Long time gamer here, used to play 40k and Fantasy, I liked (not loved), but liked modeling and painiting. But I have kids now (a bunch), a career (not just a job, but you know, it demands more than 40 hours a week) and well you know: just life, I am loving my life, but man, time is at a premium.

This is why I loved X-wing and Armada: prepainted minis. Yes, I saw the TC (I think?) interview with Christian Peterson, I understand (well not really) that painting figures automated is a more complicated and costly process.

While I am excited about another Star Wars game, and while the mechanics look/sound interesting, I think I will have to pass on this game: I just don't have the time to model and paint.

Which is sad, because I have really been itching for some sort of miniature game and for the past few months I had really been eyeing the now defunct AT-43 stuff and while I have none in hand, they look like pretty good pre painted figures. So questions:

Where the AT-43 figures really that well painted?

What process did AT-43 use for their figures?

Is offering pre painted figures part of the reason Rackham/AT-43 no longer exists?

Does FFG/GW really just offer non-painted figures so they can just sell you more product? (Paints, brushes, glue, hobby knifes, etc.)

There is a difference between a game and a hobby. XWing and Armada are only games, Legion is meant to be both a game and a hobby, just like most other miniature wargames on the market.

They actually weren't that great in the flesh. I still have a bunch and honestly they are pretty rough looking.

The most important reason FFG have stated before though is that it not only wouldn't be the quality they want, it'd also increase the price considerably. The more 3D nature of minis like this is exponentially harder to cost effectively pre-paint than the flatter models of Armada and X-Wing.

so...poor quality and more expensive together, that's the issue. Tbh unpainted is 100% normal for a war game anyway, which is what this is. Pre-paints are less common and unpopular amongst wargamers in general.

1 hour ago, Extropia said:

Tbh unpainted is 100% normal for a war game anyway, which is what this is. Pre-paints are less common and unpopular amongst wargamers in general.

This.

I understand that I am in a minority here, wanting painted minis, I also understand pre painting being cost prohibitive, or so they say ;-). I think there is certainly a bit of a racket though will then being able to sell all the other Jazz that comes along with non painted minis.

Am I glad to see FFG challenge the GW space in the market, for sure, I am just sad that I think I am going to be sitting this game out.

@Extropia do you want to work out a trade for any of your AT-43 stuff? I have Destiny, X-Wing and Armada. Let me know!

Sure, I'll see what I have. HVent even touched it for years, would love to trade for some Armada...ill PM you when I find it!

Sold my At-43 some time ago but here are some pics (not the best ones though):

5 hours ago, Jut said:

Where the AT-43 figures really that well painted?

What process did AT-43 use for their figures?

Is offering pre painted figures part of the reason Rackham/AT-43 no longer exists?

Does FFG/GW really just offer non-painted figures so they can just sell you more product? (Paints, brushes, glue, hobby knifes, etc.)

No, they were not. All the stock photos you find on the internet are resin casts painted by professionals. The actual product was not only painted to much lower standard, but were also lower quality casts. The vehicles looked okay-ish if you squint over how clean and pristine and vague toy-like they looked, but infantry was pretty meh. Better than WOTC Star Wars Minis, but still meh.

They were still painted by hand, and I believe even FFG's prepaints still are. On an assembly line and machine-assisted, but still by hand. Chinese hand I presume.

Partially. Rackham's Confrontation line was for many years associated with the most intricate sculpts, perfect pewter casts and breathtaking stock paintjobs. When they re-released Confrontation with janky soft plastic prepaints alongside a completely redesigned ruleset that changed the skirmish game into a battle game, it tanked overnight. I'm sure there were other factors contributing to the company's demise, but the way Confrontation was mishandled with prepaints deserves a stand-up slow-clap.

No, they offer non-painted figures because it promotes the consumers approaching the product more like an all-in, potentially lifetime hobby rather than just another game. It is also unimaginably cheaper and less complicated logistically to produce than prepaints. Saying they do this in order to make money on paints is like saying yoghurt is packed into plastic cups as part of a conspiracy to make you buy trash bags.

@player1750031 thank you! This was the info I was looking for.

Especially the deminse of AT-43, I just wondered what all happened.

Thsnks again!

17 minutes ago, Jut said:

@player1750031 thank you! This was the info I was looking for.

Especially the deminse of AT-43, I just wondered what all happened.

Thsnks again!

Well the AT-43 rules were nice but if I'm not mstakenRackham's parent company was running out of money, if I remember correctly that was on of the factors for making cheaper miniatures and of course the whole demise of both companies, there were of course other problems and reasons for the bankrupcy.

EDIT: Here seems to be a big of the Rackham story. It's really a little bit sad because as said in the text their stuff was beautiful.

The confrontation miniatures and game were both works of art, the setting was rich and detailed and the company had expanded into board games, a rpg and a mass battle system (ragnarok). Then they announced they were buying new factories and making prepainted plastics and streamlining the rules, it all went horribly wrong and a great company went bust.

I've still to find a skirmish game that I like as much as confrontation 3.0

Cool! Thank you @Iceeagle85 and @mulletcheese for the info!

I remember when the game first came out, my household income was down and our family was in transition (mostly good). My first impression from the base set was impressed for sure. Life was not nearly as busy then as it is now, but I still remember thinking: "Hum. Prepainted miniatures. I think I like that."

Well, again thanks for the info.

Double post! Sorry!