Most gamers (and by gamers, I mean Warhammer players) have heard of “rare earth” magnets. I have no idea how they get such force crammed into little hunks of metal, but these things are indeed amazing. Not only can they stick together with fiece tenacity, but they can also stretch a dollar farther than ever.
Ok, time for a little history lesson. When I first started playing 40k, GW sold their “rhino” tanks in a box that looked astonishingly like this:
For $30. Now adays, you can get a rhino that looks like this:
Also for $30. The thing is that they used to come three to a box. By the same token, 30 plastic marines used to also run you $30 per box. Now, you’ll get 10 marines for $35–or if you want a command squad, 5 marines for $35. I understand that prices go up, but as I age, it’s my civic duty to whimiscally reminisce about “the way things used to be.”
So, my cheapskate self has to find a way to justify spending $35 for 5 marines (not that I’d actually pay retail, mind you!). That’s where magnets come in. I, like a lot of gamers, have taken to magnetizing weapons options for models: allowing one model to easily switch his weapons to become another model. I use them for special weapons troopers, characters, veteran sarges, and tanks (give me time, and I’ll think of other uses too). All in all, it helps “keep costs down” to–well, not to reasonable levels–but certainly to less than if I didn’t use the magnets.
Anywho, in my last post I said I ran out of magnets for my squads, so I put in another order today at http://www.amazingmagnets.com. I find their prices reasonable, and they have everything I need. My preferred magnet sizes are:
- 1/8″ x 1/8″ rod (good for terminator arms, dreadnaughts, tanks, etc.
- 1/16″ x 1/16″ rod (good for arm swaps on normal marines, and magnetizing weapons–though you may need 1/16″ x 1/32″ for the magnet that goes in the actual hand, depending upon how you magnetize the model)
- 1/8″ x 1/16″ disc (I actually haven’t ever used these, but I suspect this will work well for magnetizing backpacks).
The first time I purchased, I got some other sizes as well, but I don’t see a point to buying 1/8″ x 1/4″ rods when two 1/8″ rods will work just as well. The key selling point to Amazing Magnets is that they’ll ship via USPS and any gamer in Alaska (and Hawaii too, I’ll bet) knows that shipping via UPS is enough to slaughter a good deal anywhere…
When they arrive, I’ll jimmy up some jet packs and get to painting my 2nd Assault squad–but tonight, I’m gonna just veg out in front of the t.v.
Warhammer 39,9999 