https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmaenad/dark-maenad-fire-and-steel/posts/3504410?ref=activity
This was the last update of their first kickstarter. They announced a new one coming in September. Their minis are available in 3 formats. Metal, Siocast plastic and STL. The minis were available individually or in Mordheim like warbands.
Anyway, the next kickstarter is supposed to have Tribal gilrs, Steppe Girls, additional gunpowder girls to go with their first kickstarter, Desert archers, Hoplite girls and Amazonian royal guard.
Here is a preview of one of the new girls. I wont post the other as its NSFW. But If that is not your thing, the majority of their minis are not NSFW.
LINK TO FIRST KICKSTARTER
The following pictures are from the first kickstarter
My minis from the first KS are supposed to arrive tomorrow. I got the Siocast. Ordered the Cold steel girls warband. The War Elepahnt, the knight commander and the queen. The Queen is the only NSFW mini i got. Will let you guys know how the quality is tomorrow.
I'm also waiting on minis to see what I think. I can't remember what I ordered.
@William Redford
Thank You for the heads up! These look like awesome minis. Pending your report on quality I will almost certainly get in on the next Kickstarter.
It doesn't seem like he has a store otherwise?
The "Mercenary" troop would work great with the WGA Conquistadors.
The "Blackpowder" troop is a perfect fit for Mordheim.
These are really clever. I've never seen the Halberd OR Musket option before.
The "Cold Steel" troop is perfect for Mordheim campaigns set in Khemri.
Definitely looking forward to your quality report/review.
Those are pretty sweet. My search-fu is rusty; I couldn't find them for sale anywhere else (I don't think I'd need a whole unit). Maybe one or two if the wife liked the look of them for her character.
Also, Jimi here is pretty damn cool, even if he is playing with the wrong hand:
My stuff arrived today. The Siocast is beautiful. The Elephant... lots of gaps and the howdah tested my sanity. But still beatiful.
@Benjamin Hayward They may not have a retail place yet. Effin Cool minis is the one casting for them, so I imagine they will be sold through that shop eventually.
looks great. I'll likely go in for more in the second campaign.
Not to get too far off tangent, but who makes that non-Reaper bulette?
@BS Kitbasher Epic miniatures. I bought it from this seller on Etsy
Etsy Bulette link
I bought it in the 75mm size so it would be Huge in my pathfinder game. The Standard 55mm would be large. And Yeah... much better than the Reaper bones Bulette. Which I liked until I saw the Epic one. :)
Dang, their detail is really great! That elephant is dynamite!
@Benjamin Hayward the elephant came with 2 head choises too. So I have a complete 2nd elephant head... I am thinking of buying a bones hill giant and making an elephant man conversion...
I regret not going bigger on this. Everything came out great. The campaign was slightly delayed as Effincool had some issues with the new siocast machines. But that is ironed out now, so the next kickstarter should be smoother.
I found this "preorder store" for them.
Pre order store
How tall are these models? Are they going to mix in well with Wargames Atlantic and NorthStar, or are the more in line with Nu-GW (32-45mm) figs?
@H M They match pretty well with Wargames Atlantic.
I particularly like that Tribal sculpt... but all the desert stuff is cool as well. That is going to be a tempting KS in September.
Oh wow! That's way better than I ever would have though! So many kickstarter based companies nowadays seem to want to offer models comparable in size to stormcast that I nearly always give up any hope.
@William Redford
Any update on this? Excited about these excellent miniatures.
@JTam As far as a start date? No. But they have shown some more previews.
New Kickstarter starts Oct 11. The link is not active yet, but will be the active link on 10/11,
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmaenad/dark-maenad-empire-of-the-summer-sea
and some more preview pics.
@William Redford Nice figures Bill, they look brilliant, looking forward to seeing them painted. They certainly will add some style to your collection.
Well... this launched yesterday... and was cancelled today. The creator basically said he was warned that fall kickstarters dont do as well, and as it was slower than previous campaigns he realized that was true... so... he will wait and relaunmch in Spring of next year. Also he was offering both the plastic and metal, but with the price of metal and the lack of many going in on the metal, it wont be available when he relaunches. It will be the Siocast plastic only.
Well that sucked.
His update notes sound hopeful though.
How is the siocast? I was going to go with metal with my pledge but as you said it sounds like that option is going away. (Recently went with plastic over metal for a Ano Domino box set and was pretty disappointed with that plastic...)
