the over all model. I now look at a model and think " What can l get away with not putting on so that l can get to the painting stage."
No man, I do not play 40k, but I decided that I wanted to work up a couple of entries for Golden Demon at Adepticon in 2025. So I picked up a box of Cadian Shock Troops and their Expansion sprues... I've built 4 models to do a single model entry and a diorama entry and it was a miserable experience. I thought the sprue layout was atrocious, the number of pieces to build a guardsmen was excessive, and the amount of customization was awkwardly lacking. Now I'm not new to building armies. I have 7 Bolt Action armies, 3 Gates of Anters, 4 Firefight, 5 Dropzone and 3 Dropfleet armies all built and painted. I think you're right, and I think the quality versus work is not worth it, especially for the price.
Im on the same side of the fence. some kits are just too much and geez I just wish they were max 10 parts each but they come in like 37 pieces x10. I solve this by honestly skipping bits where I can.
I'd have to disagree here. The building and even cleaning up of modern kits is something i seem to enjoy more and more. I find it therapeutic to do while watching something. Especially with some of the genius ways some kits go together or bigger kits like Wraith Knights, Leviathans, tanks, etc... Mind, anything with spindly limbs like Necron Tomb Blades or B1 Droids in Shatterpoint are a nightmare.
Genuinely I feel your pain about building modern warhammer miniatures. The way they cut sprues and the way they pose models is so unnecessarily convoluted. It's why I enjoy games like Stargrave and FrostGrave with their line of miniatures because they don't have this stupid amount of unnecessary detail that makes building such a pain in the butt. They offer extra pouches backpacks and grenades on the sprue if you want extra detail but you could cut out the legs and torsos and heads and arms to be in whatever pose you wanted to be making it more yours and less monopost look.
I got back into the hobby recently and feel the same- some vehicles I don't mind but I don't like modern GW sprues, don't like the lack of customisability compared to the older multi part plastics. The worst I've had was the votaan minis which are dire- the berserks among the worst models I've ever dealt with from any manufacturer. .
Models are FAR too difficult to build these days, particularly in the numbers GW demands for its games (and yes, they do demand it, let's not kid ourselves about how you can play 200 points 40k games because it is not true). I do know exactly 1 person who only buys the kits to build them, and pays well enough to his stores to do so, but he's the one person in like an entire tri-state region, and simply defies the numbers. Most people I know never say even one mention about building a kit, unless it is about how hard it is to build. None people, including the guy I mentioned, ever talks about how much they enjoy it. GW, I think, made this idea up on their own, and they won't let go. The problem is, I won't buy kits if I don't want to build them. Example: I play exactly 1 dreadnought in my 40k army. I don't want to ever build another. And if that means I don't win as much, that's fine, I play less games and only with friends. It doesn't get me to buy more models, but it might even get me to buy less, because I get tired of it. GW should really save its detail for its top leader models, and leave the rank and file simple, that is if they want people to buy more of them and play with them.
Building is not my favourite thing, I like the older models for their building simplicity. Give me an old metal mini with just an army to attach and I love it. The Horus heresy sprues intimidate me tbh.
100%. Love the older miniatures, had less detail, but are so full of character!
I actually really like the building part. Even more so than painting. It is so relaxing
I agree, love the building and the new kits are getting better and better with the moldlines and snug fit. Much less cleanup.
I love complicated builds, I enjoy that a ton, more than painting and playing. I also like the complexity, there is much more richness to the building and playing. I don't think watering it down would be good.
Excellent video. Thank you.
I also really enjoy building minis. I'm loving the heresy stuff at the moment, especially the contemptor dreadnoughts.
Loved the video. I don't mind the step by step narration, but I do prefer the banter. Although building the models is by far my favorite part of the hobby.
Absolutely with you on this. Modern miniatures are brilliantly designed and are beautiful but also more often than not overdetailed (which make a chore painting the umpteenth skull/ poach/purity seal/thingamajig. Also you have to put a lot more effort if you want an original force because there is only one way to build each miniature.
