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Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 9:19 pm
by spubbbba
I saw someone mention them on twitter but haven't seen any posts on them here yet.

I’m sure I can’t be the only one who has seen a lot of potential amongst the plastic harlequins GW will be releasing this coming weekend.

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It being GW they weigh in at a hefty £24 for 6 plastic models, so if you are going to use them for your team that would be £48 for 12 or £72 for the full 16 with 2 spares. Them being a multi-part kit that would mean there would be spare parts that could potentially sold on and maybe recoup some costs.

As I see it there are 2 main routes to go down using them for Bloodbowl.

1. As the much loved 2nd edition style pro elves with masks and Mohawks. I remember Nazgob created a very cool elf team using the metal harlequins and it would be even easier with plastics them being much simpler to chop up. They’d need little conversion work aside from snipping off weapons and selecting which models to use as each positional.

2. As the basis for positionals in any flavour of elf team. The torso’s come with shoulder pads, but do suffer a little from having slightly sci-fi backs with the jump jets and the troupe leader is lumbered with a rather impractical for Bloodbowl. These may not be suitable for all elven teams, but it would be easy enough to swap these with other torsos. Looking at the arms the harlequin’s kiss is easy to take off and the caress even resembles a catcher’s glove, these are all on the right arm and taking weapons off the left arm is trickier. This can be got round by swapping arms or gloves/hands from other sources. The heads come with lots of different masks and whilst most associated with pro elves could just as easily work for high, wood or even dark, equally it would be easy to give them other heads.
For me the legs are the richest source of conversion potential, the ruins would need to be trimmed down or swapped with something more Bloodbowlesque. But they are ideal for making really dynamic positionals. There were already some plastics in similar poses for witch elves or scourges, but these are not as generic in style.
I can see these legs being perfect for catchers jumping to grab the ball, blitzers/wardancers leaping to the attack or star players in some kind of action pose. Alternatively the ruins could be swapped for opposing players for a duel diorama.

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The solitaire looks very cool but that jacket makes him ill-suited for bloodbowl with the possible exception of dark elf assassin/Horkon.

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 11:39 pm
by DixonCider
been looking on ebay for months trying to find a set of plastic or metal to hack up at a reasonable price. still looking :/

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 2:56 am
by Metalface13
This are going to be multi-part? Hmm ... I'm getting more interested. I thought they were going to be finecast like the last set (or were they metal?).

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:37 am
by frogboy
I was having a look at them, I dont like the jacket some of them are wearing (although it looks great for 40k) was looking at the sprue and it looks like the legs and body could be closely interchangeable with some of GWs other eldar and elf plastic sprues. Very tempted, considering the price of a blood bowl team these days. Oh and I love the masks...

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 8:46 am
by Darkson
Love them, but not at that ridiculous price.

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:59 am
by J_Bone
Yeah... I can see the potential but if I'm buying plastics to chop up I don't want to be spending £70. For that price I'll buy a Willy's miniatures team or something

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 10:10 am
by frogboy
These new box sets are always getting split up and sold as bits on fleebay, might be worth keeping an eye out over the next few weeks

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 5:44 pm
by spubbbba
frogboy wrote:I was having a look at them, I dont like the jacket some of them are wearing (although it looks great for 40k) was looking at the sprue and it looks like the legs and body could be closely interchangeable with some of GWs other eldar and elf plastic sprues. Very tempted, considering the price of a blood bowl team these days. Oh and I love the masks...
looking more closely at the description and spruces it appears there are 6 jacketless torsos. You also have 15 different head designs to choose from so selling off the spare masks and whichever weapons are most in demand along with the jacket torsos might be worthwhile.

I have bought some multi-part plastics just for the bodies and heads and managed to recoup over 50% of the costs by selling off the spares. it does depend how new they are and which weapons are seen as the most in demand though.

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 6:17 pm
by JT-Y
Unlike the previous generation of Harlequins they aren't covered in sci fi junk, the only obvious bits are the small power packs on their backs, a pretty easy fix, and the weapons, which are easier again.

There are 13 different heads in each box, and 5 can be assembled without long coats. and all the legs, torsos and arms are interchangeable.
I think the long coats for blitzers is about spot on, and careful use of the heads would help denote catchers, thrower and line very easily.

And there is more coming; jetbikes this week, no real use but more heads, arms and torsos on the crew. And Deathjesters, Shadowseers and, hopefully, Great Harlequins as well.
So there is plenty of scope for stars as well. Personally I think the Solitaire has Hubris Rakarth written all over it.

Harlequin check isn't essential. There is a decent shot on the inside cover of this weeks WD showing a staffers Quins painted in simple block colours, and that really proves their potential as an Elf team.

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2015 7:21 pm
by DixonCider
what I would really like is to get buy the heads and mix them in with current gen Dark Elfs

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 7:39 am
by sausten
What is it with GW, how can they possibly justify £24 for six plastic minis and £16 for the other guy?

I used to play warhammer when I was younger but how people afford GW as a hobbies now blows my mind!

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:27 am
by Madsherman
sausten wrote:What is it with GW, how can they possibly justify £24 for six plastic minis and £16 for the other guy?

I used to play warhammer when I was younger but how people afford GW as a hobbies now blows my mind!
Ha! Yeah I am desperately looking for some High Elves that are not GW XD... I'd loathe to reward them for their horrible ways of doing extortio.... ehm -business, sorry.

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 8:28 am
by Rayphoton
sausten wrote:
What is it with GW, how can they possibly justify £24 for six plastic minis and £16 for the other guy?

people keep paying....its pretty good justification sadly

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:18 am
by the solitaire
I bought the metal Harlequins and own a few of the 2nd generation WH40k Harlequin miniatures (actually, I could field a regular Eldar army using Harlequin models).

I have been thinking for a while on which model sto use for a Dark Elf team and have thought about the Harlequins quite a few times. I have been waiting for a better suited kit to arrive, but these aren't the models I was waiting for. These 6 plastics cost as much as the 6 metal models?

Anyways, not here to rant about GW prices. I just wanted to say that these are indeed very nice looking models and would make a good start to a nice Elf team. I could personally not use the same 6 models over and over again if I were to spend that amount of money on a team though. Just my 2 cents (the 15 heads are interesting and that solitaire looks great)

Re: Conversion potential of new GW plastic Harlequins

Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2015 11:30 am
by chigger254
Darkson wrote:Love them, but not at that ridiculous price.
That's the price you pay for the best miniatures on Earth! *sarcasm*