Hasslefree Miniatures Space Elf

(Click the photos for larger images.)

As readers of the blog can easily guess, I am heavily into space elves. However, such pointy-eared freaks are not limited to Games Workshop. Hasslefree Miniatures has a very nice one in their 28mm scale line: HFS001 Ieuan.

The sculptor, Kev White, sculpts with great skill, having a very good sense of anatomy and stance. This figure radiates a real sense of power.

After cleaning up the figure, I added a plastic gem to its chest, cut from a GW Dire Avenger accessory, and I modified the stance slightly to take into account the slightly sloping resin base I got from Dragon Forge Design's Lost Empires line. I pinned the fig to the base using brass rod into the left leg.

The figure was primed black, and zenithal highlights were airbrushed in with flat white.

The face, gemstone and bio-weapon were undercoated in various acrylics and layered in thin glazes of artists' oil paints. The figure's face has a lot of character, and oils allow me to bring that out.



The hair and bodysuit/armour received multiple layers of Citadel washes. The white of the zenithal highlighting really shines through, making areas like the shoulders and calves pop.





The base also received Citadel washes. As with all my figs, I added some felt to the bottom of the base.





I am using the figure as a Fire Dragon Exarch armed with a Dragon's Breath Flamer. It is not usable in "official" Games Workshop events, but that may be less of an issue now in North America, since GW is no longer supporting their Tournament Circuit nor the 'Ard Boyz tournament series.

(From what I hear on the grapevine, Ed Spettigue is gone from GW. He was the organizer of these events. I had a great time at last year's Throne of Skulls torunament in Las Vegas, NV. It was well organized, and we players were treated very well, what with the included meals, open bar in the gaming hall, and the like. The biggest hobby events, like Adepticon, are all run now as independents.)

I've already used the figure in one game. Contrary to my usual experience, this newly painted fig survived the battle!

In addition to Hasslefree, there's several other companies making figures that are eminently usable in Warhammer and Warhammer 40K games. Examples include Raging Heroes, Scibor Miniatures, Avatars of War, and Chapter House Studios. They offer unique alternatives for heroes or specialists, or to fill gaps when GW doesn't manufacture a model for a unit listed in their codices.

For these photos I used an OPTEX Portable Studio and Lighting Kit, the same make and model that Conscript Dallas purchased awhile ago. I reccommend it highly.