The debut of the new range of miniatures branded DPF, Ranks&Files, is imminent: on April 4th, in fact, I will kick off the festivities with the first kit!
Obviously, in these months, I haven't exactly been idle, quite the contrary: under the stern gaze of my ancestors (some very perplexed to see that instead of going out to sea to catch bream and sea bass like any self-respecting Ligurian, I'm playing around with bearded soldiers and strange futuristic devilries), I have worked hard to give the Warriors of the Clan worthy mentors to look up to with fierce admiration, a bit like I do when I see an adult booking a table at a restaurant over the phone without having a panic attack.
From these premises arises the second kit of this glorious range, the "Clan Elders"!
Better equipped and armed, with legendary beards and two houses purchased during the great economic boom of the '60s, surely the Clan Elders look down upon the younger dwarves of the stronghold!
From a design standpoint, this kit was born with one word in mind: beard. It's true that there is a significant difference in terms of "bulk" between Clan Elders and Clan Warriors (the more armoured arms and shoulder pads make these elderly warriors visually much bulkier than normal Clan Warriors), but from the beginning, I was aware that the detail everyone would focus on would be the texture of their beards.
A massive and detailed beard requires space and adds a lot of volume to the model, which complicates things technically because you have to be very careful to ensure that the other components of the model (arms, weapons, shields) are all compatible with all beard variants: the life of a Dwarf designer is tough! For this reason, for example, I decided not to sculpt the faces of the Clan Elders separately from the body (as in the Clan Warriors kit), but to sculpt them as a single block with the torso, and I opted for open and simple poses: this way I could create truly significant beard layouts!
"And compatibility?!", you might be wondering.
Well, these first two kits have already been designed to have excellent cross-compatibility margins, being able to exchange arms and shields. You might think these are just marginal details, but look here what a difference:
To this Clan Warrior, for example, I mounted the arms and shield of a Clan Elder, perfect to represent a veteran warrior or a warrior from a clan wealthy enough to arm its warriors with more splendid armour. Or a dwarf who has trained his deltoids a lot in the gym!
Conversely, I assembled this Clan Elder using the arms of a Clan Warrior and keeping the more ornate shield of the Clan Elders. In this case, the silhouette changes drastically without shoulder pads, and it is ideal for those who want to have a more Viking/sober look even on these elderly veterans, or it could even be used as a Champion for a unit of Clan Warriors! As you can see, the volumes of the armoured arms really make a difference!
Although this range is primarily intended for wargamers, it was nevertheless born from the twisted mind of a hobbyist and, specifically, my idea is to create kits that can share as many options as possible, so that you have infinite assembly possibilities and an enviable aesthetic rendering: thanks to the Dwarf Rangers kit, for example (soon the first previews!), you will have at your disposal 7 new heads compatible with the Clan Warriors kit, as well as a selection of weapons to choose from.
Exploiting the potential of 3D printing and digital sculpture, I will be able to give you an incredibly versatile range of Dwarves, both for those who want to deploy entire units of warriors without sacrificing individuality to each model, and for those who may be more inclined to play skirmish games, and want their models to be EXACTLY as they have in mind. The only problem you will have, in short, will be the embarrassment of choice (a luxury that, as a collector of Dwarves, I have never had!).
I must confess that I am very excited. Ever since I was a young sapling, I have always dreamed of creating my army of Dwarves, and seeing that this dream is slowly coming out of the drawer to become something tangible is a great satisfaction!
I look forward to seeing you all on Patreon, on April 4th, for a first feast of Dwarves. With a bit of luck and your support, we can do great things together.
When I say great, I mean literally: who wants a Dwarf Steam Tank??