So, I 1) just stumbled on this part of BoW2.0... and 2) felt that the components part of the Guild Ball Rating is the most potentially confusing... so thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. (actually, small dissertation by the time I am done).

Basically, Steamforged Games was producing 28-30mm typically multi-part metal models for Guild Ball since their KS in 2015... the models were typically very well received and detailed, although some models had narrow attachment points (weapons or feet/ankles) that made some people frustrated as they were prone to breaking and hard to pin.  There was also an option to buy resin models (both originally in limited #s during the Kickstarter, but also as "premium models" for a while after launch) for people that were really focused on painting detail.  I never owned any of the resin models, so can't comment on differences between metal and resin.

Initially, most models were available as single model blister packs, but each team had a 'starting 3' of one captain + 2 squaddies in a small box.. but there was no 'boxed set' of single teams available... which allowed people to build their 'starting 6' easily, but also meant as the game expanded there were a lot of blisters needed to keep all the teams in stock at an LGS.

In Season 2, the Hunters Guild was released as a pack of 6 metal models + 2 additional blisters to give them 8 models to choose from.. then in Season 3 the expansion of 4 more Hunters was released as a boxed set.   The rest of the teams and models were still available as single blisters or in those 'starting 3' boxes.  (a full team is 1 captain, 1 mascot, and 4 squaddies BTW)

Then, Steamforged Games put out a starter set, called Kick Off, that contained 12 models (Brewers & Masons) in colored plastic... the plastic wasn't the best, but it was good board game quality and I painted up both teams decently with little issues... it was announced the plastic was not the "most expensive" so that Steamforged could keep the prices down.

Steamforged then started producing new teams (the Farmers and the Blacksmiths in 2017) as boxed sets of 6 completely assembled, precolored plastic models plus a goal, terrain, and a ball  in a harder and better quality plastic (those boxes also come with cardboard tokens and templates as needed for each set of models).  The Farmers suffered a bit in that some of the faces (mostly the eyes) maybe aren't as detailed or evident as people were used to with the metal models.  The Blacksmiths (and 2nd box of farmers) seemed to improve upon the quality and the sculpting techniques.

Steamforged then announced that all future new teams (ie the Minor Guilds including the Ratcatchers, Falconers, and Navigators, plus future teams) would continue to be in plastic boxed sets, precolored, pre-assembled, with terrain, ball, and goal (and tokens).  Older existing teams were repackaged into groups of 6 models so that each team would get 2 boxes of existing models to cut down on loose blisters and inventory for stores and Steamforged in general.

Then Steamforged ran an IndieGo campaign to try to get the original teams (Fishermen and Butchers) resculpted in plastic.. but that campaign failed for various reasons...

So then, Steamforged announced in 2018 that that they will be transitioning existing teams into multi-part pre-colored resin models as their metal molds are slowly breaking down and will be retired.  Those new resin sculpts will release when a full Guild's minor guild is released (so for example, when Ratcatchers minor guild was released, they stopped producing metal Morticians and are advertising new sculpts of Morticans in resin) and is selling them in sets of 6 models with terrain, goal, and ball.. so to get the full 12 Morticians, you'd have to buy the 2 different sets.

Other new releases (mostly what are termed Veteran models) are being produced in metal, but sold in groups of 6 models in a boxed set, but 2 of these (the Exiles and the Faithful) have models in the box that play for different teams, so they are not 'team boxes' but expansion models with 1 for each of 5-6 different teams... meaning if you only needed 1 of the models, you probably would be hunting for it on ebay vs buying a box of 6 models that you don't plan to use 5 of, for example.

So, the point of all of this, was that for the components of Guild Ball models (I'm not going to even get into templates, tokens, and measuring widgets) there is a lot of variety... There are small #s of original resin models no longer being produced, lots of high quality metal models that are generally being phased out, but still some new metal models are being produced as expansion models for most teams, an upcoming group of new resin sculpts to update all the older teams into newer material many with changes to their original sculpts, as well as 2 levels of plastic models (one from starter set, one from new boxed teams).

Oh, and to make matters more confusing, there are a decent # of limited edition metal models that have been released as alternative sculpts for a good # of various models from the teams as well as a single piece colored plastic model (named Lucky) who has been given away in League Packs and events as a promo model that plays for the Brewers and Masons to add to the starter set.  Some of the metal sculpts are alternative sculpts available only as prize support (Limited Edition Mist from tournament packs, then a pre-farmers release Tater model, and then alternative sculpts of crossover-models for each of the new minor guilds)... so not all the models for the game are even available for purchase at all times but Steamforged does open up their "vault" or 'locker room' to make a selection of limited edition sculpts available a few time throughout the year (GenCon, black friday, holiday sales, etc).

Overall, the quality of these models (metal and plastic) have been great, characterful, and with each team having a 'theme' as well as a wide variety of models (including their animal mascots) it seems like most people find a team or two or three that they really can get behind (there are currently around 13-14 teams depending on what is on pre-order and how you decide to count the Union and the Order at the moment).  That all said, for brand new players, it can be a bit confusing when some teams are available as pre-colored plastic in sets of full teams, others are sold as resin, and others still have to be bought in single blister or in other boxes of 6 models with prices ranging from $50 to $80 for 6 models and a ball, and with the resin and plastic sets coming with a piece of terrain and sculpted goal (the old metal box repacks do not come with terrain or goals).

Other thing worth mentioning is that as each Season (they are moving to Season 4 in October) there are updates to some of the cards... which PDF versions of them are available for free online, but keeping in mind that buying older models (and even newer plastic boxed sets of Farmers, for example) may come with cards that are already out of date, which can be a turn off to some players.

So, quality wise, I really love the stuff from Steamforged, but logistically they have had some issues and consistent changing of the materials they have used for their models and how they package them has lead to some frustration or confusion among their players.  Going forward, it appears that the goal would be to produce new teams in high quality pre-assembled pre-colored plastics to be able to be 'played right out of the box' while other models and older teams are re-cast in multi-part colored resin requiring assembly.   We are not sure what to expect from single model releases and expansion models (will they be metal? single blisters of resin? or will all models be eventually only available in boxed sets of 4-6 models as 'themed expansions' that might involve mixing players from multiple teams like we are seeing with the Exiles and the Faithful boxed sets.  Thanks for reading, sorry I got so long-winded!