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The Dying No More - Eldar in 7th Edition

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Well unless you've been living under a rock, there has been alot of talk the last couple of weeks about the next iteration of the Eldar Codex. This time around we have a book that combines the following;

1. The five major Craftworlds
2. Formations left right and centre
3. Heavy focus on Craftworld strategic alignment
4. A new take on Lords of War

Not to mention updates for multiple models;

1. New Jetbikes replacing the old 1994 sculpts
2. Introducing GW made Farseers and Warlocks on Jetbikes (Skyrunners)
3. New plastic HQ kits (no finecast)
4. Jetbike weapon options (Scatter Lasers) that ALL Jetbikes can take (the 1 in 3 rule is gone)
5. Jetbike Autarch (updated)
6. And more... ;)

There is definitely a heavy focus on Saim Hann this time around, as Iyanden had its turn in 6th Edition. This leads to a strong prediction of Biel Tan getting plastic aspects and a new Avatar come their turn - perhaps in the next 12-18 months or so.

Of course, with all these goodies, the Warhost will be bolstered (yet again) to incorporate the new sculpts, in an amount to match existing batches. Yep, that means another 60+ Jetbikes... totaling 360+ Jetbikes.

As an Eldar aficionado, it has been INCREDIBLY hard sitting on all this information the last month being unable to say much, as I sincerely appreciate those in the know that have passed these details on in confidence knowing that I would be all gooey with anticipation for more Eldar goodies. A very heart felt thank you to those who trusted me enough with the information prior to all the leaks coming out (which can now be confirmed). Hey, it helps me budget for all the additions... that can only be a good thing right? Truth be told my wallet is still suffering the effects of Codex: Harlequins.

With this being the second largest Codex out there, perhaps GW have decided to drop the "Dying" moniker, I do believe its time for the Elves to reclaim dominance over the 40k universe ;)

Dras'Volharr Corsairs - Pirates of the Void

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Those of you who have been around since the days of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader will remember with fondness the stories of Pirate Eldar, their lightning raids and general shenanigans.


Luckily, Forgeworld decided to step in with Imperial Armour 11: The Doom of Mymeara a few years ago, bringing them back, almost two decades after their first introduction. Somewhere between Craftworld and Dark Eldar, these guys rock up with a rebel attitude and Craftworld technology. They say a picture says a thousand words, so here is a video explaining how Corsairs work:


With the current hype around the new Craftworld Eldar Codex being released, focus has once again come around to when IA:11 will be re-released with updated rules to tie in with their brethren- and rightly so. Latest reports have been "You won't see them this side of Christmas", direct from Forgeworld themselves. Previously I had it on good authority they'd be released by now, evidently 30k has taken Forgeworld by storm and the Corsair release has been put on hiatus. Not that i'm complaining... especially with the damage those Hornets can do ;)

Last night I received an email from Navin and his crew over at PaintedFigs.com with an update - A 120 strong group shot of the Corsairs sent over in February this year. I wasn't disappointed, not in the slightest.


And the close up shots:








What does a 101,000+ Point Warhost Consist of?

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The great census of 2015. If you've ever wondered what this monster of a collection consists of... well below should give a pretty good summary. Keeping in mind this has not taken into account the new models having been released in the last fortnight. Yes there will be more added over time... and my credit card will cry as that unfolds.

