GW News: BIG N' SMALL WAAAGH! COMIN'

A bold claim. It is possible, but can't be proven one way or the other.

 

I think Ironjawz feel very one tone, but they are more popular. That could be due to them basically being the Ork proxy in AoS or just that their book is strong. I think KO look nearly indistinguishable from one another (but not more so than say, SCE) and are more popular. However, as mentioned previously, KO does have a bit more unit variety, flying boats, and their book is also strong. Additionally, the steampunk aesthetic has become a popular look that people can get into.

Still, to your point, I agree that Fyreslayers look too similar to each other. I understand that GW wants to lean into the old Slayer image and the fire motif, but EVERY official Fyreslayer being a high-haired ginger doesn't exactly help variety. Didn't the Dwarf Slayer minis from WHFB get more and more impressive as you went from trollslayer, to giantslayer, to dragonslayer, to demonslayer? I was thinking GW could have done even something simple with the mohawks. Maybe basic troops have short mohawks, elites get larger mohawks, and heroes have even larger mohawks, capes, etc. But I wonder if it's just a lack of interest in "Slayer Dwarves" as opposed to "Steampunk Dwarves?" Or maybe when you take away too much of the pseudo-Norse/Celtic look from the stereotypical fantasy dwarf it loses some appeal?

I guess, I feel somewhat spoiled with Seraphon. We have Saurus, Skinks, Kroxigor, Slann, and various monsters. Each unit looks fairly unique and is easy to tell apart.

 

Are Ironjawz a part of Orruk Warclans? As we all know, I don't follow AoS very closely . Just going by what I see on the GW website and I don't see Ironjawz under Grand Alliance Destruction, but I do see an entry for Orruk Warclans.

I find this surprising. Firstly they have three very unique looking ships (plus the potential to introduce more in the future).



Looking at some random heroes...





Those don't look at all similar to me. What about troops...



Those again look quite distinguishable from each other, let alone when compared to these guys...


I'll grant you that the Skywardens and the Endrinriggers look very similar (I'm assuming multi/dual-kit), but overall, I think the force is quite varied while still maintaining an army wide cohesive look. They are by far the coolest AoS original faction.

I don't really think so, but I could be mistaken.

No doubt. The Lizardmen are extremely varied as the main force is comprised of different species. Also, they benefited from the fact that they were ported over on whole from WHFB, whose armies were much larger, varied and distinct.

 

Sorry, yes, Ironjawz are now a part of Orruk Warclans. They are the models typically painted in yellow & black armor.

Obviously, I find the KO heroes and troops more similar in appearance than you. Checking them out on the GW site, they don't have that many unit choices, so it's easy enough to pick them out.

EDIT: In looking back at the WHFB Dwarves that are still used in AoS, I guess KO aren't wildly different in appearance than them. Both are armored Dwarves and the only way to really tell them apart is weapon choice.

 

The relatively small AoS faction sizes will always be strange for me. I've gotten spoiled by the impressively large WHFB armies.

They vary in:

• types of weapons
• types of armour
• level of armour ( medium level armour versus very heavily armoured)
• some have giant balloon spheres on their back and fly!
• one even has a mobile bookshelf!

In contrast, a naked Dwarf is a naked Dwarf. You can give him a different weapon, but that's about it.

 

@NIGHTBRINGER already pointed out how KO are actually quite varied.

As for ironjawz they benefit from being part of a larger orruk faction.
But even if you look just at the ironjawz themselves they are already more distinct than the fyreslayers, even if the ironjawz are a fairly small faction. Ironjawz get to carry different weapons, which creates some pretty distinct units as some units will be carrying basic axes, while others carry weapons larger than the orruk themselves. A megaboss straps a giant skull to his armour to look cool,. A weirdnob looks properly weird compared to the other ironjawz. They have some actual cavalry. And all of these differences are big enough that they'll jump out from a distance.

It also helps that ironjawz are also relativly big models, so a "small" detail like the megaboss adding a skull to to his armour, is far more noticeable than say the fancy chestplate and helmet the auric flamekeeper has. Similarly, a slightly different pose is actually noticeable from a distance on an ironjaw. You can tell a weirdnob is distinct from just his pose, whereas the various fyreslayer foot heroes could just as easily be the unit champion or banner model.

As for SCE; there's actually a pretty decent amount of variation. It helps that the different chambers got pretty distinct armour with distinct silhouettes, plus they have large variation in weapons and mounts. And they tend to have great poses that accentuate the unique aspects of a model (e.g. the knight judicator is posed to accentuate his huge warbow).

