For many tabletop and historical wargamers, the choice between metal, plastic, and resin miniatures isn’t just about materials — it’s about identity, history, and how we connect to the hobby. In my latest YouTube video, I explore why I remain so devoted to metal miniatures, even when logic, cost, and convenience might suggest otherwise.
There’s something deeply satisfying about the solid weight of a metal figure. That little “clink” when you drop it on the table, the way it feels between your fingers — it has substance and presence. Plastic may be lighter and resin may hold crisper detail, but metal just feels right. It’s a sensory connection that taps into decades of wargaming heritage, reminding us of those first armies we assembled, often with a tube of superglue and a healthy dose of swearing.
Of course, there’s more to it than nostalgia. Metal figures are durable, easy to strip and repaint, and often outlive the rulesets they were made for. They connect us to a craft tradition where sculptors and casters worked by hand, long before CAD and injection moulding transformed the industry.
But times are changing. Commodity prices mean metal casting is more expensive than ever, and the tooling and production efficiencies of plastic make it the logical choice for most manufacturers. Resin, too, has revolutionised what’s possible for small-scale producers. I’m realistic enough to know that metal may eventually become a thing of the past — but while I still can, I’ll be buying it.
If you’re a tabletop wargamer, painter, or hobbyist with a soft spot for the old days (or if you’re just curious about why anyone would still pay more for metal figures), this is a conversation worth joining.
Keywords: metal miniatures, tabletop wargaming, historical wargaming, miniature painting, pewter soldiers, resin miniatures, plastic miniatures, hobby talk, wargaming nostalgia, wargaming discussion
Count me among the revered group of metal heads. Now, you may not be as "Old" Old School as you think. In my day, the "Age of Pewter" was actually the Age of Lead".
ReplyDeleteI am firmly in the metal camp and don't have many plastic and very, very few resin. I won't be changing my buying habits, if it does become a thing of the past I have enough in my collection to do me, I think!!
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love metal figures, I also enjoy plastics, too many benefits to ignore.
ReplyDeleteLike Neil, I love metal, but I love the plastic figures as well. How can wargamers be snobbish about metal when so many, of a certain generation admittedly, found their way into the hobby via Airfix soldiers and models... all plastic!
ReplyDeleteI'm a metal head through and through. I do have some plastic and resin miniatures, but not very many. The more I try to use plastic the more I dislike it. Assembly nightmare, no weight, character and the stiffness if that makes sense. The only plastic/resin I like is for tanks, buildings and such. Remember when I told you at Partizan that my lead horde of shame is now my pile of pride with the price of metal these days.:-) Anyhow I will continue to largely purchase metal in the future regardless of cost which is fine as I'm not exactly a fast painter so not worried about smaller number of figures per order.
ReplyDeleteI do prefer metal if I'm being honest, but I've only just bought some plastic, just odds and sods to get a different figure for our Retreat From Moscow period. I don't like having to glue the buggers together I will admit that, and if, one day, I ever decided to do a different period in 25's, I may have to consider buying plastics..........
ReplyDeleteI am definitely a metal head. I like the weight and heft of metal figures. I do admire the shear availability of figures in plastic, but my own experience is they are far too fragile for my clumsy fingers and failing eyes. Its too late in life to start a new hobby as a model maker
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