Age of Sigmar: Best of the Web, November 2018

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Warhammer Age of Sigmar Blog - News, Content and Miniatures

Ho there, good citizens of the Mortal Realms! Here we are at the end of another month, so it must be time for another ‘Best of the Web’. This regular feature is a digest of the amazing work of talented Warhammer Age of Sigmar hobbyists that you may have missed in November 2018, gathered together in one place via Twitter and Instagram.

But first, let’s start with a look at some of the unmissable Age of Sigmar news, commentary and content from around the web this month.

 

The Warhammer Age of Sigmar News & Content Digest

Once again it’s been something of a quieter period for Age of Sigmar news this month, at least from the official sources. Warhammer 40,000 is getting some final time in the sun before winter hits, whilst Games Workshop concentrates on filling its festive release window with the traditional hobbying doodads and battleforce boxes.

Yet even in this ‘quieter period’ we have been blessed with a teaser trailer for what’s presumed to be an upcoming Moonclan Grots battletome, a proper look at the new Darkoath warband for Warhammer Underworlds, and a full reveal of the Wrath and Rapture set containing brand new models for Slaanesh and Khorne. Not too shabby! Take a look…

Warhammer Community has also done an admirable job as usual with some fantastic content, including a superb lore article covering the Realm of Chaos, a showcase of Stephen Cranston’s Beasts of Chaos (featured on these pages back in October) and an excellent Guide to Endless Spells by Dan of AoS Shorts.

Turning to the best unofficial Age of Sigmar content on the web this November, Chuck Moore (@STR_Hammer) of The Realm Gate has written a great article on his first trip to Warhammer World (with lots of wonderful pictures). Then there’s an insightful bite-sized interview with Josh Reynolds about his latest book, Black Pyramid, on Track of Words. Also, while it’s not remotely an Age of Sigmar blog, I’d like to draw your attention to a piece over on Ice Axe Miniatures that introduces Games Workshop’s school clubs program in North America with an unboxing of the fantastic official support materials and products.

Now on to the delectable work of some extremely talented painters…

Don’t forget to follow and like all of the incredible hobbyists featured below to see more of their work!

Order

As far as I’m concerned, Oscar Lars is one of the great masters of the non-metallic metal technique. What makes his work even more amazing is that this Lord Castellant isn’t a one-off display piece or competition entry - his entire army is painted to this standard! I know, right?! If you’re not already following him, you really should be.

Sloane Dougherty’s Fyreslayers warband appeared in this feature last month, but in November he’s gone bigger - much bigger! Just take a look at this Kharadron Overlords Ironclad! Every inch of it is sheer perfection, with the imaginative basing and the weathering on the hull being particular standouts.

I’m not sure whether Da Red Brush painting studio is a single person or a team. Either way, they have a very distinctive painting style that features an alluring blend of pastel tones and brighter, almost neon colours, making this miniature almost seem to glow from within. It’s beautiful, otherworldly and absolutely fantastic.

Are you Leo Marsan or Leomar San? Or perhaps Leomar Santiago?? Curse Instagram’s lack of a clear name display! In any case, leomarsan007 shared this hugely ambitious conversion based on the Archaon model, which is now an uber-Stardrake ridden by one very lucky Lord Celestant. It’s a simple idea, but executed to perfection on a massive scale. Although as we’ll see, it’s not the only Archaon conversion that reared its monstrous head this month…

Jörg Frey has gone ahead and done something that I think a lot of us were curious to see, kitbashing Kharadron Overlords with the duardin of the Dispossessed to create a more traditional, slightly less steampunk take on flying dwarves. This really changes the character of the models in an interesting way, and personally I just love it. Great job Jörg!

Many in the Age of Sigmar community will know Jimbo as one of the organisers of the huge Realms at War narrative event and co-host of the Mitzy and Jimbo Show - and he’s a masterful painter too. His Lord Arcanum is another great example of non-metallic metal, while the blending and pattern work on the dracoline’s hide are stunning.

Two Akhelian Kings in one month! Truly the rising tide of the Idoneth Deepkin is, er… on the rise. Matt H’s example is something that’s pretty rare these days - a bright, bold colour scheme that in some ways harks back to the cheerful ‘Eavy Metal style of the 90s, but painted to the very best of modern standards. Not everyone can pull this off but, as Matt shows, when it works it really works.

