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judgedoug wrote:They look kinda... bad... though...

This Tom Meier sculpt is pretty ace - https://www.darkswordminiatures.com/shop/index.php/male-elven-warrior-with-long-sword.html

And a bit of conversion on this hombre - https://www.andreaeurope.com/en/1/andrea-miniatures/127/battle-series/1156/wsbs-02-ithandr-blade-of-eternity.html#!prettyPhoto

and Dyvim Tvar or Dyvim Slorm - http://www.fantization.com/Elthan_Silvermane_Dragon_Slayer_FM_Special_Edition.aspx

Dammit! You're making me want to spend more money!

judgedoug wrote:Yeah, I'd say Warhammer is the least suitable way to game Elric stuff. Blocks of stats and numbers are the opposite of the feel Moorcock evokes.

I don't know about that - the EC books are filled with heroes, gods, demigods, demons, elementals, monsters, etc. all interacting, fighting, killing and being killed. With magic items and spells aplenty.

With very little modification, almost any version of WFB could probably be used to game EC stuff in.

 Mysterio wrote:

judgedoug wrote:Yeah, I'd say Warhammer is the least suitable way to game Elric stuff. Blocks of stats and numbers are the opposite of the feel Moorcock evokes.

I don't know about that - the EC books are filled with heroes, gods, demigods, demons, elementals, monsters, etc. all interacting, fighting, killing and being killed. With magic items and spells aplenty.

With very little modification, almost any version of WFB could probably be used to game EC stuff in.

The feeling I get from reading about the battles is about as opposite as a block-of-stats-as-a-wargame can be.

How can you stat up the Lords of Chaos and the Lords of Law and their effects upon the different planes? Constraining everything into a ruleset that isn't designed for it and then putting number rankings on things seems like a pointless exercise. Great, now you've got Arioch boiled down into some ill-fitting numbers that don't mean anything, that doesn't evoke anything about the writing style or atmosphere or weirdness of the setting. His Weapon Skill is 7! It's why you cannot divorce theme from mechanics in game-design. (It's why I am thinking of SBG as my go-to rules for skirmishing but even then it feels _wrong_. I want to develop something that is numberless. That somehow uses a combination of fate, intervention by law and chaos, luck, some sort of trump system, who knows)

It's like the "CHAOTIC EVIL" Elric that Kid Kyoto posted above. While the D&D system literally was stolen from Moorcock, Elric is not Chaotic Evil. The Melnibonean Empire might be classed as such, but he, Cymoril, the Dyvims (especially Tvar) are not. Chaos and Law within Elric are more based on morality, not the D&D Alignment Axis. Elric has to balance between the moralities of Chaos and Law, using Chaos to destroy Chaos.


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 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
From the Last Sword Blog. Just a 3D model for now, but they are getting ready for another KS. Dragon Helmed Heavy Infantry ... Now these are Dragon Masters of the Dreaming City!
https://lastsword.com/en/dragon-guard/

Mind, the Elthan Silvermane link JudgeDoug posted earlier is a fine Dyvim Tvar, and Tom Meier does good work too.

I think Last Sword is going to be the go-to for Melnibonean infantry. I wonder if they are sculpting as "cool elves" or if they realize that their designs do evoke the few descriptions the Moorcock has written?

Daft question what about GW Corsairs or the Dark Eldar kits?

I think the Oathmark mini's are perfect for representing Melniboneans from after the fall.

From before the fall, I would think they would need to look more like the 3rd edition Warhammer Darkelves, eclectic, rich and deadly.
Which would mean kitbashing and converting the Oathmark Elves, and apart from some Warhammer Elf heads (which would probably be too large anyway) I am not sure what would work.

To be honest I'd like to stray from WHFB proportions. I kind can't stand melonhead hamfist elves.

However, that made me think about converting SBG models - the plastic Galadhrim may form an excellent basis for Melnibonean infantry, with the correct conversions and paint scheme.

I got the impression the Melniboneans were more like Dark Elves while Corum and his people were more like High Elves. The SBG elves better fit with Corum in my mind. The nazgul knights (or whatever the guys in "evil" armor were called) seem a closer fit to Elric's bunch, seeing as they were a malicious race aligned with Chaos.

That's a pretty good take there - but with Corum's people being more like Eldar/Exodite due to the technology that they have/had..

