So, this is a topic I have wanted to tackle for a while, and I finally have the time to expand and share my thoughts and motivation for doing Art Scale Marines.
As with a lot of things that involve Warhammer, my main inspiration is artwork and lore. Space Marines are described as being between 7-9 feet tall, and have a lot of weight and bulk to them. These aren’t normal humans, these are men who have been turned into living weapons. Each Space Marine is a hero in his own right, a towering figure clad in thick armour plates and armed with the greatest weapons the Imperium has to offer. With that description in mind, here are some of my favorite pieces of art for Space Marines.
Look at how massive the Space Marines are in the art. In the first image, you can see how large the Blood Angels are, even fighting Orks. In the next piece, you can see a Space Wolf, in regular power armour, throwing a Traitor (I assume he is an average size) over his head. I love how massive the Marine is, and just how powerless a single Human is compared to the Astartes. Even the kneeling human on the ground doesn’t come up to his knee. I wanted to include the last image, The Ultramarines vs the Eldar, to show that it’s not just humans Space Marines tower over. With all that in mind, take a look at the image below.
This is an older image of Talos, but it shows the scale that I am talking about. Looking at the GW Space Marine (middle) and the Guardsman (right) doesn’t evoke the image of a towering mythical Angel of Death. I assume that the Guardsman is the size of a regular human, as most are conscripted to fight. The regular Marine doesn’t have the same weight as the artwork does, and that’s a problem for me. I want my Marines to match the art, and to have the same weight on the table as the do in the art and lore. The Marine on the left is an Art Scale Marine, and he fits the image of what a Space Marine should be. He towers over the human, and has a lot of bulk to him.
I’m not sure who coined the term Art Scale Marine, but the movement to make Marines bigger then the current GW models really took off with the likes of Doghouse, Apologist, and Lamenter. Art Scale is becoming more and more popular, and I am very happy that a lot of people are excited to see it. Hopefully I have gotten across the idea of Art Scale, and the reason a lot of people do it. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments.
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Cheers,
-Tarvick