This is a genuine question although obviously will have so every subjective responses! Post a link if you can...
So I am mainly a painter/modeller rather than a gamer, and I like scifi/fantasy/steam punk/sports etc.... I'm after 2 or 3 exceptional models to paint. Not fussed about the cost as it is only a couple of figures....
There are quite a few really awesome models I've had the pleasure of painting, but these are the standouts: Astorath the Grim:
Any of the Dark Vengance Chosen or Chaos lord:
I haven't painted any of these, if you're not too fussed about cost, then Forge World Heresy Character Series all look to be amazing models. M ypersonal favourite would be the Abbadon vs Loken diorama:
Corvus Belli has really great sculpts with great detail and character, in particular their newest range, Infinity Bootleg, has been designed with painters in mind for example.
Never seen the dark vengeance gw stuff before and quite impressed with them...
I have to say the reason that I started this thread is because of the mierce kickstarter.... Some amazing minis but I would have to wait until half way through next year, I figured there must already be some amazing figures out.
I do like the infinity bootleg series, and I have them on a short list...
Andrea miniatures do some lovely fantasy stuff for talented painters, as do nocturna models. These are more display pieces as opposed to gaming models, I believe.
For Infinity, it's impossible to pick just the one miniature really, but I'll try.. The Anathematic
For GW, again it's really difficult as there has been so much good stuff over the years.. but in terms of 'quality sculpt' would probably go for this one
Or take your pic from one of these guys from Scibor..
I'm surprised by the number of GW based responses in here so far, I wonder if that's due to familiarity, or that people really do rate them that highly?
Still, to address the OP, I won't suggest specific sculpts, as that's like choosing between children, but I'll echo some sentiments already put forward,
Mierce Miniatures (who also have a Kickstarter running if you want to get in early for some new ones next year at a discount)
Andrea (look specifically at the Warlord Saga series for less historical, more fantastical stuff)
Rackham (all OOP sadly, but thriving aftermarket on eBay ECG)
Corvus Belli (makers of Inifinity)
Wyrd Miniatures (makers of Malifaux, worth a look as they do a lot of Steam Punkish stuff)
Just a quick idea - would it not be better to post the unpainted miniature instead of the painted one? A good paintjob can often save a terrible miniature.
I know "best" is probably the most ambiguous and open-to-interpretation word but some of you guys have serious rose-tinted glasses for GW sculpts. Don't get me wrong, I love the models and style but in terms of sculpt there is no way that this:
Pacific wrote: Nice idea for a topic, although this is like saying 'best movie' or 'best album' - really, it's impossible to have just one!
powerclaw wrote: I know "best" is probably the most ambiguous and open-to-interpretation word but some of you guys have serious rose-tinted glasses for GW sculpts. Don't get me wrong, I love the models and style but in terms of sculpt there is no way that this:
Pacific wrote: Nice idea for a topic, although this is like saying 'best movie' or 'best album' - really, it's impossible to have just one!
For Infinity, it's impossible to pick just the one miniature really, but I'll try.. The Anathematic
can even be touched by some of the Space Marine and Guard stuff posted in terms of model composition, sculpting intricacy and detail, etc
FW models, particularly Erebus and Ferrus Manus, are (IMHO) better than both of those. Before you mention sculpting intricacies, look at some close up pics of Ferrus Manus, particularly all the stuff on his back.
FW models, particularly Erebus and Ferrus Manus, are (IMHO) better than both of those. Before you mention sculpting intricacies, look at some close up pics of Ferrus Manus, particularly all the stuff on his back.
I actually like Fulgrim better in that collection. His pose is more dynamic, his face has more character imo, and the stuff on Ferrus' back looks kind of cluttered. There are definitely some amazing sculpts there but some of the stuff being posted is middle-of-the-road at best. IG naval officer? Really?
I think its really hard to pick a best, everyones tastes are so varied, and there are literally hundreds of great models across the companies.
For GW alone I could mention 6 or 7 I loved, or anything out of Space Hulk. I love all the AOW dwarves as well, despite the fact Felix seems to use his modelling tool even less than Anne Frank used her drumkit.
