PUBLISHER: WIZKDS| RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Wizkid’s latest ‘booster box’ style miniatures release for Pathfinder is Darklands Rising. Which is a complicated way of saying that the new wave of pre-painted miniatures are nightmarish monsters from the subterranean depths of the world of Pathfinder.
The range is a mix of very large and very weird creatures, sold in booster boxes holding four models a box. It’s a deeply odd but also rather wonderful collection. For example, on of the models is a shoggoth. This Lovecraftian horror is a roiling mass of eyes, tentacles and teeth and has a truly chaotic look to it. It’s the sort of thing you put on the gaming table to let the players know that they should consider running away. Similarly, the Fleshwarp is a toothy blob of teeth, claws and pain. Both look like they’ve walked out of a cosmic horror movie. This range also has a thing called a Quoppopak, a sort orge-like octopus, which is similarly spooky.
Similarly, the range as a huge beastie called the Leng Spider. Hanging from its own massive shell like web, this dark purple mostly literally drips venom from its fangs and a webs from its backside. It’s totally horrible and exactly the sort of thing you want for adventures into the deep and dark. We also get a splendidly detailed Cavern Troll, with rock like skill and a shiny blue shards are across it’s body. Horror movie horrible, a common trait to this range. Also in huge creatures, we get a Adamantine Golem, an almost cartoonishly large mechanical knight with a plume of black steam pouring from its head. Like much of this range, it’s cleverly painted, makes good use of translucent materials and is cunningly detailed.
Another delightful horror is the Jabberwock, and yes, it looks like it’s flown right out of the pages of a horrific re-imagining of Lewis Carrol’s work. Wizkids have gotten very good at detailed winged poses and this looks great; it’s very green but gently shaded. There’s also a Mammoth Rider in this range; he comes with a Mammoth attached and though it’s always nice to see fuzzy elephants it is hard to figure out how it fits in with the rest of the set.
The Arboreal Regent is a giant tree-man, and looks more inspired by recent sci-fi movies than Tolkien’s talking trees. It spindly with a regal vibe to it. What makes this piece really work is it’s jet black eyes; it looks alien but intelligent, which is what you want for a talking tree monster. Staying in the forest, we get a Wood Giant; a huge green elf. One the nice touches here is that she is in a traditional ‘elf with a bow’ pose, but of course the arrow is a spear and the bow looks like it’s made out of a whole sapling.
Smaller models include a Norn. Y’know, one of those legendary creatures that weaves fate. She has scissors (and some very intricate design work). Some of the new drow models in this range really does make them look like hell priests and there’s an especially nice model called a ‘blood mist’ which is a gorey mix of translucent red plastic and a clever painting.
This is a great range, for both the horror and fantasy gamer, and very useful for many of us. Take a look, if you dare!
