Fancy proxies: alternative sculpts (not only GW)

[Greybeard86]

Underworlds warbands have been a good source of proxies for the main game. They are commonly used as "fancier" champions or heroes (or simply scavenged for bits). In addition, they were cheaper than existing options (such as the massively overpriced foot heroes). This got me thinking about proxies in AoS and how, in my opinion, can add a lot of character to an army and the battlefield in general.

I know that GW is determined to keep the table top GW(TM) only, but this is our game so I am not playing it by those rules. So, in that vein, what are good sources of proxies? What are alternative sculpts (both GW and not) that you have used in your armies and/or games?

Let me get the ball rolling with some of the sculpts that I found and really like for AoS (and are not GW):

 

Alternative dragons:

https://karolrudykart.com/index.php?id=offer&kat=19#odnosnik

 

Alternative gargants:

https://www.darkswordminiatures.com/shop/forest-giant/

 

Alternative dwarves:

https://avatars-of-war.com/sh/es/97-regimientos-en-plastico

 

Alternative saurtus knights

https://www.lostkingdomminiatures.com/en/saurian-ancients-cuetzpal/94-146-ezocamatl-knights.html#/26-supports-pre_supported

[Vastus]

I started looking into this recently and there's a ton of great 3d prints out there honestly. Clay Beast Creation, Lord of the Print, Bestiarium Miniatures, Clay Cyanide Miniatures and many mores have some cool stuff. I don't own a 3d printer personally, but it appears a lot of people buy licenses for them and sell these on Etsy (e.g Mythforged, Proxywars). More expensive than printing yourself I guess, but still cheaper than GW. Always worth a try looking on there.

I've bought this Ogre Catapult recently (probably a Scraplauncher proxy), and I've also ordered this one as a Butcher/Tyrant proxy since it fits the aesthetic I'm going for. I'm also eyeing some alternatives for Beastmen since I had an idea for a Shaggoth kitbash, but don't have an affordable idea for regular Dragon Ogors.

 

Edited April 23, 2022 by Vastus

[Boingrot Bouncer]

I used this model as a proxy for vampire lord on zombie dragon, although I think I ordered it to be 150 % of the original size (but then the wings were huge!):

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/1066146552/cursed-dragon-undead-zombie-lord-of-the?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

[Kasper]

On 4/23/2022 at 5:12 PM, Vastus said:

I started looking into this recently and there's a ton of great 3d prints out there honestly. Clay Beast Creation, Lord of the Print, Bestiarium Miniatures, Clay Cyanide Miniatures and many mores have some cool stuff. I don't own a 3d printer personally, but it appears a lot of people buy licenses for them and sell these on Etsy (e.g Mythforged, Proxywars). More expensive than printing yourself I guess, but still cheaper than GW. Always worth a try looking on there.

I've bought this Ogre Catapult recently (probably a Scraplauncher proxy), and I've also ordered this one as a Butcher/Tyrant proxy since it fits the aesthetic I'm going for. I'm also eyeing some alternatives for Beastmen since I had an idea for a Shaggoth kitbash, but don't have an affordable idea for regular Dragon Ogors.

 

How tall is the ogre catapult?

[Marcvs]

Basically these days I look first for alternatives and only as a last resort for the official ones, so I'll keep this post only to the latest batch Important to note that the tournament scene where I play accepts alternative minis etc as long as they are "similar", there's no risk of confusion with other units in your army and WYSIWYG in terms of loadout.

