I know it’s been a while since a news post, but I as I mentioned in my last post, I am starting to get back into the swing of things. With this is mind, I figured I would take a look at the new Daemons of Chaos miniatures and share my thoughts on them.
This new wave went up for advanced order yesterday, and as usual includes both Warhammer Fantasy and 40k. I have always liked the Daemons of Chaos, but I feel that the current army books lack enough units. I am hoping that this new Codex adds a number of new units to the list, and maybe even a few characters. First up, let’s take a look at the new Herald miniatures. Heralds are the leaders among the lesser Daemons. Stronger manifestations of the Chaos God they are spawned from, they lead the Daemons against the material realm at the behest of the Dark Gods. They have also lacked miniatures until now.
Fist up is the Herald of Khorne. I am a big fan of this miniature, as I really like the pose and the size. You can’t really tell in this photo, but he is a bit taller than the regular Bloodletters, making him really stand out. The only issue I can see with this guy is that he may be a pain to but into a regiment in Fantasy. Next up we have the Herald of Nurgle. This guy really fits well with the look of the plastic Plaguebearers, and I quite like the look of him. The entrails dropping from his gut are a nice touch, along with the Nurgling on his shoulder. The next Herald is the Herald of Slaanesh. This is my least favorite of the three. Not to say it’s bad, I am just not overly fond of it. I like the body and legs, and even the clothing, but I am not sold on the massive crab claws, nor the head. It doesn’t have the elegant seductive feel that I think Slaanesh should have.
Next we have a totally new addition to the Daemons, a flying unit for Nurgle. These lovely things are known as Plague Drones. I really like the idea of giant flies buzzing around the battlefield, dropping from the sky to vomit acid on men, tanks, or horses depending on the system you play. I am not, however, overly fond of the pose. They look rather static, and I think they could have really gone wild with making these things look dynamic. Of course if you play 40k, and not fantasy, I would highly recommend grabbing some of Forge Worlds Blight Drones and using them instead.
Another new plastic kit coming out this wave is the Chariot of Tzeentch/Burning Chariot. I really love the look of the Herald (Sadly this is the only way I know of to get a Herald mini for Tzeentch) and I am quite fond of the options this kit includes. The first image is the Chariot for a Herald, an arcane disk being pulled by two Screamers, putting the Herald in range for devastating spells. The second image is the Burning Chariot, a chaotic mass of fire and pain. I quite like both models, and I think with some small conversions they could really stand out on the tabletop. The last image is of the plastic Herald included in the kit, just to show how it looks on foot. A nice addition to the range in my opinion.
Last for the Daemon wave is the new Khorne unit, the Blood Throne of Khorne/Skull Cannon of Khorne. I will be honest, I don’t like very much about this kit. I don’t like the main chassis, as I think it looks more like a tricycle that got lost in the warp than an engine of war. The positions of the Bloodletters on the Blood Throne doesn’t make much sense to me. Surely a champion of Khorne would want to be leading from the front, reaping skulls in the name of Khorne, rather than sitting above his kin atop a throne. The Skull Cannon of Khorne isn’t any better for me. The idea of Bloodletters manning a cannon seems a little off for Khorne. Why not have something akin to the Tyranid Pyrovore or Chaos Marine Forgefiend? A living creature that has a cannon as part of its body, therefore dismissing the need for a crew. It’s not all bad. I really like the Herald atop the throne, and I think he a nice alternative to the Finecast herald.
I hate to leave a blog post on a sour note, but thankfully I don’t have to. Forge World has just put a new item up on the site, and it’s one a lot of people have been waiting for. Forge World had a preview of this kit on display at the last few Games Days around the world, and they have finally put it up for order. This is, of course, the duel between Abaddon and Loken kit, Son of Horus vs. Luna Wolf. Both these characters are stars of the betrayal at Istvaan III, and the start of the Horus Heresy itself, and this kit shows of the climatic fight at the end of Galaxy in Flames.
As you can see, Forge World continues the practice of lavishing these miniatures with detail and character. While I think Loken is a great character, and a lovely miniature, the real spotlight is on Abaddon. Compared to the current miniature, this new rendition is nothing short of spectacular. I can see a lot of people using this version over the current GW rendition. The base is also very similar to Angron, as it uses slots in a larger display piece. You can check out Forge Worlds video on this kit here, and more photos on the site here.
That’s all for today. If you want to see more images of the new Chaos kits and the new Codex, check out the Games Workshop pre-order page here. I would love to hear your thoughts on the new kits, so leave a comment below and let me know!
-Tarvick