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I've been reading the Elric saga recently, and I have convinced myself of a few things. Firstly, that the Elric saga is unfilmable; there's no way that anyone could do justice to these insane storylines. Secondly, the Elric saga is unplayable as an RPG. Statistics and numbers could not accurate portray the Lords of Chaos and the Champions Eternal. Thirdly, the Elric Saga is unplayable as a miniatures game, for the aforementioned reason. But, that's not why I'm here! I want some beautiful Elric miniatures, dammit! Maybe to use in some sort of skirmish, if not mass battles, fashion! Even if the results will be disappointing in comparison to the battles in the novels!

I've finished Elric of Melnibone, The Sailor on the Seas of Fate, The Weird of the White Wolf, The Vanishing Tower, and The Bane of the Black Sword, and I'm nearly done with Stormbringer. What is immediately apparent is that the setting is basically Warhammer; whereas 40,000 was obviously cobbled together from about a half-dozen primary sources and a dozen secondary sources, one could easily do a search-and-replace of the names and locations in the Elric novels with more Warhammer-sounding names and you'd have a Warhammer novel. There appears to have been little to no obfuscation when Moorcock's setting was lifted whole-cloth and formed the very fabric which holds both Warhammer Fantasy and Age of Sigmar together.

Would this passage be out of place in a Warhammer or Age of Sigmar novel? "Scenes of terror were everywhere to be found. At one time they saw in the distance a frightful sight, a wild and hellish mob destroying a village built around a castle. The castle itself was in flames and on the horizon a mountain gouted smoke and fire. Though the looters had human shape, they were degenerate creatures, spilling blood and drinking it with equal abandon. And directing them without joining their orgy Elric and Moonglum saw what seemed to be a corpse astride the living skeleton of a horse, bedecked in bright trappings, a flaming sword in its hand and a golden helm on its head." and merely a few pages later Elric speaks to a man whose body was half-warped when "I entered the Realm of Chaos, lord. And Chaos did this, it changed me as you see. The boundaries are being extended. I did not know it. I was inside before I realized what had happened. The area of Chaos is being widened!". Of course, at my current spot in Stormbringer, Elric is set to retrieve a shield bearing the "eight-arrowed Sign of Chaos".

My point being, is that Warhammer is an obvious place to start for finding miniatures suitable for Elric. We know that Citadel once produced Elric and Eternal Champion figures; and that many of these sculpts, after their license ended, were used to form the Dark Elf and Chaos ranges.
However, I am not particularly interested in Oldhammer sculpts or the prices that many of them command. So much of Elric has been used for Warhammer, and then from Warhammer copied and replicated by other companies, that I feel this task shouldn't be too difficult. For example, Elric in his full armor, has a two-foot tall helm ending in a conical spike, with dragon detailing around the mouth and eyes - thus obviously the Melnibonean armor forming the basis for Citadel High and Dark Elf design.

Has anyone had success locating a range, or ranges, of suitable figures in 28mm-32mm scale, with modern sculpting (read: more realistically proportioned) sensibilities, to represent the Melnibonean armies, the peoples of the Young Kingdoms, the Lords of Chaos and all of their servants, be they demon or mortal?

GW used to do a range, but it is loooonnnnnnggggg OOP.

There is however a "not Elric" from Hasslefree at http://hfminis.co.uk/shop?product=ceril~hfe007&category=fantasy-%26%0D%0Asteampunk~fantasy-elves

I'm not aware of any more but I'm sure they're out there.

I'm aware of Hasslefree's not-Elric, but that's a single figure unfortunately, and not wearing the full Melnibonean battle armor.

This might be totally fruitless, unfortunately.

You can totally do an RPG set in the Eternal Champion setting - in fact, there have already been several, and some are even quite good!

As for a miniatures based wargame?

Not sure - but I'd love for someone to try so I could buy it!

I have a fairly large collection of the now-OOP Citadel Melniboneans that I hope someday to use in Dragon Rampant and/or LOTR SBG. They are a little chunky, but being Jes Goodwin sculpts that chunkiness is not quite as egregious as other models from that era. If pointy helmets are your thing, I guess you could use not-quite as old high elves or Mantic elves as stand ins. I don't remember Young Kingdom armor/equipment being that well described, so I imagine you could use historical models with non-historical color schemes for those.

