The Gods War - 2

[jajagappa]

In case folks are not aware, Petersen Games will be launching the God Wars 2 on Kickstarter on Jan 20. For those who may have missed out when it first was kickstarted, they will be offering all the original content. Also, for those who did participate, this Kickstarter offers 3 new sets of figures: War gods, Magic gods, and Secret gods for each faction; as well as three extra figures (Humakt, a dragon, and a "monster" - the latter two that you can use instead of the current cardboard counters when the relevant runes are played).

Some very interesting renderings/ideas for the gods (although Malkion looks too much like a medieval knight for my taste these days). I think Dayzatar, Triolina, and the Black Eater may be my favorite sculpts so far.

Check out the update with links to the art views of the new gods and the figure turntables here: The Gods War part 2

Edited January 10, 2020 by jajagappa

[scott-martin]

22 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Malkion

Noted warrior deity. I see that he and Xemela are "Saints" as well. My intuition is that they originally dug themselves a bit of a design hole with the West and now the theistic parallels are starting to stretch. 

Personally I don't mind. Let a thousand wests bloom and we'll see which is strongest. I wouldn't mind playing with multiple Invisible God sets for that matter to reflect the mythic reality of intradoctrinal disputes. 

The Annilla sculpt in particular looks really nice.

[jajagappa]

5 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

Noted warrior deity. I see that he and Xemela are "Saints" as well.

Yep, didn't really make the same transition "back" to the Bronze Age. 

6 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

The Annilla sculpt in particular looks really nice.

I liked all the Lunar sculpts, except a bit odd that the "7-headed" Rashorana only has 6 heads. Clearly one must be invisible!

[Tindalos]

41 minutes ago, scott-martin said:

Noted warrior deity. I see that he and Xemela are "Saints" as well.

Well "saint" is still used as a term for Ascended Masters, heroes and immortals, and similar (GtG 51, 382, 729)

And it makes sense Malkion would have some martial aspects, he taught Zzabur how to ensorcel, Dronar how to work, Talar how to rule, and Horal how to fight (GSB 86). While others may have surpassed him in some areas, Malkion would have known how to fight. Presumably this is why he was murdered, because he couldn't have been slain easily in a fair fight.

[Joerg]

3 hours ago, jajagappa said:

I liked all the Lunar sculpts, except a bit odd that the "7-headed" Rashorana only has 6 heads. Clearly one must be invisible!

Worn by the Red Goddess?

[Runeblogger]

5 hours ago, jajagappa said:

I liked all the Lunar sculpts, except a bit odd that the "7-headed" Rashorana only has 6 heads. Clearly one must be invisible!

When you are able to answer to "Why does Rashorana only have 6 heads instead of 7?", you will be one step closer to attaining Illumination.

[Akhôrahil]

8 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Some very interesting renderings/ideas for the gods (although Malkion looks too much like a medieval knight for my taste these days). I think Dayzatar, Triolina, and the Black Eater may be my favorite sculpts so far.

It's pretty clear that Sandy Petersen is running with his own view - the game still has the otherwise-depreciated "Saint" thing, for instance.

I have no issues with this.

(I did think Chalana Arroy looked more like how I imagine Ourania, though.)

Edited January 10, 2020 by Akhôrahil

[Sumath]

There's only a few of those that resonate with me, and some of them are bizarre - the Gandalf-like figure for Lhankor Mhy just looks very non-Gloranthan.

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

It's pretty clear that Sandy Petersen is running with his own view - the game still has the otherwise-depreciated "Saint" thing, for instance.

I have no issues with this.

(I did think Chalana Arroy looked more like how I imagine Ourania, though.)

Yes, it's certainly retained the "medieval" west view (that was clear in the original Gods War set with its western knights).  I find it a bit hard to distinguish Malkion from Humakt though.

My least favorite of the sculpts is actually Wakboth. It's more like a bizarre blob than a good Devil.  I like both Cacodemon and Kajabor though.

[Akhôrahil]

17 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

My least favorite of the sculpts is actually Wakboth. It's more like a bizarre blob than a good Devil.

It's related to other depictions though, with a blobbish body and focusing on the jaws. 

King of Dragon Pass:

[Qizilbashwoman]

6 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

It's pretty clear that Sandy Petersen is running with his own view

it's very, uh, gore-y? gooey? it's very much this kind of deeply creepy, sinewy, ugly (not bad ugly), raw feeling. I don't dislike it, but it's really different.