 

Destruction

I love this Weirdnob Shaman painted by 2dorks1brush. It’s always fun to see orruks painted in a skin tone other than green, and the other colour choices along with the excellent blending and sculpted mushrooms give this model something of the feel of trippy 70s fantasy art.

Hehe! Megaboss Hogga. Good name! I shared Ian Hannam’s Gore-gruntaz in this feature last month, and I make no apologies for drawing attention to his Ironjawz army again here. This Megaboss shows off everything that’s great about his army and painting style, from his striking colour choices to his distinctive highlights. It’s subtle where it needs to be and flashy everywhere else.

 

Chaos

There’s a strong Nurgle vibe on Best of the Web this month, starting with Vince (aka dungeonsofperdition) and his wonderfully converted Bestigors. By kitbashing the Bestigor kit with the Putrid Blightkings, Vince has added a lot of variety and character, whilst also playing with the weird and unpredictable blend of man and beast that’s talked up in the lore but isn’t necessarily represented in the model range. The freehand work on the banner is also great, and overall his army has a touch of the classic Realm of Chaos artwork feel to it. Speaking of which…

Well, that’s disgusting - in the best possible way! Bigbossredskullz’ jaw-dropping Nurgle conversions are (whisper it) not actually for Age of Sigmar, but I’m choosing to ignore the fact that there are a few Plague Marines mixed in there because his work is just so darn cool! This group shot is just a taster of the endless creativity you’ll find on his Instagram feed, with dark and disturbing conversions to inspire anyone thinking of creating a warband in the AoS28 style.

Damien Pedley has been absolutely smashing out gorgeously painted Nurgle models this month - either that or he’s been saving up all the pics for November. It matters not! This Spoilpox Scrivener is just one example and I really recommend checking out the rest. For me, this is the quintessential Nurgle colour scheme, cleanly executed in a way that draws attention to all the great details on the model rather than distracting from them.

 

Death

This necromancer conversion by Postul (aka nurglewalkers) is simple, but extremely effective. The model is powerful for being so stark and understated - it just goes to show that sometimes less is more. What certainly hasn’t been skimped on is the quality of the paint job. Just look at how detailed and expressive that face is. Superb work.

If ever there was a renaissance man in this hobby, it’s Tyler Mengel, and I have a feeling I’m going to be showcasing his work a lot! I linked out to Tyler’s excellently written blog on these pages last month, and this month he’s shared his Grimghast Reapers, which are not only flawlessly painted but are also captured with quality scene-setting and photography that wouldn’t look remotely out of place in White Dwarf. Mr Mengel - I salute you!

These Dreadwarden conversions by Simon (aka Ingrimmson) warm my heart - or should that be chill my bones? I can spot bits from a few different kits here, but most notably the old Tomb Kings pieces give these models a really striking and unique character. The way Simon has contrasted muted tones with bright reds and blues really creates and impact.

There’s something about the colour palette and painting style that really makes this model feel like it’s just crawled out of a cold, stinking charnel pit. Pastor Llevac has absolutely nailed the horror vibe with this Ghoul King on Terrorgheist.

 

Warhammer Underworlds Warbands

It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Ever since Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire was launched, hundreds of hobbyists have been flexing their painting muscles on these characterful warbands, as they’re just such a great opportunity to go all-out on a smaller project. There are so many wonderfully painted warbands being shared that it’s impossible to highlight them all, but these two by SAhobbyminis and Mermintide are two of my personal favourites.

 

Conversion of the Month

So many great conversions out there this month, but for its epic scale , perfect execution and sheer audacity, how could I not pick this beauty by the one and only Vincent Venturella?

Based on the Archaon model, Vince has created an awe-inspiring tribute to that greatest of gender-fluid gods, Slaanesh. Making creative use of pieces from several large kits, I dread to think how much this cost! But it was worth it!

The whole piece is given a massive height boost with the addition of an equally well painted (but contrasting) ruined building. This conversion - in every sense of the word - is an absolute monster!

And now, as the November nights draw in, so our journey through the wonders of Age of Sigmar’s online community draws to a close This is just a very small sample of the amazing work being created and shared by talented hobbyists online, and I only wish I had the space to showcase more. Best of the Web will be back near the end of December with a stocking stuffed full of news, great content and awesome miniatures. See you then!

Please take a moment to hit ‘like’ below, share this article or just leave a comment to say ‘Hi!’. It would mean a lot to me. Thanks for reading!