Four Things I Love About Starcraft Miniature Assembly
Hey Reader!
The first box of my Starcraft preorder has arrived, and that means, after assembling some of the miniatures, I had a chance to mull over what I love about the assembly process (and share photos of more of the models with you!). And as I reflected, I found four things that stood out to me as exceptional about how these models are designed.
I. Free Downloadable Instructions
You know what’s annoying? When you buy a multi-part kit with small bits that are don’t intuitively go together, and it comes with no instructions.
While I didn’t have this issue with any of the Starcraft kits I received, it wouldn’t have been an issue had they been missing from the set, because the instructions are all available online as free downloads. This also means, if you’re thinking about getting a kit, you can look up the complexity of the build order before buying, which is cool!
It’s a small thing, but I really love that I don’t have to struggle with difficult assembly. On that topic…
II. Clearly Marking Pieces on a Sprue
Something I loved when assembling Zeratul is how the pieces were clearly marked. Unlike with Zeratul, though, these included pieces on the same sprue for different miniatures, and the fact that each piece is marked with “A,” “B,” etc. for different models, made it oh so much easier to assemble 18 zerglings, 12 marines, etc.
This, combined with the easy-to-read instructions, makes assembly a breeze, even for larger models.
III. Intricate Simplicity
The models themselves are extremely intricate: individual pointed teeth on zerglings and roaches, extremely tiny details on the power armor for marines, gribblies and add-ons to make every model unique, etc.
And yet, for being as intricate as they are, assembly is fast and simple: your smaller models are typically 6-8 pieces, and larger ones do have more pieces, but after assembling a few, the rest come together easily, sometimes without even having to look at the instructions.
Intuitive design without being simplistic in terms of details is phenomenally good, and makes for an enjoyable assembly experience.
IV. Clear Plastic Elements
Like we mentioned in the Zeratul article last year, Archon Studios includes clear plastic pieces as part of every kit they make. This is rare: most companies don’t use clear plastic at all, and those that do have them use them sparingly in elite kits.
But the clear plastic pieces really make these pop. Whether it’s shooting effects, acid spewing from zerg roaches, or shielding effects for Protoss, there are so, so many cool effects that are easy to do for even novice painters because of the medium of the pieces.
I’m over the moon about these pieces, and wish that every company made pieces like this!
Conclusion
We’ll be taking a look at tactical uses for specific units in the future (once more models are assembled), but for now, enjoy my 5-year-old’s “Sparkle Squad” of Terran Medics with an accompanying squad of sparkly zerglings:
Until next time!
Aaron Kamakawiwoole
YouTube (Starcraft): @CentaurGaming
YouTube (Bolt Action): @ZurnCentral