(Painting) Skeletal Spearmen (3) by Reaper Bones

 **BIG DISCLAIMER** I love Reaper Miniatures.  I've supported them since the first FLGS I worked at stocked their whole Dungeon Dweller line (with the rare Mouslings) in baggies and red cardboard.  My last FLGS that I had the privilege of running, I stocked the entire line of Dark Heaven.  I've supported the Bones Kickstarters since 2 and they've been my go-to brand for impulse buying.

That said my,  FLGS moved to a big bold spot in the local mall (which is generating impressive foot traffic and impulse sales).  In a move to fill wall space (and diversify from the official D&D minis which tend to linger,) they stocked the entire Reaper Bones line.  The sight of individual blisters warmed my heart and brought back nostalgia from the Dark Heaven metal figure days. 

I've attempted to support the FLGS with purchases, tournaments, and activities, but that's been waning as of late.  I decided the easiest project, even if I'm not playing D&D anytime soon was to purchase from the Bones line, going up with each blister numerical by stock number. 

Back in the day, the metal figures' stock number started with 2001, today the Bones stock number starts with 77001, Skeletal Spearmen (3)

My biggest "back in my day/get off my lawn/yells at cloud" moment was the sticker shock.  Metal Reaper skeletons were $1.50 each.  They were the cheapest figures in the collections and folks would buy an entire sleeve of the bad boys.  

25 YEARS AGO.

Nowadays, those original sculpts in metal are now $5.99 MINIMUM.   So I shouldn't be too surprised that the previously dirt cheap Bones are now $6.99 for three plastic skeletons.  In world where I remember phone calls were a quarter and anybody would gladly shave your back for a nickel, I need to remember that two-plus decades of inflation would impact things significantly.  

Now, I like the Bones material, but it is fare too malleable for imbalanced large objects and for thin casts.  All three of the spearmen had significantly warped spears.  I know the whole water trick to straighten them out, but over time Bones material will warp back.  

The other issue I had with Bones is the detail.  Even a cursory wash prior to applying black primer by hand (too many chipped Bones in my collection not to hand prime and eliminate the issue) show some very superficial detail that didn't fill in like previous metal Reapers.  

Still, they're low-level skeletons, so I can forgive that, but the flash marks are slightly better than some hard plastic Halloween figures I got from Dollar General for $2.00.  Sure, the flash is far worse from the Dollar General ones, but at a Quarter a figure, I can deal with that.  

I went a simple rush job like I did on the damaged Skeleton Swordsman I painted up in 1999: Black hand primed, bone base, white drybrush, and a "dirty black" wash, with only minor touch up.  Perhaps I can highlight again with bone, but I'll also need to hand-line a lot of the depth that the wash just didn't catch.  They might see some bleaching if I decided to use them in the Pulp Egypt game repeatedly, but I'm satisfied with this speed painting round.  

The three Bones Spearmen (center) compared to a Ral Partha (L) and Reaper Dark Heaven Swordsmen (R)

My poor review of the pack if probably 75% me.  I've been dwelling in the range of "boutique" Historical metals, where "Veteran with Pick and Pistol" is quite expensive in metal for $5.00.  Prices are what they are as even the Ral Partha skeletons are $5.50 a piece in metal, so anything cheaper in plastic is a bargain.  

I will point out the the original three Dark Heaven skeletons (sword, halberd, and bow) that are $6.99 apiece, are available in the Dark Heaven Legends Classics line for $8.99 for all three.   Unit packs of five of a particular pose are also available for $15.99.  

Next Up on "One Pack at a Time" - 77002 - Orc Archers

Next Up on the General Painting Queue - Some special Halloween figures for the Halloween game, perhaps some recent or random fantasy minis, and continuing to complete the last large project to complete the Lake's Jetty scenario to start Season Four of my Pulp game.  

Project:350 - The blog backlog is holding steady at 477 (319 draft ideas/158 scheduled posts) from 478 (320/158) last week.  Might be able to slide in some gaming this weekend, thanks to a local basketball tournament for once, and only two RPGs write-ups in the "to-do" bin.