Some great sculpts here. I am definitely going to pick up a couple, just undecided which! It's good to see some healthy debate as well. It's always going to be subjective, what floats one persons boat isn't necessarily another's cup of tea.... (or whatever the saying is!).
I've always painted 28mm, but maybe I should try a 54mm as one of the new purchases..
FW models, particularly Erebus and Ferrus Manus, are (IMHO) better than both of those. Before you mention sculpting intricacies, look at some close up pics of Ferrus Manus, particularly all the stuff on his back.
'Best' is a subjective term, as is 'quality of sculpt' to an extent - although both of the miniatures you mention are crude in terms of the level of detail they contain compared to that Origen Art miniature. She is designed as a display piece and for miniature painting, and bear in mind at 28mm about the same size as a space marine.
Think some of the best sculptors in the world at the moment are Spanish; Carlos Torres and Fernando Liste from Corvus Belli, Pedro Ramos (who did that Origen miniature, amongst others), Juan Diaz (previously of GW - he did Lelith and I believe Astorath the Grim as well).
Really, you need to hold these miniatures in your hand to view the level of intricacy, if you've only owned space marines or looked at pictures on the internet you're in no position to judge.
Its all subjective, Personally I only like the GW type look and Steam punk style stuff also, nothing else really stands out for me.
Having said that the best sculpts I have seen recently are coming out of Mierce miniatures, It is the best selection of massive creatures I have ever seen anywhere, Well worth getting in on the kickstarter too I think !
Gotta say, I really agree with this. This is my biggest problem with a lot of GW miniatures - there's just too dang much going on! Any Space Marine HQ models are perfect examples of this. They're covered in cloth, sculpted armor, purity scrolls, little daggers, grenades, ropes, and a million other little odds and ends that make them take ages to paint.
Really, you need to hold these miniatures in your hand to view the level of intricacy, if you've only owned space marines or looked at pictures on the internet you're in no position to judge.
I own multiple KD, Infamy, Infinity, etc boutique minis and to make a blanket statement like that bout the FW marines is just untrue.
Angron, Fulgrim, and Loken are all just as detailed as anything I have. The detail and aesthetic are completely different, but to say they're less inricate is an outright falsehood. They're a very different kind of intricate, but the filligree on the two primrachs undermines your statement completely.
That being said, I think a lot of the GW models listed on this page so far wouldn't even touch my top 15......
I like the sculpt for the Ogryn bone 'ead. It fits the feel and fluff of the "character" well. Nice model to paint too. However, it is a pain to put together, pinning those heavy pieces together.
martin74 wrote: I like the sculpt for the Ogryn bone 'ead. It fits the feel and fluff of the "character" well. Nice model to paint too. However, it is a pain to put together, pinning those heavy pieces together.
Really, you need to hold these miniatures in your hand to view the level of intricacy, if you've only owned space marines or looked at pictures on the internet you're in no position to judge.
I own multiple KD, Infamy, Infinity, etc boutique minis and to make a blanket statement like that bout the FW marines is just untrue.
Angron, Fulgrim, and Loken are all just as detailed as anything I have. The detail and aesthetic are completely different, but to say they're less inricate is an outright falsehood. They're a very different kind of intricate, but the filligree on the two primrachs undermines your statement completely.
That being said, I think a lot of the GW models listed on this page so far wouldn't even touch my top 15......
I think perhaps 'intricate' is the wrong word for me to have used - 'delicate' might be a better choice, I think a lot of it is down to the character of the piece, and what it's trying to accomplish (whether it's designed to use in game etc.) I know with an Infinity mini I accidentally chopped off a miniatures hands (and felt like a right idiot for doing so!) although from what I have read I'm not alone. But yes, intricate is the wrong word, perhaps I was looking for something more tangential about something being designed as a piece of art (as in the Origen miniatures) rather than with a mind to being a gaming piece, made to someone else's idea. How wooly is that?
About the other point, yes I think some people are posting the miniatures they like most, rather than best quality of sculpt.
