Games Workshop, An Appreciation Thread

[JoeK]

Winner of the US Golden Demon awards announced - this one here:

 

 

As it should be, it's a very very well painted piece, but I can't help but feel it's also terribly dull and boring. Same figure was done last year in the US comp and won a silver - 

 

 

Is it better than that one? Hard to say, but I don't think there's much in it really.

 

I find it very hard to be too critical when it comes to these things, as partly I don't care enough about competitions, but also I don't see these things in the flesh, which does make such a difference. 

However, from the photos coming out from the show, there are some spectacular pieces all over the place, and I'm a little surprised at the winner I guess.

 

Or am I? It's all jolly good timing what with old El Jonson coming out and all that fun stuff, eh?

 

 

[Captain Kelsten]

Im not one to judge as I find space marines possibly the most dull thing in existence anyway. Whilst it is incredibly well done, it doesn’t look that much better than any of the stuff people I follow on instagram post regularly. 

[JoeK]

I probably should point out that I'm an old grump who never thinks anything should win unless it's a fucking huge great diorama. 

 

One fucking figure on a base? Pah, fucking child's play.

 

Give me a battlefield full of fun things I can look at any time of day  

[instasis]

I mean, every time there's a Golden Demon awarded you disagree with the winner.

 

Suggesting winners are selected on the basis of what models have been announced is a new low though.

[JoeK]

1 hour ago, Pelekophoros said:

I mean, every time there's a Golden Demon awarded you disagree with the winner.

 

Suggesting winners are selected on the basis of what models have been announced is a new low though.

 

I do hope you were directing that as a general comment as opposed to taking my point seriously? I certainly very rarely disagree with any winner of the sword, and as for the idea that there's bias in what wins in terms of what's 'hot' at the moment is absolutely a joke. 

 

 

[instasis]

Ok.

 

Interesting point on the winner - it was apparently entered at the last UK GD, but had a whopping great stained glass window behind it obscuring the rear of the model. He's removed the window and the back of the model is stunning.

 

[Captain Kelsten]

When I saw that diorama that won something before of a big giant fighting a hydra thing in water it was simply incredible, a level of mastery and talent I can’t even comprehend. 
 

That space marine guy is good, but I’ve seen so many like it, just as good if not better. It’s good, but it doesn’t seem to be anything special. NMM is good, I guess. But if you look at stuff by, say, Darren Latham or Elminiturista, they’re just as good. 

[JoeK]

I think the photo doesn't do it justice, that's for sure. I need to have a search for some 'in situ' snaps of the piece - whilst the lighting is never ideal on those things, they do tend to give you a better representation of how these things look sometimes!

[feltmonkey]

I follow Neil Hollis on Instagram (@neilpaints) and the close-ups of his Space Marine are pretty amazing.  There are details like the completely convincing way his damaged eye is painted that you can't get from a single photo of the entire model.

 

It's an incredible bit of work.  Obviously Space Marines aren't everyone's cup of tea, and it's fine to find them boring, but the execution of the painting is stunning.  I love Juan Sanz's style - his work reminds me of Kev Walker's early fully-painted art for 2000AD - but this is a magnitude higher in execution.  Every line is so precise and controlled.  I've had the privilege of holding in my hand the work of a guy who has won two slayer swords, and I didn't appreciate how amazingly sharp the lines and details are from painters at that level until that moment.  It made me feel like a complete fraud.  

 

If you scroll through the Golden Demon entries, all the winners are incredible.  Selecting a Slayer Sword winner out of that lost must be a nightmare.  How can you pick one to rule them all out of such wonders?  Obviously the big dioramas are always eyecatching, but you can't just pick the biggest thing for the sword every time.  Equal weight has to be given to the single models that are the bread and butter of the competition.  

[instasis]

We had a staff painting competition at work a few months back, and I think it was a couple of the events/WarhammerTV team judging it. There was never going to be any overall winner, just Bronze/Silver/Gold badges.

The rumour ahead of judging was that everyone was locked in for a participation badge (Bronze). This turned out to be Not True.

 

The reasons given for placing/not placing were fair, but also super strict. There was a wonderful Blood Angels marine, absolutely stunning, but the painter had missed a vent on the backpack. Instant disqualification. Another painter did a Horus Heresy marine - the style of HH not having edge highlighting - and that got disqualified because of the absence of edge highlighting.

 

The level of stress, disappointment and excitement on the day was palpable. I think I'd enter again, but even on a true 'hobby' competition where you're just going up against your own abilities, it was mentally exhausting. I felt like an absolute chancer (and given 90% of my model was contrast paints, that was justified).

 

Judging GD versus a bunch of staff chancers....well, I don't envy them at all.

