Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Call of Cthulhu => Topic started by: Malkcntent on December 01, 2011, 01:19:28 AM
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Blackball Games, Inc is proud to announce the release of the Elder Thing, the next “Book of Fragments” miniature – now on sale in the Blackball Games Store (http://shop.blackballgames.com).
Alien beings from beyond the stars, the Elder Things are thought to be responsible for much of the life now present on Earth. Those that remain after billions of years of isolation can be found deep in the ocean depths or frozen in the Antarctic wastes, ready to awaken and once again claim their place as the masters of this planet.
The Elder Thing is a multi-piece metal miniature standing over 40mm in height and is suitable for any roleplaying game or miniatures wargaming. This classic Lovecraftian creature was sculpted and conceptualized by Aragorn Marks and painted by Jessica Rich.
The “Book of Fragments” miniatures line is a collection of horrors, monsters, minions, and cultists for the tabletop. Drawn from mythos and nightmare, and re-conceived by top artists and visionaries in the industry “Book of Fragments” monstrosities break new ground and shatter expectations.
(http://blackballgames.com/Images/elderthing1.jpg)
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Sold! Though the human faces look a little off, but it may be the color...
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Sold!
That is perfect for my 15mm Strange Aeons. I agree that the faces are a bit too much, but I also think that the color brings them out disturbingly. And they can always be greenstuffed away.
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It's certainly a nice sculpt overall.
I don't get the why of the faces either... Are they supposed to be jewellery or something of the sort? Cf.
(http://www.websters-online-dictionary.org/images/wiki/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/7c/Barloweoldone.jpg/200px-Barloweoldone.jpg)
Also...
The Elder Thing is a multi-piece metal miniature standing over 40mm in height and is suitable for any roleplaying game or miniatures wargaming. This classic Lovecraftian creature was sculpted and conceptualized by Aragorn Marks and painted by Jessica Rich
...the shop says of "over 35 mm", which of course includes anything over "40 mm" as well... I grant it's fairly complex mini but still it sounds a bit small for the price tag of $20.
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I think it's fantastic, apart from the human faces. They don't belong on an Elder Thing IMO. Just doesn't fit with my view of the Mythos. Shame, otherwise it would have been the best Elder Thing ever made.
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WOW!!!!!!!!!!! :o :o :o :o :o :-* :-* :-* :-*
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My first reaction was to be really impressed. Overall a great looking Elder Thing. Unfortunately for this mini, of all the Lovecraftian creatures the Elder Thing is probably the one with the most detailed description. Like others have mentioned, the faces put me off- Lovecraft was all about downplaying humanity, or rather trying to remove any terrestrial physical and psychological attributes from his creations so it's an odd choice... unless they developed some ability to morph faces?.... who knows.
To be fair the press release states that the range consists of 're-conceived' monstrosities so it sounds like the departure is quite deliberate.
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It's not "a classic Lovecraftean creature" if it's an extrapolation... :?
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My first reaction was to be really impressed. Overall a great looking Elder Thing. Unfortunately for this mini, of all the Lovecraftian creatures the Elder Thing is probably the one with the most detailed description. Like others have mentioned, the faces put me off- Lovecraft was all about downplaying humanity, or rather trying to remove any terrestrial physical and psychological attributes from his creations so it's an odd choice... unless they developed some ability to morph faces?.... who knows.
To be fair the press release states that the range consists of 're-conceived' monstrosities so it sounds like the departure is quite deliberate.
You got it Dr Mathias. We're trying to put our own spin on some of the classics. For me, the faces add an even creepier element to the piece almost as if it's mockingly attempting some form of communication or empathy with humanity - for such a horrible creature the faces seems very out of place, which is why I feel it makes the thing that much worse.
Thanks for the comments!
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order placed!
i really like the extra 'creepy' factor brought by the faces.
regards
jim
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Well, it could be worse...
...they could be skulls. ;D
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Faces or no faces, it's still a kick ass miniature!
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Well, it could be worse...
...they could be skulls. ;D
lol lol lol lol
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Ordered mine yesterday. ;)
As far as the faces are concerned, I will see how they look on the actual mini, maybe I just dremel them off, no big deal.
Otherwise - as said - simply the best Elder Thing I have seen! 8)
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It dose look very good and I like that it has all 4 wings out.. If I remember right dident they have something to do with the creation of humans lorewise? So one could always add a chain or band between the faces to make som jewlery or trophies.
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Krysset80,
yup, you are correct, supposed to have seeded earth with life and now the few remaining ones are supposedly frozen below antactic ice or in suspended animation
regards
jim
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Exelent figure. :o
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Krysset80,
yup, you are correct, supposed to have seeded earth with life and now the few remaining ones are supposedly frozen below antactic ice or in suspended animation
regards
jim
shouldn't that be "supposedly"....
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i suppose....... :)
regards
jim
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I also think the faces don't really fit the an Elder Thing, I do think it's a great model and I'll probably buy one.
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i suppose....... :)
regards
jim
I've seen them..........................
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You got it Dr Mathias. We're trying to put our own spin on some of the classics. For me, the faces add an even creepier element to the piece almost as if it's mockingly attempting some form of communication or empathy with humanity - for such a horrible creature the faces seems very out of place, which is why I feel it makes the thing that much worse.
I kind of like this rationale. The way it seemed to me in AtMoM was that the Elder things were actually one of the more sympathetic races in the Mythos... well, sympathetic insofar as humans are sympathetic ;) . There was a major explicit ironic jab in that characterization (is it still technically irony if it's explicit? I'm not an English major).
They would have been right egotistical bastards back in their prime, but in the modern day any surviving Elder Things would be hunted refugees, and I tend to imagine them approaching humans with a fragile mix of PTSD paranoia and desperate chumminess. Like they feel they very much need any tiny sliver of added security an alliance might bring, but at the same time they're rightly terrified of losing what little security they have by exposing themselves.
...But of course, they're still aliens, so their attempts to be chummy are gonna be cursed by the shadow of the Uncanny Valley. Add in overtones of twitchy desperation, and "uncanny" becomes "pants crappingly creepy".. kind of like talking to the 456 on Torchwood, only they don't mean to be like that. Horrible misunderstandings for everyone!
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I'll be ordering about 12 of these post-xmas. They'll go well with my little army of Shoggoths and enable me to do the battles between those two factions.
I hope someone does a multi-part flying polyp to this standard....
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I hope someone does a multi-part flying polyp to this standard....
I really like the RAFM Polyp, but it would be nice to have some that are oriented differently so they look like they're flying.
I'm definitely warming up to this Elder Thing.