HQ
Avatar3
Wraithseer1
Farseer22
Spirit Seer4
Warlock50
Autarch5
Phoenix Lord7
Jetbike Farseer4
Jetbike Warlock22
Jetbike Autarch7
Illic Nightspear1
Harlequin Avatar1
Firedragon Bodyguard2
Yriel1
Solitaire5
Shadow Seer10
Death Jester11
Elites
Fire Dragons53
Howling Banshees40
Striking Scorpions68
Ghost Warriors OOP20
Wraithguard90
Wraithblades40
Troops
Guardians OOP212
Storm Guardians120
Defender Guardians120
Guardian Jetbikes OOP20
Guardian Jetbikes72
Russian Jetbikes (JG)100
Harlequins (Old)100
Harlequins (4th Ed)24
Harlequins (7th Ed)12
Corsair Jetbikes20
Rangers100
Dire Avengers110
Corsairs120
Wave Serpent73
Star Weaver6
Wave Serpent (Epicast)20
Fast Attack
Crimson Hunter4
Wraithfighter4
Hornets18
Nightwing4
Shadow Spectres36
Russian Spears27
Harlequin Jetbikes OOP25
Skyweavers18
Shining Spears30
Swooping Hawks44
Vypers18
Warp Spiders40
Russian Spiders30
Wasps18
Heavy Support
Dark Reapers50
Falcons (Armorcast)3
Falcons4
Fire Prism6
Fire Storm3
Night Spinner6
Void Weaver3
Void Dragon Phoenix4
Phoenix Bomber4
Support Weapons9
War Walkers OOP3
War Walkers12
Warp Hunter3
Wraithknight5
Spirit Warrior2
Wraithlord12
Wraithlord OOP6
Warmachines
Phantom Titan #1 FW1
Phantom Titan #2 FW1
Phantom Titan #3 AC1
Revenant Titan #1 FW1
Revenant Titan #2 FW1
Revenant Titan #3 FW1
Revenant Titan #4 FW1
Revenant Titan #5 AC1
Revenant Titan #6 AC1
Knight Destroyer #11
Knight Destroyer #21
Bright Stallion Knight1
Cobra MKII #11
Cobra MKI #11
Scorpion MK1 #11
Scorpion MK1 #21
Scorpion MKII #11
Scorpion MKII #21
Tempest #1 AC1
Tempest #2 AC1
Tempest #3 AC1
Lynx #11
Lynx #21
Lynx #31
Vampire Raider #11
Vampire Raider #21
Vampire Hunter #11

Guardians of the Galaxy - Yeah, not those guys

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Guardians. At first most think "Yeah, cannon fodder", then they're hit with the realisation of a blade storm shredding their ranks with relative ease, dismissing any thought there could be no danger from mere grunts. So what does a person do when confronted with 120 Defender Guardians ready to make sure your day feels like a Monday, and you've just run out of coffee? Prepare for imminent constipation, followed by shattering the porcelain throne.

Old mate Navin from PaintedFigs.com has sent over the latest work, complete with magnetised weapon platforms for extra pain and suffering. Enjoy the pretty pictures in all their awesomeness.








3rd Party Howling Banshees - All fear the voice of Death

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I've said it many times that without the assistance of many generous and helpful folks over the years this project wouldn't be enjoying the success to date, and today is no different. A certain very awesome friend from Russia made the day a little brighter by sending over this gem, soon to be Banshee Autarch of the 40 strong unit. Yet another sensational piece with all the trimmings! Love your work Sergey!



Update: Paying rent to the Eldar

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It has been a bit of a long standing joke that I'd have to buy a house simply for the Craftworld. Sadly there is a little truth in this, as one of the conditions was to ensure it had a space for a display cabinet - and a fourth bedroom to store them in the interim. Yes, really.


So what is this post about? I've just bought said house, sussed out a display cabinet and been served a warning notice from my wallet and bank account to resume a cruising speed rather than "full steam ahead" as it has been the last two years. Basically, posts will be reduced to once a month, or as new developments occur for the next 6-12 months while "damage control" on my bank account takes place.

In short, this is the plan of attack;

1. All miniatures "in the field" aka in the hands of commissioned artists, are to be completed before the next batches can be released. This will likely be Q2 next year.

2. Normalise the costs involved with taking on a new house - You know, buying the essentials. A trip to Costco resulted in buying popcorn, only to realise... "I don't own a microwave...". Being Costco let's just say I have a lot of popcorn sitting idle.

3. Acquire said display cabinet. This sucker is about 220cm wide, 53cm deep and 223cm high. Yes, it needs more shelves. Estimates suggest it will hold the bulk foot troops, vehicles are going in a different spot, and Warmachines already have their own cabinet (bought with the house). If I manage to find anything wider in the next six months, I'll definitely be grabbing it with both hands.


Well that about sums it up for now, rest assured this project is not on hiatus, simply taking time to "move in", before I start paying the Eldar rent money.


Arrrrrrr... ye' free Saturday night? Corsairs en route

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By now most of you have heard about the re-release of IA11 - The Doom of Mymeara. In the latest revamp of a golden oldie, we're getting all kinds of new happy fun time goodies... including access to Wraithknights with a slew of new weapons, Wraith Titans (rules to be confirmed) and a mix of general bad assery.


These guys were due a couple of years back, however were put on the backburner for the HH gear and Warlord Titan. I'm glad we were forced to wait, as the CW Eldar got a major injection of fun, which can only translate over into goodies for the Corsairs. Anyone who has been up against these guys will know the pain they can bring in their current incarnation - They're very viable on the tabletop in present form... expect alot of Eldar players to convert over to these death dealers of the rum drinking variety.