I love the building part of the hobby as well. I am big into kit bashing though and honestly when I build a model that doesn’t exist anywhere else man that’s cool. Like when you mention 3D printing a model you designed, same satisfaction for me with small kitbashing while building. Really relaxing for me as well. Love the rant and enjoy the channel but we differ on this sir! lol
I don't mind it, really. Assembly is relaxing for me and having lots of small parts to assemble just extends my relaxation, especially since mold lines have become far less of an issue than the old minis. Batch painting is my pinch point, staring at loads of unpainted infantry just kills my drive.
Totally agree with your point about build time. After getting back into Warhammer Fantasy, I've been reminded just how fantastic a single piece metal miniature can look.
Your feelings regarding the rules makes me want to recommend looking into One Page Rules. For me at least, it hits a sweet spot in terms of simplicity, how easily you build armies ect. :)
Personally I find it really easy to get over the building hurdle by just doing every step in batches. I pick a mini, cut out the parts and put them in a little, pile, then I do the same for the next one and so on until I have every mine in their own little pile. Then I clean up the parts in every pile and then I start turning my little piles into minis.
Doing this with a YT video in the background is honestly a kinda zen thing for me, it just really helps for me that I am not constantly going back and forth between instructions, clippers, knife, sanding stick and glue but can just turn half my brain off and work.
His point is this isn't' doable for most GW kits now- parts are no longer interchangeable, if you cut out 10 sets of legs you've to remember the number on each of them for their matching torsos, arms are all in sets and matched to specific torsos- batch building is largely impossible now.
@@garathon66 No, I meant that I pick a mini, cut out arms legs torso etc for that mini, put them in a pile and then start a new pile for the next mini.
Totally agree. 👍 GW should KISS their processes.
Really inspired by your rejuvenation of these older kits - sitting down to try and apply some of your techniques to Bugman’s Cart 🍻
Hey Andy, My favourite part is building minis but the modern kits are a little intense, for sure. I'll happily build all your minis ahaha. I live in Australia so it definitely wont work but I'm keen lol
Thanks for the hard work mate
For me, I like building the minis because it's a puzzle. Actually the more I'm listening, there is a limit: Van Saar. Van Saar and the like are full of fiddly bits that my sausage fingers do not like fighting with. I was making a bunch for Istvaan Traitor Guard (not very culty looking), and I was so relieved when I discovered I could use Kasrkin instead I definitely learned a lesson with Necrons, about having to actually READ the instructions, and those turned into "best effort" just to get them painted.
I love this model. there's so many old ones I wanted I can now get.
I can agree that some models are unnecessarily complicated and in some cases very poorly divided so that you get clear joints that are difficult to fill in. And your videos have helped me a lot to get better at painting, I started following you in January this year and feel like I've gotten a lot better after trying to follow your advice, so thank you so much for that.
my marauder giant arrived the other day too, such an easy kit to put together, 10 parts that make sense, only need some 2 part epoxy and greenstuff and you are golden although i wouldnt risk any fall height beyond half an inch
absolute banger of a model, top job!
I love this dude. I have the same issue with building over complicated kits
Great video with the giant, reminds me I've got one in a box in the garage so I will need to retrieve him and add him to my legacy orcs and goblins.
Some mini kits these days are definitely overdetailed and overcomplicated (why have a separate Goliath cigar???), and this does sap my enthusiasm to build them.
However to get round it, I'm just selective in what I build: necrons, imperial knights and heresy marines are still relatively simple and the extra fiddley bits omitted.
But one of the biggest benefits of the older kits is I find them much easier to paint; unit of 20 chaos marauders? Done in a day; now that's hobby satisfaction!
Totally agree. Both in complex models and the giant being a joy to build and paint. Got mine a month before he was announced. Totally not regretting it. Really do prefer the older models when it comes to the hobby side. And now that I painted the marauder and classic O&G giant, I got a citadel giant next on my giant painting list. Keep up the good work. Always looking forward to the next video.
This is still an excellent miniature. Full of character
I think I like building the models more than painting them. I am still a beginner at painting so it is a daunting task for me. The more I think about it, models are just a bunch of small pieces put together to build a thing. Painting for me, is the opposite. I see the completed paintjob in my head and have to break it apart to individual pieces. Once I realize how many steps there are and how much work it will be, I get discouraged.
