Part two of my review of the Fortress Figures range of 35mm scale zombies concentrates on their resin casts. Part one covered their metal range of zeds. This is set ZZZ201 Zombie Horde 1. What you get here is a pack of 10 assorted zombies in three different poses. In the picture above, going from left to right, the first three figures show the poses they come in. All are naked from the waist up, wear either boxer shorts or ragged cut-off trousers and are bare-footed. Fer asked me if I have any duplicates in my zombie horde (which has now surpassed the 200 mark) and I replied I haven't. What I have done with the duplicates from this set is to convert them. The beauty of them being cast in resin is that they are very easy to convert. So cutting off arms to swap or reposition or making body swaps by cutting the bodies at the waist was a simple task. With the addition of some sculpting putty (use whatever you're happy with - I use either Green Stuff or Milliput) you can really come up with something original. The negro zombie is based on the third zombie in line but has had his left arm removed and his right arm repositioned. A new hairdo completed the conversion. The female zombie was my most extreme conversion. She is based on the second zombie in line and I haven't altered the pose. I did make her waist thinner and her bum bigger. I added boobies, a dress and a new hair-do. I'm quite proud of this conversion.
These five zombies are all conversions. Body and leg swaps on most of them. New hair on all of them and a few arm swaps or repositioning of arms. The zombie second from the left holds the severed arm that I cut off from the negro zombie, although it actually belongs to a totally different victim due to its colouring. The centre zombie has had the trouser leg of his left leg restored. The next zombie in line suffers a gaping stomach wound with his intestines falling out! Finally, the zombie at the far right has had training shoes and sports socks added. These were not difficult conversions to do for me but I do have some experience in sculpting. You may decide such conversion work is beyond your skill. No shame in that!
The set of 10 figures retails for $10.00, which is good value for money. But are they worth buying? Well my criticisms of the Fortress Figures metal zombies apply equally to these zeds. They do have a cartoon-like quality about their sculpting and their size will, I'm sure, put many a purchaser off. Be warned, these are some of the tallest zombies on the market.
Nice paint and conversion jobs on some (forgive me) butt-ugly minis. Crudely sculpted AND in an odd scale nobody else uses. One wonders what on Earth Fortress could have been thinking.
ReplyDeleteIf low cost is the main criterion, I would go for the MegaMinis pack or even those oddly bubble-headed zeds from Miss Minis before I'd buy these. Heck, I'd probably buy the Wargames Factory plastic ones, and I'm kind of biased against plastics.
As always, great review.
I've got to agree with you, John, these are not the best zombies on the market. However, I did enjoy converting them. I don't have the MegaMinis zombies as I don't like them. Too small for me, although they would be suitable for kids and/or teenager zeds. Also, I don't like how they are sculpted. They look too crude and oddly proportioned. As for the WF plastic zombies, I'm tempted but I'm holding back until they release the female zombies. I've nothing against plastic zombies or plastic figures per se. It's just that I don't know anyone who makes decent plastic zeds. Don't get me started on Games Workshop's plastic zombies - some of the worst sculpted figures I've ever seen!
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