What's in the Box - Necromancy in a package!

That's right folks, it's time for another "What's in the Box", the column where I open up something news (and miniature-centric) for your viewing amusement and edification.

This time, we've got a surprise model all the way from Australia, a limited edition resin model made as a proof of concept by someone from one of the older Rackham boards and subsequent exile-filled forums. He had a run of 100 models made, based on some art regarding a model that Rackham never released in pewter, but whose plastic prepainted release he felt was far underwhelming.

And so, without further ado, here's my unboxing (unpackaging?) of Rhea de Brisis.


First up, just as with Anakron's parcel, this model came in through a bubble mailer.

Inside was just the blister for the model, the production casting written in Sharpie on it.

Funnily enough, it wasn't the usual blister foam that was in the blister, but a square of non-slip rubber. Useful to keep the resin from moving around so much!

The model itself came on a long tab, with one arm having come free in transport (thank all miniature gods that the piece wasn't as small as some of the original Rackham models'), but otherwise no visible damage.

 Above: Some pictures of the loose arm.

Above: Pictures of the model on its tab.

I'm sorry for having shrunk the pictures (hopefully they'll expand if you click them), but I figured it'd be neater this way and would make the whole thing easier to read.

As you can see. The model is pretty clean, with no visible mold lines. There's a bit of flash to be removed, but nothing major or which could cause a piece of the model to break.

The model was priced at 25$ AUD (that's about 24$ CAD, or 18$ USD), with an extra 17$ AUD for shipping (which is fine, as shipping to/from Australia is always super expensive). At that price, it's worth a buy, though I have no idea if the model is still available (make sure you use Paypal if you can, as my bank charged me an extra 30$ fee to wire funds for the purchase). Even despite that additional fee, I don't regret it for such a gorgeous model.... almost makes me nostalgic for the glory years of the Red Dragon...

See you next time when I unbox something totally unexpected (again!).

Edit (Dec 8th 2015): Was just confirmed today that there are still some sculpts left, and that shipping is now a flat 10$ AUD (about 7.25$ US) worldwide (except for New Zealand). Now's the best time to snag one of these beauties if you can!

What's in the Box - THIS. IS.... Halloween?

That's right folks, the column's back for a second round! For those of you who haven't read the last one (and why haven't you? It was AWESOME!), these are all about looking at a model or models from various manufacturers (those that I can get my grubby, paint-stained, hands on) or other miniature-related items, and in doing so taking a closer look at the quality of the sculpt or product.

The item we'll be looking at this time came in as a surprise - a parcel arrived straight from France, from what I could tell it was just a normal bubble mailer, but the sender was David, from Anakron Miniatures... So it could only hold awesomeness.

In all fairness, I've known David for some time - he's an awesome sculptor and painter, and his website is filled to the brim with really useful tricks and tips to become better at this hobby. I've helped him in the past with the translation of articles on his site, or subtitles on his how-to videos, and since then, every once in a while, he sends me really cool stuff when he has new goodies up on the sale section of his site. (And yes, we'll look at all of those in due time).

But what could it be this time? A look inside the bubble mailer reveals... A post card? It looks like something from Raging Heroes.

But what's this? Something written on the back? Hmm...

And what about the actual goodie? *GASP* Oh, my Goth! A pumpkin-headed bust!

Cute little packaging too! The image is a printed sticker stuck on the blister, whereas it was a piece of paper in the blister with older releases... (more of that when we get to them, honest).
But what about the models' quality though?

Huh. This is the resin model straight out of the blister, there's no flash, no air bubbles, no resin webs. If it weren't for that slight mold line on the right side of the stem where it really doesn't matter and that tiny bump on the vine right above it, it'd be pretty much perfect. As it is, I want to say it's as close to perfect as I've ever seen a sculpt. A quick dip in soapy water and a quick toothbrush cleaning, and he's ready to be primed as is.

All in all, for a sales price of 12 Euros (12.95$ USD), such a detailed 45mm bust is spot-on in regards to bang for my buck. And, as I've said publically (which is the reason for the note behind the postcard), I'll be painting mine as a punk.

'Til next time! (Don't know what we'll be doing, but it'll be fun!)