These guys?

http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Eternal_Champion

 Mysterio wrote:
These guys?

http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Eternal_Champion

None of the non-Melniboneans, but yes, those guys.

How many realistically-proportioned fantasy ranges are there? Don't the realistically proportioned minis tend to have realistically dull armor and weapons?

Reaper is always my first recommendation for a project like this. Their line is unmatched for depth and diversity. Try Dark Elves and Elves for starters.

Elric's importance to the early days of fantasy is unmatched, you can look at some of the old school lines still in production like Ral Partha or Grendier/Iron Wind.

http://www.ralpartha.com/

https://www.ironwindmetals.com/

 Mysterio wrote:
You can totally do an RPG set in the Eternal Champion setting - in fact, there have already been several, and some are even quite good!

I have the Chaosium releases and they definitely do not capture the absolute insanity of the Elric novels. They suffer tremendously from the "must put a numeric stat to everything" that plagues most roleplaying (ie, "roll"-playing), IMHO
Elric or Eternal Champion stuff I think would benefit from diceless roleplaying, but not like Amber.

For minis I'm thinking SBG as the system captures the power but fallibility of heroes better than any other system I've played.


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 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
How many realistically-proportioned fantasy ranges are there? Don't the realistically proportioned minis tend to have realistically dull armor and weapons?

Not necessarily. If, say, Darklands was based on history a from the 13th century instead of the 9th century then more of that might work (as the Elric novels have a lot of plate armor). Actually, Ysians might work for infantry from the Straits of Chaos - Pan Tang or Dharijor.

But in terms of realistically proportioned, I mean moreso than Oldhammer sculpts. I want to stay as far away from Melonhead McHamfists as possible.


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 JoshInJapan wrote:
I don't remember Young Kingdom armor/equipment being that well described, so I imagine you could use historical models with non-historical color schemes for those.

The novel Stormbringer is actually specifically what stoked my interest for Elric minis as Moorcock spends a little more time on physical descriptions - at least of the leaders and captains of nations allied against the Hordes of Chaos - than in previous novels (including the information on Elric's full battledress and Dyvim Slorm's dragon master armor). I'm fairly confident the Young Kingdoms can definitely be sourced from various historical kits (or combinations of kits). It's the weird fantastical stuff that has no good analog...

I think you're on to something here - you should totally Kickstart this.

Better hurry though - many big fans of the setting are getting on in years - that nostalgia money will go somewhere else...eventually!

 Mysterio wrote:
I think you're on to something here - you should totally Kickstart this.

Better hurry though - many big fans of the setting are getting on in years - that nostalgia money will go somewhere else...eventually!

Anyone got any seed money? Gotta get that license, artists, and sculptors on board first! ^_^

If you absolute insanity, great sculpts and more realistic proportions, perhaps some of the Kingdom Death armor sets, when mixed and matched, could provide what you want.


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For that matter, it looks like Conquest will have some interesting designs.

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
If you absolute insanity, great sculpts and more realistic proportions, perhaps some of the Kingdom Death armor sets, when mixed and matched, could provide what you want.


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For that matter, it looks like Conquest will have some interesting designs.

Bob you are the best. Conquest does look to have some rather intriguing designs.

as for KD - I guess they don't sell sprues separately?

It might be worth a look at the Hawkmoon range from Eureka (I hate their website so much)

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_855&sort=3a

wrong eternal champion, but some of the troops may cross over

 judgedoug wrote:

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
If you absolute insanity, great sculpts and more realistic proportions, perhaps some of the Kingdom Death armor sets, when mixed and matched, could provide what you want.


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For that matter, it looks like Conquest will have some interesting designs.

Bob you are the best. Conquest does look to have some rather intriguing designs.

as for KD - I guess they don't sell sprues separately?

There's always eBay. During the last BF sale, KDM sold a hundred dollar bundle of all the armor kits, and I really hope they do that again.