Which are all things fyreslayers are missing.

 

Gotta defend what is the coolest faction in all of AoS (IMHO).

 

Yes, I had to make sure I would be the one that posted these first, why do you ask?

 

Cute baby magmadroth.
Also, I like the guy who's wearing a magmadroth hat. I think that might be the first fyreslayer model ever without a mohawk.

 

Fun stuff!

Also the first female Fyreslayers, right?

Grrr, !mrahil

 

I suppose, but given how similar they are it's barely noticeable.
You're not going to be able to tell them apart unless you look up close.

 

This next weekend is the release of the new Ironjawz stuff. I am stoked to see those models. Particularly the Maw-Grunta. It has 3 options, so lets see what I will be able to magnetize





Grrr, !mrahil

 

I know we were complaining about Fyreslayers previously, but I disagree. I think these models are pretty individual... especially for FS. They look as distinct as a KO Arkanaut Company. Since they're a Warcry warband, the 3 greataxe dwarves are probably the most similar.

@Lord Agragax of Lunaxoatl what do you think about the warband?

 

I think they're great (I'd have thought you'd have noticed my enthusiasm when I posted them). It's about time the Sons of Grimnir got a Warcry Warband, and I certainly do agree they increase the variety of the army just with these few models. Finally we have some female Fyreslayers in miniature (who look significantly better than that one piece of RPG artwork that everyone balked at), and some new outfit choices for the one with the Magmadroth skin and the one wearing the cloak. And the baby Magmadroth is certainly cute. I must admit these do have more facial expression and action in them than the previous Fyreslayer models, too, much more like other current-era GW models like the new Cities of Skubmar models.

What's more, I'm particularly pleased as to the warm reception they've had, not just on here but also Facebook and YouTube, for instance. I'm hoping this sends a message that people do like Fyreslayers and want more of them, so long as they share the dynamism and variety of this warband, and that the success of these chaps and chapettes will be more likely to persuade GW to give the army a much-deserved second wave of units in the near future. Indeed this is probably GW testing the waters for a potential second wave, to see how well-received it would be, and of course they now have their answer.

Next stop on the Warcry front though, I'd like to see a Kharadron warband come along next to support their Dawi brothers and sisters!

 

One of the options is just without the crew? That's a tad underwhelming, I like the over the top nonsense with the crew.

The individual models are completly fine, and for a warband this is perfectly acceptable. The sculpts are pretty, they have personality.
The issue for FS isn't so much with any individual model, as much as it is with the fact that everything is a naked angry dwarf with a mohawk, and thus everything looks similar.

The fact that one of the models in this warband stands out specificly because he doesn't have a mohawk speaks volumes about how similar FS models are.

And yeah, the warband is definitly much better than the average FS unit in terms of personality and uniqueness. But it's still just the bare minimum.
Take the female models, sure it's great that they've added them and it's better than nothing, but when it comes down to it the main difference with the other models is that they don't have a beard. It's not exactly groundbreaking, and from a distance you're barely going to be able to tell them apart.

Honestly, even just adding a tactical rock would improve variance in the FS roster, at least you'd get a different silhouette for once.

 

Oh, I picked up on your enthusiasm. You just didn't elaborate at that time, and I wanted to get your take.

"Baby Magmadroths" or Kyndledroth could be a nice artillery addition to FS. A bit of a rip off of Lizardmen Salamanders, but whatever.

Yes, female Fyreslayers do bring the army more in line with modern GW sculpts.

Yes, a KO Warcry warband would be a decent addition. If GW is going to keep their AoS-specific dwarves interesting, then lets progress them.

 

As Ogre Maneaters would say, 'Been there, done that':

 

The fact that I couldn't find him on the GW website and repeatedly scrolled past the box containing him speaks volumes about how similar they all look.
But great, at least there's one angry naked dwarf with a unique tactical rock to make him stand out from the crowd.

Spoiler

 

I think the various “slayer” models looked absolutely fantastic and unique in the context of standing out from an otherwise pretty muted and standardised WHFB Dwarf army,

I, however, have to agree that a whole army of them doesn’t really get the juices flowing for me at least.

Then again, I loved the idea of having an all terminator dark angels army, or an all wraithlord (big suit guys?) elder army so maybe this is the fantasy equivalent of that? Each to their own I guess.

 

A welcome addition to a criminally overlooked faction. They aren't as cool as our Seraphon, but they deserve some love too.