Mierce Miniatures Darklands Ongoing News and Rumors Thread! Darklands Rulebook ships on April 18!

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**Acardia**

I love it, tempting to use as a soul grinder.

**Denilsta**

Painted versions of Penda on foot and mounted by Sebastien Picque. Absolutely amazing!

**RoninXiC**

Sweet stuff.

**silent25**

Ok, those paint jobs are awesome! Just loving the greying of the temples and beard. Great little touch that adds a ton of flavor to the fig.

**Azreal13**

Horse are hard, never realised until I started on Carrowek on Drune Horse, and I've gone for black. Coming on ok, but makes me appreciate the skill in this paint job.

Edit: except he appears to have forgotten its eye!

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

Lots of horses have eyes basically the same colour as their coat

it's hard to tell without a closeup

**Azreal13**

Nah mate, I grew up with horses, a horse that colour would have an eye so dark brown it would be near black.

**Alpharius**

Are we really debating that aspect of the paint job?!?

**RiTides**

RoninXiC wrote:
WOW..
hydra (so far) best looking model in their range. What a stunning miniature.

Agreed... just wow

**Alpharius**

The main body looks rather lumpy and puddle-like though...

**plastictrees**

Alpharius wrote:
The main body looks rather lumpy and puddle-like though...

It's still a WIP, it looks like that's the area that's still being detailed.

**Alpharius**

I probably should have realized that - Mierce usually puts out nothing but top notch stuff!

Sorry!

**Acardia**

Alpharius wrote:
I probably should have realized that - Mierce usually puts out nothing but top notch stuff!

Sorry!

I'd be buying it as is. Either mine is going to be bursting through sand in my TK army or used as a Tzeentch Soulgrinder covered in fire.

**judgedoug**

Yeah if you look at the different angle shots, it's pretty apparent that the body is a WIP (you can see half-sculpted scales and such)

**yxalitis**

A splendiferous update
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mierceminiatures/darklands-a-world-of-war/posts/564608

**Dysartes**

That really is a nice Hydra model.

**Alpharius**

yxalitis wrote:
A splendiferous update
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mierceminiatures/darklands-a-world-of-war/posts/564608

Links for the Lazy!

Last Chance for Trolls... and more WIPs!
Update #51 · Aug 9, 2013 · 7 comments

Yes, you read that right - the Troll Starter Sets are going to start shipping properly next week (which means the Brutes and Srónax are finally sent this week or early next).

This means that we're locking the Norse section of the Kickstarter category on our website on Monday, so if you want / need / fancy any Troll stuff you've only got until then to order them - so you'd best get your skates on!

Angelcynn and Gorgonares will still be available until they begin to ship, of course. That'll be September for both I'm afraid.

Painted Penda!

Let's start with some eye-sweets! As shown on the comments section, here's a few shots of Penda the Bloody-Handed both on foot and mounted. He's been superbly painted by Sébastien Picque, as you can see!

We do sincerely hope that you guys are inspired by Séb's paint job and not depressed by it - remember, whilst most of us can only marvel at Séb's talent, our miniatures are designed to be painted. So have a go yourself and damn the consequences!

Ygandr, Hydra of Khthon

Here's the final version of Ygandr for you all. We think Roberto Chaudon has created an amazing miniature from Stefan Kopinski's concept, and we hope you all agree too! He's now safely in our possession and thus we'll soon have an assembled Ygandr to drool over here at Mierce Towers.

Hedroc of Carn Maen

Stéphane Simon's already begun work on the next Ysian miniature for us, and that's Hedroc of Carn Maen! This is a very, very early WIP of course, but it shows that he's under way.

The QuickStarter Rules are Almost Here!!

Yes indeed... I'm just fine-tuning and proof-reading the QuickStarter rules, and this means that you will all be able to download a PDF version next week! (I say "version" because no doubt the graphic designer will go to town somewhat for the printed rules).

PLEASE bear with me though - if real life intrudes next week, as it sometimes does, there may be some delays. Chief among my frustrations could be formatting the profiles and muster rules, but by hook or by crook you'll have the rules, if not all the profiles, by Monday the 19th.

I'm so excited for you all to see the rules - we're all really happy with them here and we hope you like them too!

Mierce Towers?

Anyway - nice to see that the rules are almost ready!

**Fenriswulf**

Those miniatures are so damn cool. Also I am very stoked that Hedroc is being done by Stephane. Everything I have received from Mierce done by him, and even the miniatures I bought from him directly have been absolutely superb. I think he is also going to do Jowan as well, which will be fantastic.

I think all I am waiting on is Jowan, Hedroc and Angrislaug (the Dragon), and I am done, but with what I have received thus far I couldn't be happier.

**Azreal13**

I'm glad Penda's horse can now see properly.

That is all.