It is too bad I live so far away from you, otherwise I would happily build all your models for you!
Cheers Andy! My giant arrived last week and looking forward to building/painting!
I know what you mean with building. I tend to build loads over a few weeks then by the time I have them painted I forgot how much I hate building lol
I got my one of these already but haven’t painted yet, I was 10 yrs old when it came out and wanted it for a long time
I’m with you on the made to order I’ve bought every one so far except the paladin with hammer I already owned
Building is a bit of a chore with some kits, recently started my Phoenix guard and I had six sub assemblies just to paint the drummer properly
I really like building the new stuff and the old stuff. New marines have some tricks to remember, the parts for bodies tend to be all close to each other for one body and having a clear workspace to cut out all the parts for legs and torsos is the best course of action. Then you can do and do all the arms and mix and match. The hell blasters even have letters marking each marine, A, B, C, D and E, so A legs go with the torso parts marked with A etc etc. The only thing I don't miss about older kits, old marines specifically, is fiddling around with both arms and the bolt gun/weapon being a seprate part, so trying to perform a balancing act when I really need a 3rd hard to hold things together.
I love all parts of the hobby painting playing but building the miniatures is by far my favorite aspect
I have taken to clipping and sorting all the parts of a model/squad all in one go using a little bits box. It's definitely a chore, but that way when I sit down to build I'm not scrambling around a sprue looking for one little bit. Agreed that these new kits are getting out of hand.
Depends on the kit really, I could feel the same about some SM kits but I built a unit of Death Guard recently and I loved the individuality of every disgusting dirty boy. You can still make models your own with kitbashing and this helps make building my Black Templars more fun for me.
I dropped warhammer a while ago and a lot of the other army games I play tend to have that style of building models that was very enjoyable. Admittedly they are in now way as flamboyant as anything you find from GW nowadays but if that means I don't have to glue together individual fingers to models that's fine with me
Alright Landlord.
I'm at the point where I can't build minis without getting bored so pretty much everything I do is a kitbash these days, takes even longer but it's certainly more fun.
I had this guy in my goblin army back in the early 90's
i have to agree, i am finding the building of models is becoming tedious, i recently got the Nightmare Kill Team box and the Night Lords took so long to clean up and build because of all the tiny bits added they are still sitting on my desk unpainted as i just lost all enthusiasm to paint them. but i must add, great job on painting the Giant he does look good when finished😁
I don't have problems building kits myself. I'm too poor to buy them. So I sculpt them all from used chewing gum I find under tables, chairs, counters, and ledges in public places.
JK😂
I need to be in the mood to build modern kits.
I do like the Easter eggs that get put into some kits - but i think the ones I've found haven't gotten in the way of the build process.
I guess it's like some Lego kits have details that you'll never see from the completed state - some are technical, but others are narrative. (See Sughammer's D&D castle video for some of those fun details.
But amusingly enough, I recently painted my Marauder Giant MTO model maybe 3 weeks ago for the same reason - was in a rut with new kits, and just wanted something fun to paint.
Super happy to see him on your table too. :)
Your later commentary about the glues of old is also so true.
The giant is a model I wanted as a kid, but couldn't afford, so jumped on it when it came up for MTO, but while I didn't have him, I had some metal ogres and minotaurs from that time, and they were such a nightmare then that I was glad I didn't get the giant back then, as I remember the issues I had with ogre arms then, that I think trying to build the giant then would've been probably the death of the hobby for me.
But yeah, gel superglues really changed the game.
I was anxious going into building him, just having flashbacks to sticking my fingers to my models back then, but I was shocked how little fuss it was.
(I did struggle a little with the barrel and knife, but found the Mouldline Remover tool perfect for drilling out that hole a little to fit them, but he does still look good without them)
Do you use the Army Painter Speedpaints? Their metallics are quite remarkable for the contrast paint method.
I love building kits, but I know more folks that feel as you do than feel as I do.