[JoeK]

I don't think I really have a competitive bone in my body. I remember the whole waiting around in the competition hall when I last entered, and waiting and waiting. Seeing my figure there, and then not there for a small amount of time, and then getting a little pin was a huge relief and completely ensured I had no desire to enter ever again

 

It was certainly similar feelings to what you described @Pelekophoros, that's for sure and not for me really!

[Captain Kelsten]

 

Now this…this is incredible. 

[JoeK]

That is very good indeed. Couldn't have won the sword, but a really lovely piece. 

[Captain Kelsten]

1 hour ago, JoeK said:

That is very good indeed. Couldn't have won the sword, but a really lovely piece. 

Why not? I don’t understand or know the rules tbh. 

[JoeK]

3 minutes ago, Captain Kelsten said:

Why not? I don’t understand or know the rules tbh. 

 

It was a collab project by a sculptor (Allan Carrasco) and the painter. Unless the rules have changed, I think the thing has to have been made completely by one person and entered into the 'normal' categories (Open is for the public and staff alike). He's been saving it for a long time though - the sculpt was done four years ago!

[Captain Kelsten]

Ah, fair. 
 

there was only one necromunda entry I think and it got bronze for group shot. It was very good, and not just because it was necromunda (aka the best game). 

[Captain Kelsten]

Speaking of, I’ve almost finished my Orlock gangers. 
 

[Captain Kelsten]

 

 

Ork Kommandos! 

[Captain Kelsten]

[Spatial]

 

That's some wild T&C's 😆

[Captain Kelsten]

 

Gordo “Gutbuster” Hamsey, Captain of the Big Fat Belly Boys, my 4 year old’s Halfling Blood Bowl team. 

[Davros sock drawer]

First finished mini in over 6 weeks:

 

[Captain Kelsten]

In the darkest night, huh
I make the goblins fall, huh
There's a million Skaven
But I'm the best of them all, yeah

Who has the highest movement? (Ratman!)
Who speeds down the sides? (Ratman!)
Who does the sickest touchdowns? (Ratman!)
Nananananana Ratman, yeah!

 

 

[Captain Kelsten]

Today I worked out roughly how much I’ve spent on Warhammer since I started in October and yeah…I need to calm it down

 

No wonder people call it plastic crack! 

[Captain Kelsten]

Here is my first finished Warcry model: The Rotmire Creed Witherlord. 
 

 

 

Quote

The Rotmire Creed are artisans of virology, relentless in their pursuit of the perfect plague. A swamp-dwelling cult that worships Nurgle in his aspect as Lord Leech, their blowpipe darts and cruel barbs are daubed with deadly alchemical contagions.

 

[martingee]

Rotmire Creed also quite good in AoS. I've been meaning to get a unit for my Maggotkin, though like a lot of things in GW games you tend to take multiples and they work better that way but at £30 a pop for 10 models it soon becomes expensive even for a skirmish/screening unit.

[Captain Kelsten]

Yeah they’re cool. I painted his pal, the Bloated One. 
 

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq06jdtIoXz/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[ScouserInExile]

I haven't paid much attention to the fantasy side of things since it stopped bein, well, Fantasy. What's Warcry? A quick Google says it's an AoS version of Kill Team. Something else I haven't paid a lot of attention to.

[martingee]

2 hours ago, ScouserInExile said:

I haven't paid much attention to the fantasy side of things since it stopped bein, well, Fantasy. What's Warcry? A quick Google says it's an AoS version of Kill Team. Something else I haven't paid a lot of attention to.

Pretty much. The War Cry "teams" are usually unique to War Cry but have their own rules as units in AoS for whatever faction they might be from, like the Rotmire Creed for Maggotkin in AoS. Some AoS models can be used in War Cry but I'm not sure on exactly what as I don't play War Cry but Plaguebearers would be an example. 

 

Whilst the rules are different to Kill Team, the general concept of a small scale skirmish game with interesting missions and terrain are the same. As a setting, they're meant to be a gate way into the larger world of AoS (or 40K for Kill Team), but rule wise they're quite different.

[Captain Kelsten]

Warcry is a fast-paced skirmish game set in the Age of Sigmar fantasy setting. You have two teams - “warbands” - of between 6 and 15 models.
 

It’s a narratively driven game and each match has an objective and terrain set up and often a “twist” which is a random modifier. These can include things like sand storms reducing visibility, blood rain inducing rage in fighters, chaos beasts invading the ball.

 

Objectives can include killing the enemy team’s leader, capturing and holding a piece of terrain or grabbing some treasure and escaping with it. 

 

Games are usually over in less than an hour and use alternating actions or “you go, I go”, so each player moves a single model instead of their entire army. 
 

It’s really good, really fun. Quick and brutal.