Having a full Corsair contingent myself (All my Titans and Vampire class flyers are of the Corsair variety), this makes me very happy in the pants. As I'm sure many of you will be thrilled of the impending release, I very much look forward to seeing new collections spring up full of eye candy on the interwebs.










Now, all we are missing is the Exodites, and the magic five will be complete ;)

What a wonderful Universe. Stay tuned!

Are we there yet? - Half way point healthcheck

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So Saturday brought with it an email of completion for the last batch of Aspects sent over to PaintedFigs.com - meaning the Warhost is now at 50% painted status. Yep, all the little buggers are done (spare a handful here and there), with vehicles and the remaining War Machines to go.


Granted updates will be probably monthly or two monthly from here on in, especially with this "getting settled" into the new house business (which hit my bank account harder than the fist of an angry god. Kudos to the folks working on the Warhost for being so understanding and patient in that regard. Next step, finish outstanding payments, save for a cabinet, resume Warhost commissions.

*Note: I may look a little something like this when the project is complete.

Not a bad effort considering the amount covered so far, it has been a crazy time. Made even more interesting by all the new releases the Eldar have had in the last two years. Seriously, we're now only missing the Exodites and all Eldar sub-types will be covered (CWE, DE, Corsairs, Harlequins... and Exodites). That would indeed make me a happy camper.

Hibernation... And Dawn of War III

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Well it has been a while since my last post here. With the new Dawn of War III announcement, I figured I best update this blog with where things are at. The project is still going, however buying a house and saving for display space has been prioritised before the rest is sorted out.

Let's just say a lot has been finished off in bulk, and the dilemma of storage has become a very real problem. Life naturally has jumped in the way and kept my bank balance from affording the built in display case... which will take up a space of 50cm D, 330cm W and 220cm High. Yep, lots of shelving with glass sliding lockable doors. Not exactly cheap, but far more cost effective than anything else out there.

Housing over 2200 miniatures is going to be an interesting feat to say the least, and given its in a darker spot of the house the shelves will need to be LED lit (hopefully in the Craftworld orange colours). No doing things by halves!

So what happens beyond this? Well, the rest of the beasties have been batched out to be sorted year on year until the project is done. Originally, the 20th anniversary date was slated for November 2017, although this may be the absolute earliest the Warhost is finished by.

Keeping in mind... there is an entire Harlequin contingent force yet to be dealt with... and those buggers are finicky to build let alone paint. I'm already dreading the repairs I have to do for the miniatures busted in transport... I may be a mad collector, however I'm not a mad modeler...

GW and FW need to lay off all the new Eldar stuff, I can't keep up at this pace unless someone has a winning lotto ticket laying around. If so, please get in touch.

For those of you who have missed it... here's the announcement trailer for Dawn of War III... keep an eye out for the Wraithknights of happiness around the 2 minute mark.

Eldar Hornets - Packing a sting

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Just a little teaser of the most recent painted additions, twin Pulse Laser wielding Hornets. Who doesn't like the Vypers slightly bigger cousin packing twin f*&k off lasers? Actually my Vypers have been collecting a little dust, despite being the miniatures that got me into the game (along with the still very awesome Falcon - Style that has held up well over the past two decades).

 It has been a while between drinks, however progress is still happening in the background - albeit at a much slower rate until I get this shelving sorted out. The guest room is literally floor to ceiling with boxes of Eldar... not that I'm complaining mind you.



Stay tuned for more pretties over the coming months and hopefully a photo of a full wall of Dras'Volharr beasties.

The Eldar Sketchbook - Review Time!

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So thanks to the generosity of my best mate, who snagged this at the local GW Bunker B'day celebrations whilst I was out of town, I've been lucky enough to spend the last 24 hours pouring over the book and all its tastiness.


What are we looking at? Basically a collection of Jes Goodwin's sketches dating back almost two decades. I will say up front though, if you have kept up with White Dwarf and the various Eldar books over the years, 99% of the contents have been seen - There is very little in the way of new goodies, or material that hasn't been released already. In a nutshell, it's a nice compendium of Jes' works, and probably not all of them at that.

Each page is littered with multiple angles of anything from the Fire Prism to Aspects to even the Forgeworld Nightwing Interceptor. The book itself would make a fantastic coffee table book, although given its limited edition nature, probably not the kind of collectable you want in the line of coffee stains or being worn down like a Woman's Day magazine at the local Doctors office. Definitely not at $83AUD a pop!

