We spent all of July out on the frozen steppes of the KST worlds. Ice, wind, and not a great deal of laughter. Magnificent… but by the end of it, August was clearly asking for something a little more festive.
So: if you've got holidays coming and any intention of celebrating during them, we thought you might need a few partners in crime. The kind who turn up with a plan. The kind who talk you into doing something spectacularly unwise.
One warning, though. If you throw your lot in with the band of lunatics we're handing you this month, you do so entirely at your own risk.
Because the Lust Elves are back. And they're in fine form. I'd even say very fine form.
Enjoy the video and as always, scroll down to get the low-down on this new release!
You Told Us You Wanted More of Them
Our Lust Elves release this past winter was an enormous success. But what stayed with us was what YOU said about it. You came back to us about the sheer diversity of the characters. You came back to us about how strong and how specific the identity of this army is.
That kind of feedback doesn't leave us alone. So we decided the cycle wasn't finished, and that whatever came next had to go further: more crazy, more exuberant, more special.
Looking at these miniatures now, well… I think we got there ;)
Every Character Needs Something That's Theirs Alone
Whenever we start a new release, there's always a brainstorming phase, the crucial moment when all the ideas find their place. It's also, generally speaking, the moment when I start hounding Jules, our concept artist, to push his ideas further.
And then a little further still.
I keep telling him the same thing, over and over:
Every character has to have something that belongs to them and to nobody else.
A strong identity. A personality that bursts straight out of the miniature. A style, a uniqueness that makes them them and that hits you in the face the second you look at it.
For this one, I think you'll agree with me: Jules absolutely nailed it. Every miniature, every unit, has an extremely pronounced identity. Each one lives in its own domain, its own delirium, inside that very particular madness that inhabits the Lust Elves.
This month's release is colourful in every possible sense of the word.
And where some releases fight us every step of the way, this one simply flowed.
Each character arrived feeling obvious, so distinctly marked was their identity, so naturally did each one stand apart from the rest.
Meet the Band of Lunatics
Where to even start?
Scarlkiss, with her hookah and those intoxicating wisps of smoke curling around her, is a character I have never once seen in any miniatures range anywhere. She's an indirect nod to the caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland. And I'd rather not speculate about what's actually in that pipe…
Nephix is a wink to our always enormously popular Death Dancers from the Raging Heroes range. And this one is extremely vicious.
Orphyris is a bard unlike any other, and the kind we frankly don't see enough of. A bewitching, malevolent musician, yet one you could spend hours listening to and admiring. Which is, of course, exactly the point...
Vol-Xyahm is an army general with tremendous charisma, the sort you follow first and ask questions about afterwards.
And then there are the concepts that step properly outside the ordinary. Yarnax, possessed by an inner beast that deforms his body to the point of shackling him. Or Dianythiis, the dancer with multiple blades, blending oriental dance with magical knife-throwing.
And Then There Are the Big Pieces…
We've already produced several Avatars in the Raging Heroes range, but this one…
Well…
To my eye, the Avatar of Vilyahna is on another level.
Stunningly beautiful, dangerously lascivious and definitely dangerous for your health.
I love this miniature and I've spent more time looking at it than is strictly reasonable...
Among the large pieces you'll also find the superb mounted versions of Vol-Xyahm on Yrvoid ; Silssyziah, Herald of the Fall; and Malystya on her enormous Lustwind Chariot.
You are being thoroughly spoiled this month.
I'd even go so far as to say we went past what it's sensible to produce for a single monthly release. The selection of big miniatures is exceptional. And that's without counting Lyrthana on Slithiryiss, whom we filed among the Heroines even though she could almost stand in a mounted creature slot.
In short: this release is overflowing with ideas, with quality, and with crazy value for your subscription.
Unique Scenery
And what is there to say about this scenery, other than that it's quite unique?
To build it, I went digging through Khmer, Hindu and Indonesian temples and palaces. And I blended all of these influences together until something unique came out the other side.
Something that belongs completely to the world of the Lust Elves: elegant, refined and artful.
Let me be completely honest with you.
When I look at these scenery pieces, or at the ones from last month's KST release, or at most of our scenery in general, I don't believe that there's another range out there today offering this level of creative and artistic richness in scenery.
We're trying to get past the idea of scenery as furniture for your miniatures, and build actual places instead. Places loaded with personality, fed by a dozen different inspirations, and capable of telling a story all by themselves.
That's the ambition we chase every single month.
I sincerely hope it wins you over.
Have a Wonderful August
I hope this release makes you want to start or grow your own army of gleefully demonic elves.
And since this is the season of parties, festivals and celebrations of every description, this merry gang of maniacs should make excellent company for your most unrestrained adventures.
As always, we can't wait to hear from you: which miniatures from this collection are your favourites, and how you're planning to use them. And as we do every month, we'll read every single one of your messages with the closest attention.
I wish you a wonderful month of August. Go easy on the cocktails the Lust Elves will be pouring you... and have a truly beautiful summer.
Keep on gaming!