My swollen hands keep me from modelling or painting anything.
But that doesn't keep me from buying miniatures.
And as the titel suggests, I have bought something very special.
Some of you had the chance to lay their claws on the model in question, since they were able to go to the Salute (or any other convention) to meet with the nice people from Studio McVey.
I say nice, because Mike McVey was asked on their Forum, how people could get those lovelies without the travel. So he simply said: No Problem. An additional casting run was made specially for these non-travel-requests. So I got my cast of the Phaedrus Chirurge
This all makes for Customer Service:
Now to the miniature.
Design:
If you look into the Strain design, you find one constant: the belly maw. If you think about all the designs you could use (no eyes, claws ect.) they all implicate the difference from the human race. While "no eyes" want to tell you "I can find you whereever you are, I don't need eyes for that", a "belly maw" is something completly differnt. The implication is pretty simple: Something is wrong with my organs. (makes me think of that one "inavder Zim" episode, where he collects organs from people).
While that implication is not as frigthening as the No-eye, which is the hunting aspect, it is way more subtile. The belly/organs indicate digestion or birth and if something is wrong with that, you are truely in danger.
The Phaedrus Chirurge continiues this design and gives it a nasty twist. Instead of creating a weapon-mount or a birth/digestion-twist it appears, that haedrus is "wearing" the strain form as some sort of Suite. In my opinion that is genius and I can't recall if I have ever seen that in the model-world.
Aside from that "center piece" and that massice hulk containing a lovely lady, one aspect strikes the eye. The third hand. Having a hand on the hand invites a lot of stupid jokes and reminds me of one of these from my childhood:Nonetheless is the reason for hands imho quite striking. Hands allow you to manipulate objects (like computers ect.) and that for suggest a high rate of intelligence. It might sound wierd and one could say "what small objects do you want to handle with that huge hand?" but design doesn't work that way ;)
The rest of the miniature is quite "plain" and fits perfectly next to the Grendlr, some torn flesh, some muscles and armourplates. Nothing extraordinary.
Design:
(the hand is just a bit to much for me... but I am sure there will be fluffy explanation.)
The Model:
What can I say, that isn't covered by pictures. The cast is close to flawless. Close to, since the left eye of the monsters head appears to have a bubble. But that thing is so small (the eye and the bubblye) I can't tell... It might also be a funky bionic bit as sported on your favourite space marine captain. all the bits and pieces look fantastic. Looking at the size of the model, I was really astonished. I had guessed, that it was bigger. But when putting it next to its kin and foes it makes a resonable size. Not those super-massive-giants we are thrown at by GW, that lack some details. Due to my still shaky hands, I am not comfortable with starting the assemply. But it looks like it fits quite neat. I will pin and GS+SuperGlue+GS the parts nontheless :D Have a look at the close up. I did my best to get some good lightning to get all the crisp details. When I come home from work, I sometimes pic up the model and wonder how I am going to paint all the smallness on such a huge model. You can tell the masters hand on this one for sure.
Model:
Well, this always starts a discussion. How much are we willing to spend on our beloved hobby?
I have read some time a go a listing of all the aspects Hasslefree has to take care of whne it comes to pricing. And since Studio McVey isn't much bigger than Hasslefree, I asume, they have the same costs, before the model drops in my hands. And for all that, the price of 20 british sterling appears to be on the good side of great. When I come to think about that... it appears to be much for a single miniature... but what would you get at other manufacturers?!
So with all respect:
Price:
Let me put this all together for you:
You get a great miniature, for a really awesome price in incredible high quality. What are you waiting for?! Oh, wait, yeah... it is a show-only miniature. So, if you know someone going to meet up with the McVeys, make sure you they get one. Or go yourself :D
All in all this model, considered everything gets a well deserved:
See you next time, when I will look into either more house building or the other SW Exclusive miniature :D
