Games Workshop can create nice miniatures – that’s no secret. I haven’t seen many miniatures which look bad. Well, maybe some of the Ogre Kingdom ones, that’s not my cup of tea. Anyway, which are the most magnificent? Looking at the smaller minis there’ll probably be hundreds, so for starters: Here’s my personal top 10 among the larger ones!
10. Ogre Kingdoms: Gnoblar Scraplauncher
Here’s a wacky construction, where the Ogre Kingdom equivalent to goblins, the gnoblars, gather as much scrap metal (mostly old weapons it seems) they can find, and then hurl it towards the enemy. The whole shebang is pulled by a Rhinox, which is what the name suggests: a mixture between a rhino and an ox.
9. High Elf Lord on Dragon
This model is actually kind of weird, do you agree? It’s somewhat disproportionate. Though, I like how Games Workshop have used their imagination to make the dragon look like it’s leaping from the cliff.
8. Orcs & Goblins: Arachnarok Spider
I’m not sure how these goblins found their giant spider, but they certainly have tamed it pretty well. And it’s an awesome miniature! How do you fight a giant venomous spider with bow-armed goblins on its back? That’s a toughie.
7. Ogre Kingdoms: Thundertusk
As I said, I’ve never been a fan of Ogre Kingdoms, but this model is nice. It’s HUGE, even when compared to an already large ogre. Reminds me of a Mumakil from Lord of the Rings. And I love that stone/iron mask on the Thundertusk.
6. Wood Elves: Sisters of Twilight on Forest Dragon
As far as I know, this miniature is a bit old school. It comes from the old Warhammer dragon cast, with its small body, long neck, and generic wings (the same ones used for other dragons and wyverns). But for this model it actually works! I just love how the twilight sisters are “dancing” on the body of the dragon, bombarding their enemies with arrows. Feels very elven.
5. Lizardmen: Stegadon
A classic Stegadon, a model that has been around for a while but been updated a few times. It’s the same concept as the goblin giant spider; a big monster tramples everything in its path while the riders shoots arrows – or in this case, throws spears. I’m not a huge fan of the Lizardmen aztec theme, but otherwise it’s a nice miniature.
4. Tomb Kings: Necrosphinx
I have a hard time liking the Tomb Kings theme, it feels a bit off the Warhammer Fantasy Battles universe since it’s a classic Egyptian theme. But what the heck, this model is brutal. You’ll run out of a few pots of gold paint, but it looks so badass!
3. The Empire: Karl Franz on Deathclaw / Wizard Lord on Griffon
This model has alternate names depending on how you build it. Either as Karl Franz on a one-headed griffon, or as a wizard on a two-headed one (or a mix I guess). Both ways are equally cool, but I think I like the two-headed griffon the best. Not sure about the color scheme, but obviously no one’s forcing you to paint it that way.
2. Dark Elves: Dreadlord on Black Dragon
Again, a very imaginative pose, I like how Games Workshop are doing what they can to minimize transparent pillars to hold flying miniatures. But still, it’s taller than 8 inches and looks great!
1. Orcs & Goblins: Azhag the Slaughterer
And finally, the awesomest of awesome things: Azhag the Slaughterer. This is a miniature which I think GW have done a spectacular job with. No one can say that Azhag or his wyvern are particularly beautiful, but isn’t that the point with Orcs and goblins? Our anti hero Azhag looks like a real monster, mounting this giant demi-dragon, and the wyvern looks like it would eat anything in its reach. No matter if it’s a dwarf or a goblin.
So yeah, what do you think? Disagree with my list? Let me know in the comments!
