New Ogre Kingdoms Minis, Just Plain Ugly!!!

[Edmund]

Dear Folks

Now don't get me wrong, I'm glad that they have returned to the "flesh" colour for skin but some of the new models are just plain stupid.

The Stonehorn, Thundertusk and Mornfangs just do not make logical sense. I know GW is obsessed with tusks, every thing has to have a tusk. I get it, its their signature. Its stupid, after all a sabre tusk is really just a sabre tooth tiger but GW wants to ensure that it keeps out competition models from being used in its games (instead of viewing it as an opportunity to capture "ice age" armies).

Now the reason why elephants can eat with those big tusks is because they have a trunk, ergo they can get the food to their mouth. I do not see how any of these three creature types can actually eat with all those tusks sticking out of their mouths - the Thundertusk has 5 tusks!!

Ok, sure I get that its a game and that there aren't dragons flying in the sky but hot damn honey I like to be able to suspend my disbelief every now and then. However these stupid looking figurines just look crud.

As to the new srap launcher and ironblaster - comical, and not in a funny way.

The Firebelly looks good and even Bragg the Gutsman has his own charm but Golfag Maneater is overdone and over the top for a mercenary leader - definatly a case of "more is less."

Anyway, rant over.

Edmund

[Assur]

Yeah I know what you mean. By rights of nature some of thse models should not exist.

However for purposes of gaming these models make the ogres a competitive army (not the VC level I think but playable) so we''ll have to tolerate them.

In general GW nowadays tend to make a lot of big "scary" monsters, a few for each army. Childish, but big monsters are probably quite popular among GW's younger clients.

[Edmund]

Dear Assur

See I don't mind the big scary monsters (however I do agree with you that they are probably aiming at their "younger clients"). The giant spider in the O & G army looks great. The Lizardman Stegadon looks good and so do the Tomb King Sphinx Variants. Even the skavern Abomination is effective (hideous thing but it works as a fusion of warpstone magic and fleshy rat).

But the Ogre Kingdoms is an organic army, i.e. its troop types are 'natural' even if wild and feral. Ergo they are primal brutes drawing upon the forces of the natural world where Darwinian principles have influenced the evolution of species types (e.g. ogres into yheti etc). But you still have to be able to put the food into your mouth - 5 bloody tusks indeed!!!

Edmund

[enTHRALLed]

As a Science teacher I have a lesson which is extended into a homework where the students (12 year olds) have to design a predator or a prey item. To be honest some of the ones that I got back astounded me with the amount of imagination they have and also the factual sense in how they are adapted to hunt or protect themselves from being eaten or detected. If 12 year olds get it then why not GW - I really do understand where you are coming from Edmund with these ogre monsters. Ecologically unsound.

I bet if I set the ogresque parameters we could have seen some better ones. In fact if I remember two were very yeti like and one even resembled the gorger and these kids have never picked up a Warhammer book before. When I can get their books back I will scan a few for you to judge.

[Edmund]

Dear Enthralled

That would be good, I'd like to see that (and having my own 12 year old it would be interesting to compare).

Edmund

[Bookkeeper]

I always figured Sabretusks just skewered something on the tusk and then slowly licked it clean: bloody meat slurpee.

I was not sold on the Ironblaster until I put it together. It was a pain in that several pieces of it had to be fully painted before I could assemble the whole thing, but I think it came together very nicely.