Stormcast Eternals - Caution: OTT Minis

[Ray Rivers]

Cheers all!

I have now painted the hammers 3 times... which is one of the reasons these guys are taking me so darn long to do. I used Miniature Paints Blue Steel from Ral Partha, which is a really nice metallic paint, highlighted with silver. The effect, I believe, is that the hammers now really pop, and that is what I wanted. Personally when I looked at the minis painted by GW I just felt that painting the weapons in a conventional manner like normal steel was just not "celestial" enough... too much like real life.

As for the look of the minis, I don't see fantasy Space Marines, but then again, I've never been a really big 40K fan.

I see a muscled breast plate with leather skirting and pronounced greaves (which yells ancient Greeks at me) and a large Roman style shield. My initial reaction was this was a fairly big change away from the medieval ascetic we know to be so prevalent in Warhammer. When they released the Prosecutors with Javelins (kinda looks like a pilum to me) with round shields (common for ancient cavalry), in my mind it confirmed that the Stormcast are based on Greco-Roman imagery.



And perhaps this change away from the medieval towards a Greco-Roman look is what folks really don't like or understand. They are so used to Warhammer/Fantasy = Medieval type miniatures  anything different ... well, is just horrible.

As I've already made it quite plan, I like the new look. It is totally different, a complete change in direction and ascetic. Of course, I also love Greek and Roman miniatures, so I guess that helps. But I think folks need to stop seeing Fantasy Space Marines and start seeing them for what they are.

To clarify... Warhammer has gone from Medieval war to Rome (Stormcast) versus the barbarians (Khorne). Fantastic!

[Argonor]

in my mind it confirmed that the Stormcast are based on Greco-Roman imagery.

Which is also why people see the Space Marine aesthetics in them - a lot of greco-roman inspiration has gone into the imagery of several of the most common chapters, and combined with the exaggerated armour style, also present in the power armour, the comparison more or less presents itself.

As I've already stated somewhere else, I don't think the models are bad, and I kind of like some of them, just not enough to want to buy them.

[Omac 247]

I just wanted to add my tuppence and say what a nice job you are doing on your Stormcast.
I'm just finishing 5 Judicators, and have 10 Liberators and a bunch of Characters to do.
I followed the GW videos too, and have been really pleased with the results from the Retributor/Liberator/Auric Gold combo.

I hated these minis when I first saw them, but after working on them my wallet is now begging for mercy

[Ray Rivers]

Which is also why people see the Space Marine aesthetics in them - a lot of greco-roman inspiration has gone into the imagery of several of the most common chapters, and combined with the exaggerated armour style, also present in the power armour, the comparison more or less presents itself.

Here is how I replied to the same view on the BoLS forum:

Sorry, but I don't see it. The similarity between the two starts and ends with large shoulder armor.

SM have cod pieces, Stormcast have loin cloths and leather skirts. SM have rounded chest armor while the Stormcast have muscled breast plates. SM have helmets with snots while the Stormcast have helmets with crests. Leg armor of the Stormcast is more exaggerated indicative of greaves and the "common soldier" carries a large decorated shield.

I'm not a fan of medieval warfare, which I think is why I never really got into 40K or Warhammer. But the unmistakable Greco-Roman influence of the Stormcast was so strong as to immediately grab my attention.

Even the Khorne Bloodbound give me an ancient vibe with their lack of armor, focus on large hand held weapons and those Nordic helmets.





The imagery I'm seeing hasn't anything to do with Space Marines and when they were first released it never even entered my mind...

[Ray Rivers]

I just wanted to add my tuppence and say what a nice job you are doing on your Stormcast.
I'm just finishing 5 Judicators, and have 10 Liberators and a bunch of Characters to do.
I followed the GW videos too, and have been really pleased with the results from the Retributor/Liberator/Auric Gold combo.

I hated these minis when I first saw them, but after working on them my wallet is now begging for mercy

Indeed, that is exactly my impression.

The sculpts are so damn nice, if you simply follow the basic tutorial video, pretty much anybody can paint up a strikingly good miniature.

[Argonor]

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/8/15/129443-Blood%20Angels,%20Blood%20Angel%20The%20Sanguinor.jpg

https://30mmmadness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/jmh_0110.jpg

I'll just leave it here.

[Ray Rivers]

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2010/8/15/129443-Blood%20Angels,%20Blood%20Angel%20The%20Sanguinor.jpg

https://30mmmadness.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/jmh_0110.jpg

I'll just leave it here.

Thanks!

[Ray Rivers]

Finished! At Last!

Group Shot:



Lioberator-Primes



A couple Stormcast close-up.



My favorite pose... he looks like he is about to wail on someone with that hammer...



So... now that I have finished the first group and know how I want to paint them, in the future I will only be adding photos of finished models.

Anyway, hope you like them.

[Mangod]

... well, those look damn nice! Nice work, Ray!

*inferiority complex - growing*

[elysium64]

Like many other I was not a fan of these figures, but having just read thru this thread and marvelled at the pictures, you have changed my mind, the finished models look lovely.
I particularly like your golds (will look up that painting tutorial) and the colour choices you have made. Oh the feathering on the shields is fantastic.

[Ray Rivers]

Thanks guys, really appreciate it.

The photos really don't do them justice, but I think it gives overall a good impression of how they come out. The loin cloths didn't pop out in the photo due to the lighting, for example.

Anyway, the Liberators are the largest unit of my warband and now that they are done and I know exactly how I am going to paint them, hopefully I'll be able to be a bit more productive. In total, I have now 10 Liberators, 5 Judicators, 3 Prosecutors, 3 Retributors, Lord-Celestant, Lord-Relictor, Lord-Castellant and gryph-hound, a Knight-Venator and a Knight-Vexillor, for 27 models. So much detail... they are fantastic minis.

I've also started getting some terrain and buying Chaos minis.

I'm really enjoying the project and when I get things finished, I'll post them up.

[Andym]

Brilliant painting!  Full stop!

[OSHIROmodels]

Cracking job on them Ray 

cheers

James

[Omac 247]

Great stuff,a really nice job,  I'm about five models behind you in the process at the moment, and thoroughly enjoying myself too.

The models are huge fun to paint and look great on the table, I also managed to get my first game in on Thursday which went really well.

I completely understand the wails of protest from the old guard now, but have to say for me the rules as they stand will work fine.

Mind you, my Stormcast will do double duty as my Dragon Rampant army too 

[Doomsdave]

Excellent work Ray.  Timely inspiration for me as well, I am currently working on my set.