My favorite so far is Dayzatar. His sculpt really puts the Dark Souls/Bloodborne eerieness of the divine into Dayzatar, which is basically what I think of when I think of Dayzatar. (And Solars in general.)

[Ian Absentia]

8 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

It's pretty clear that Sandy Petersen is running with his own view...

It seems pretty clear to me that he's made a game for non-Gloranthaphiles.  I've been impressed by the generic terminology used to describe the armies.  I reckon Sandy's view is more akin to making a game that will appeal to the uninitiated and that people will want to actually play, not simply admire.

!i!

Edited January 10, 2020 by Ian Absentia

[Ian Absentia]

Some impressions:

• Lankor Mhy - Yeah, "Gandalf".
• Malkion - Odd that he's presented in militant aspect (but, hey, it's a wargame), but more Romanesque than European, which is what I expected from others' comments.
• Maran Gor - Okay, that is not what I expected.  But, a girl goes to war, put on your best boots.
• Babeester Gor - Too pretty.  Boob-armor!  And isn't that a Lunar axe?  Won't it get caught up on the first thing it hits?
• Humakt - Not how I envision him.  More menacing than grim.  But it's the sort of thing people generally expect from a "god of death".  Evil!
• Chalana Arroy - Way too Christian.  Further evidence that this is a game for the general public, not the initiated.
• Dayzatar - Nice!  Weird!  But if he can be shown in a non-militant aspect, why not Malkion?
• Annila - I understand the perception that "sex sells", but do her flowing robes really need to perfectly contour her ass?  It kind of negates the whole "flowing robes" thing.
• Daliath - Now there's my favorite.
• Storm Bull - Rock on, soul brother.
• Triolina - Somebody remembers Blibdoolpoolp too fondly from D2: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa.
• Natha and Rashorana - Enh.
• Vadrus - The Evil Winter Warlock from Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer.
• Xiola Umbar - That's a lot of boob.  But at least she's no Chalana Arroy.  Shine on.
• Zorak Zoran - Not how I've always envisioned him, but I'm all right with this sculpt.  Maybe leaning too much into the D&D image of a "troll".
• Zzabur - I am down this this one.

!i!

[jajagappa]

14 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

It's related to other depictions though, with a blobbish body and focusing on the jaws. 

The KoDP image definitely does not fit my image of Wakboth - just looks like some Darkness demon perhaps.

I think my images go back more to the depictions of his varied parts (e.g. Left and Right Clawed Hands, the Eye beneath the Big Rubble) and the figures in RQ Companion (cover and at the start of the solo adventure). More Cthulhu-esque perhaps.

[jajagappa]

9 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Dayzatar - Nice!  Weird!  But if he can be shown in a non-militant aspect, why not Malkion?

When I first saw the preview picture of this figure (before the name was attached), I thought it might BE Malkion! Fits Dayzatar too! But wish Malkion had gone down a similar path.

9 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Daliath - Now there's my favorite.

Weird, decidedly different, and I thought quite cool!  No long bearded figure here!

9 hours ago, Ian Absentia said:

Babeester Gor - Too pretty. 

Yep.

[Sir_Godspeed]

12 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

it's very, uh, gore-y? gooey? it's very much this kind of deeply creepy, sinewy, ugly (not bad ugly), raw feeling. I don't dislike it, but it's really different.

My favorite so far is Dayzatar. His sculpt really puts the Dark Souls/Bloodborne eerieness of the divine into Dayzatar, which is basically what I think of when I think of Dayzatar. (And Solars in general.)

There is definitely a bit of the ol' Dark Souls in this, Humakt too, f.ex.

I still don't know why they couldn't have just called Malkion a "Prophet", since that is probably more accurate than "saint" even "ascended master", but hey whatevs. That being said, I think people are selling his model short. This isn't a knight, it's much more a Myceneaen or Greek hoplite than a Roman legionaire even. 

Aged Vadrus is weird. Also: magic god. Wut? He's the archeypical brute. Arguably not as mindless as Storm Bull, I guess, but on the other hand more malicious. I dunno, this doesn't really work for me. (It DOES work for Valind though, imho.)

Wakboth is too goopy and random for me. It's a shame, because most of the other Chaos gods have something going for them. This is utterly forgettable. If you'd shown this to someone and said "this is a random monster" it would've worked equally well. 

