The Best and Worst of Games Workshop

With 2011 rapidly coming to an end I thought I’d give out my awards for the best Games Workshop models/products this year. I’m going to put Finecast models to one side as the jury is still out on whether the venture has been a success….for hobbyists.

I will split into four categories – 40k Model, Fantasy Model, Scenery and Product.

Fantasy Model

This was quite a tough choice as the general standard has been both high and even. In the end I have plumbed for the Tomb King Warsphinx. This is a beautiful model, easy to put together and a real pleasure to paint. I made one standard and another as a Warsphinx/Necrosphinx hybrid. The crew and howdah are wonderfully sculpted and the monster while static completely achieves the premise of a living statue.

Runners-up for me would be the Tomb Guard and the Ogre Kingdoms Thundertusk.

Worst model of the year from my point of view is a tie between the Hell Pit Abomination and the TK Liche Priest who looks like he has just wet himself.

40K Model

A hands-down winner for me here. I love the new Necron Ghost Ark. To me this is a fantastic looking model which when it was released I thought looked very Cyberman-y. It really captures the Necron fluff as it portrays the relentless trudge of a Necron army, once awakened.

The runner up is the Dark Eldar Venom (a beautiful and elegant model) followed by the Necron Catacomb Barge.

The worst model was an easy pick as well. The Grey Knight Dreadknight reminds me of Hagen Kerr when he strode around the streets of Ngaio with his infant son in a frontpack. When I see that fugly figure that image comes to mind. Seriously what were GW thinking? Runner up would be the GK Jokaero….awful, just awful.

Scenery

Landslide winner here – Skullvane Manse. Mine arrived last week and it is a beautiful kit. There has been some moaning regarding the skulls but seriously what did people expect? It’s called SKULLvane Manse and it is set in the Warhammer World.

In terms of runners up, one other piece stands head and shoulders above the rest – Garden of Morr. I can see these flying out the door once the new VC book is released in January. For the worst scenery models, nothing was truly bad. However the Storm of Magic fulcrums were definitely a couple of notches below the Manse and Garden.

Product

I was going to give this to Liquid Green Stuff but it will have to be satisfied with Runner Up. For me the best new product was the Hardback Warhammer Army Books that started with the first new edition book, Orcs & Goblins. This solved one of the main gripes people had with GW, pages falling out.

Worst product, again easy. The Finecast brush and mould line scraper. Really GW, really?

Now I'm sure that Jack and Charlie will have different opinions so I look forward to their blog posts on the subject (HINT)