I like building minis, but I only play Marvel Crisis Protocol and Star Wars Shatterpoint, so "new year, new army" means 20 figures max for me. I buy and build more, but there's no rush to get through them
I had lots of fun building about 400 Cadian infantry around 10 years ago and I really prefer building older models. Some of the newer kits are nice but they are becoming less common. Now it's just an annoying task to complete so I can get to painting. And it's only the newer kits that are starting to defeat me. I tried building the new Chaos Knights and gave up when I could not get the first one together. I don't think I've ever given up on a GW kit before.
I think i am the same as you - things have changed since i was a kid, miniatures used to be a lot more simple to assemble for the most part. Things are less customisable out of the box.
Yeah it kinda sucks the excitement out of things when you need so much time for building these days!
The building is just as rewarding for me, if not more. I just got a couple kill teams for 40k, and they are a joy to work on.
I think part of it is enabling more dynamic poses as well as detail? I agree Old World kits feel so much less work. The monopose kits too you get in boxes like Leviathan are so much nicer for high volume units like Termgants. Not sure I’d want multi-part ones.
The one that stands out for me is the idoneth deepkin. I love the concept of creepy, undersea elf pirate-raiders that deal in souls...
But just looking at how tiny and fiddly those models are, and how thin and spindly so many bits are, I was like, "That's going to break, that's gonna break, oh, you better BELIEVE that's going to break..."
Thank you ! I also use to enjoy building minis but now so many annoying extra bits that don't need to be there or should have just been sculpted as bigger pieces.
I agree, modern models are over detailed sometimes, for example look at the new skeleton kits compare to the “old” tomb kings ones. Can’t imagine painting 120 of the new skellies for a rank and file army. I think they need to simplify some of the designs for certain horde army “core” units
6:48~7:00
Is that why a Ogre/Ogor Bull/Glutton comes in eight parts?
Couldn’t have just had different arms with the respective weapon options already attached or have the soles of their shoes already on the model’s feet instead of has separate pieces? They did it for the gunner for the Ironblaster (at least one of the feet).
Anyway, not finished with the video yet but the model already looks great and I can’t wait the see the final result!
Oh giants !
👍
I’ve never really enjoyed building, because I want to get to painting. Counter point to that is as a painter I love the modern kits most of all because they are so detailed and I’m not willing to give that up.
I would prefer if things like the chaos legionnaires kit was more universal and felt less like your being forced into certain poses. I get around that by converting and kit bashing some of the minis in each squad, which I do enjoy as I guess it’s a creative process rather than forced production line 🤷♂.
I also try to build when I only have a little free time (not enough for painting or proper creativity) then I’m still hobbying listening to music or audio book etc and I don’t feel like I’m missing out on painting time. And if I can have built minis in the pipeline I don’t ever have a situation where I have to build as I have nothing to paint if I don’t.
Nice work - I like building for the most part, my way into the hobby was Gunpla. But i agree some kits are an ass - the Death Ark for Necrons and Stormsurge ankles were bad times!
I personally love building models, and I think complex models are fine, but it does become a task when the models have really bad mold lines or go together awkwardly with very large seams (lookin at you skaventide). It's definitely one of those things where if you love the process, it's gonna be easy, but if you only love the results, the its gonna be a lot harder to get into.
I enjoy the current building process, but I might be a bit outlier. I’ve been aware of Warhammer nearly since its inception, but I never engaged with any of it since 40K 10 and AOS 4th. I have no affinity for old metal models and even the subsequent recasts that followed after (despite being the right age!) I loved hero qeust and space crusade, but the main proposition never appealed to me… until the latest version. The sculls and models all look fantastic to me, the detail is exquisite. I’m finally in and collecting furiously. If a little extra fiddlyness is the price to pay, so be it!
Another great video 👍 Now that you have Grumio, can we expect Shredder, Copier and WaterBoy? As to building models, I tend to agree that some are getting overly complex
Eh, Waterman.
I’d love to get the whole crew together 😂
To answer your question why building is more complicated:
Because the details of the models increased, plain and simple. With the moulds GW uses to create the sprues, every part has to be flat, nothing is allowed to stick out of the sprue. That means intricate models will have to be split into many parts which results in more complex builds.