Actually, one other I wanted to bring up..my favourite miniature of this year so far, Infinity Aleph Penthesilea, by Fausto Gutierrez
I want to explain why I like this so much.. I'm a little biased, being a biking nut, but I just love her character, icy gaze, aggressive pose and she has paused for a moment with you in her sights! And so much attention to detail, that perhaps only a big biking fan would understand; obviously, right hand on the throttle, but the way the 2 fingers are hovering over the brake, in the manner of racers on thoroughbred racing or prototype machines (perhaps with ceramic brakes?). The way the swing-arm is a stressed member of the bike's chassis, looking like it comes directly from the engine casing. Ducati tried this with their own prototype racing machine, really cutting edge stuff. From the set-up as well, with no chain or belt visible, possibly some kind of 2-wheeled drive design? This isn't future technology, you can buy it today, but you can imagine that this is the kind of route a design might take in the future.
And that's what I fething love about this miniature.. it's that someone, on top of his sculpting skills, has sat down to think about what a bike might look like in the future beyond being just a thing with 2 wheels. Combined with that the style of the pilot, of the controlled aggression in her pose, the upturned heel, and the way that the edges and segments of the design of the miniature complement each other so well. Miniature of the year so far for me for sure.
Really, you need to hold these miniatures in your hand to view the level of intricacy, if you've only owned space marines or looked at pictures on the internet you're in no position to judge.
I own multiple KD, Infamy, Infinity, etc boutique minis and to make a blanket statement like that bout the FW marines is just untrue.
Angron, Fulgrim, and Loken are all just as detailed as anything I have. The detail and aesthetic are completely different, but to say they're less inricate is an outright falsehood. They're a very different kind of intricate, but the filligree on the two primrachs undermines your statement completely.
That being said, I think a lot of the GW models listed on this page so far wouldn't even touch my top 15......
I think perhaps 'intricate' is the wrong word for me to have used - 'delicate' might be a better choice, I think a lot of it is down to the character of the piece, and what it's trying to accomplish (whether it's designed to use in game etc.) I know with an Infinity mini I accidentally chopped off a miniatures hands (and felt like a right idiot for doing so!) although from what I have read I'm not alone. But yes, intricate is the wrong word, perhaps I was looking for something more tangential about something being designed as a piece of art (as in the Origen miniatures) rather than with a mind to being a gaming piece, made to someone else's idea. How wooly is that?
About the other point, yes I think some people are posting the miniatures they like most, rather than best quality of sculpt.
Actually, one other I wanted to bring up..my favourite miniature of this year so far, Infinity Aleph Penthesilea, by Fausto Gutierrez
I want to explain why I like this so much.. I'm a little biased, being a biking nut, but I just love her character, icy gaze, aggressive pose and she has paused for a moment with you in her sights! And so much attention to detail, that perhaps only a big biking fan would understand; obviously, right hand on the throttle, but the way the 2 fingers are hovering over the brake, in the manner of racers on thoroughbred racing or prototype machines (perhaps with ceramic brakes?). The way the swing-arm is a stressed member of the bike's chassis, looking like it comes directly from the engine casing. Ducati tried this with their own prototype racing machine, really cutting edge stuff. From the set-up as well, with no chain or belt visible, possibly some kind of 2-wheeled drive design? This isn't future technology, you can buy it today, but you can imagine that this is the kind of route a design might take in the future.
And that's what I fething love about this miniature.. it's that someone, on top of his sculpting skills, has sat down to think about what a bike might look like in the future beyond being just a thing with 2 wheels. Combined with that the style of the pilot, of the controlled aggression in her pose, the upturned heel, and the way that the edges and segments of the design of the miniature complement each other so well. Miniature of the year so far for me for sure.
I love this model too. And I like your summation. And I think you're right about the sculptors thought process. Though don't the Spanish love their motoGP? You might find this guy is a bike fan as well, and has always been dreaming of an opportunity to sculpt something like this.
As to the prevalence of gw minis here, I suppose that's what most folk know (some people only know gw, can't get down on them too much for that) and even though we are talking about quality of sculpt, we're also talking about character which is something gw can do really well. All very subjective though, of course.
PsychoticStorm wrote:Quantity does not equal quality.
A quantity of good details does.