Will definitely get the Black Powder and Mercenary girls. Will also get the Desert girls. Will make nice characters/unit champions with the "Araves" plastics I'll be getting.
https://wargamesatlantic.com/community/xenforum/topic/56852/plastic-dwarf-conquistadors?page=2
Considering getting the elephant with three archer crew. Would allow me to use the Araves and Dark Maenad Desert minis in what? Saga? Small games of Historical Warhammer Fantasy Battle or Warhammer Fantasy? What would an elephant with archer crew proxy for in an Oldhammer Empire army? Steam Tank? Maybe the war wagon? Can you change the crew make up? I can't remember. I remember the man catcher and other weird Engineer College weapons all had special rules. I feel like an elephant should cause more damage on close combat. But maybe it works out. Three arrow shots represented by long rifle. Man catcher represents trunk, etc.
@JTam I like the Siocast. Good detail but doesn't feel fragile like resin.
the shield wolf girls are a bit tall. They are 32-35mm where as these are 28mm. Though I think he lists them as 32mm. So I imagine the Arivises will be at least a head taller than these. Not s deal breaker for me, but I know some have issue with that.
@William Redford
Hmmmh. It would be better the other way around. They're not called oversized heroes for nothing. Good to know. Thank You.
Peak at more new models from Dark Maenad's Facebook.
Says they will try the Kickstarter again in January?
Update:
Not a fan of this last one. The shoulder armor and muscled cuirass doesn't really fit the rest of the aesthetic. Also, why is it a dude muscle cuirass?
The rest of the renders look great.
@JTam Those look really damn cool; I'd like to see how the minis turn out.
I'm with you on the last one, though. The body armor looks like Greek-ish male armor, and the pauldrons look Roman (with hearts on them?). I dig everything else about her, though.
All in all, these'll look great in a Mordheim/Oldhammer army! I kinda want some!
There was a bit of a Classical Revival in the 15-16th century. You do see muscle breastplates, though really only in parade armours. But this is fantasy.
In this case, the shoulder pieces would be deliberatly of the same Roman style as the curiass.
Maybe she inherited or looted it? Maybe she's making a statement? Or maybe she's just not a D cup.
Parade armour of Emperor Charles V. c.1546:
@Mark Dewis Could be. I don't like it aesthetically, but maybe the story could be its her father's armor and she took it up when she went into the family trade.
Maybe its her late husband's and upon receiving his lifeless body, she took up his sword and armor and went out for revenge, like that Russian lady who bought a tank.
That, or maybe its a work-in-progress and they'll change the final product. Any number of things, who knows?
I wouldn't read too much into it. That kind of armour is pretty much a rich person's fancy in any setting. Putting aside anacrhonisms due to being fantasy, such armours existed at the time Zweihanders were in use, so the mashup of Graeco-Roman and Landsknecht is legit.
The model has what could either be pectorals or breasts, but since it's a rigid material shaped for effect it doesn't have to match up with any particular body type. Of for that matter, cup size.
If you're good with a zweihander lady to start with, them adopting neo-Classical muscle armour really shouldn't need any extra justification.
This is live and funded. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darkmaenad/dark-maenad-empires-of-the-old-world?ref=user_menu
I am in for the Blackheart Greatswords but may be in for the other 2 Blackheart sets too.
Just backed for the "All the Blackhearts" for 150 plus some STLs and a physical war elephant.
Kickstarter has seven days to go.
@JTam Siocast, Here is my 2 penys worth, Rubicons changeing all the small figure packs to this medium. Starting with the new "nam ranges and any new figures in general". Then because of tge quality all small figure packs, Very sharp blade will trim any minor flash , little flash any way castings very crisp well detailed. Figures look really good if a barell is slightly warped warm water will straight. takes paint very well. I`m pleased with all my £40 worth of Marines and V-C.Geoff.
@Geoff Maybury
Appreciate the feedback. Very much going back on forth on whether to get metal or plastic figures in the end.
@JTam I was in for the All the Blackhearts but dropped out. The campaign was pretty slow and my attention span is that of a squirrel... but also CMON starts the New Zombicide Fantasy set, White Death, next Wednesday. Recently my group has gotten a lot of play out of Black Plague and Green Horde, so it seems like a better buy for me... I will say though that I was quite pleased with the SIOCAST from the first Dark Maened Kickstarter. As they will likely be multi-piece, I would prefer the plastic as I dislike multi-part metal minis.
@William Redford
That last is an excellent point.
What an amazing thread. I've never seen such a lengthy discussion of our miniatures before. Thank you Bill for starting this. I was worried that something was wrong when you dropped, glad to see it was just a new distraction.
The third Kickstarter is rapping up we should have everything posted by the end of this month. Then everything will go up on our Etsy shop. We have everything from the first two Kickstarters up there now. I will post a link tomorrow.
Thank you all for your kind words.