I absolutely loathe building models as well but it's not like GW purposefully makes their kits hard to build. They even try to make it easier by making the push-fit models we see for example in the new AoS Skaventide box.
When Necromunda was re-released, I was super excited and went out and bought it straight away.. then I got it home and opened it. It was absolutely ridiculous, individual hair/head piece options for every model, each one ridiculously small and fiddly, not to mention the cigar for the Goliath gang leader!!! I was so put off I put it away and never played it.. sold it some years later. 😔
I enjoyed building the Ballitus Dreadnought. HATED building the Redemptor SO much. It's sitting their half painted as it just killed my will to finish it. I loved the Armiger knights. HATED building my squad of sisters. And push to rage fit??..... Grrrrrr
I honestly like building more then painting. Less trying to get details just right and more making little dudes.
Could be the Lego kid in me.
Also when I fell out of the hobby I got into Gunpla and that's all building.
Same with Figure-rise.
As a person who is chronically ill , I find it difficult to build miniatures nowadays , I was into Warhammer back in the 80s , since returning to the hobby while being unable to work due to illness , I don't understand the sculpting choices , for example I recently picked up the kroot kill team and had to give up on building it as some of the parts were so small and infuriating, as often the limbs were in multi pieces , I think GW are closing off the hobby for some especially those with limitations like myself , recently I have moved on to star grave , I'm considering paying someone to build my GW miniatures as I have a huge pile of shame , anyway been watching your channel for a quite awhile , loving your content , keep it up 🙂
"I was two." Up yours.... 😂
Thanks,
You're very welcome! Thanks so much man, that means a lot 🙌
Building is the part of the hobby that I really do not enjoy. The newer kits are fantastically detailed, but seem far too over-engineered for me to build quickly. My pile of shame keeps growing because I can't be bothered to build 😂
Greay video Andy, nice to see your take on a classic model!
Yeah... I'll never assemble a regiment of brittle Deathrattle skeletons ever again.
I think it's really dependent on the kit these days, the Horus heresy tacticals for example are great not only do you basically put them together in numerical order, but all the parts for each marine are close to that marine on the sprue, then there's something like the eldar corsairs, where consecutive numbers aren't even on the same sprue let alone in the same area, the decision making seems entirely random
I enjoy building minis, but still agree that sometimes there does seem to be fiddliness for fiddliness's sake. It's sometimes like GW doesn't know who their audience are with some kits being extremely easy to put together (including the easy-to-build push fit models) while others require a degree from the Airfix University and no rhyme or reason for the level of complexity. Ideally GW should take a lesson from Gunpla and mark their kits as Entry Grade, High Grade, Master Grade etc do show the level of complexity of the kits. They could even then release the same models with different complexity levels to target the comfort zone of the buyers. They're coming close to this with the latest Horus Heresy tanks that have detailed and modeled interiors so they do have the technology to do it. Imagine being able to choose between an Entry Grade quick to build set of models or go all the way to a Master Grade kit with hundreds of pieces and optional components so you buy buy according to your needs and how much you enjoy building models. I'd be all over that.
I love the building part of the hobby. BUT just the old kits from the 80s and early 90s! When I see the dozens of sprues of modern sets, I get afraid and annoyed in advance. No thank you. It's pure oldhammer for me, that I really enjoy!
I also get the impression the older kits have less detail but more texture? I can’t think of a modern plastic kit with the texture in - say - the Troll Hag kit.
Texture is hard to do digitally. Look at how bad all the fur is on GW minis these days. It's all in big dreadlock like clumps or spikes.
100% agree with you the building has become tedious for me. Hundred plus pieces, a lot of them tiny which in my opinion don't add to the over all model. I now look at a model and think " What can l get away with not putting on so that l can get to the painting stage."