That's subjective of course, but for me the GW way of cluttering everything with things, is not quantity of good details, there must be a balance for quality to exist.
Say what you want about GW (and I think for the most part they're an awful company nowadays) but they do have a huge amount of good sculpts. Yes, they also have a large amount of bad sculpts but that's because they have like 30 armies to make models for..
Hard to beat Ferrus Manus to me. Most of the FW heresy stuff has been some of the best models I've seen in awhile, granted you have to LIKE space marines.
Since this is all subjective our own bias matters a huge deal. If you're a LOTR nut and love gandalf the most out of everything in the universe you're probably not going to agree that Ferrus Manus is a better model compared to the 50th sculpt of Gandalf.
@Pacific -- Delicate. Now that's a different story altogether I think GW has one, maybe two, good "delicate" sculpts. Hesperax and the Eldar Ranger character. That's about it. The heroic scale just doesn't make delicate terribly possible.
I looooove that Infinity Aleph chick, but I have to admit I had a little trouble putting her together. I had to rearange her body a bit to get the footpedal to fit in correctly. But you're right; that model is the tits.
Like I said, I don't think any of the GW models listed here would make my top 15 models that I own, though Hesperax would be close. I like her a lot.
PsychoticStorm wrote:Quantity does not equal quality.
A quantity of good details does.
That's subjective of course, but for me the GW way of cluttering everything with things, is not quantity of good details, there must be a balance for quality to exist.
PsychoticStorm wrote:Quantity does not equal quality.
A quantity of good details does.
That's subjective of course, but for me the GW way of cluttering everything with things, is not quantity of good details, there must be a balance for quality to exist.
PsychoticStorm wrote:Quantity does not equal quality.
A quantity of good details does.
That's subjective of course, but for me the GW way of cluttering everything with things, is not quantity of good details, there must be a balance for quality to exist.
Rather interesting that they didn't attach his Iron Halo on that image, I've never noticed that before.
Probably one of my favorite models ever. This guy embodies 40k...
Also this guy - in the upper left corner has always been one of my favorite models... not sure what it is about him.
I agree on both counts.
I actually prefer the old Sternguard sculpts as they are more varied than the new kit. But I do love the new kit as it is PACKED with unique plastic bits.
Yes - I guess it's a fine line to balance between artistic license/aesthetic, and plausibility. Think the forge world ork might find that bike a bit tiring to ride with the shaking, and the moment he tried to turn a corner on a hard surface, the tiny contact patch of those spikes would mean he would be instantly getting a close-up view of the tarmac, most likely upside-down. The ork himself would completely block the air intake of the jet engine on the back, assuming he isn't sucked into it by the fan! See also: Space Marine bikes, which would be impossible to turn with those tractor tyres, and Judge Dredd (although he's allowed to get away with it because he's Judge Dredd )
I'm only kidding by the way! Rule of cool and all that (although, think I would file off the spikes on the FW orks wheels, just because that kind of thing would annoy me!)
Yes - I guess it's a fine line to balance between artistic license/aesthetic, and plausibility. Think the forge world ork might find that bike a bit tiring to ride with the shaking, and the moment he tried to turn a corner on a hard surface, the tiny contact patch of those spikes would mean he would be instantly getting a close-up view of the tarmac, most likely upside-down. The ork himself would completely block the air intake of the jet engine on the back, assuming he isn't sucked into it by the fan! See also: Space Marine bikes, which would be impossible to turn with those tractor tyres, and Judge Dredd (although he's allowed to get away with it because he's Judge Dredd )
I'm only kidding by the way! Rule of cool and all that (although, think I would file off the spikes on the FW orks wheels, just because that kind of thing would annoy me!)
The Ork Warboss bike is actually modelled on a scenic base which has a lot of soft earth on it with the spikes being shown as digging in, so in context they are perfectly OK. With the air intake, you may have a point...
But like you say, cool beats actual physics nine times out of ten.
