In this video, I analyse the new PVC resin material from Corvus Belli. Curious to learn more about this collaboration with Unicool to offer resin alternatives to the metal minis in the range. Apologies for any sound distortion or issues.
Love the detail on the resin/pvc mini. With new materials, I like to get it in hand, to see if I like working with it. I am someone that paints mainly for display and tends to put a lot of effort in the prep work. It's rough when you are fighting material during that stage.
I realize that I'm late to the party here, but these material changes have me more than a little concerned. I've not yet taken the dive into the new Siocast stuff, but I've worked with PVC blends before, and they're an absolute nightmare to cut, be it scraping, filing, or sanding, as they tend to be far too slippery and flexible for the process to be easily controllable. As for the issue seeing detail on a metal mini, there's a neat trick that some older mini companies used to show off their detail work for pics on their websites: hit it with a black acrylic wash, with a drop or two of matte varnish. It doesn't have to be particularly neat, but it gets you that much needed visual contrast, and cleans up really easily in denatured alcohol or 95+% isopropyl. It's a bit more time for model prep, but if you're doing a lot of prep work, it will save you a not-inconsiderable amount of eye strain.
The PVC stuff is quite bad, siocast better but this stuff is next level. That is an interesting tip, I probably should try it out as leaving a random flashing truly bugs me at the end.
Your painted minis look very good 👍 Basically, Unicore = plastic resin found in the upcoming tournament pack Siocast = thermoplastic White metal = Metal The detail looks very good in the Unicore resin & I like the Bigger gun 😜
Not sure if it's detail or flash? Dry fit and see what it looks like. Generally snips, files (emery board more than metal files) and maybe some x-acto knife. I do like the split views.
The audio cuts out at 15:27 and returns at 17:35. Edit: also the audio quality is better with music in the background compared no music in the background. Wander why that would be?
I had a copyright infringement notice from RU-vid for a strangely small piece of the backing track. I removed that section to comply. It’s the first time I’ve had it but apologies for the issue.
Really interesting to see how the new material is performing. For cleaning fine mould lines on metal, but fine sanding sponges which you can pick up cheaply at your local art shop (for about £1 a piece, or expensively at your model shop - tamiyas are about £5 for the same thing) I have found removing mould lines super easy on the metal infinity figurines. The fineness of the sponge and the toughness of metal means it polishes away only the fine mould lines you get on infinity models but doesn't damage much of the detail. Would highly recommend giving it a go. You can also use them on resin, but you need to make sure you wear a respirator as resin dust is very dangerous, and light enough to be carried into your lungs. I generally prefer metal over resin because of its ease of cleaning up , and have found other companies resin offerings leaving much to be desired (Forgeworld being by far the worst in terms of overall quality, but have found Mierce, Bad Squiddo and North Stars resins all are too brittle - Mierce to a point where small details literally crumbled off as I was assembling). Looks like this PVC Resin Unicool use has a bit of elasticity which certainly gives me some confidence in trying it!
Would you put corvus belli's metal closer to games workshop or privateer press? When I hear "white metal" I'm reminded of this cheap brittle metal that PP converted to when I left the game. It would bend like metal, but it would also start to crack and parts would even snap if it took even a shallow fall.
@@the_infinitygamer just use your brush to show details in Videos. its much more accurate than your thumb. you struggeld, with pointing on mouldlines etc.
24:34 "dream to be cutting into". That has not been my experience. I find plastic and resin very easy to work with, but siocast much harder. You can cut it, but no way to sculpt by scraping or sanding.
I actually agree with your second part. I love cutting into the siocast with my Exacto and find that easier to trim excess but sanding is a nightmare. Conversely metal is a dream to file but sucks to get rid of detail in tight areas.
Owwwww, I walked away from Infinity because I can’t stand metal minis, now I’ll have to look at how much of the pan’o and Yu Jing stuff is produced in anything but white metal and if it’s a lot, then I’ll give it a look again.
I’d recommend checking back in a year or so 😂. The larger models (remotes and TAGs) are all coming out in resin but the bulk of minis won’t transition to resin for a little while. They are working on it though.
Anyone that has been in tabletop a long time knows what Legion and Warmachine PVC was like, or how finecast resin is. It is complete shit and I would take higher prices for hard plastic or metal any day.
4 how I see it siocast has perfect detail, the problem is cleaning: siocast is virtually impossible to clean which, for a boutique brand, is unmarketable - CB knows and this is why they are looking out for other solutions. The detail for the megalodron in plastic and made in china was already great frankly... nowadays it's not about the details, it's about how workable the cast is for fixing problems.
I think it’s both. A blob that’s easy to clean is less appealing than a finely detailed mini that’s challenging to clean so I think CB are after a balance. They want minis that have exceptional detail (something they’re known for) that is easy to correct and clean and maybe comes out of the moulds easier so there’s less cleaning in the first place.
