Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Review: Seditin wars: Exclusive phaedrus chirurge

Greetings Archivists!

My swollen hands keep me from modelling or painting anything.
 But that doesn't keep me from buying miniatures.

And as the titel suggests, I have bought something very special.

Some of you had the chance to lay their claws on the model in question, since they were able to go to the Salute (or any other convention) to meet with the nice people from Studio McVey.
I say nice, because Mike McVey was asked on their Forum, how people could get those lovelies without the travel. So he simply said: No Problem. An additional casting run was made specially for these non-travel-requests. So I got my cast of the Phaedrus Chirurge

This all makes for Customer Service:

Now to the miniature.

Design:
If you look into the Strain design, you find one constant: the belly maw. If you think about all the designs you could use (no eyes, claws ect.) they all implicate the difference from the human race. While "no eyes" want to tell you "I can find you whereever you are, I don't need eyes for that", a "belly maw" is something completly differnt. The implication is pretty simple: Something is wrong with my organs. (makes me think of that one "inavder Zim" episode, where he collects organs from people).
While that implication is not as frigthening as the No-eye, which is the hunting aspect, it is way more subtile. The belly/organs indicate digestion or birth and if something is wrong with that, you are truely in danger. 
The Phaedrus Chirurge continiues this design and gives it a nasty twist. Instead of creating a weapon-mount or a birth/digestion-twist it appears, that haedrus is "wearing" the strain form as some sort of Suite. In my opinion that is genius and I can't recall if I have ever seen that in the model-world.
Aside from that "center piece" and that massice hulk containing a lovely lady, one aspect strikes the eye. The third hand. Having a hand on the hand invites a lot of stupid jokes and reminds me of one of these from my childhood:




Nonetheless is the reason for hands imho quite striking. Hands allow you to manipulate objects (like computers ect.) and that for suggest a high rate of intelligence. It might sound wierd and one could say "what small objects do you want to handle with that huge hand?" but design doesn't work that way ;)

The rest of the miniature is quite "plain" and fits perfectly next to the Grendlr, some torn flesh, some muscles and armourplates. Nothing extraordinary.

Design:

 (the hand is just a bit to much for me... but I am sure there will be fluffy explanation.)


The Model:
 What can I say, that isn't covered by pictures. The cast is close to flawless. Close to, since the left eye of the monsters head appears to have a bubble. But that thing is so small (the eye and the bubblye) I can't tell... It might also be a funky bionic bit as sported on your favourite space marine captain. all the bits and pieces look fantastic. Looking at the size of the model, I was really astonished. I had guessed, that it was bigger. But when putting it next to its kin and foes it makes a resonable size. Not those super-massive-giants we are thrown at by GW, that lack some details.                              Due to my still shaky hands, I am not comfortable with starting the assemply. But it looks like it fits quite neat. I will pin and GS+SuperGlue+GS the parts nontheless :D                                                                                             Have a look at the close up. I did my best to get some good lightning to get all the crisp details.                                             When I come home from work, I sometimes pic up the model and wonder how I am going to paint all the smallness on such a huge model. You can tell the masters hand on this one for sure.

Model:
 
The Price:

Well, this always starts a discussion. How much are we willing to spend on our beloved hobby?
I have read some time a go a listing of all the aspects Hasslefree has to take care of whne it comes to pricing. And since Studio McVey isn't much bigger than Hasslefree, I asume, they have the same costs, before the model drops in my hands. And for all that, the price of 20 british sterling appears to be on the good side of great. When I come to think about that... it appears to be much for a single miniature... but what would you get at other manufacturers?!
So with all respect:
Price:





Let me put this all together for you:
You get a great miniature, for a really awesome price in incredible high quality. What are you waiting for?! Oh, wait, yeah... it is a show-only miniature. So, if you know someone going to meet up with the McVeys, make sure you they get one. Or go yourself :D


All in all this model, considered everything gets a well deserved:



See you next time, when I will look into either more house building or the other SW Exclusive miniature :D


Thursday, May 23, 2013

WIP BCSD Episode I

Greetings Archivists!

Now what is this I hear you ask. "BCSD"?! Bold Cloud Space Destruction?
Well no... I have prepared a little picture-riddle:
I know...

Seems a little weird...

I give you a  The first word in BCSD is 
Beloved...

Castle

Shit

Dragon.

Beloved Castle Shit Dragon.

Now, what is this, you ask?
The biggest customization project I have accepted so far.

A little Prequel: My Nornqueen has been offered a house. And the price had been so good, we simply had to accept. Sure, the timining is bad (being in the middle of my trainee-teacher programm with doubtfull job expectations) but it was just too good...

The hous was build 1933 and back then, people had other ideas about rooms and architecture. And now we have to turn one house with two apartments into one house. That means tons of work, drills, shovels and what ever you can imagine. And most of that, I am learning by doing. Timewise my hands feel like swollen shovels. But I know what it is worth for.
The down side is, I have no time for miniatures and even if I had, I couldn't hold a brush. So, instead of taking you into processes related to miniatures, I will take you on the house building journey.

Here are the Pictures of Phase I: Tearing down walls, wallpapers, toilets and everything else.



Saturday, May 4, 2013

Inspirational Coil 3 -May the 4th be with you-





I know, I am getting randomly distracted by other stuff than making miniatures.
In any chase, make sure you check this out and celebrate in the right way this great day:
11 ways to celebrate the 4th of May

This time, I will spare you nostalgic stories. But I do recall clearly when I saw a Star Wars movie for the first time. Do you?

And all the rants about Mickey turning to the dark side...


... I honestly don't care. I really enjoy watching the "Clone Wars" animated series.


These are great! And Disney has been capable of making stuff for an older audienc.
If you haven't seen "Tron Uprising" for example, you should give it a try.
It is way better than the new Movie (which wasn't bad, in my book)












ANd since we are talking (atleast sometimes) about miniatures here,
you definatly should check out the Sedition Wars Storm Troopers and Jedis from Agis on the McVey Forum 



In any chase, have a good one today
and May the 4th be with you!

(and take a Wookie)