Yes - I guess it's a fine line to balance between artistic license/aesthetic, and plausibility. Think the forge world ork might find that bike a bit tiring to ride with the shaking, and the moment he tried to turn a corner on a hard surface, the tiny contact patch of those spikes would mean he would be instantly getting a close-up view of the tarmac, most likely upside-down. The ork himself would completely block the air intake of the jet engine on the back, assuming he isn't sucked into it by the fan! See also: Space Marine bikes, which would be impossible to turn with those tractor tyres, and Judge Dredd (although he's allowed to get away with it because he's Judge Dredd )
I'm only kidding by the way! Rule of cool and all that (although, think I would file off the spikes on the FW orks wheels, just because that kind of thing would annoy me!)
The Ork Warboss bike is actually modelled on a scenic base which has a lot of soft earth on it with the spikes being shown as digging in, so in context they are perfectly OK. With the air intake, you may have a point...
But like you say, cool beats actual physics nine times out of ten.
Agreed on all accounts.
Reference the intake and the ork stopping air entering the engine and not working.
Its Ork tech, and Ork tech works because the Ork believes it will.
Sorry can't/don't know how to post pics on my phone but this dragon has got to be up there I want one just to paint it's such a strange empire model but if you've never seen it I'd recommend having a peak.
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer/THE-EMPIRE/ELSPETH-VON-DRAKEN-ON-CARMINE-DRAGON.html As for GW most of my favourites have been posted, termie chapie, stern wiv fist, nob kommando. All very great presence if not the best sculpts ever!
Its a really hard question for the 'best' miniature. Lost of companies put out absolutely fantastic miniatures, and it is immensely hard if not downright ludicrous to try to compare Dropzone Commander dropships to Dark Eldar Kabalite Warriors to the Privateer Press Trollblood Mountain King. The things that make a multi-part plastic kit a great model are so different to the things that make a good monster or single character model...
Fifteen years old, and at the time a close contender for "most characterful GW model ever". And he still holds up.
...and
Even though I don't need them for gaming, the quality of a lot of Enigma's models is impressive enough to make me actually buy them just for the joy of painting them...
If you bide your time they occasionally show up on ebay - I got one of the previous limited edition figs, minus the cards and other bits, the other day for a pretty reasonable price.
Shadow Captain Korvydae of the 10th Company, Raven Guard.
I don't claim this to be the best ever sculpt, but it is certainly one of my favourite (being a Raven Guard player I'm a wee bit biased). The face is fantastic, with lots of character. Though my painting failed to do him justice. He was my first Forgeworld model, and not being aware of the awful film release agent that necessitates decontamination before painting, I painted it too thickly. It was quite a surreal experience, watching the model reject the paint before my eyes, like two magnets repelling each other.
Spoiler:
I learned my lesson, and last month I assembled a Legion Recon Squad (will be using them as Sternguard with Umbra Ferrox boltguns) and spent an hour scrubbing everything in warm soapy water with a toothbrush.
I don't claim this to be the best ever sculpt, but it is certainly one of my favourite (being a Raven Guard player I'm a wee bit biased). The face is fantastic, with lots of character. Though my painting failed to do him justice. He was my first Forgeworld model, and not being aware of the awful film release agent that necessitates decontamination before painting, I painted it too thickly. It was quite a surreal experience, watching the model reject the paint before my eyes, like two magnets repelling each other.
Spoiler:
I learned my lesson, and last month I assembled a Legion Recon Squad (will be using them as Sternguard with Umbra Ferrox boltguns) and spent an hour scrubbing everything in warm soapy water with a toothbrush.
I think Koryvde has one of the best faces on a miniature.
Models like that are why I never understand old-school WH players that yearn for a return to that aesthetic. Most old WH miniatures that I've seen are just nasty.
So, to update this thread, I've bitten the bullet and gone for a slightly longer term approach. I have joined the mierce kickstarter as there are some fantastic sculpts there. I have started one of the vilthiss snake people and am amazed at the quality of sculpt, the interesting species and characterful mini.
The original Valten is hands down the best mini ever sculpted. I remember when Warseer was still Portent and the news&rumors section had the original leaked image under the title "sigmar?" and I nearly lost it. There's been a lot of "Conan"s over the years, official and wannabes, but Valten, the original Valten, captures it better than any of them. The pose, the face, the hair, I've probably used 6 of them for various things over the years just because it was such a great model.
