Thursday 21 February 2013

My Top Ten Malifaux Models


Greetings! Sir#67 here.

I’m in the process of writing up a report of my first Malifaux tournament but to keep the Malifaux momentum going I thought I’d post my top 10 Malifaux models.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some of my particular favourites. Feel free to disagree with me in the comments section! I have only included models actually available for the general public to buy now. So no Nightmare Chompy, Santana Ortega etc. Even though they look awesome!

10. Teddy

Teddy sums up one of my favourite things about Malifaux. They’ve taken something familiar and twisted it until it’s horrifying yet still instantly recognisable. The fact that in game they’re frequently seen with the Dreamer or Baby Kade, both children (well kind of!) only serves to reinforce this.

9. Doppelganger

For those of you who don’t know a Doppelganger is a counterpart of a living person, basically a copy. From the front this model looks like a fairly uninteresting female sculpt. Once the model is turned round its’ true nature is revealed, just like the way the model tends to work in game.

8. Snowstorm

The entity known as Snowstorm is the body of a young girl (Snow) containing a portion of the essence of a very angry god of winter. The idea behind the model is cool and I think the execution is terrific. Not only does this model look like a very angry god of winter but the size of the model is seriously imposing. It’s about the size of a hive tyrant (~ 4” tall) which for Malifaux is very big indeed.

7. Avatar Sonnia Cridd

It’s a girl floating in the air and breathing fire. Awesome! On a more critical note I love the suggestion of movement in the model. All the little flickers of flame and the curves of her coat come together to give the illusion of movement in what is essentially a static object.

6. Avatar Dreamer

Wyrd don’t tend to include photographs of their miniatures in their books, choosing instead to only supply artwork. However the models themselves tend to almost exactly replicate the artwork in the books. When I first saw the picture of Avatar Dreamer I thought it was a step to far and the mini could never look like that. Needless to say I was proved wrong. If you described the model to someone it would sound absurd but looking at it you can picture reality tearing and this monster stepping through. I also love how by leaving most of Chompy out of the picture it’s really easy for the layman to see that against all their preconceptions it’s actually the little boy that’s in charge.

5. Bête Noir Alternate Sculpt

In the game the evil that is Bête Noir manifests when another model dies. Her alternative sculpt shows this process happening in glorious detail. Eat your heart out Aliens!

4. Collete Du Bois

For me this model is all about the pose. Collete looks cocky, mischievous and alluring all at the same time, just what you’d expect from a showgirl. What I like even more is that she accomplishes all of this while still wearing most of her clothes (Other games companies take note). A feel that I should also mention that this model taught me how to paint tights. Don’t know when I’ll ever need to pain tights again but if I do I now know how.  

3. Perdita Ortega

Whereas Collete is cocky and mischievous Perdita is calm and composed. The pose is really subtle, essentially she’s just standing there but a series of small cues in her stance give me the impression that she’s about to explode into action, much like a viper about to strike. The crop top and lustrous hair help to counteract the generally masculine stance, she’s still sexy but you know she’s dangerous.

2. Avatar Hamelin

I love this model purely because it’s like a very well done diorama. It has the story telling of Avatar Dreamer and the sense of movement of Avatar Cridd. Looking at the model you can see clearly what he is trying to do However as you look closer, the subtle way the shape of the model hides and accentuates various bits of detail draws you into his world and holds your attention. In much the same way as the character Hamelin charms the unwary with his flute.

1. Lady Justice Alternate Sculpt

Never mind my favourite Malifaux sculpt, this is my favourite sculpt of any model anywhere. It’s gorgeous. The stance is perfect. The sword and guns let you know she’s dangerous but the over the shoulder glance and the coy smile give her a playful edge. The way she holds the sword and her jump suit keeps her looking lithe. I don’t know what practical purpose the scales serve but in this paint job they work as a really good spot colour. Again I’d like to point out that Wyrd have created an excellent female sculpt without resorting to some scantily clad buxom wench.


As I said above, this was only my top 10. There are plenty of great models in Wyrd's range some of which I’ve listed below.

Honourable Mentions

Rasputina Alternative Sculpt
Mae Feng
Avatar Nicodim
Baby Kade
Joakuna Ubume
Sue
Misaki (Master Version)
Brutal Effigy
Kaeris
Angelica

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