With the end of a month comes the new releases from Games Workshop, and this time it’s the Dark Elves.
I have always wanted to like the Dark Elves. I love the Cold One Cavalry unit, and I like the Hydra. But I have never been a fan of the troop models, nor am I a lover of scantly clad warrior women. But this release looks promising, so let’s dive in!
First up are the new Army Books. I love the art, especially the Limited Edition variants, without the red. Even the Witch Elf looks amazing. She looks terrifying, and has a sense of unrestrained violence to her. I also like how the art for each Army Book has the same feel to it, as it really helps unify them.
Up next is the new large plastic kit. This plastic set can make either the Cauldron of Blood (first image) or the Bloodwrack Shrine (second image). I have mixed feelings on this model. I love the detail, and the extra bitz. I think the statue of Khaine is fantastic, and the Medusa would make a really fun painting project. I even like them Witch Elf poses, as they look very defensive, ready to slay any who come near their altar. But the actual frame looks like it could be defeated by a strong gust of wind. I also don’t like how the stair are on the front. That just allows enemy soldiers to board your transport. I’m not impressed with this kit, but I will be picking up quite a lot of its bitz to paint for fun.
Here we have a new plastic kit for the Witch Elves/Sisters of Slaughter. I have to say I am pretty disappointed with this kit. I really like the poses, as they have a lot of movement to them. The Sister of Slaughter have the coolest masks I have seen in a while, and I would love to use them for renegade Guardsmen. My problem with this kit is the choice of clothing, or lack there of. I am sick of seeing women in battle wearing nothing but a thong and bra, and the Dark Elves are no exception. I get that they are supposed to be lightly armoured, but even a hefty rock will put one of them down. There is no reason why they could not at least be wearing some leather, or cloth. It’s something I would like to see the genre mature away from, but it looks like scantly clad women are here to stay for at least a little longer.
Next up is another plastic kit, a redone set for the Dark Elf Warriors. Included in this kit are the Dreadspears, the DarkShards, and the Bleakswords. I really like this kit, as the Dark Elves have needed a visual upgrade to their basic troop for a while. The plate armor is sharp and very distinct, and even the pointed helmets don’t look silly. I also think the spears look spot on for these guys, as it really helps the dark and twisted feel the Dark Elves should have.
Here we have the large creature kit for this release, the War Hydra/Kharibdyss. I really want to like this kit, as I love hydras and deep sea monsters. The Kharibdyss has a lot of potential, but falls short for me. I don’t like how it has feet, as surely a deep sea creature would have flippers and not clawed hands. I am also not a fan of the large lower jaw on the lead head. That being said, I think it could be easily converted to look much better. The other side of the kit is the War Hydra, and again it falls short. I feel the back legs should be bigger, and the heads don’t work for me. They look very flat, and they have no teeth.I’m also lost on why there is a large claw sprouting from the chest area. With some work, this kit could work, but I am sad that the Hydra needs any work.
Lastly is Shadowblade, a new character for the Dark Elves. What’s shocking is that this is the first character by GW to be given a plastic blister pack. This release has no finecast miniatures, and I am wondering if this is GW moving away from Finecast totally. I love the model, and I am thinking about converting him to be a Dark Eldar Archon for my allies detachment.
A pretty disappointing release in my opinion. None of the models really blew me away, but I am very impressed to see a plastic character miniature. I would love for this to be the average for GW.
I have been working away on a commission, and I should have some new updates by next weekend. Happy painting.
Cheers.
-Tarvick