2nd place:
For many of the same reaosns I love Valten, this is my 2nd favorite model of all time. The pose, the face, the hair, everything I want in a mini. Just looks badass and awesome and intimidating. Cool factor all the way up to 11.
The original Valten is hands down the best mini ever sculpted. I remember when Warseer was still Portent and the news&rumors section had the original leaked image under the title "sigmar?" and I nearly lost it. There's been a lot of "Conan"s over the years, official and wannabes, but Valten, the original Valten, captures it better than any of them. The pose, the face, the hair, I've probably used 6 of them for various things over the years just because it was such a great model.
I ask, why dosen't Valten have rules? IIRC Snitch killed him at the end of SOC but GW has retconned WH to just before the campaign.
The original Valten is hands down the best mini ever sculpted. I remember when Warseer was still Portent and the news&rumors section had the original leaked image under the title "sigmar?" and I nearly lost it. There's been a lot of "Conan"s over the years, official and wannabes, but Valten, the original Valten, captures it better than any of them. The pose, the face, the hair, I've probably used 6 of them for various things over the years just because it was such a great model.
2nd place:
For many of the same reaosns I love Valten, this is my 2nd favorite model of all time. The pose, the face, the hair, everything I want in a mini. Just looks badass and awesome and intimidating. Cool factor all the way up to 11.
You, sir, have really good taste!
I really like Valten. He's not covered in garish details, which I really really like as opposed to something covered in detail. I've never seen the model before, but I think he's one of my new favourites.
The Wood Elf miniature is also the reason why I started collecting Wood Elves (though I still haven't gotten my hands on the damn thing!). He looks so fragile but seems to exude confidence or something.
Okay, this guy is a stand in for the entire Red Box line for me. Really awesome miniatures in a consistent style with true scale features. Bloody amazing.
shamikebab wrote: I cannot believe someone just posted Canis Wolfborn.
I'm hoping that a number of the GW sculpts are being posted as jokes, to be honest. Nagash obviously was, but Canis is not a good sculpt, mainly due to the giant trained attack squirrel he is riding.
When you look at some of sculpts that Mierce, Enigma, Kingdom Death, etc are putting out, GW aren't even in the same ballpark.
Well, to be fair, its not much worse than some other people's favourites. So, it's not obviously a joke. Not sure that the face palm is necessary.
And i think we should try keep this thread serious. It's introducing people to some really nice miniatures and some really good, but less well known manufacturers.
Plus, there's already a "worst sculpt ever" thread.
alanmckenzie wrote: Well, to be fair, its not much worse than some other people's favourites.
Really? pHaley is pretty much the worst model PP have made.
Then why post it in a thread about the best ever sculpt? This thread has turned me on to some new models and companies, and I can only imagine has done similar for others, I would very much like it to keep going and continue to do so.
OT nonsense like this, especially as it isn't obviously a joke, is just wasting everyone else's time, and increasing the odds of it getting locked.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Just to get things back on track, not sure I'd say "best ever" but I took delivery of this guy from Dark Hammer miniatures today, quality is exceptional, the concept is quite original and the sculpting is pretty fabulous too.
They only have a small portfolio so far, but if they keep turning out things like this, they are a company to keep an eye on.
EDIT I plan to use him as a Nurgle DP in my Daemons army, after some light conversion, if anyone was wondering!
I want to get a WOC army just so I can use these model.
That's more like it,
Although I would urge you to look further abroad than the GW site, even some of their best work is starting to look positively mediocre compared to what some other companies are turning out.
I urge you to check out the Ysian Drunes from Mierce if you like the idea of WoC or just spend an hour browsing some of the galleries on cool mini or not to really see what amazing stuff is being produced at the moment and really gain a sense of perspective.
Here's the thing about GW sculpts: they have style. There are some models out there that are technically better, that are more anatomically correct, that have more detail. But it's all about how the miniature comes together. The Barbarian Dude is a fantastic mini, just awesome and amazing and I wish I had gotten one because I've seen some absolutely gorgeous ones painted up. But as absolutely cool as it is, I'd rather have a Valten. He's almost got a certain cartoon aspect to him that the hyper-realistic 'roided out anatomy on Barbarian Dude just doesn't quite match. The sculpting on TBD is better, the level of detail is better, but it is not a better figure.
