So, as you may know, I am a big fan of 15mm Fantasy
figures, in part due to some amazing sculpts from the likes of
Copplestone, Demonworld and Splintered Light Miniatures, s, I try to
keep abreast of what is happening in regards to fantasy models at that
scale, it is also why I created the 15mm Fantasy Gaming group on
facebook (Link) to promote it more too, as there were only historical and Sci Fi variants when I checked.
A while back, some new miniatures surfaced for a starting company called Chronicles of the Wayfarer (Facebook Page )
and the sculpt looked absolutely amazing. As more images were
released, the company set out to organise a painting competition, of
which I was one of the entrants. The rules were simple - paint the
models, supply photographs and a review, and send the images off. There
will be an online contest to determine the winner, and everyone who
took part has first refusal at future contests.
The
emailed instructions stated that the miniatures were cast in a high
grade resin and that they were free from any mould releasing agents, so
did not require any special preparation, however, I found this out after
having washed them.
Initial Impressions - Woah,
these are tiny, and super detailed. Like, ridiculously detailed, what
have I gotten myself into here? They are gorgeous though, and it is a
cool opportunity. Might also motivate me to get off my ass and do some
painting. Plus, resin bases, always a fan of that.
So,
after basic prep of washing in warm soapy water, glueing to a lolly
stick and hand priming (white) I had to figure out a colour scheme.
Obvious choice was blue as it is my default go-to colour, but I wanted
to avoid orange, as I can't paint everything in Irn Bru colours (or can
I?...) so I settled on yellow, with standard silver/brass detailing. I
also decided to do the bases as fetid swamps rather than Lava, because,
well, laziness really, and it saved me having to do any OSL... plus I
like doing my own thing, and it would fit better with my gaming mat.
Overall,
I'm not sure about the blue lacquered armour, it certainly makes a
change from the standard metals, probably needs some work, these figures
are a lot finer than the models I generally work on, and are probably
more realistically proportioned and scaled and less suitable for my
standard cartoony paint style. Some of the detail is extremely fine,
and is easy to lose with thick paint, it is also extremely easy to lose
with even a small paintbrush.
On to the individual figures
Figure 1
This
guy comes in two parts, the main body and the choice of either a hammer
or sword wielding arm. I really like the clockwork/gear effect on the
shield rim and the heavy armour. Probably one of my favourite figures
in the set.
Figure 2
Single
piece model in heavy armour wielding a crossbow. The armour is similar
to the other male figures, but has a studded covering.
Figure 3
The
sole female miniature in the set, comes in 2 pieces, the main body and a
separate back banner, depicting the stylized gear icon. She appears
quite well armoured, indeed there are a few areas that could be painted
as either exposed flesh or clothing on the model, and she is armed with a
large sword. Her bare head sports an impressive mohawk. Probably my
least favourite figure in the set due to the exposed flesh and head, but
that is generally because my immediate advice for anyone asking about
painting faces is "start with a model wearing a helmet."
Figure 4
Another
heavily armoured male figure, armed with a tower shield and spear, and
holding a plumed helmet. I like this figure a lot, probably as it is
one of the chunkier sculpts, it has a very commanding pose, surveying a
field of battle, rather than being depicted in full fight mode. He has
some rather difficult to reach areas, due to being a one piece pose,
however his shield is pretty big and could be a good place for either
transfers or (for the insane) freehand designs. There is some sculpted
detail in the centre but it could be easily removed.
Group shot - Front
Group shot - Back
Base Details
Comparison
Shot 3 (l-r) CotW, Demonworld, CotW, Blue Moon Vampire, CotW,
Splintered Light Satyr (18mm), CotW, Splintered Light Skeleton.
So, overall thoughts?
The
resin is an absolute joy to work with, these are the first 15mm scale
figures I have painted in the medium, although I already owned some from
Scibor. They are easily cleaned up and go together very well on the
two multi-part figures. The figure with the spear is chunky enough to
pin underneath, however the others are far too slight to attempt such a
manouever and have to rely on being superglued to the bases. There is a
sense that these would be very easy to accidentally damage, especially
taking the rigours of gaming into account, however from reading the CotW
page, I understand that they are designed to sit 3 to a 40mm round
base, however it may still be an issue for anybody with plans to base
them individually for skirmish use. Larger contact areas would be a nice
touch to provide a little more leeway for pinning.
The
poses are very good, a nice mix of action and at ease, and some variety
could be achieved with the figure with the optional hand weapon.
Scale
wise, these are true 15mm scale, closer to the PSC model above than
most of the Fantasy stuff I have to hand. Personally, I would prefer
slightly chunkier sculpts, possibly some more exaggerated features to
allow for less fastidious painting. Some of the tiny detail could also
be toned down, as it is far to easy to obscure it, even with extremely
thin paint.
Overall, I am happy with the
models, as stated, not sure they really fit my usual style, but I find
with 15mm you have to aim for high contrast at a distance. I would definitely consider picking some up when they are released, either as
character models, or for a small skirmish warband. I am also keen to
have a go at some of the larger figures in the range. I think, that
they are easy to recommend picking at least some up, purely for the joy
(or novelty) of working with such great (if fragile) material as it
makes a real change from the predominantly metal models you get
elsewhere.
So yeah, that's about
it. Chronicles of the Wayfarer, tiny and highly detailed sculpts in
lovely resin. Go check out their facebook page, follow them, and vote
for your favourites in the painting competition.