**plastictrees**

Just added the Mierce infantry starter and Troll starter while they had opened everything back up again.
I managed to restrain myself to the best "deals" and not get any individual models, although the dragon is still available...

Edit: I'm assuming that the mounted "Penda with wolf helm" that was limited to the KS will be wearing the same helm the foot version is wearing?

**Slinky**

plastictrees wrote:
Edit: I'm assuming that the mounted "Penda with wolf helm" that was limited to the KS will be wearing the same helm the foot version is wearing?

Yeah, the "wolf helm".

**warboss**

That hydra does look quite nice. I'm on a mobile device so can't tell well... is that a model pic or CG render?

**plastictrees**

It's the original, physical sculpt. I don't think Mierce has produced any sculpts from CG renders but I could be wrong.

**Yodhrin**

plastictrees wrote:
It's the original, physical sculpt. I don't think Mierce has produced any sculpts from CG renders but I could be wrong.

And good for them. I've yet to see a digital sculpt that, once printed and cast up, can equal the detail and character of something hand-sculpted with the skill of someone like Stephane.

**RoninXiC**

well... just take a look art some of the kingdom of death miniatures. a large portion of them are pc sculptures and the real miniatures are bloody gorgeous.

**Bossk_Hogg**

RoninXiC wrote:
well... just take a look art some of the kingdom of death miniatures. a large portion of them are pc sculptures and the real miniatures are bloody gorgeous.

I really love the kingdom death sculpts, but they are highly stylized. When shooting for realism, or what passes for 28mm realism, given that you need to shift some proportions to make it look good on a table, digital renders tend to lag behind traditional sculpting. It works well for some things (vehicles in particular), but things like cloth, scales, muscles, etc tend to have weaker details. The sculptor KNOWS how it will look on the table and how it has to go together. The model's physics are taken more into consideration.

**Taarnak**

Bossk_Hogg wrote:
RoninXiC wrote:
well... just take a look art some of the kingdom of death miniatures. a large portion of them are pc sculptures and the real miniatures are bloody gorgeous.

I really love the kingdom death sculpts, but they are highly stylized. When shooting for realism, or what passes for 28mm realism, given that you need to shift some proportions to make it look good on a table, digital renders tend to lag behind traditional sculpting. It works well for some things (vehicles in particular), but things like cloth, scales, muscles, etc tend to have weaker details. The sculptor KNOWS how it will look on the table and how it has to go together. The model's physics are taken more into consideration.

You are talking entirely of the limitations of the SCULPTOR and not the medium. If the sculptor has a good eye for what will look good in 28mm (or whatever tabletop scale they are working at), and the skills/practice necessary, then the figures they output will look just as good as hand sculpted ones. Whether organic, inorganic, or some combination thereof.

Look at Andrew Rae's work for an example: Statuesque Miniatures

The Resistance Fighters were all modeled via computer and printed out. Just as good as his hand sculpted figures. And at least as good as any other hand sculpted figures out there (and better than allot of them).

Having said that, it seems easier for most sculptors to do inorganic surfaces on a computer, but organic surfaces are certainly just as doable. It just takes practice.

~Eric

**RoninXiC**

Saying that renders cannot match sclupts is like saying Avatar (the movie) looks bad.
They used nothing but 3d renders and give or take a few years and the 3d printing will be able to match the renders 100%

**Bossk_Hogg**

RoninXiC wrote:
Saying that renders cannot match sclupts is like saying Avatar (the movie) looks bad.
They used nothing but 3d renders and give or take a few years and the 3d printing will be able to match the renders 100%

I also get annoyed with practical effects purists who always crap on CGI (Avatar does look awesome, no doubt), so suppose I should be more open.

The examples Taarnak offered are nice enough, but nothing particularly amazing IMO. I havent been blown away by anything I've seen rendered. Or at least known it was rendered. Who knows, maybe I have and just not known it was. /shrug. Anyone got any mind blowing rendered figs?

**RiTides**

That hydra is astounding! My only criticisim is that, the lower front portion of the main body and the tail does seem to be less detailed... I'm not sure how that should be painted:

Hard to see where the scales end and the flexible fleshy part begins / there's no clear dividing line. This is in contrast to the back portion of the main body, which mostly looks great:

At the same time, I'm realizing that most hydra pics I've seen have the body blurred or whatnot, as it really is hard to make all those large head stalks fit onto something that makes sense and looks like it could move. I just wish I could more clearly see what he was going for with the body where it is no longer scaled, and the latter portions of the two separate tail pieces in front where they make a similar transition. At a glance, it just looks like he stopped sculpting scales, but I know that's not the case.

I want to see it in-person but will be very tempted to get it! Almost asked someone to add it onto their pledge for me

, since it seems they re-opened things... but going to wait and see what it looks like painted / with a scale shot / etc, or maybe even in-person, since it's a decent chunk of change.