 

This was my Runelord

https://www.myminifactory.com/fr/object/3d-print-runakk-the-forgemaster-dumlok-flameseeker-hero-172085

 

This was my battlemage of Ghur

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-uldar-the-shapeshifter-deepwood-alfar-hero-110723

 

I also created two units of 10 Longbeards (one- and two-handed weapons) using bitz laying around and a box of Oathmark dwarven heavy infantry which gives you a ton of stuff for the price of one GW unit

https://www.philibertnet.com/en/oathmark/76331-oathmark-dwarf-heavy-infantry-9781472897442.html

then to pimp them a bit I added this as a musician

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-flokir-the-skald-modular-dwarven-skald-95377

and a champion from this set

https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-complete-dwarven-oathbreakers-presupported-123107

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by Marcvs

[Greybeard86]

 

3 hours ago, Boingrot Bouncer said:

I used this model as a proxy for vampire lord on zombie dragon, although I think I ordered it to be 150 % of the original size (but then the wings were huge!):

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/1066146552/cursed-dragon-undead-zombie-lord-of-the?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

I really like that zombie dragon. 

 

1 hour ago, Marcvs said:

Basically these days I look first for alternatives and only as a last resort for the official ones, so I'll keep this post only to the latest batch Important to note that the tournament scene where I play accepts alternative minis etc as long as they are "similar", there's no risk of confusion with other units in your army and WYSIWYG in terms of loadout.

This was my Runelord

https://www.myminifactory.com/fr/object/3d-print-runakk-the-forgemaster-dumlok-flameseeker-hero-172085

I am new to this whole new world of 3d printed stuff. I am a bit like a kid in a candy store: there are so many alternatives that look very nice. However, there are many sources (etsy, myminifactory), with some printing (others do not); it is all a bit confusing at the moment. Furthermore, sometimes I have a bit of trouble with scales, though they often seem to report them.

I was also surprised to see that some of the mass produced plastic alternatives are catching up a bit. That said, I still think it is in unique "centerpiece" options that one can find the most appealing alternative sculpts. 

Thanks, folks, keep them coming!

[EntMan]

6 minutes ago, Greybeard86 said:

However, there are many sources (etsy, myminifactory), with some printing (others do not); it is all a bit confusing at the moment. Furthermore, sometimes I have a bit of trouble with scales, though they often seem to report them.

I'm in the same boat, I see stuff for 3d printing online but then get confused trying to find somewhere to print it which then asks stuff about sizes and quality of material to use and then I give up!

Anyone got links to straightforward guides on this please?

[Marcvs]

29 minutes ago, Greybeard86 said:

 However, there are many sources (etsy, myminifactory), with some printing (others do not); it is all a bit confusing at the moment. Furthermore, sometimes I have a bit of trouble with scales, though they often seem to report them.

Yes, the size is often the main difficulty (I don't own a printer and only buy from other people via Etsy or their website). Generally the scale (28mm or 32mm) is listed, but even then it can be a bit hard to get it right, so I generally avoid placing big orders if its the first time I am buying from a specific shop. Most people are quite responsive however, so you could always ask about the dimensions of a given print before buying

[SunStorm]

I got my current Rogue Idol as a 3D print from a seller on ebay. 

I have the FW version, but the giant chunks of sold resin are tricky to stick together and it really doesn't look as good as this version:

 

[amysrevenge]

I'm very interested in this topic.  I've grabbed a few printed items off of Etsy (non-commercial shipping from eastern Europe to western Canada takes a seriously long time!), and my entire Kharadron Overlords army is built from TitanForge models.

[Vastus]

6 hours ago, Kasper said:

How tall is the ogre catapult?

You can order it at different sizes, I went for 54mm eye height which is a bit taller than regular Ogor models it turns out but that's fine in this case.

[Kasper]

18 minutes ago, Vastus said:

You can order it at different sizes, I went for 54mm eye height which is a bit taller than regular Ogor models it turns out but that's fine in this case.

I thought about replacing the head with some Nurgle bits and then put Nurglings on him for a converted Skaven Plaguecrawler, but no clue what size I should order 

[Vastus]

I don't know how large the Plagueclaw Catapult is, but at 45-50mm it'd be roughly the same height as AoS Ogors or similar monstrous infantry and not look out of place. It doesn't need to be exactly the same imo, we are not all the same height either. And you can always put it on an appropriate base. Also if you're not sure, I'd suggest just grabbing a measuring tape and looking at the height of models you own to get an idea of what you want.

