Favorite models and least favorite models

ja33 · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2014 4:03 am

I was hoping to start a discussion about our favorite models and our least favorite models. For this, I'm not referring to the models for gaming purposes, but more so for the sculpt itself, and whether it was enjoyable to paint. Here's my list...

Favorite Good Models
1 - tie, Glorfindel w/Armour & Erestor - Two of my first models and still two of my favorites. Both look like they are "ready for action", and I really enjoyed painting them both also. I found a nice mix of silver and gold for their amour and it really pops on them both.
2 - Eowyn, shield maiden - The best Eowyn pose for me, as I find it much more appealing than either of the armoured versions. Plus I've seen it painted well with a brown & white scheme, and a brown and blue scheme.
3 - High Elf Captain - This model really fits my vision of a high elf in battle, much more than the plastic High Elves from the Last Alliance box. And I love how he has both the elven blade and the shield. One of the only elves with that combo, I believe, as I think Celeborn w/armour and Rumil are the only others.
4 - Cirion - I haven't painted Cirion yet, but I love the sculpt and I'm really looking forward to painting him ! Another 'ready for action' pose !
5 - Sons of Eorl - I really like both Sons of Eorl poses, as I find them both to be very striking and regal.

Favorite Evil models
1 - Burhdur - another model that I haven't even painted yet, but again, I'm looking forward to it. The leather armour and the massive Uruk-style blade are a great combo. He's so hulking and imposing, what a great model.
2 - Shadow Lord, mounted - Such a forboding model, pointing his sword down at either his troops or maybe it's at the opponent !
3 - Bezerkers - Perhaps they are a bit basic to paint, but all 4 poses really capture the vision of the Bezerkers from the movie and I think they work well together. I have painted just 3 of them thus far, but I have 21 more Bezerkers primed and they are next up on the paint station !

Least Favorite Good models
1 - Gil-Galad - Soooo disappointing to me that perhaps the mightiest Elf of all time has such a subpar model, IMO. He's way too short, his head is bulbous, and I've re-painted the face about 5x because I can't get the hairline right. Plus the pose if so lame ! Really ? Just standing there ?? It would be my #1 request for GW to release a new Gil-Galad pose. Even if it was in finecast, I think it would sell like hot cakes, especially if they had a striking new pose

Least Favorite Evil models
1 - Gothmog on foot - Really didn't think it did justice to such a powerful evil character. Seems a bit too small size-wise, and it just doesn't measure up to the mounted version.
2 - Shagrat - Sorry, but the mithril shirt in his right hand just doesn't do it for me ! I guess I should just put this one away, and instead just try to find the War Leader pose, because that one is great.
3 - Troll Chieftain - Always looks like he's about to fall forward. I get that they were trying to re-create him marching towards Aragorn at the Black Gate, but I'd preferred a more upright and imposing pose, perhaps with the sword over his head or something like that.

That's about enough rambling by me - anyone else want to weigh in with their choices ???

Bartelomeus · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:17 am

I'm just gonna mention the first that come to mind:
Favorite: Gandalf the Grey (Khazad-Dum)
Least favourite: Plastic LOTR Wood Elves... yikes.

Sithious · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:31 pm

Least favorites would be;
Gundabad orcs, Gundabad Black Shields and Black Guards. All are limited sculpts and seem rushed out with little effort to make them.

Favorites would be Trolls, Most elf heroes, Khand.

Zarathustra Suicuine · **Joined:** Sun Nov 17, 2013 7:24 pm **Posts:** 183

Favoutie Good model:
Elendil, Numenor bowmen loosing, High elf holding spear straight upwards, Guar of the fountain court, Glonfindal in armour
Least favourite good:
Woses, Both of the new elronds on foot (the one on horse is nice though) the origial Awren model.
Favourite Evil:
The Knight of umbar, metal Easterling kataphrackts (even if they are a pain to assemble) the war priest both on foot and horse,castelans of Dul Goldur.
Least favourite Evil:
Most of the orcs, black Numenorians.
I see the argument on Gilgalad, plus I'm pretty sure the head is just copied from the Alith aniar model in fantasy, I think a model of him thrusting his spear downwards like in the prolouge would be cool, but hey so would one of Isildur holding the ring when he refused to cast it into the fire