There are a LOT of great minis out there, GW was top dog in miniatures for a reason, but Rackham was making figures 10 years ago that matches or exceeds stuff put out today. Recently Corvus belli and Wyrd took up that spot and you also have Mierce and Mercs and Raging Heroes and a few dozen others all making amazing figs. Reaper makes a lot of solid good-but-not-great minis, but there's a few true gems in their lines that hold up against any other company.
But my personal criteria for a truly amazing model? It has to inspire you to make a roleplaying character, not the other way around. It has to inspire you to build an army around it. It inspired you to come back to the hobby after you left it. That is what makes something "the best miniature", not just that it's simply more detailed or more realistic or "better" in the technical, skill-of-the-sculptor way. It's something more personal and more subjective: it's art at that point, the literal definition of art. It elicits an emotional response.
And so yes, there are "better" sculpts than the ones listed here, but in the very subjective sense they aren't really better now are they? Canis Wolfborn is a terrible model IMHO, just horrid. But I can see how he could (to some people) have that "wow" factor that made a person start a Space Wolf army.
I'll end this by posting some more of my favorites, this time both technically good and inspiring good models
I'm not going to say that PP make the best sculpts around - they make nice gaming pieces, with occasional weird choices when breaking models down to parts (Nyss Hunters and Steelhead Halberdiers, I'm looking at you) - but there are some pretty nice sculpts in the range.
I've tried to pick one from each faction that I really like.
Spoiler:
Cygnar - Captain Jeremiah Kraye
Spoiler:
Protectorate of Menoth - Paladin of the Order of the Wall
Spoiler:
Khador - Supreme Kommandant Irusk
Spoiler:
Cryx - Brute Thrall (I'm not terribly keen on the Cryx look, though)
Spoiler:
Mercs - Harlan Phineas Versh, Illuminated One
Spoiler:
Trollbloods - Mountain King
Spoiler:
Circle - Classic Pureblood Warpwolf
Spoiler:
Skorne - Mammoth
Spoiler:
Legion of Everblight - Archangel
Spoiler:
Minions - War Hog
Spoiler:
IKRPG - Valeria Alvaro, Ordic Pistoleer
Again, I don't want to make the claim that these are the best around, but they are quite nice to paint.
id thought id throw in a possibly unknown miniature into the ring that i found while searching for a non black reach warboss for my personal Whaaagh
hes a russian sculpt as far as i know and sold on ebay through a store called hobby world
if any of you peeps know more please do tell cause id be interested in more of this persons work
This is a genuine question although obviously will have so every subjective responses! Post a link if you can...
So I am mainly a painter/modeller rather than a gamer, and I like scifi/fantasy/steam punk/sports etc.... I'm after 2 or 3 exceptional models to paint. Not fussed about the cost as it is only a couple of figures....
LOVE Epic Irusk. When I pick Warmachine back up in the future, I'll be hard pressed not to go Khador again.
Not a fan of Calgar really but the honor guard are FANTASTIC models. I love the whole concept of those five guys being so badass they're tasked with standing with the chapter master, or captain.
Well hard to pick a specific model:
I like the Infinity models alot
Reaper has some decent individual models and there are a toooooooon to choose from
Of course GW makes good stuff I really like most of the Daemons of Chaos sculpts mainly:
I like this guy based on his pose the "Come and get me if you want me" type attitude haha the sculpt itself is just okay :p
I really like some of the raging heroes, especially these. Though their 'Tough Girls' Kickstarter looks set to have some amazing miniatures if they turn out half as good as the concept art.
There's too many models from too many companies to pick just one model, but I've got a soft spot for Red Box Games. If I had to pick one of theirs, it'd be The Keeper.
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I also really love Ultraforge's Greater Plague Demon. He just looks so happy, and he's great fun to paint (IIRC, the leg is censored because it was initially some sort of tentacle/claw thing and got replaced with a hoof at some point).