The old warhammer fantasy dark elves warriors minis (and I guess the new ones too?) basically match the description of the Melnibonean warriors in the first book (iirc, its been over a decade since I read the eternal champion books). Behaviorally they are probably a good match too.

chaos0xomega wrote:
The old warhammer fantasy dark elves warriors minis (and I guess the new ones too?) basically match the description of the Melnibonean warriors in the first book (iirc, its been over a decade since I read the eternal champion books). Behaviorally they are probably a good match too.

Yep, as I wrote in my OP, Melnibonean models were sold as chaos and dark elf models after Citadel lost the Elric license. However, I do not seek "charming" oldhammer sculpts, but rather more realistically proportioned sculpts.


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 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
There's always eBay. During the last BF sale, KDM sold a hundred dollar bundle of all the armor kits, and I really hope they do that again.

I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that!


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 OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
It might be worth a look at the Hawkmoon range from Eureka (I hate their website so much)

http://eurekamin.com.au/index.php?cPath=87_126_855&sort=3a

wrong eternal champion, but some of the troops may cross over

Those guys are neat and may be usable!

But finding a core of Melnibonean infantry (that aren't ridiculous 80's sculpts) is proving to be quite difficult. I'd really like to have Dyvim Tvar and Dyvim Slorm's mercenary company of Melnibonean warriors represented somehow....


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This is my current favorite depiction of Elric in his battledress from Stormbringer.

Have you tried Heroforge?

Some of the expansion forces for CMON's Song of Ice and Fire wargame might work for rank and file. They're not up to the insanity level, but some of the designs are a bit eccentric, and as foot soldiers, the PVC quality should be adequate.

For that matter, perhaps some of the Blood Rage or Rising Sun minis could pass.

Possible Melniboneans:

A funded Kickstarter - Late Pledges open 32mm
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lastsword/elven-lords?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=elven%20lord

For the forthcoming Oathmark from Osprey Games 28mm (More of a Dark Age/Early Medieval look)
http://www.northstarfigures.com/list.php?man=257&cat=176&page=1

From Lucid Eye 28mm somewhat Dark Age
https://www.lucideyepublications.com/the-red-book-of-the-elf-king

Of the three links, the kickstarter project elves seem most appropriate (IMO) as Melniboneans being expys of WHFB High Elves ... but it is a KS, so when (or if) you'll see product is an unknown.

Good mentions. The Last Sword elves are supposedly shipping soon. I'll post some scale shots when they arrive. The creator said they would scale well with WHFB, though...

The Oathmark thread has a scale shot of their elves next to LOTR plastic elves on the last page of the thread.

Thanks. Will look forward to your posting the scale shots of the Last Sword elves. Personally, I see strengths to all three lines of elves, and I may purchase some at a later date. (Trying to resist the Oathmark elves right now ... Have 3 KoW armies in various stages of completion ... I don't need to add a 4th. )

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Good mentions. The Last Sword elves are supposedly shipping soon. I'll post some scale shots when they arrive. The creator said they would scale well with WHFB, though...

The Oathmark thread has a scale shot of their elves next to LOTR plastic elves on the last page of the thread.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Have you tried Heroforge?

I spent an hour fiddling around but it's very Pathfinder-y. Everything is mega-exaggerated. Thanks for the suggestion though!


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 Ancestral Hamster wrote:
Possible Melniboneans:

A funded Kickstarter - Late Pledges open 32mm
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lastsword/elven-lords?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=elven%20lord

From Lucid Eye 28mm somewhat Dark Age
https://www.lucideyepublications.com/the-red-book-of-the-elf-king

My god, these are fantastic! I'm investigating the use of the Last Sword Elves as Melniboneans, and the Lucid Eye models for Young Kingdoms models.


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I think I found my adventuring Elric - https://www.blacksunminiatures.co.uk/product/dasco-the-vampire-2/

If you don't mind prepainted plastic, there's a vampire character from the MTG boardgame who looks like that. The vampire pieces in general tend to look pretty good, and elfy.


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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

http://theleadpile.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/eternal-stats.html

has 3rd edition era stats for the eternal champion minis.

it's quite obscure but the issue mentioned here :

http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2015/04/imagine-magazine-22-jan-1985-moorcock.html#more

might also be of use or interest.

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.

Neato JG sketches though!

So long as we're posting stats...



https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/280295.page

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.