What could have made this feel a bit more special and limited edition like? Perhaps consolidating original artworks from the likes of MG and Co (I still drool at these artworks and would kill for some of his originals), or perhaps sketches of ideas yet to be produced (or abandoned)... Never fear though, these glorious relics of the Eldar are still floating around the Internet (and kindly provided below).







 
And an old MG favorite...

Maugan Ra and Taldeer (DoW Farseer)

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A couple of goodies graced my inbox today, it seems Mr.Vincent has definitely been tinkering away on a couple of the HQ models recently and definitely surprised me with these two new additions to the Warhost. As always, they're gorgeous...


For those of you unfamiliar with the Farseer, it is a fan made customer Dawn of War Taldeer... who got a makeover in the recent screen shots from DoW3, as a frickin Wraithknight incarnate - Yes, that's right... Taldeer, a Farseer as a Wraithknight. And you thought Eldrad was a dick. Prepare your anus monkey men.

As for Mr.Ra, well.. I think he will look smug flanked by 50 of his Aspect Kin. Good times ahead!




Birds of Prey - 3rd Party Swooping Hawks

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What a way to end 2016, a year that has been rough as heshin underwear for most people. My good mate from Russia has been at it again, this time with our skyward, grenade pooping magpies of death... the Swooping Hawks.


Now, many of you will know the previous works of Mr.Sergey, the Warp Spiders and howling Banshee Autarch. His Warp Spiders are one of the most sought after items and highest ranking post on this blog... just wait until I get them painted (yes, yes... I'm getting there... display case, then more paint). So, without further ado... the new Angry Birds!







A New Contender - Titan Miniatures

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After a lengthy hiatus (admittedly due to buying a house etc), this year's budget has been completed. So what does that mean for the Warhost? Let's just say a few things, probably the biggest though is a LONG discussed (last touched base over a year ago) proposal for the next major batch of miniatures to be painted, this time mostly armour and Rogue Trader miniatures.

Who or which studio is taking on this two year tenure of goodness? Arawn from Titan Miniatures.

A good deal of you have probably seen his work on Facebook pages over the years, however the lad is also a pretty keen 40k player (ranking 2nd in the Australian Independent Tournament Circuit!). A weapon with the brush and on the field ;)

I've taken the liberty of showcasing a little of Arawn's work below, followed by a list of goodies to be started in July this year (2017);







And the list? As follows;

9x Wraithknights (four of the FW variety)
20x Wraithlords (12 new, 6 old, 2 Spirit Walkers)
100+ Rogue Trader Harlequins
230+ Rogue Trader Guardians (including Jetbikes and some very old characters)
40+ New style Harlequins
30x 3rd Party Warp Spiders
30x 3rd Party Swooping Hawks
20x Armorcast Wave Serpents

...and to top it all off...

MK1 & 2 FW Scorpions & Cobra Super Heavy Tanks
3x FW Lynx Super Heavy Tanks
plus a bunch of new style Wraithguard (more than likely)

Build it and they will come - A new unique sculpt

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When you've got the bulk of prototype and unreleased miniatures in a collection, sometimes the next step is to start commissioning your own unique pieces to fill in the gaps.

Thanks to a friend of mine, I've been put in touch with a very talented individual who has taken on the job to do just that! A Mr Mariano Pagotti. Below is an example of his work with the Eldar's primary enemy;


So what is this gap filling piece you ask? Well, for now that's a bit of a secret - although as a hint, its a piece many Eldar players have wondered about for a good long while now. Let's just say it will have a nice little bit of back history in the Dras'Volharr tome once drafted.

On a side note, the display case is coming along nicely - having given up on the cabinet making industry, I decided to build it myself, for a total of 8.1 m2 of surface area over five shelves. The perks of building such a monster yourself is you can phase it in to suit a budget.

Very much looking forward to seeing the Warhost displayed on plexiglass LED lit shelving with the future intent of Mr.Helge's battle scape acting as a backdrop in due course.

Stay tuned, concept details to come over the next fortnight for this unique addition ;)

The Dras'Volharr - Permanent House Guests

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So I got sick of all the whining about "I can't see the TV", "Hey, Sputnik, got your head out of the way!", "Have you got any more snacks, or what?", deciding to build a display case in the living room... one where the aforementioned outbursts from the Dras'Volharr Craftworlders would be put to rest.

Somehow, in buying the house, I got lucky... and by lucky, I mean a double brick wall recess designed to hold over 100k of Eldar miniatures... seriously, its as if the space was destined for it. Guessing one of the Farseer's picked up on this upon inspection.

