Review: Zombie Hospital Staff by Recreational Conflict
It’s been a little while since the last new company was added to the Master Zombie Database, so I was happy to finally get my hands on some Lead Bones zeds from Recreational Conflict. I first noticed them when my pal Mikko over at Dawn of the Lead reviewed some of the earlier packs a while back, and I’ve been looking forward to having some of my own to play with.
It’s going to sound silly, but the first thing I noticed about these minis were their bases. Longtime readers have heard my gripes about integral bases before so I won’t rehash them. These figs have smallish integral bases, but the pack also comes with larger plastic slottabases, giving the buyer a choice of how to use them. I’ve never seen this before, but Recreational Conflict may have finally found a way to make peace between the warring factions in the virulent slotta vs. integral civil war that has been raging for many years now.
The minis themselves are an interesting mix of medical personnel, which is a zombie niche that I’ve always felt is under-served. Logically “first responders” like cops, paramedics, and ER staff would be among the early casualties in a zombie outbreak, and thus would be prominently represented in any undead horde. I especially like the diversity of their outfits, with two in surgical scrubs, a nurse, and a lab coated doctor.
These zeds have clearly been through the wringer, and sport some interesting wounds, which are always a big plus for me. The nurse in particular has lost an arm and been mostly decapitated, with her head flopped back and hanging by a thread. It may be a bit too close to decapitation for genre purists, but it works for me.
The biggest drawback of these minis is their questionable anatomy. The all-too-common problem of huge, bulging heads is on full display, especially on the male dressed in scrubs. The doctor’s head isn’t quite so bad, but its size is exaggerated by his tiny pencil neck. The worst offender is definitely the nurse, whose pelvis is so wide that her shoulder and hip joints are practically in line with one another like the four corners of a table.
Detail is a mixed bag overall. The clothes are reasonably well-sculpted, but a lot of small things are neglected. The doctor’s tie is awfully short and there are no laces on anyone’s shoes. Each fig has rather well-done hair, but hands tend to be club-like fists.
At the end of the day these are quite decent figs. I really like the innovative base solution and the nice work on the wounds, but the marginal anatomy and detail work holds them back a bit. They would make a worthy addition to any collector’s shambling horde.
I have three more packs from this line in the paint queue, so keep an eye out for the reviews over the next few weeks.
Pros: Under-served subject, Interesting wounds, Innovative bases
Cons: Mediocre anatomy and details
Final Verdict 3/5
MSRP: $8
Source: Recreational Conflict (review copy)
Popularity: 14% [?]
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Hey I just found this review. I actually made some hospital zombies myself and can be seen on the Grekwood Miniatures blog. Thought you might like to see, if not, still, great review