Zzabur looks basically perfect, imho. Maybe not quite as menacing and otherworldly as some of the old art made him out to be (there's one where he's got reptilian features and all sorts of weird shit), but this approach works too. 

Holy crap, I didn't see Daliath before now. That gave me a chuckle. Triolina is great too, although if they're going to incorporate decapods, it'd be cool if she had more proper arms, just a few. Gods with multiple arms are neat.

There is some other stuff here and there (Tiny-face Maran, Zombie ZZ, Chalana Arroy being Sky specifically - but then I guess she has to go somewhere unless they made her a special counter that any faction could gain or something) but hey, overall they are neat figures, and taste is subjective.

[Sir_Godspeed]

Babeester - I don't necessarily hate the boob-plate. Earth has a tendency to highlight breasts and all that - but I can't quite get the right vibes without a big ol' Kali tongue and a necklace of skulls and blood everywhere. She's supposed to be unsettlingly hardcore. Here she's just... cool.

[Runeblogger]

As in the previous edition, it's cool seeing these mainly abstract representations of the deities.  😈

My favorite of these new expansions is Storm Bull. It's full of berserk energy! 🌀

My least favorite are Lhankhor Mhy (Why is he holding a harp? Why is he described as "Singer of the Gods"???) and Daliath (sorry but a plate-headed humanoid is too abstract for me!) 🙈

Vadrus is how I picture Valind. But then, how would you have pictured him? ❄️

Zorak Zoran should look more imposing and aggressive and less zombie-like.

The miniature of Cacodemon also rocks and is how I pictured Wakboth. But have you noticed he is holding the Young Kingdoms' Chaos rune? 👹

I find Rashorana unsettling, and I think that's good! Especially her art.  😳

Looking at their art, I think Wachaza and Shargash are going to look very cool as well.

BTW, the miniatures of the dragon and the manticore are great! 😼

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Runeblogger said:

Zorak Zoran should look more imposing and aggressive and less zombie-like.

He was the one burned by Fire though, and the ruined visage fits that well.

1 hour ago, Runeblogger said:

I find Rashorana unsettling, and I think that's good! Especially her art.  😳

She's definitely got her eyes on you!

[Tindalos]

10 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

I still don't know why they couldn't have just called Malkion a "Prophet", since that is probably more accurate than "saint" even "ascended master", but hey whatevs. That being said, I think people are selling his model short. This isn't a knight, it's much more a Myceneaen or Greek hoplite than a Roman legionaire even.

And of course his trident looks a bit like a trishula, which seems fitting for him.

[Ian Absentia]

5 hours ago, Runeblogger said:

...and Daliath (sorry but a plate-headed humanoid is too abstract for me!) 🙈

 

✋🐵🤚

5 hours ago, Runeblogger said:

Vadrus is how I picture Valind. But then, how would you have pictured him? ❄️

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/jLQcgHJC5RZkiy6d6

!i!

 

[Akhôrahil]

On 1/11/2020 at 12:30 PM, Runeblogger said:

Daliath (sorry but a plate-headed humanoid is too abstract for me!)

Don't you find him... dishy?

[Lordabdul]

There's been an update to the KS, in particular there's a new "gimme everything" pledge for $699. Also, there's a YouTube playlist for new miniature turntables. This way you better see what they look like from all angles.

Personally I like that almost all of the sculpts make you go "huh, that's interesting", regardless of whether you like it or not. You can say negative things about the character designs, but I think "bland" would definitely not be it except for maybe 1 or 2 of them.

[Sir_Godspeed]

4 hours ago, lordabdul said:

There's been an update to the KS, in particular there's a new "gimme everything" pledge for $699. Also, there's a YouTube playlist for new miniature turntables. This way you better see what they look like from all angles.

Personally I like that almost all of the sculpts make you go "huh, that's interesting", regardless of whether you like it or not. You can say negative things about the character designs, but I think "bland" would definitely not be it except for maybe 1 or 2 of them.

I mean, we're quibbling here. As we do. The product seems phenomenal.

[jajagappa]

6 hours ago, lordabdul said:

You can say negative things about the character designs, but I think "bland" would definitely not be it except for maybe 1 or 2 of them.

That is true - there's very few of Sandy's designs where I would go "meh".