After 12 months, searching high and low for a builder to do the job, furniture stores who may have had a solution etc - I gave up and started looking into how I could do the job myself. Two months later, multiple trips to IKEA, Bunnings, Jaycar and making a few connections in China... all the parts are ready (or in transit).

*Many holes were drilled this day...

A wall space of 3.6m wide, 2.45 high and 55cm deep has been turned into an 8.1m2 display area. Each plexiglass shelf sporting its own LED strip lighting, wardrobe style glass lockable doors and storage space below and above for the full Warhost to be seen, oooh'ed and ahhhh'd over while playing Dawn of War 3 on the UHD TV (well... that's my nice little dream come April 27th).

*Note, the 4mm difference is now levelled... much grumpiness went into it

For a while now I've had people asking to see the full lot out on display and I've never had the space to do so... not to mention the time involved in unpacking so many miniatures - This is the kind of thing I'd like to limit in my lifetime. On the upside, it will give me back my fourth bedroom as a spare room, meaning if I've been naughty in buying the latest miniature for the Eldar collection I don't have to sleep on the couch haha (actually, I've never had this problem, bar the odd eye rolling moment).

*A Vampire Raider and Wraithknight for scale - Good times.

Ideally, I would like to have this all sorted out in the next month. With any luck, it will be ready before I kick off the next set of commissions with Titan Miniatures, so they have a space to return to once finished other than the back spare room!

And let's not forget Helge and the upcoming work for the battlescape... he has certainly not been forgotten in all of this ;)

Lights, Camera...

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Phase two complete... well almost. Lights have been added to the display case as the boxes are unpacked onto the shelves, which are filling up very quickly. Somehow, believe it or not the case will hold around 2400 miniatures - War Machines included. At the moment, there are roughly 1600 painted miniatures, with about 800 left (80% of those off to Titan Miniatures, with the remainder to my existing commissioned artists - the awesome bunch they are!).



I'll admit, the first time I flicked the lights on, it was in "disco" mode, which, had I been epileptic... I'd have been in serious trouble. Perfect if you like to break out the glow sticks and party hard though, which I've been told the Eldar do a little too well *cough*Slannesh*cough*.

One more strip along the top to get light down through the shelves and all will be ready for the glass doors - then the Titans can go up. For those of you shouting "why not now?!", if any of you have had little people in the house, you will know pretty things demand touching, and while mine is pretty good all said and told... I'd rather not play the role of hostage negotiator with one of a kind Titans ;)


And as a bonus round, I had a dig through all my old Armorcast stuff on the weekend - this is a small portion of it, however I thought it may be worthy of a photo (note, half the Phantom and its addon kit is at a mates place). Yes that kit at the front is the ultra rare Bright Stallion Knight prototype.


Commissioned Sculpt - Warp Spider Phoenix Lord WIP

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When a miniature doesn't exist that you know is needed to make an already comprehensive Warhost that little more complete, what do you do? Put the feelers out for the best sculptors you can get your hands on and see what happens.


Well, something did happen, or I should say... is happening. Meet the WIP Warp Spider Phoenix Lord Mariano Pagotti is working on.






After a number of concept art pieces were submitted to Mariano, an agreement was made to see how badarse the elusive model could be manifested to life. Afterall, no one likes anything done by halves in this hobby.

So, with the cat out of the bag... or spider in this case, stay tuned for updates as this little ball of hurt grows into one of the missing pieces so wished for over the years.

Video Update: The "unboxed" so far...

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Again, please excuse the lighting - the macro of a camera phone is probably the worst thing to use for something like this. More lighting to go in the top and bottom to "fill" the case, not just the shelves. If you want the high resolution images of what is here on the shelves, check the rest of the site as all the individual goodies are here (including the ones not unboxed yet!). Enjoy!



Warp Spider Phoenix Lord WIP - Update #2

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Mariano, not 30 minutes ago has improved my Monday ten fold with these recent WIP photos :)

With the integrated "Warp Jump Generator" now part of the suit, the first shoulder guard pieces down and head formed, small pincers (not shown) will goon after the next baking phase.


The holes in the back and side of the torso will be where the scything talon style armatures will lock in, adding quad power blades into the mix.



One of the scything power blades to be hooked into the integrated Warp Jump Generator.


Note, the weapons are still WIP, now that the general shape has been formed.


Stay tuned for the next update! Weapons and shoulder plates to be added soon.
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