Hahaha I do that as well 😄
I wish they sold pre assembled 🙌🏻
Oh man. That would be so helpful 😂
No man, I do not play 40k, but I decided that I wanted to work up a couple of entries for Golden Demon at Adepticon in 2025. So I picked up a box of Cadian Shock Troops and their Expansion sprues... I've built 4 models to do a single model entry and a diorama entry and it was a miserable experience. I thought the sprue layout was atrocious, the number of pieces to build a guardsmen was excessive, and the amount of customization was awkwardly lacking. Now I'm not new to building armies. I have 7 Bolt Action armies, 3 Gates of Anters, 4 Firefight, 5 Dropzone and 3 Dropfleet armies all built and painted. I think you're right, and I think the quality versus work is not worth it, especially for the price.
I like building miniatures
My biggest problem with gw minis, a lot of time numbers in the instructions don’t match the minis.
Im on the same side of the fence. some kits are just too much and geez I just wish they were max 10 parts each but they come in like 37 pieces x10. I solve this by honestly skipping bits where I can.
I do not feel the same way. I order the kit, it comes in the mail, I put it in the closet, no problem...
Because GW wants you to have the most detailed miniatures possible for when you get 40-60 of them killed a turn.
It's took me nearly 1 week to build the darkoath boxset it's gave me a head ache
I agree the models are defiantly waaaay to complicated to put together
I thought the hair was a straw hat 😂
Land lord
Hahhaha yes.
I'd have to disagree here. The building and even cleaning up of modern kits is something i seem to enjoy more and more. I find it therapeutic to do while watching something. Especially with some of the genius ways some kits go together or bigger kits like Wraith Knights, Leviathans, tanks, etc... Mind, anything with spindly limbs like Necron Tomb Blades or B1 Droids in Shatterpoint are a nightmare.
If you hate building models try Mutant Year Zero: Zone Wars.
Watch an unboxing to find out.
Building kits is fun but somethings have gone too far, like LI Rhino's. Used to be 1 piece mouldings, now at least 10 parts EACH!
Genuinely I feel your pain about building modern warhammer miniatures. The way they cut sprues and the way they pose models is so unnecessarily convoluted. It's why I enjoy games like Stargrave and FrostGrave with their line of miniatures because they don't have this stupid amount of unnecessary detail that makes building such a pain in the butt. They offer extra pouches backpacks and grenades on the sprue if you want extra detail but you could cut out the legs and torsos and heads and arms to be in whatever pose you wanted to be making it more yours and less monopost look.
I got back into the hobby recently and feel the same- some vehicles I don't mind but I don't like modern GW sprues, don't like the lack of customisability compared to the older multi part plastics. The worst I've had was the votaan minis which are dire- the berserks among the worst models I've ever dealt with from any manufacturer. .
The new sets are to complicated for just to be a monopose. But I like it more than painting.
I think I have the metal model
Nice!
I dislike building so much that I bought a 3d printer so I can avoid it I just print and paint now
Yeah it's just not fun facing all that before painting!
Models are FAR too difficult to build these days, particularly in the numbers GW demands for its games (and yes, they do demand it, let's not kid ourselves about how you can play 200 points 40k games because it is not true). I do know exactly 1 person who only buys the kits to build them, and pays well enough to his stores to do so, but he's the one person in like an entire tri-state region, and simply defies the numbers. Most people I know never say even one mention about building a kit, unless it is about how hard it is to build. None people, including the guy I mentioned, ever talks about how much they enjoy it. GW, I think, made this idea up on their own, and they won't let go.
The problem is, I won't buy kits if I don't want to build them. Example: I play exactly 1 dreadnought in my 40k army. I don't want to ever build another. And if that means I don't win as much, that's fine, I play less games and only with friends. It doesn't get me to buy more models, but it might even get me to buy less, because I get tired of it. GW should really save its detail for its top leader models, and leave the rank and file simple, that is if they want people to buy more of them and play with them.
Building is not my favourite thing, I like the older models for their building simplicity.
Give me an old metal mini with just an army to attach and I love it.
The Horus heresy sprues intimidate me tbh.
Yeah... they're not fun :D
I love the building process. But i have to agree that they're getting too complicated, and theres too much detail that is hidden so why put them in.
Honestly it just seems like GW is the problem here. Try different systems and companies! If I never see 40k or 30k content again I'll be happy.