The Silver Tower is a maze of madness, a seemingly-endless journey into mind-boiling insanity...
And to replicate the experience, GW have kindly given us the Ogroid Thaumaturge!
"Very little is known about the Ogroid Thaumaturge..." - hang on, this is from the fluff book. Isn't it their job to tell me what is known? Or make something up?
And to replicate the experience, GW have kindly given us the Ogroid Thaumaturge!
"Very little is known about the Ogroid Thaumaturge..." - hang on, this is from the fluff book. Isn't it their job to tell me what is known? Or make something up?
Anyway, I think we know the origins of the Ogroid Thaumaturge - the result of an over-caffeinated flipchart brainstorming meeting where someone shouted out 'Minotaur!' and 'Wizard!' at the same time.
Difficult to work with and easy to make a mistake with: the name itself should warn that you're in for a rough ride with this model.
In many respects, this is a cracking model: nice sculpt, easy to put together, characterful face, staff blazing magical fire. They've even marked out where to paint the eldritch sigils.
And I know this is a popular model ... but I don't like it. I think it comes down to the 'peeking-over-his-shoulder' stance. While I applaud the attempt to move away from the flat front-facing stance (I'm looking at you, Darkoath Chieftain), twisting his face like this means there is no one 'best angle' to view this from. Or proper direction in which to point him.
It also means his face his usually obscured by the blazing staff. And generally, he doesn't look like a creature of brute power and cunning magic, so much as someone who's trying to sneak out with his magical mop.
I'm being too harsh, but if you're not buying the Silver Tower set (and you would be advised to do so), he costs more than a Ironjawz Megaboss. And he ain't no Megaboss.
In the fluff artwork, there's a picture of a Thaumaturge strangling a Stormcast Prosecutor one-handed - where's that sculpt?
Paradoxically, I really enjoyed painting this model (most of it, more of that below). I tried some wet blending to move from the dark hide to the pale underbelly and I was really chuffed with how it turned out (I didn't even have to cheat and start drybrushing).
The blend of magical fire looks so good with so little effort I'm very tempted to buy a load of Nighthaunts and a big pot of Nihilakh Oxide.
80% done, and this model sat on the painting table for a long time until I could face painting the sigils. It's not just that they're finicky, but they also have to glow, will stand out the most from your model and you'll be painting them over your lovely blended skin, so there is little margin for error.
I went with a very small brush (naturally) and thinned mix of White Scar and Nihilakh Oxide (which, being a wash, is already pretty thinned). This watery mix was harder to work with - it needed a few layers to cover evenly, but it did run into the little sigil recesses, and so made my work a bit easier. Also the Nihilakh Oxide started off the 'glow' effect.
After that, a careful wash of Coelia Greenshade and then an even more fine layer of White Scar in the middle of the sigil.
I'd rate the result as 'passable', but it would have to be a lot worse before I go back to re-do it. Now it's all done, it hasn't really changed my mind about the model: I like elements of it, but still can't step back and appreciate the whole thing.
... and yet he's somehow become my general for the WoffBoot! So I'd better stop bad-mouthing him and grow to love the poor beast.
He was pretty brutal on his first outing (being able to conjure up Pink Horrors is useful, but only for Open Play), and got splatted by a Doombull on his second. He's either a useful combination of combat and magic, or an expensive leader than can't fulfil either role properly (dare not throw him into the big fights, but neither can you afford to hold him back). Only the WoffBoot shall tell.
Gentlemen, I shall see you at the tables.
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| "Wha ... where?" |
In many respects, this is a cracking model: nice sculpt, easy to put together, characterful face, staff blazing magical fire. They've even marked out where to paint the eldritch sigils.
 |
| Oh God, the sigils... |
And I know this is a popular model ... but I don't like it. I think it comes down to the 'peeking-over-his-shoulder' stance. While I applaud the attempt to move away from the flat front-facing stance (I'm looking at you, Darkoath Chieftain), twisting his face like this means there is no one 'best angle' to view this from. Or proper direction in which to point him.
It also means his face his usually obscured by the blazing staff. And generally, he doesn't look like a creature of brute power and cunning magic, so much as someone who's trying to sneak out with his magical mop.
I'm being too harsh, but if you're not buying the Silver Tower set (and you would be advised to do so), he costs more than a Ironjawz Megaboss. And he ain't no Megaboss.
In the fluff artwork, there's a picture of a Thaumaturge strangling a Stormcast Prosecutor one-handed - where's that sculpt?
 |
| Clever painters glue the skull head on last. I am not such a one. |
Paradoxically, I really enjoyed painting this model (most of it, more of that below). I tried some wet blending to move from the dark hide to the pale underbelly and I was really chuffed with how it turned out (I didn't even have to cheat and start drybrushing).
The blend of magical fire looks so good with so little effort I'm very tempted to buy a load of Nighthaunts and a big pot of Nihilakh Oxide.
- Skin: Naggaorth Night (back), Genestealer Purple (front), Drucii Violet wash
- Hair: Ahriman Blue base, Drakenhof Nightshade wash, Lothern Blue drybrush
- Loincloth: Flayed One Flesh base, Seraphim Sepia wash, Flayed One Flesh drybrush, Lothern Blue symbols
- Horns and hooves: Runelord Brass base, Agrax Earthshade wash
- Belt and bands: Stormhost Silver base, Drakenhof Nightshade wash
- Staff: Charcoal Grey base, Nuln Oil wash
- Ram skull: Ushabdi Bone base, Agrax Earthshade wash, Ushabdi Bone drybrush
- Magical fire: Skull White base, Nihilakh Oxide wash, Coelia Greenshade on the tips
- Eldritch sigils: Skull White/Nihilakh Oxide mix, Coelia Greenshade wash, Skull White highlight.
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| The sigils ... the sigils... |
80% done, and this model sat on the painting table for a long time until I could face painting the sigils. It's not just that they're finicky, but they also have to glow, will stand out the most from your model and you'll be painting them over your lovely blended skin, so there is little margin for error.
I went with a very small brush (naturally) and thinned mix of White Scar and Nihilakh Oxide (which, being a wash, is already pretty thinned). This watery mix was harder to work with - it needed a few layers to cover evenly, but it did run into the little sigil recesses, and so made my work a bit easier. Also the Nihilakh Oxide started off the 'glow' effect.
After that, a careful wash of Coelia Greenshade and then an even more fine layer of White Scar in the middle of the sigil.
I'd rate the result as 'passable', but it would have to be a lot worse before I go back to re-do it. Now it's all done, it hasn't really changed my mind about the model: I like elements of it, but still can't step back and appreciate the whole thing.
 |
| I glued the horns to look more dynamic, and less like a Texas Longhorn. |
... and yet he's somehow become my general for the WoffBoot! So I'd better stop bad-mouthing him and grow to love the poor beast.
He was pretty brutal on his first outing (being able to conjure up Pink Horrors is useful, but only for Open Play), and got splatted by a Doombull on his second. He's either a useful combination of combat and magic, or an expensive leader than can't fulfil either role properly (dare not throw him into the big fights, but neither can you afford to hold him back). Only the WoffBoot shall tell.
Gentlemen, I shall see you at the tables.
great blog - like the humorous tone.
ReplyDeleteexcellent looking bunch you're building up. I'm not surprised the big-un's looking over his shoulder with that lot behind him.
He's a paranoid ogroid.
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