Not worried too much about Corum or other multiverse planes, only specifically sticking to the Elric setting.

But at this point, it's like Last Sword knew about my journey and just released new renders for more of their elf infantry, which are pretty much what my brain was telling me Melnibonean infantry looked like! The fact that you can mix and match all the parts is fantastic as well. (tbh it's the little details on the armor that set them apart from other companies)

https://lastsword.com/en/albus-custodes/

So all those different parts for their infantry, archers, heavy infantry, and guard, are all interchangeable. Looks like I got what I want! ^_^ (well after they launch the new KS)

Now time to start looking at various other companies for Young Kingdoms stuff - though that is always less well described, and a bit more fantastical (than say Hyborian Age Conan peoples).

You're in luck there then - as long as it fits the scale you're working in, you can use just about anything.

Last Sword were asking about feedback for their new sculpts in the News and Rumors thread.

And Corum is worth checking out. I like the Corum stories more than the Elric stories.

...and I like the Hawkmoon stuff (all 7 books!) even better, as they kind of eventually wrap up the whole EC story too.

Until MM unwrapped it again, of course!

Looking forward to what Doug comes up with here though too - should be fun to watch as things develop.

The description of the White Guard and their duties does seem somewhat Moorcockian, although IIRC, the palace guard was the Silent Guard, eunuch archers whose tongues were cut out.

As for the Young Kingdoms ... Pan Tang as always seemed like they should have a fantasy Mongol look. Can't think of any, but these Chinese-themed figures might work.
http://alkemy-the-game.com/shop/category.php?id_category=28

You might want to try Crocodile Games. Their primary line is fantasy Egyptian, but they've recently expanded their fantasy Greek line as well, with more to come now that they've fulfilled their KS obligations.
https://www.crocodilegames.com/store/itemList.cfm?catID=18&sort=prodID

Of course, there are always historicals though they might not be fancy enough for fantasy.
https://us-store.warlordgames.com/collections/hail-caesar

 judgedoug wrote:
Not worried too much about Corum or other multiverse planes, only specifically sticking to the Elric setting.

But at this point, it's like Last Sword knew about my journey and just released new renders for more of their elf infantry, which are pretty much what my brain was telling me Melnibonean infantry looked like! The fact that you can mix and match all the parts is fantastic as well. (tbh it's the little details on the armor that set them apart from other companies)

https://lastsword.com/en/albus-custodes/

So all those different parts for their infantry, archers, heavy infantry, and guard, are all interchangeable. Looks like I got what I want! ^_^ (well after they launch the new KS)

Now time to start looking at various other companies for Young Kingdoms stuff - though that is always less well described, and a bit more fantastical (than say Hyborian Age Conan peoples).

CMON's HATE kickstarter is in the pledge manager phase, and it has some pretty cool minis to use for Chaos-allied enemies. You can probably piggyback on someone's pledge for add ons if you see any you like.

Thanks for the suggestions Ancestral Hamster.

I am trying to avoid clear imitations of our history, though. I'm just looking for stuff that is fantastic but realistic. Hah.
Fireforge's upcoming generic fantasy warriors might be what I need for some of the Young Kingdoms, however.

I did just find Werewoolf miniatures whose Fallen Gods Sacred Band of Lust models I think would work very well for Chaos-allied Pan Tang

Alrighty everyone, I have started! I ordered Last Sword's elves to begin my Melnibonean infantry. In the meantime I've received a few models.

I got two of Fantization's "Elthan Silvermane" limited edition figure, sculpted by Tom Meier, which comes with a ton of options, to use as Elric and Dyvim Slorm (or Tvar), in full battledress. The figure is beautifully cast and I am unbelievably happy with it.

I also received Dark Sword Miniatures' "Male Ranger with Bow" sculpted by Jeff Grace for use as Rackhir.

However, I'm still looking for someone to use as Moonglum. Traditionally, he has a shock of red hair, and is short and sticky, and wields two blades (one often a curved scimitar), if anyone knows of a good miniature:
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/stormbringer/images/6/62/Moonglumelric.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20160428115743

Last Sword's Elven Lords II KS is live. The new kits are the Albus Custodes and Dragon Guard that Judgedoug previewed above, as well as character models. One can also get the basic archers and spearmen of course.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lastsword/elven-lords-ii-dragons-roar?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=elven%20lords