PVC is pretty amazing, take a look at Zombicide invader and Massive Darkness 2, the detail is pretty great. more than you really need for a gaming piece. Metal is on it way out as a material. the evolution of material is accelerating at such a rate that you will be able to find an affordable and amazing detail method to suit a manufactures needs. Metal is annoying to work with and its weight in small pieces is difficult to work with. At table top distances you are unable to tell the difference in any material painted. the level of detail on resin/pvc/plastic-like is becoming superior to metal.
As for 3d printing, you can mess with the hardness and Durometer with the newer resin additives so you can make a durable and resistant to falls models... Slow to make. But I think companies should keep innovating going forward.
@@the_infinitygamer It is a hobby with in a hobby fun and rewarding and frustrating. Like miniature wargaming. But I applaud companies see what can be done. I think their collaborations are really helping in this respect.
I really can't stand the plastic models. They look pretty okay. However, the big part i dont like is that they're super fragile and shatter when droping. The weight is super light and that makes drops more likely. I only ever dropped 1 model ever and it was a recent plastic McMurder drop. The Chernobog looks good but it also suffers from being incredibly light in the hand. My advice avoid plastic models at all cost and build your own proxies or proxy with a metal model.
There is absolutely no valid reason as to why CB shouldn't make everything out of metal. They established their ENTIRE reputation on making the BEST metal miniatures in the industry. If they are bothered about material pricing then they should just charge more for their products instead of changing the quality of them to something that is honestly terrible. CB's Siocast thermoplastic is AWFUL. I bought the newer O-Yoroi and it's one of the worst models I've ever purchased. It had massive miscast areas and 'melted' sections. I immediately sent it back and bought the old metal version.
I hate that they are doing this, I got into Infinity because they were metal, I hate these new materials and it is making it harder to decide if I should continue buying Infinity models. I did just support the new kickstarters so I have a considerable investment but I just don't know. I wish they had stayed with pewter and just raised their prices, I would rather pay more for a material I trust.
@douglas rood consider that whilst you prefer metal, it does scare other people off. So if we want the game to grow, then for the game at least, a good plastic is necessary.
@@Mikey__R also this. Metal minis was my biggest turn off from infinity. But as I got older I got bolder and I was more confident with metal so I started
@@korniestpatch I started in 1991 with metal Citadel minis. I find plastic much easier to work with, but modern CBs casting is so much better than it was back then so there are far fewer problems to fix.
I'd rather see options for both metal and plastic, so people can go for what they prefer. As for the new material - it is too early to say. Siocast looked good initially too, then when the production ramped up, we started seeing more limitations. Heck, we've even yet to learn what the chemical composition of this thing is, how it takes heat, solvents and so on. And the fact that these are not produced in house, but come from China gives me all kinds of additional issues-transport costs supply chain vulnerabilities etc. We'll see what will happen in the end. So far - cautious optimism, that this will turn out to be better than siocast.
It would be cost prohibitive to manufacture the same mini in different materials simply for options. Yes, still early days for the new material but early optimism abounds!
@@the_infinitygamer Possibly, but not guaranteed. Other companies do offer the same sculpt in various materials and CB has done it for limited releases. They did it for Aristeia, for example and now plan to do it for Warcrow Adventures. So it is not a no-go per se, but CB may not consider it viable based on their marketing research and production capabilities.
I’ve seen alternative sculpts get the different material treatment and I’ve seen same sculpts get replaced by a new materials but same shape but I haven’t seen brands running versions together unless on a run-out basis.
I'm so ready for Corvus Belli to abandon white-metal, so happy they're hopefully slowly working towards finding a material that's both able to retain details and easy to work with!
That’s some really bad luck! I’ve only had them break when I’ve tread to snap them off a base - and that’s different to metal minis that can handle that sort of brute force.
I started to call this thermo-plastic as a shit-plastic. Recently I dropped my zond remote from a table and it broke like it was made from glass, model was painted already. So let me get clear - it broke not in glued places, but just in a middle of the leg, like it was made from glass. I managed to find all pieces and glue it back together, but I was really surprised and disappointed with this. This plastic looked rubbery at the beginning, but I guess it is not. Details are fine to me, but it harder to clean molds from this plastic comparing it to metal.
I prefer the white metal not because of the detail but because of the weight. I like my minis having a hefty feel in my hand. However these unicool look great. I suppose if I get any of them I will just have to add weights to the bases.
I've bought 2 plastic models so far. The McMurder and the Chernobog. The Chernobog came out... decent. The McMurder looks nice but as you stated the weight is slow light. I'm far more of a metal fan. I'm avoiding the plaisc as all cost. The plastic for me makes me want to hold it a bit different and this resulted in my first miniature drop ever. The plasic models don't just compart when they break. They crash into pieces like glass. I would recommend anything plastic try to proxy it first or build a custom model proxy.
I really hope this new unicool resin is the answer as siocast detail is not epic but then neither is metal. For me I want minimal prep and maximum detail. The mini spends a fraction of the time in my hands so maybe that’s why weight is less of a priority for me. Plus it means using fewer magnets in the base for transport.
