In today’s review I’m taking a look at a recent purchase – the Feldherr MINI PLUS 32 Figure Case. I have planned to exclusively use this for my Space Hulk miniatures but of course the case can be used for any other standard wargaming miniature (28mm and similar). Take a look at some shots and comments after the jump.
I have to begin with saying that I did not unbox the package after it came by post, as the original receiver was in Germany and was kind enough to bring it during a visit for me. So I received the bag and the foam contents separately. That said, let us begin with the outside of the case.
The case fabric is high quality durable cloth on the exterior and it looks like it’s water-resistant to boot. The MINI PLUS series case is 30 x 16 x 20cm large with a small cloth handle on the top side for ease of carrying. There are various sizes for cases on their website however I thought this would be a good idea for either a skirmish force or a specific set of minis like those from Space Hulk.
The Feldherr logo is sewn on the cover lid and the zippers also have a stylized F on them. Not a crucial aspect functionally but still visually appealing. It’s like having the Citadel image on your GW carrying case or the Golden Daemon on the Project Box. Something I really liked and appeals to my needs is that there’s a slot where you can insert a card or paper with information or labels you like to differentiate from your other cases. I went to a local print shop and ordered a small plasticard image of Space Hulk the size of a business card and it fit there perfectly. Just a neat feature.
Not bad for a cheap plasticard label, eh?
On the inside of the case you have the foam trays – the slot foams are pre-built and the raster has a bottom cover and the raster itself. There’s also a spare bottom piece that can work as the final top cover for the top-tier foam. The fabric inside is again durable red cloth and has the Feldherr logo pattern running around. Very pleasing to the eye. There’s also a mesh compartment that can be accessed with a zipper. I guess this is meant for those who would carry dice, rule books or other thin objects here.
While the case types for Feldherr differ only in size the true customization comes with the foam. My purchase has for example one raster and two figure trays for 16 pieces each. Thus you have 32 predefined slots for approx. 28mm miniatures and another foam tray originally built for stuff like tanks, monstrous creatures and similar items. The raster foam lets you pluck out the foam based on your unit size needs and thus allows you to customize your foam tray. Since the Genestealers on the Space Hulk kit have various poses that exceed 28mm standards or have some scenery they use as bases, I opted naturally for the rasters and picked apart some of the spaces for the models.
I do not have the step by steps here however the raster application is pretty straightforward. The underside of the foam is the sticky part and has the yellow covers on the squares as well as the frame all around it. You carefully take out the frame strip, then attach the spare bottom cover on to the raster – this provides you with the core of your foam. As you pluck out tiles from the foam you get slots for your miniatures and the “walls” of the foam you can stick to the bottom by removing their lids and attaching to the core. Pretty neat, however you have to be very careful in determining your grid – I chose a one-brick wall approach, aligned with the default layout of the foam, you may want to adjust your foam for very irregular creatures like large Daemons or Tyranids. When plucking out blocks be careful about the stickers underneath as they have a tendency to bring with them neighboring stickers when you pick out the desired pieces.
Time for pros and cons!
+ Pros
- Very durable outer case
- Carrying strip on top surface for easy handling
- Extra compartment inside for thinner items like rule books
- Visually pleasant outer and inner sides, resilient outer cloth
- Quality foam both soft to touch but also resilient against damage
- Compact size makes ideal for smaller armies or projects
- Slot underneath for personalizing labels
– Cons
- More expensive than other solutions
- Carrying strip on top too thin/tight
- Raster foam can be difficult to assemble due to sticker strips easily moving off undersides
The case itself is visually very pleasing and you get the feeling that this is a quality item. This is bolstered by the great outer layer of cloth which in my experience is resilient to water and light hits from all directions. The inner compartment on the lid is a nice touch however the case’s size will not allow you to put large books inside – although I can see that this part can be used easily for wargaming template plastics and smaller format rule books like the kind you get from the Dark Vengeance starter set. Useful, just don’t expect miracles here. I also tested a few drops with minis inside and I can safely say that all tiers are well protected by foam all around. The carrying strap on the top is very tightly strung so when you insert your hand to pick up the case it becomes an extension of your fist (so to speak). I would have added a strap option for those who would carry the case on their shoulder however I guess the size is sufficiently small not to warrant such an item.
The foam quality is excellent – very durable but at the same time very soft. It will be perfect for any player who uses spiky armies such as Tyranids or Chaos and I reckon it would be great for other players too. Compared to the GW foam I had from the carrying case, I found the Feldherr foam to be much softer and “nicer” to the touch (for the lack of a better word here I guess). This is of course in comparison with the older GW carrying cases, I have not yet sampled the new zig-zag pattern foam from GW yet. Let me know in the comments if you’ve had a chance to sample other foam with this one!
Final item of note, the price. The case along with any combination of foam comes at the price of 26,00 EUR + transport costs. In my case the transport costs from Germany to Turkey was around 20,00 EUR so it’s a big no-no if you’re not a resident or if you don’t have anyone willing to bring you the case. In-country shipping is an acceptable 5-6,00 EUR depending on your location. This price compared to larger solutions from other companies may seem very high especially if you consider that for a little less than double this price you can get an older GW case that can hold around 200 figures. Thus I underline the fact that this solution is not geared towards mass storage of armies, more like skirmish forces or smaller projects, maybe even bringing some unpainted models to a workshop location like I frequently do with my buddies. And for that purpose, this is a perfect case – quality, nice on the looks and compact.
I also have to add that some companies like Battlefoam have specific solutions for specialist games like Space Hulk, foam that is in the (almost) exact shape of all minis, that fits flush in the Space Hulk board game box and has free space for the tiles and dice. I couldn’t order such a solution for my use and opted for this – so if you’re in the US then they also have a worthy product for you to check. Link here for Battlefoam products.
Reception: ♦♦♦♦◊ Good
Here’s the shop link to the case if you’re interested.
Hope you found this review useful, looking forward to see you on another post!
Filed under: Review Tagged: carrying case, feldherr, figure case, foam tray, mini plus, review