JamesR · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2014 2:33 pm

Favorites
Easterling War Priest mounted
Murin and Drar
Sauron the Necromancer (when painted well)
Khazad Guard
Mahud King on foot

Least favorite
Moranon Orcs
All the Corsairs
Warriors of Arnor
Warriors of Dale
Captain of Arnor and Captain of Lake Town (these two tie for worst ever)
anything Khand

Blue Dragon · **Posted:** Sun Sep 07, 2014 3:25 pm

I definitely have an easier time naming my least favourite, because anything I obtain tends to be my favourite while it's new.

Least favourites:
Yazneg on foot. That axe he's holding is just ridiculous, and I don't recall seeing it anywhere in the films.
Narzug. I dislike for much the same reason as Yazneg. Stupid sword-bow... such weapons don't exist for a good reason.
Theoden (Heroes of Helm's Deep). The pose is just too boring for me, the other two foot versions are far better.
Fellowship Boromir on foot. There was so much more they could have done with this model to make him awesome. He;s on this list because he had so much potential that was wasted. They took a step in the right direction with the MoM version, but it was too small, and lacked detail.
Thranduil. Yeah, that one. Derp.

Most favourites:
Aragorn (Warg Attack). Not only is it our only mounted Strider, but it's just so cool - not over the top and not underwhelming in terms of spectacle. It just stepped right out of the screen.
The Witch-king (mounted with flaming sword). How could this one not be awesome?
Boromir on foot with the banner. I love this model too much.
Azog mounted. I'm running out of ways to explain why some things are my favourites...
So many more cool things - Mt Doom Gollum, Sarumand holding the Palantir, all the Arwens, the Fate of the Witch-king, Amdur on foot (as a captain), the list goes on and I just can't love one more than the rest!

J.R. · **Posted:** Mon Sep 08, 2014 5:48 am

Well

favorite good models

-Haldirs elves Metal!
-Aragorn from breaking of the fellowship (wonderfull model, mostly because his pose is so well, with sword and blade as well elven cloak!
- Boromir from breaking of the fellowship, A pose of him that fits his action scenes instead of blowing a horn with his shield on his back......
-Rohan warriors ( these are so old, but so diverse and quite a high level of detail if you compare it to the plastic wood elves or galadhrim UGh...)
-Gandalf on cart !

least favorite good models
- swan knights of dol amroth - I like their stats, but there horses are wrapped in clothes like medieval tournament and there helmets would be impossible to wear, asside from looking warhammerish. It is just so different from the somewhat realistic looks thet LOTR armour and army's have.
-yoga thranduil... how did they allow him... isnt there a screening proces or something like it. even wearing the same clothes as the other....
-Elrond from the hobbit white council
-plastic wood elves- so hard to paint nice, such ugly faces and hair, like said before if you can make such good rohan models why such ugly elves.
-The galadhrim where also dissapointing, although they are nice, they lack so much detail..
-Bilbo (hobbit versions) not one does capture the actor well

favorite evil models
-Dunlending warriors lovely to paint, and easy to imagine them fighting rohirim, sadly no plastic set, would love it !
-cave trolls & mordor trolls
-Metal mordor orcs, so much nice poses and lots of detail.
-Haradrim , almost every plastic model is good quality diverse and nice to paint in so many different colours that fit!
-grisnakh - captures the ill looks of an orc so well!

least favorite evil models
- gulavhar and the dweller in the dark.. just ugly to much fantasy monsters
-Groblog king of the deeps... such a small creature with a cape and big crown... blegh.
- Goblin town gobbo's. Although they look hidous which they should, the lack of clothing and there original colour sheme is horrible, in my view very un middle earth. Also they come with a big starter set, so you pay much for alot of disliked mini's...(most foults lay at the door of PJackson of course)
-Castellans of dol Guldur. they would be ok with normal not so fantasy swords..

