Scum and Villainy and Chems!
Building on the release of the Nuka World raiders with the launch of Fallout Factions, Modiphius Entertainment are expanding their range of hard plastic, multi-part kits, with new core sculpts for four of the most recognizable and ubiquitous factions in the Fallout franchise; Survivors, Super Mutants, The Brotherhood of Steel and firstly, the subject of this article; the Wasteland Raiders. Unlike the more specific raider gangs that inhabit Nuka World, the Wasteland Raiders represent a more generic raider identity across the various games (though the aesthetic of these new models is very much taken from Fallout 4). Like all of these new plastics, the Wasteland Raiders kit is a direct replacement for the existing resin version and is intended for use across both Wasteland Warfare and Factions and contains a range of build and weapon options.
Some admin before we dive further into the review of this new kit: I was very generously sent a copy of the set by Modiphius (slightly) prior to release (though it will likely have shipped by the time this is live). I only got the miniatures themselves in plain packaging so I can’t comment on any ancillary content or the official box etc.
It also meant that the assembly instructions weren’t available at the time of writing so for any builds shown in the images, I’ve gone in just using the official pictures available on the Modiphius website and my own instincts. That said; the frames are laid out in such a way that placing the components with the corresponding parts is very intuitive and I didn’t struggle at all matching the correct arms with their respective intended bodies for example.
Scum and Villainy and Chems!
Building on the release of the Nuka World raiders with the launch of Fallout Factions, Modiphius Entertainment are expanding their range of hard plastic, multi-part kits, with new core sculpts for four of the most recognizable and ubiquitous factions in the Fallout franchise; Survivors, Super Mutants, The Brotherhood of Steel and firstly, the subject of this article; the Wasteland Raiders. Unlike the more specific raider gangs that inhabit Nuka World, the Wasteland Raiders represent a more generic raider identity across the various games (though the aesthetic of these new models is very much taken from Fallout 4). Like all of these new plastics, the Wasteland Raiders kit is a direct replacement for the existing resin version and is intended for use across both Wasteland Warfare and Factions and contains a range of build and weapon options.
Some admin before we dive further into the review of this new kit: I was very generously sent a copy of the set by Modiphius (slightly) prior to release (though it will likely have shipped by the time this is live). I only got the miniatures themselves in plain packaging so I can’t comment on any ancillary content or the official box etc.
It also meant that the assembly instructions weren’t available at the time of writing so for any builds shown in the images, I’ve gone in just using the official pictures available on the Modiphius website and my own instincts. That said; the frames are laid out in such a way that placing the components with the corresponding parts is very intuitive and I didn’t struggle at all matching the correct arms with their respective intended bodies for example.
What’s in the Box?
(As noted above, I can only comment on what I received as a pre-release copy of the miniatures and the final full contents could vary).
The Wasteland Raiders contains the components for eight full, multi-part, hard plastic miniatures and their respective bases (these are also plain plastic and not the scenic ones that Modiphius used to include for their Fallout range). Two miniatures are depicted in the Raider Power Armor and take up one of the two sprues to themselves. The other six models are raiders in a mixture of the various armour and equipment sets from Fallout 4 that they are typically wearing: favouring the lower-tech metal or leather armours and harnesses. Each of the eight has a unique pose and a raft of build options for their weapons, heads and arms. There’s a suitable level of disunity and general scruffiness to the group as no models are wearing the same kit (outside of the power armor). Being the scavenging, brutal types that they are, the Fallout Raiders typically utilise crude pipe-guns of various types, alongside makeshift weapons such as wrenches, lead pipes, baseball bats and machetes; something that this set represents faithfully with little of the more advanced or esoteric gear carried by factions like the Brotherhood of Steel. The options also include multiple low-tech explosives from the video game, namely Molotov cocktails and baseballs grenades.
Only the two Power Armor models come with options for serious firepower in the form of a huge Minigun (which can be built with two different lengths of barrels), a Missile Launcher, a Flamer and, a franchise favourite, the mini-nuke firing Fat-Man.
The level of customization is considerable, if not necessarily completely exhaustive; each model has around three to four different weapon combinations if built as intended, with some further variation via which heads get used (usually two per miniature, often denoting different body-types). There’s certainly more than enough variation that one could build a second set in full and have no duplication at all. Taken one step further, the fittings for arm/head joins are reasonably flat and even a relative novice to miniature building would likely be able to convert and kitbash around the weapons across the kit quite easily if they chose to. Helpfully the sprues also contain a pleasant amount of additional weapons (unattached to any hands) which could be added to a model for additional gear or just used as a great means of decorating bases or terrain with spare ‘gubbinz’. Likewise the sprues contain a few items intended as base decoration to add some Fallout flavour; discarded helmets, chem boxes and, most importantly, a garden gnome in a broken toilet.
One note on the weapon options; the kit has been designed with use in Fallout Factions in mind (as well as for Wasteland Warfare) and, as a result, some gear isn’t available to all models within the rules (and some like the Fat Man aren’t an option at all in the current Wasteland Raider roster for Factions). Each model build does have at least one direct correlation with a unit in the Factions roster but for a hobbyist wanting to use this kit in that game, it would be worthwhile taking some time prior to building to plan which weapons etc. to use. Modiphius’ previous plastic kits in this range handily included an overview of the rules in the assembly booklet to assist with this so the likelihood is that this will continue for this set.
Some Quality Trash
Even though these Raiders might be the lowest of the low in the Wastelands and their equipment crude, this kit is anything but. Modiphius are relative newcomers as a studio to producing hard plastic kits such as this but they have brought some expertise on board to create this extension of their miniature range and it shows in the results here. The detail is fine and crisp and every rivet, stud and strap is pronounced, an achievement with the realistic proportions of the models at 32mm scale. This is a high quality product that would stand amongst the best in the industry. Assembly is simple with no parts or joins that would prove ‘fiddly’ and strikes an effective balance between modularity and function. As with all plastic miniatures like this, there are mold lines but they’re typically located along flatter, easily accessible areas on the models to allow for removal. The fit of the components is largely seamless, any gaps are minimal enough that they’d be indistinguishable for the most part.
Beyond the technical successes of the Wasteland Raiders kit, the models contain plenty of character, evocative of the Raiders encountered in the Commonwealth of Fallout 4; the lack of uniformity and the scavenged, low tech wasteland punk vibe has been captured emphatically. The two power armoured models are a particular highlight; the clunky, scrappy nature of these salvaged suits is represented well in the faithful representation of the video game but emphasized further by the posing and the angling of the weapons which adds a significant sense of weight and highlights the plodding mass of metal lumbering around the tabletop. The other models could perhaps have been posed somewhat more dynamically if the intent were to convey the savagery and lack of discipline of most raiders but the existing stances do certainly offer enough in terms of variety and looking natural.
If the Wasteland Raiders set is an indication of the quality of this wave of hard plastic Fallout releases from Modiphius then it’s a promising sign of the kits to come with subsequent factions. The production quality of the models feels like an incremental step up from the already excellent Nuka World raider gangs and the increase in additional components like spare weapons and gear on the sprues add a lot of customization and potential for kitbashing; it’s a welcome bonus on what is a very solid entry into the range, particularly for a franchise that inspires a lot of creativity and potential for, say, RPG players wanting an effective group of raiders that they can customize. The ease of assembly without compromise on detail made building the set a pleasant experience with some impressive results and it’s a set I could (and will) happily build again to expand my collection. Recommended purchase.
Zatu Review Summary
Zatu Score
0%
