Review of Rage of Demons: Orcus

Blurb from the publisher: 'Orcus is brooding and nihilistic. He finds some amusement in the suffering of the living, but is satisfied only when they are dead. He focuses his anger and hate on living creatures, turning them into undead puppets that he directs against any enemy who dares cross his path of destruction. Orcus wields the Wand of Orcus, which is topped with a magically enlarged human skull'.

What you get: Your EUR 75 or USD 75 or GBP 60 or equivalent will buy you Orcus, the well-known Demon Prince of Undeath, or at least its miniature in resin, as sculpted by Charles Woods.

Upon opening the box one is greeted by six different tightly wrapped packages. There are seven distinct pieces that need only minor interventions, if any, as well as a sprue with another five. The miniature is enormous. It has a base of 120 mm (!) and a height of 110 mm. Orcus is seated in a throne made out of skulls and bones. His hoof legs are based firmly on the skull-strewn ground. He is angry, barking orders while waving his wand, a screaming skull resting upon a spine.

Orcus is one of the numerous sets that have been already released by Gale Force Nine in their D&D Collector's Series. In particular, he is a part of the Out of the Abyss subset of the series, which includes another three iconic Demon Lords: Graz'zt, Zuggtmoy and Demogorgon. We will see more of this set in the future. Orcus has a limited print run of 1500 items. GF9 has stated in advance that once gone no item of the D&D Collector's Series will be reprinted.

The strong points: W.T.F! This isn't any miniature to buy and field, but one of the cornerstones of your collection, if not the the pièce de résistance itself. To start this, this is a major, world-shaping fiendish element, not a run-of-the-mill baddie. If you have not dealt with Orcus before in your D&D games, and I quote Wikipedia, 'Orcus is a fictional demon prince and lord of the undead in many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. He is named after Orcus of Roman mythology. His symbol is a mace with a human skull as the head. Orcus is one of the most detailed demon lords of the Dungeons & Dragons game and one of a small handful to be detailed in every edition of the game. Orcus was also named as one of the greatest villains in D&D history by the final print issue of Dragon. Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition for Dummies describes Orcus as "the most monstrous evil in the game". '

To say that the miniature is exquisite is an understatement. To say that it is perfect is an understatement. The amount of detail is mind-blowing, and in contrast to other miniatures that we have seen together recently, one might be able to paint it without even needing a lens. I'd need a good hour to count the bones and skulls that adorn the demon's imposing seat. Idem for the hair details on his fury legs, or the human and non-human skulls on his belt or the scars on his torso. Even though it is seated, the miniature is not simply imposing; it is outright brutal. The decorative bones on the ground or elsewhere are not copies of one another. They all have different cracks, cave-ins or design. One can easily devote hours to do a perfect job on the base alone.

The serving suggestion (i.e. the painting on the box) is very inspiring. I had the luck of seeing the professionally painted mini at Essen Spiel, and it is a marvel to behold. Seeing how Orcus is chaotic evil, I am aiming for something less clean. I want to make him look more sloppy and dirty, but in a meticulous way. Under no circumstances should one paint this (very expensive) piece as if it were a one-off goblin. This miniature wants time and attention to detail.

I haven't finished the process of painting the miniature (that would have stalled the review quite a bit), but up to now the material behaved very well to my clumsy cleaning, cutting, priming, partial gluing and partial painting (with all the intermediary steps). Even if I sucked at it however, at least when it comes to assembly there are few things one can do wrong. The joints are hexagonal, screw-like inserts, while the upper torso of the demon fits without fuss inside the lower part. Idem for the wings; this is clearly not a flimsy design. It is solid, it holds its ground, it has weight.

The weak points: I don't have anything negative to say about the design or casting of this miniature (if one can call it that at this size). It is objectively, as well as subjectively, a killer mini.

I can imagine some negative feedback for the inflated pricing of our hobby, the item not being available in sufficient quantities as well as to everybody (I remind you that it is available in a few stores only as indicated in GF9's website), not being assembled and pre-painted as many miniatures do nowadays etc. The bottom line remains however that this is a Collector's Series. One might say that this only exacerbates the problem. I have stated many times that the aspect of speculation on consumer goods makes me uncomfortable, with all the hoarding that comes with it and people seeing the item as a profit opportunity while not enjoying the product as such. However that's what the 'collector's item' reality is about, and it's a reality that far exceeds our hobby. Besides, Orcus is not a miniature for everyday use. This is an exhibition piece, a master test for your painting skills, the culmination of a campaign, iconic evil at a gargantuan level. Indeed, EUR 75 is the price of two medium-sized games nowadays, and here one only buys a single miniature. There are some of us who would instantly do it, and those who would cringe at the thought. Your wallet knows better.

Conclusion: Orcus the premium, luxurious miniature is as demonically mesmerizing as Orcus the D&D entity, and can crush your will to resist it in seconds. If you can afford it, this is a limited edition masterpiece waiting to be painted.

To find out more about Orcus and the D&D Collector's Series, visit GF9's website at http://www.gf9.com.

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