The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Hello. This is my second review. My first review, of a miniature called Jonas Kane, includes a brief introduction to my background as a gamer, if you care to check my credentials. There are also some other comments about Reaper Miniatures in general which I won't repeat here.

My second victim is named Orlath Hoarbeard. A good picture of this miniature can be seen here: http://www.reapermini.com/photos/dh/2333.gif

General Description:

Orlath Hoarbeard is a huge, muscular barbarian. His most striking feature is the huge, spiraling set of horns mounted on his basinet-style helm. Orlath is standing, legs braced, with his right arm grasping the hilt of a massive sword planted point-first in the ground by his right foot, and his left fist clenched, arm slightly bent. It's not as dynamic a pose as some Reaper minis have, but I can picture the character standing on the battlefield, preparing perhaps to give a motivational speech to his troops on the eve of battle, or to lay waste to a formidable foe.

Good stuff:

The thing that grabbed me about this miniature, the force that simply took control of my arm and made me rip the package off the wall, was the horns. They are simply striking. They would be utterly ludicrous on any realistic figure, but on a fantasy miniature, they work, and work well. Going down the figure from there, the next thing that stands out is the beard. A thick beard and mustache that would make a dwarf proud give this figure an air of age... not the weakness of old age, but rather a battle-hardened, experienced maturity that differentiates this character from a smooth-shaven, younger barbarian. Other details are very clean, from the leather straps holding his single shoulder guard in place, to the runes on his sword. It's interesting to note that Orlath has very pronounced armpit hair... but would you tell this guy that he's got hairy armpits? The engraved detail on his girdle/groin guard is nice, but my other favorite element is the scowling face decorating his right kneeguard.

Bad stuff:

There is very little bad stuff about Orlath. Again, very little flash, and what there is can mostly be cleaned up with fingers alone. There are some pronounced mold lines on the horns, which is probably the worst problem you would face when cleaning up this miniature, but I think a sharp knife and a file will do the trick. The only other flaw I can comment on is the interior of his fur cape. The exterior is very nice indeed, but the interior, which can be seen between his legs and just past his right leg, is a bit bland-looking, sort of falling to the ground like a flat wall. I'm sure it's easier to sculpt fur-length robes and capes, but it'd be nice to see one stop at ankle-length once in a while.

Other stuff:

Orlath appears to be in the same, roughly 30 mm scale as Jonas Kane. Standing side by side, they look pretty good together. Orlath is actually a bit shorter than Jonas, although that may have something to do with the fact that Jonas is partially standing on a stone block, while Orlath is standing with his legs spread somewhat apart. Orlath, however, is undeniably broader and more muscular than Jonas.

Justification of the Rating:

Miniatures being primarily a visual medium, I consider Style to represent their quality, and Substance to represent their applicability to various gaming purposes. Orlath definitely qualifies for a Style rating of Excellent. Substance-wise, I consider Orlath to be Meaty. Barbarians are very common in both role-playing games and miniatures wargames. The only drawbacks to Orlath is that he is definitely a Fantasy barbarian, and couldn't be used in straight historical game. Also, his sheer size would intimidate the puny girly men he might be placed among.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Orlath Hoarbeard
Author: Mark Kay (sculptor) Category: miniature Company/Publisher: Reaper Miniatures Line: Dark Heaven Cost: $2.50 Page count: n/a SKU: 2333 Capsule Review by David Rhode on 09/29/99. Genre tags: Fantasy	Hello. This is my second review. My first review, of a miniature called Jonas Kane, includes a brief introduction to my background as a gamer, if you care to check my credentials. There are also some other comments about Reaper Miniatures in general which I won't repeat here. My second victim is named Orlath Hoarbeard. A good picture of this miniature can be seen here: http://www.reapermini.com/photos/dh/2333.gif General Description: Orlath Hoarbeard is a huge, muscular barbarian. His most striking feature is the huge, spiraling set of horns mounted on his basinet-style helm. Orlath is standing, legs braced, with his right arm grasping the hilt of a massive sword planted point-first in the ground by his right foot, and his left fist clenched, arm slightly bent. It's not as dynamic a pose as some Reaper minis have, but I can picture the character standing on the battlefield, preparing perhaps to give a motivational speech to his troops on the eve of battle, or to lay waste to a formidable foe. Good stuff: The thing that grabbed me about this miniature, the force that simply took control of my arm and made me rip the package off the wall, was the horns. They are simply striking. They would be utterly ludicrous on any realistic figure, but on a fantasy miniature, they work, and work well. Going down the figure from there, the next thing that stands out is the beard. A thick beard and mustache that would make a dwarf proud give this figure an air of age... not the weakness of old age, but rather a battle-hardened, experienced maturity that differentiates this character from a smooth-shaven, younger barbarian. Other details are very clean, from the leather straps holding his single shoulder guard in place, to the runes on his sword. It's interesting to note that Orlath has very pronounced armpit hair... but would you tell this guy that he's got hairy armpits? The engraved detail on his girdle/groin guard is nice, but my other favorite element is the scowling face decorating his right kneeguard. Bad stuff: There is very little bad stuff about Orlath. Again, very little flash, and what there is can mostly be cleaned up with fingers alone. There are some pronounced mold lines on the horns, which is probably the worst problem you would face when cleaning up this miniature, but I think a sharp knife and a file will do the trick. The only other flaw I can comment on is the interior of his fur cape. The exterior is very nice indeed, but the interior, which can be seen between his legs and just past his right leg, is a bit bland-looking, sort of falling to the ground like a flat wall. I'm sure it's easier to sculpt fur-length robes and capes, but it'd be nice to see one stop at ankle-length once in a while. Other stuff: Orlath appears to be in the same, roughly 30 mm scale as Jonas Kane. Standing side by side, they look pretty good together. Orlath is actually a bit shorter than Jonas, although that may have something to do with the fact that Jonas is partially standing on a stone block, while Orlath is standing with his legs spread somewhat apart. Orlath, however, is undeniably broader and more muscular than Jonas. Justification of the Rating: Miniatures being primarily a visual medium, I consider Style to represent their quality, and Substance to represent their applicability to various gaming purposes. Orlath definitely qualifies for a Style rating of Excellent. Substance-wise, I consider Orlath to be Meaty. Barbarians are very common in both role-playing games and miniatures wargames. The only drawbacks to Orlath is that he is definitely a Fantasy barbarian, and couldn't be used in straight historical game. Also, his sheer size would intimidate the puny girly men he might be placed among. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)