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Surprised to see no love for Dark Sword in this thread, I dig this not-Gandalf.
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This was a limited edition - "Princess of the Night" by Nocturna. It's kind of generically "sad vampire-ish girl in dress," but there's just something about it. I've never been able to get ahold of one on ebay. The fact that I will probably never paint one haunts me.
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Speaking of vampires: I don't think many people actually like this model, but IMOGW's one-winged Vampire Lord is one of their best WHFB characters. Yeah, the bat looks stupid, but fortunately it's detachable.
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My absolute favorite GW model BY FAR is The Tainted, both on foot and mounted. He's just creepy as all hell.
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I didn't want to post too many GW minis, but... you gotta love the Corpse Cart.
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And even though it doesn't really have "character," per se, I'm seconding the Repulsive Class Grand Cruiser, this thing is probably my favorite spaceship design ever. And it's got a great name.
I've just been building a couple of mierce miniatures alongside some mantic dreadball minis, and although I love the mantic games, the minis are in a different league!
These would probably be favourites rather than "best sculpts", but it's hard to distinguish.
Can't get on to the Mierce site at work so they will be conspicuously absent.
Rackham first:
Probably my favourite mini pair of all time:
Why I collect(ed) Drunes:
Favourite undead models (Imbrian Arts Undead set will hopefully give them a run for their money):
And why I wish I had picked up Griffins instead of Lions:
Infinity next:
I could pretty much put the entire Haqqislam and Ariadna range here, but these are 'characterful' favourites:
Lots of other amazing models out there. Don't think I could put a GW model up here at the moment unfortunately, any nominations from me would be nostalgia based, with all due respect to Jes Goodwin.
I've never got one of these and I don't play Dark Eldar, but Lelith Hesperax has to be one of my favourite GW models. I'd love to convert one of these into the Eldar Phoenix Lord Jain Zar or a Howling Banshee themed Autarch. Even though I don't play Eldar either.
azreal13 wrote: Yep, it's an Aleph Mini from Infinity, forgive me, I forget which one, and I've just sold my starter which contained one to check.
Maybe a Naga?
Asura with Multi-Rifle. She's exclusive to the starter box.
The nipples aren't painted on either, they're actually sculpted on for whatever ridiculous reason.
Grey Knight Luke wrote: Im surprised no one has offered the GW Terminator Chaplain as the classic 'awesome model'- apparently I am having upload problems...
there is no way i could pick a top five...
i would be hard-pressed to pick my top five companies, especially since two of my top five (ilyad and Rackham) are now defunct...
still, twenty-eight years later, i would have to say my favorite mini is the humble Space Marine...
there is just so much that you can do with one...
jah-joshua wrote: there is no way i could pick a top five...
i would be hard-pressed to pick my top five companies, especially since two of my top five (ilyad and Rackham) are now defunct...
still, twenty-eight years later, i would have to say my favorite mini is the humble Space Marine...
there is just so much that you can do with one...
hehe...
maybe just a little, Malf...
still, when i sit down to paint everyday, it's the Space Marine that fires my imagination the most...
having to choose any "best ever" though, the list would take days...
there are so many beautiful minis out there, from 6mm Epic, up to 200mm historicals...
i'm surrounded by hundreds of them right now, but i still come back to the Space Marine every chance i get...
azreal13 wrote: Yep, it's an Aleph Mini from Infinity, forgive me, I forget which one, and I've just sold my starter which contained one to check.
Maybe a Naga?
Asura with Multi-Rifle. She's exclusive to the starter box.
The nipples aren't painted on either, they're actually sculpted on for whatever ridiculous reason.
Not really sure about that mini, looks kind of weird.
For those interested, the mierce kickstarter 2.5 has started and has some spectacular concept art which generally seems to translate well into the minis....
I was lucky enough to grab a limited edition Sgt. Centurius back at the Apocalypse 100 event that GW held many moons ago, I love the model (not my paint-job, he's currently being stripped to a re-paint)
And a more recent favourite is Andreah from Hasslefree (this one is my mini, hence not any where near as well painted as the huge majority of the models linked in this thread!).
I think 
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