Demigryph Models

[Chronowraith]

So after perusing the book all last night and coming up with some decent lists that interest me.. I went back to the store today to pick up a few of the new models. I came home with a box of demigryph knights and the witch hunter (thanks to wildeybeast and diagnosis ninja). I opened up the box of demigryph knights and was both amazed and disappointed.

Pros
Fantasticly detailed models (particularly the demigryphs)
Nice variety of heads

Cons
Barely poseable
Riders seem to lack the detail of the mount (it's there, just not as crisp)
only a few extra add-ons (very few)

Now, don't get me wrong... the models are brilliant. I'm just shocked that really.. without some converting it will be difficult to get anything out of the box except knights with lances straight up in the air. Even the halberds are like that.

I'm going to try and get mine assembled today and maybe even paint a test figure up. For those interested... I'm trying to do Wissenland (I have a fondness for former Solland for some reason).

If anyone wants pictures of the sprue or particular pieces.. let me know and I'll see what I can do.

[Wildeybeast]

The lack of customisation is pretty strict, but it doesn't really bother me. These are big, pretty complicated and detailed models and to have them like the standard troops box where you can mix and match would be pretty difficult. It's also slightly annoying that on two out of the three DG's the feet don't connect properly to the legs and leave gaps that need greenstuffing. A bit of a let down for what is otherwise a fantastic kit. However the KF kit is bloody awesome, so easy to put together and so well designed that you can't really see a single join on there. By far and away the best GW kit I have ever assembled.

[lobster-overlord]

THe black knights/hexwraiths are pretty much the same. No poses possible outside what you see on the box. I fear my forthcoming Bret Grail Knights will be doomed to the same fate.

[Chronowraith]

All of their big monster kits have been like that. HPA, Sphinx, etc leave few, if any, gaps that require filling later.

I'm not looking for state troop level of customization... but a few different weapon arm poses would be nice. The halberds in particular don't lend themselves well to converting with how far down the haft the hand is located.

I really want the griffon kit... but I'm just not a fan of lord level characters on monsters. I suppose I will buy one at some point, but I'm in the process of putting together a new empire army, chaos dwarves, and revamping my tomb kings... so it's pretty far down the list.

[wittdooley]

Dont get a Theodore Bruckner from FW unless you want to be even more disappointed; next to Reaper, the demi griffs look like little teetling runts.

I still like them, but they are so much smaller than Bruckner that you can't use both.

Made me sad.

Also: Everyone should own a gryphon. It's a truly lovely model that could be made a riderless gryphon with a very minimal amount of conversion work.

[eldargal]

Well, hoenstly there aren't many poses you can do on a mount in a rank so I wouldn't expect a great deal of variation. Pistoliers have a lot more customisation from memory and they are a pain to rank up.

[Houghten]

Dont get a Theodore Bruckner from FW unless you want to be even more disappointed; next to Reaper, the demi griffs look like little teetling runts.

Well, Reaper is described as "possibly the largest of its kind"...

[eldargal]

I'm thinking of making a unit filler of Bruckner & Reaper on a ouble sized demigrpyh base. Counts as two demi gryphs, rather than use the FW rules. Magnetise it so he can go on his regular base if I want to use his rules.

[Wildeybeast]

Well, hoenstly there aren't many poses you can do on a mount in a rank so I wouldn't expect a great deal of variation. Pistoliers have a lot more customisation from memory and they are a pain to rank up.

Yes, yes they are. But no where near as bad as the fully posable flagellants. Wonderful models, but trying to get 30 of them to rank up is the devils own business. I'm pleased to say that having done two boxes of DG's now they rank up really well as the DG's are slightly smaller than their bases. And a unit of six looks bloody awesome.

On a KF note, be warned that he is too big for any GW case except the monster one, and the tips of his wings are very thin plastic and rather bendy, so he will need careful storage and transportation to avoid snapping those bits. Now to assemble my wizard mobile with a frickkin laser beam!

[Chronowraith]

Again, I'm not expecting a massive variety of poses for the rider. A simple lance up and lance down would be nice. I really don't like my models charging forward in a parade position.

Right now the only way to get a lance down position is to have the shoulder pauldron hitched forward in a position that would never happen in reality short of someone not strapping on their armor properly.

Overall though... it is a fantastic kit. I just finished assembling my first three (of 6) tonight. I did run into the foot problem that Wildeybeast mentioned but it is easily avoidable by simply trimming the foot peg back a little. I managed to get pretty solid joins that I went over lightly with liquid greenstuff to get rid of the crease.

For the next three I may play around with using greatsword bits to get the motion in the weapon arm that I really desire.

[eldargal]

Could you swap thelance arms for one from the knight kit? They have the lances being lowered more. Otherwise you'll have to cut and reposition the arms a bit which isn't usually a hugely difficult job just a bit annoying and tricky.

[Nemesis]

Question for those who have purchased the KF/Griffon. Is it possible to leave the breastplates of. In other words, are the feathers moulded underneath. I don't want to get into sculpting all that lot as I am, quite frankly, crap at sculpting.

Many thanks in advance.:)

[Wildeybeast]

No it isn't. There is the outline of the breastplate moulded onto the griffon's chest, you then have the choice of which design you add to it.

[eldargal]

I've not opened mine yet, but who wouldn't want to have their griffon wearing the front of a Steam tank? Seriously. It's the Warhammer Bestiary equivalent of 'no sweetie, under no circumstances do I want you to wear stockings and suspenders'.

I have opened my demigryph knights though, so pretty. Want lots more now. Bit cranky no heroes can ride one though. I'm thinking of making a new fluffy army based around my custom Knightly Order (they let girls join:p) with knights as core, demi-gryphs as special with captains, warrior priests and Grandmaster or GoTE counts-as-GM all on horsies. No artillery, would make an interesting game.

[Wildeybeast]

I've changed my army list to have a storng core of Knights and DG for my Order of Shallya's Tears. I'm using Sisters of Sigmar as Warrior Priestess of Shallya, currently looking around for some suitable models to use/convert so I can have a mounted WP in my Knights.

[eldargal]

Make a project log. Post pictures.:p

[Wildeybeast]

If I get something good I will do (and if i can figure out how to upload pics from my comp to the forum!)

[eldargal]

Sign up for photobucket, friends say it is reliable and easy to use.:)

[Wildeybeast]

Cool, thanks. I'm also going to have Bertha Berstrafung riding on War Altar and use it as a counts as Luminark, spreading the protection and cleansing Light of Shallya. After all, who says Sigmar is the only one to get pimp *** pope mobiles.

[Chronowraith]

Neat idea Wildey :) I wish I had more sisters of sigmar left. I sold the majority of those models off years ago. All I'm left with are a couple of the mainline warriors and an augur I converted into a 40k Inquisitor retinue (used sometimes as an adept and other times as a preacher).

[Wildeybeast]

GW still sells the boxed set (http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/armySubUnitCats.jsp?catId=cat490057a&rootCatGameStyle=) along with a couple of other models if you really want some. There are usually a fair few on ebay as well.