In my last post (HERE) I noted that I had done some Marketing Planning for Cool Mini or Not (CMoN). Towards the end of last year I put together a plan to help grow their two miniatures games - Wrath of Kings and Dark Age. The folks at CMoN liked my plans and have asked me to join them on a part-time basis during 2016 to see the plans implemented. Of course I've said yes : )
I've been working hard to get a warband together for Dark Age, a sci-fi skirmish game that's been around for a while and has gone through various waves and cycles, but now stands as a great game backed with beautiful miniatures that just needs to get a bit of traction.
For quite some time Dark Age has had the "Post-Apocalyptic" moniker attached to it, and the core event that began to shape the planet of Samaria as it is now was an "apocalypse" of sorts. Five hundred years prior to the current time, the planet suffered a massive economic collapse causing all sorts of companies to pull up stakes and run, leaving behind their expendable workers. But now, five centuries later, the collapse is only a thing of legend and the various alien races that have since landed on the planet (and the extreme conditions of the planet itself) are a bit more a concern than any apocalypse.
Anyway, I was drawn immediately to the Outcast faction (my love of "man against the fantastic" showing through again) and decided to start with the exceptional models of the Salt Flats Nomads sub-faction. Here are the models I've painted up over the last couple of weeks. The schemes are drawn directly from the CMoN Studio models)
This is Bendahrin Durshe, Bladelord of the Tribe, Leader of the Salt Flats Nomads. I love the pose, the detailing, and particularly the bone tulwar (sword).
This big fellow is Kane, the Hand of the Bladelord. Unlike the other nomads, Kane wears a massive suit of bulky armor and he wields the massive Kestrel.
These Tribal Warriors are absolutely beautiful! Lightly-equipped with exceptionally sharp tulwars and poisoned hand crossbows, I'm hoping they'll be as lethal as they are good looking.
These Nomad Herders are the models that grabbed my attention as I was searching through the Dark Age galleries. Again, the poses are fantastic, and their masks are just the right amount of surreal for me.
And for my first set of beasts herded by my... well, herders... I've gone for the razor-winged Vrocks. Excellent sculpts, and cast in awesome resin!
I'm off to Atlanta tomorrow to chat with the CMoN folks and get things started. I'll also be getting in a few games of Dark Age. Let's see if my initial choices were good ; )
Cheers
Dave
Those are absolutely stunning Mr. Taylor and a Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mr Awdry, and a Happy New Year to you too : )
DeleteHey Dave - Dark Ages stuff is looking Great! Jen sent me a piece or two from the range to check out and to paint and they are likely going to be my next warm up pieces for big projects :) - when I do Ill send some pics your way as well!
ReplyDeleteKeep it up buddy !
That'd be great, mate. I'd love to see what you do with them : )
DeleteGreat model, great paint !!!
ReplyDeleteAwesom job
Thanks, Max!
DeleteI'm glad to hear CMON is enlisting help to promote Dark Age and Wrath of Kings. The game designs are modern; the models are spectacular; and the games have strong support from an established company. Both games have the necessary elements to be first-tier players in the market. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWe're going to work hard to move things forward. Shoot me an email and we can chat about how things are going out your way : )
DeleteVery nice painting ;)
ReplyDeleteWarburton
Thanks : )
DeleteI bought a bunch of Dark Age models at NOVA for my post-apoc 40k army I'm working on. The scale is a little larger than I'm used to, and some of the model's hands and feet are out of proportion but all this can be forgiven because of the artistry. I love the models.
ReplyDeleteOne bonus is that the metal is very soft, so its very easy to do head swaps and weapon swaps if so inclined. As I am. #kitbasheverything
Dark Age has been around for a while, and the older sculpts certainly have that "big hands" feel so typical of late '90s/early '00s sculpting. These models are much more recent and have some lovely proportions : )
DeleteAgreed, I have some of the old books and when you compare them to the new rules, you can see how this game has evolved through monumentous effort into a first tier game. It does need some traction and there is so much potential in this game I hope it keeps on growing. That said I can't wait for my Ice Caste and Salt Flat Nomads to dominate all the players.
ReplyDeleteHow is the painting going for your Ice Caste?
DeleteBest wishes for your new venture! I think part of the problem with Dark Age was the original models weren't very appealing - kinda lacking any "wow" factor. Until I saw the models you painted I was never very impressed with this line. Seeing how you painted the Outcast faction, I'll be picking some up this week. Let us know how your list plays!!!
ReplyDeleteI think there are a lot of great models in the range, and some not so great, but these Nomads spoke to me : )
DeleteSpectacular work, man! Holy cow those are beautifully done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, mate : )
DeleteI freakin’ love those razor-winged vrocks (dinosaur looking things), but I couldn’t find them online anywhere. Are they still sold as part of the Dark Age range? Or are they from another company?
ReplyDeleteHi Samuel! They take a little bit of searching, but can be found on the store link, on the second page of the Outcast listing (final image, actually).
DeleteHere's the link to go directly to them:
https://www.coolminiornot.com/shop/miniatures/dark-age-games/outcast/vrock-1.html
Have fun : )