Flippy

And away goes my hope for heroes joining units to end the Age of (wholly within) Bubbles 😢

Still, mechanical customisation helps, as do various assembly options- and both are largely missing from AoS.

This is half-true. People complain because they feel that AoS is just a small step away from enabling this option and for some reason the designers are not willing to take that step. The newly revealed Weirdnob Shaman is Wizard (1). Would it break the game if there was “Wizard (2) + 30 points” written on this warscroll?

Based on WHFB? With the right setup (Blood Dragons bloodline) you had a killing machine like no other, save perhaps a Chaos Lord. Slaughtering whole blocks of infantry in single activation was not uncommon. Think Megaboss on Maw-krusha level of melee threat with some magic abilities on top of that.

I don’t know… I use a lot of contrasts and while I’m not any kind of expert painter, I can usually get decent results. Scales, fur, leather, bone - these are all “easy” surfaces to work with and so Seraphon or OBR are indeed Contrast-friendly. But hanging additional trinkets on an armour-clad and cloaked human model does not make it easier to use contrasts. I would argue that it is in fact more difficult, as contrasts are not necessarily well suited for such density of different textures, materials and elements.

We still don’t know if they are able to join units.

Good point. In a way, this hobby is very akin to gym routine - you need at least moderate consistency if you want to see the effects - and the effects fuel the motivation.

Depends on the magnets. If too strong, you will have some problems, but with proper magnets minis just slide on the tray and the tray itself is almost flat and doesn't get in the way. For small units (3-5-6) these trays are on overkill, but for big infantry blocks they speed up a game significantly. That is, once you simply get the habit of putting the models base to base in ranks and thus stop concerning yourself with coherency rules and related positioning shenanigans.

It dries up because the pot cap usually gets dirty and it quickly becomes impossible to close the pot properly. So, the caps need regular cleaning - which is just poor design.

Correct. If the models are magnetised, these trays work like wonder.

The trays were already very useful for big blocks of small infantry (e.g. Mortek Guards). And also made them look… proper. I think it’s easier to accept once you approach this from the other side. Just assume that the models should stay in base-to-base contact but you are still allowed a bit of extra space if keeping them together is, for some reason, impossible.

Mini Mag Tray is your answer. I’m generally with GW on this. Long lines and loose blobs begone.

I used them to proxy Dryads. They were small and delicate - and very dynamic, for their time. I would say that the main reason for this popularity was the right balance between the feminine attractiveness and the demonic, sinister aspect. Like, they were hot but scary at the same time. The new ones are not bad but rather crude in comparison.

I think that (at least with major brands) the quality of the paint is almost always at least adequate. Less so with the brushes.

Good point. Do they also arrive on the filed of battle in drop pods via lightning bolts?

We're laughing now, but the AoS Horus may already be walking the Mortal Realms.

I guess that's the main point... but it is kinda funny to witness this change of approach. Not very long ago SCE were "totally not SM" and I would bet that any suggestion they should get Ecclesiarchy-like companions would be promptly stomped into ground. Now, with Reclusians revealed, most people are suddenly fine with "fantasy Space Marines".

This would be convenient, would it not? I’ve never bought or painted a single Space Marine in my life and I was always deep in WHFB and AoS - yet this aesthetic is clearly WH40k to me.

And that’s why we have to use hooded monks in brown robes with braziers and scripture scrolls? This is almost as bad as the „witch hunter in a witch hunter’s hat” trope.

So does his chapter, but still… they (and Black Templars, I guess) were here first and it’s a bold move to approach this design territory with “totally-not-SM” AoS faction.

Agreed. It’s just a bridge too far…

They are good. A bit fancy and generally in line with the most recent Stormcast: Annihilators, Praetors etc. It is funny, though... the "easy to paint" argument was raised time and time again with regard to SCE - and here we are, with Reclusians in the starter box.

Mostly Citadel, as I use a lot of Contrast paints. I don't like the pots though and prefer to transfer almost everything to a palette. I also use GW shades and layer paints, but not exclusively. For metallics, Vallejo Metal Color. For bases, Vallejo textures.

The absurd amount of Eldar weapons - magnetised and primed.

Very nice! I firmly believe that the model is not done until the base is done as well.