[Cambot1231]

anyone find good proxies for chaotic beasts Furies other than these: https://www.manticgames.com/games/kings-of-war/abyssal-dwarf/abyssal-dwarf-gargoyles-troop/.  ???

[Lord Krungharr]

While I do love the proxy sculpts that are available now, I would only venture to get some if it saved me money, which often times it doesn't.  I rather like the GW aesthetic usually, and how most of the armies have their own unique cohesive look.  For bigger stuff though, sometimes it certainly pays to proxy, and then add GW bits to bring into the right look for my tastes.  Did that with my Rogue Idol which was a Pathfinder Earth Elemental Lord for $30 and then gave it Bonesplitterz shield bits for decoration, plus a face made of their rocky blades and a shield.  I can't argue with that price.

[Painbringer]

This guy has some very good proxies for Stormcast and Naighthaunt (but some other armies as well): https://www.patreon.com/ghamak

[Gotz]

the only think I'm not quite fond of most 3d printed stuff is that they only share the 3D rendering art. If the item is popular enough on a place like myminifactory someone probably would have shared their printed mini, but still is quite rare, so you don't know how exactly how the mini will look. 

Specially the 28-32mm minis that have insane details, that look great on a 3d print, but printed at home, not so much. 

But the minis I bought from pro-printers really look amazing.

 

And to share some proxies... the Ogre Conquistador from Titanforge is pretty cool to use as a Maneater

Edited April 26, 2022 by Gotz

[Painbringer]

Oh, and I must not forget this company: https://creaturecaster.com/eu/ 

They have some absolutely fantastic sculpts, and their demons are truly magnificent and can be easily used instead of GW models (however, they are expensive): 

[SunStorm]

1 hour ago, Painbringer said:

Oh, and I must not forget this company: https://creaturecaster.com/eu/ 

They have some absolutely fantastic sculpts, and their demons are truly magnificent and can be easily used instead of GW models (however, they are expensive): 

 

I will also recommend Creature Caster. I got their Drakon (https://creaturecaster.com/eu/product/drakon/) as to use as a Shaggoth.

Here is a size comparison shot while I was assembling Kragnos:

I used the wings as you can build him with flying via the Anvil of Apotheosis, but he comes with the option of no wings as well. 

The quality of the cast was really good. Very little cleanup, went together super easy. Certainly not a cheaper option, but some of their sculpts are downright gorgeous.  

 

[Neil Arthur Hotep]

A somewhat boring, but cost effective proxy option for Freeguild troops exists in Warlord Landsknecht/30 Years War units:

https://eu.warlordgames.com/search?type=product&q=landsknecht

Much like Bretonnia, the Empire has a very strong historical inspiration in the Landsknechts of the 30 Years War. If you look at a historical game like Pike and Shotte, you should be able to find all the less fancyful staple units that currently exist in AoS: Gun and crossbow troops, spearmen and halberdiers, greatsword fighters and even gun-cavalry.

Since the Freeguild troops are some of the oldest and worst-sculped kits in AoS, there is not much of a drop in quality here. There is, however, a significant drop in price: A Landsknecht Missile Troops box from Warlord is only €30 for 30 models, for example, whereas 30 Freeguild Handgunners would set you back nearly €70.

 

[Mutton]

Big fan of this thread. I'll tout https://zealotminiatures.com/ for having incredible, unique sculpts. Downside is that it can be a little pricey with conversion rates.

[Marcvs]

1 hour ago, Neil Arthur Hotep said:

A somewhat boring, but cost effective proxy option for Freeguild troops exists in Warlord Landsknecht/30 Years War units:

https://eu.warlordgames.com/search?type=product&q=landsknecht

Much like Bretonnia, the Empire has a very strong historical inspiration in the Landsknechts of the 30 Years War. If you look at a historical game like Pike and Shotte, you should be able to find all the less fancyful staple units that currently exist in AoS: Gun and crossbow troops, spearmen and halberdiers, greatsword fighters and even gun-cavalry.