There are probably many more to name, but to conclude my biggest dissapointment is a constant lack of good looking well detailed elven plastics. With the hobbit it changed with rivendell knights and thranduils army's, but they are so expensive...and still lack elven basic troops.

Bacon Man · **Posted:** Wed Sep 10, 2014 6:26 pm

Favourite would have to be The old radagast, Borimir of the white tower
and the gondor commander.

Least favourite: The standard prc and goblin models.

Hands_Hammerhelm · **Joined:** Tue Sep 16, 2014 2:48 pm **Posts:** 45

As with most people mine vary from time to time, but here are some which remain consitently top (and bottom) of the list.

Best Good Models:
Cirion. Games Workshops finest unique creation, he fits straight into PJ's gondor while remaining unique to our system.
Mounted Gandalf the Grey. Oh how I want one! the pose captures the character of the Grey Pilgrim better than any other miniature incarnation, closely rivaled by the new finecast Gandalf on Foot
Warriors of Dale. A wonderful kit to assemble, my only complaint would be that the poses are so dynamic they look a bit strange en-mass

Best Evil Models
Yazneg Mounted. He looks so awesomely evil. I have heard rumours that people thought he was Azog early in production, which would explain his increadible miniature, lack of profile in the BRB and why Azog can take a lance.
Classic Suladan Mounted. I'm not entirely sure why, He's just really cool!
Knight of Umbar. For reasons mentioned above
The Mouth of Sauron Foot and Mounted. He just looks meanacing.
Worm. Just amazing, so characterful and desperate.

Worst Good Models
Stormcaller. Never has a model looking so rushed! Possibly the least caracterful sculpt in the game!
Duinhir. just so forgetable, its like he was going to be a genric captain until they slapped a name on him.
Legolas MoM. What is he looking at?

Worst Evil Models
33% of the Morannon Orc Sculpts... the one with the mace, What the hell is going on there?
Kardush. Wierd tentacle covered fireball... if he a man? is he an Orc? no idea!
Moria Goblin Prowlers. A Rejected idea from WFB's night goblin range?

That's all i can think of right now.

Green_Dragon · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:50 pm

I'm going to do 2 entries, a hobbit one for now and a lord of the rings one at a later date.

Best good hobbit models:

Tauriel - highly detailed, great likeness and dynamic pose.
Dos Gandalf on foot - probably the best gandalf the grey yet, incredible detail.
Alfrid - never mind the games workshop paint job that destroys his face this figure is really quite something, suprised me when I put mine together recently.
Thror - possibly my favourite model from the range so far, superb armor can't wait to see thorin in it soon.
Honourable mentions thranduils first release, palace guard, master of lake town & Eagles

Least favourite good models:

Thranduil: obvious choice here as has already been said not sure what's going on here I actually laughed the first time I saw it.
Efgt Balin: everything is great except his extra long hand moulded into his body puts me off.
Bard - was so excited to purchase bard until I saw his John Cleese long skinny awful face, still waiting for the sculpt from the rulebook to be released.
Beorn in bear form - fur looks matted and lacking detail, face appears to look nothing like it did in the movie, another favourite character unbuyable due to the poor sculpt.

Favourite evil models:
Azog mounted- need I say more? Ultimate badass can't wait for Bolg
Fimbul on foot - pose, armor and detail looks great, just ordered this one.
Gundabad orcs - armor looks beastly got a pack of each if only they were plastic they'd be my biggest army.

Least favourite evil models:
Both gollums - for the most part the sculpts have trended upwards however these two are awful and a big step backwards from previous sculpts.
Narzug - looks unrecognisable to the movie version, they really mashed his armor.
Giant spiders - nowhere near as menacing as the movie.

JamesR · **Posted:** Wed Oct 01, 2014 5:17 pm

I've gotta add Shakey to my favorites. Such a beautiful sculpt

Favorite models and least favorite models

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