Today's additions are living at opposite ends of the spectrum in that one model was just released a few months ago while the other has been living (unpainted and unloved) in the bottom of a box for nearly 30 years. But the thing they both have in common is that they are creatures I was introduced to in my first few years in the hobby many, many moons ago.
First up; the Displacer Beast!
This is a new model by WizKids from their unpainted Nolzur's Marvelous Miniatures line and I've got to say not only did I like it but it is (in my opinion) a huge improvement over the metal figure that came out with the Chainmail line years ago. A lot of hobbyists don't like soft plastic or vinyl because it has a tendency to have softer details but this is a great example of where the material is an improvement. The musculature of the creature is fairly pronounced so there aren't many shallow or narrow cuts and in addition the problem with my older pewter Displacer Beast was always that the tendrils on the back would bend and then the paint would chip. I REALLY hope WizKids does a bunch more of the medium sized monsters in their next wave of models.
Next up; the Ambull!
The Ambull is an old 40k (Rogue Trader era) monster that hasn't appeared in anything since 2nd edition. This model is in fact so old that it's lead rather than pewter. The Ambull has a funny place in my heart because although it is/was a sci-fi monster for a game set in the far future my first exposure to it was as a final encounter in an old Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay scenario from White Dwarf #108.
I have no immediate plans for this guy but I really wanted to finally paint him. At this point I may use him as an Umber Hulk-like creature for D&D or he may just sit on shelf alongside my Dungeon Master figure waiting for his time.
That's it for today. I'm off to the depths of the internet to look for more old-school D&D miniatures!
-Jay
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