by TS (original French article here)
Here is a small review of WatchGuard miniatures from o2media ( www.o2media.ca )
During the holiday season I took advantage of the Arctic Avenger offer to take the plunge and order the WatchGuard figurines which I had been eyeing for a while.
After a delay that surprised me by its speed (two weeks), the small, well-protected package arrived at home. First order from Canada it's a good surprise.
Each miniature arrives with its base (30 or 40 mm depending on the character) and its game card for Super Mission Force (2nd edition). The card presents all the graphic aspects of the character with, on the [back] a photo of the painted figurine and an illustration, while on the [front] is a 3D rendering.
Something I really appreciated, the cards are each already protected in a card sleeve.
The resin casts are good, the details are present, the material is flexible and seems very resistant (no breakage on arrival, and no breakage when removing from the molding process).
There are some small bubbles but it is very limited in that it remains discreet. Inevitably, molding lines are also present. Without being pronounced, some can be problematic to eliminate without eating the details of the figurine but it is the daily lot of the miniature painter.
The figures are in four parts maximum. Notches are already made for the contact areas and these are often narrow enough to avoid the need for filing.
Once the parts are glued, the spaces to fill are quite rare. As the resin is light, the risk of breakage in the event of a fall or improper handling seems to me limited to the finest areas (mainly the ladies' arms).
I find the sculpture very good and detailed. To realize the finesse it is better to refer to the 3D renderings presented than to the photos of the painted figurines.
As you can see, the proportions are more "realistic" than "heroic" for humans.
When we compare with other ranges of figurines, we can feel the “35mm” indicated on the site. The figurines are "large" (I don't have figures from the most famous ranges in my cupboards for comparison, sorry).
Afterwards, this difference is not particularly annoying in the context of a superheroic game with extraordinary individuals (and even less when you use the figurines as avatars of your games of JDR).
The Arctic Avenger promotional miniature does not have a Super Mission Force card (not annoying for a promo figurine) and its cutting does not provide for notches to reinforce the connection. However the surface is large enough (and the parts light enough) to dispense with filing. The proportions of this figurine seem more heroic than those of the others (I think it will fit better in Pulp City) but the level of detail is just as good.
Overall, I am very satisfied with this purchase. The package arrived quickly and well, the miniatures are great and make me want to take a look at what Super Mission Force is.
The character design is good enough to integrate into a whole bunch of superheroic universes (Pulp City would be my choice), or even futuristic universes (in proxy or HVT for Infinity) or game sport-spectacle (proxy for Aristeia! I don't know any wrestling game other than Rumble Slam, but some characters could fit into a wrestler theme). The scale would also allow these miniatures to be integrated with Knight Models figures.
Graphically, I find the illustrations excellent. I also received this postcard that announces upcoming miniatures for the "All New Teen Force 5", and had a kind note from o2media on the back.
I hope this first review has been useful for you.