Since the Freeguild troops are some of the oldest and worst-sculped kits in AoS, there is not much of a drop in quality here. There is, however, a significant drop in price: A Landsknecht Missile Troops box from Warlord is only €30 for 30 models, for example, whereas 30 Freeguild Handgunners would set you back nearly €70.

 

Yes, these kits are such good value for money! (similar to the Oathmark or Frostrgrave kits which I also recommend, the latter is also an amazing source for female heads in the kits Wizards II and Soldiers II)

For a more expensive but better looking alternative, I like the Crossbows https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-medieval-crossbowmen-unit-highlands-miniatures-142922 and Arquebusiers https://www.myminifactory.com/fr/object/3d-print-the-arquebusiers-unit-highlands-miniatures-183429 from Highland Miniatures.

[Overread]

I see creator names I recognise!!

 

karolrudykart makes some outstanding models, but most of their dragons are limited resin releases. So if you don't jump on them pretty quick they will be gone for good - eg I'm fairly sure that one in the first post is already sold out. They've done STL releases before and did a very good job of the models for that so there's hope that one day they might do a dragon stl! 

Creature Caster do some really really great resin casting. I've got one of their demons and I REALLY want to get hold of their huge Necromancer Dragon one day!! 

Avatars of War do some neat stuff, can be a bit heavy handed on the presupports, but the models are generally good!

Lost Kingdom do a LOT of stuff and I'm itching to back them they just need to make a new army I like the look of (I already will likely grab some of their saurus ones at some stage).

Clay Beast Creation is fast becoming one of my favourite creators! Really great sculpting and very high resolution stuff in general too. 

Bestiarium do a lot of really dark stuff, very Dark Souls Gothic in theme and design. A lot of blood and guts and strange monsters. Loads of fun and really great model sculpting and supporting too

Lord of the Print are one of my favourites and they've been messing with doing armies/larger ranges of models; though they are most famous for their dragons! 

Clay Cyanide are doing a bunch of a lot of things and are really famous for following themes of non-western mythologies at their core. Though they've also been dabbling with some infantry/army blocks as well. 

 

 

There are many many many more! 
Also I'd say its well worth checking out One Page Rules. They are doing a LOT of models now and their quality has grown a lot since they started. They are putting out whole armies in 3-4 month blocks and doing two at a time along with terrain and a bunch of other stuff. Really solid model designs - heck I'm already sort of starting a Beastman army because I loved their take on the theme. 

 

And since this is a topical thread about it I figure its safe for a tiny bit of self promotion: https://printhunter.org
If you're interested in 3D printing check the site out, I am to cover a lot of the monthly releases that go out. Plus there's a few articles on the subject that I'm steadily adding too (one on temperature, just released one on health on safety and the next is likely file management and organisation tips). Granted this all assumes you own a 3D printer, but as noted above most of the patreons/stl makers have merchant tiers and options for companies to buy to then print so you can often take the name of the model and creator and hunt around to find a reputable person to print them for you.

[Ravinsild]

My entire cities of Sigmar army is almost 100% Scibor miniature Dwarven proxies. I think the only 3 which aren’t is my Freeguild General on Griffin with be from Artisan Guild the dwarf on the Griffon, my 2nd RunePriest will be from Artisan Guild and the Cogsmith is GW’s. 

[QuasiEvil]

On 4/25/2022 at 3:10 AM, Boingrot Bouncer said:

I used this model as a proxy for vampire lord on zombie dragon, although I think I ordered it to be 150 % of the original size (but then the wings were huge!):

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/1066146552/cursed-dragon-undead-zombie-lord-of-the?show_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details

After receiving it, what size do you think would be the best for a Zombie Dragon?  120%?