40K HOBBY: MkIII & Tartaros Model Review
Today a professional painter goes over the new kits from Burning of Prospero. How good are they?
Model Review Categories
Quality
How does this model compare to others? Is it well sculpted from a technical viewpoint? Are mold lines and digital cuts done with forethought? Is this kit a pleasure or a boor to work with?
Value
How much is this product and is it worth it to buy? GW has really been making these boxed games a good savings in general; is that true here? I look at how much you get and what you need to get them to work.
Convertibility
What kind of potential for conversion is there in this kit, either as the basis of conversions or in the form of bits? How many roles can these models potentially fill?
Model Looks
Is the sculpt nice looking? Does it fit in the universe you plan on using it in?
Overall Review
Everything all together.
Legion Astartes (MKIII Marines and Tartaros Terminators)
Quality
Overall these kits are of very high quality. The cuts and mold lines were well thought out for the most part. I wish that there were some way to avoid the mold line down the center of the MKIII helmet, but I understand it is needed due to the depth/undercuts of that particular mark. Likewise, I understand the reason, but wish the backpacks were not two-part. 4.5/5.
Value
I know I hardly have to say this, but if you are getting these kits in the Prospero set, they are an absolutely amazing value when compared to either comparable GW or FW kits. This is especially true of the Legion Astartes in the box, since they, unlike the Custodes and Sisters, can be used by both Loyalists and Traitors. 5/5.
Convertibility
These kits have some real potential for conversions, and since they are plastic Space Marines, there is a bevy of bits to potentially use in conjunction with these kits. I’d rate the MKIIIs higher for convertibility than the Tartaros, but there are still some neat things there. 4/5.
Model Looks
I was incredibly impressed with how well the plastic MKIIIs stack up against their resin forebearers. When I heard they were doing plastic MKIII I was worried that they would end up flattening all the details, especially in the back of the legs, to make them work. Instead of copping out, they really went the extra mile to make MKIII work in plastic. They made the legs two parts, so they could have deeper cuts.They also made the aforementioned backpacks two piece to account for the sunk in fans. Really great work here. 5/5
Overall Review
Overall these kits are some more really great building blocks for the Horus Heresy series and I feel like they really hit it out of the park. Maybe it would have been cool to see another Tactical heavy weapon in plastic, and maybe I would have like to see one less faction specific unit in there, but those are very minor points. 5/5
~Aventine Out
