For our final Almanack of the sequence, we’re having a closer look at the returning High Elves range with High Loremaster JTY.
JTY: Most of the High Elf Realms kits are returning from the 6th, 7th and 8th editions of Warhammer. These date from the late 2000s and the 2010s, so they’re one of the most recent ranges in Warhammer: The Old World. The High Elves had one of the most complete plastic ranges, and there’s a lot of brilliant stuff coming back. Miniatures such as the Skycutter, the Lord on Dragon, the Eagle-claw Bolt Thrower and the Tiranoc Chariot are wonderful kits which all look great on the tabletop. But the High Elves had a very strong visual identity even before these, and there are plenty of older miniatures with every bit as much character and charm.
We brought back the Merwyrm because they fit so well into the nautical theme of the Arcane Journal. The option had existed to field them alongside the Sea Guard as long ago as the Storm of Chaos supplement, so it has always been a natural fit for naval troops. Merwyrms relate to the more mystical nature of Elves – their habitats are in coastal areas visited by the Sea Guard, they are dragonesque, and Elves like dragons. They’re in the same ballpark as a Frostheart Phoenix or a Great Eagle, a mystical creature of a particular environment, in this case the ocean. It was always a Forge World miniature, so it hasn’t had to be remastered – the resin is excellent, and the moulds are new.
The Lothern Sea Guard are a remastered kit. They originally appeared on the mixed frames found in the Island of Blood boxed set that arrived in 2010, alongside the Swordmasters of Hoeth and the Ellyrian Reavers. The new kit now comes with more troopers and the command group in one place, but the sculpts have barely been touched.
Likewise, the Swordmasters have been separated out and granted new command options, though the bulk of the troops are untouched. The Ellyrian Reavers have changed quite a bit – they have been entirely resculpted, and although they share a lot of the original design language, these new miniatures include a full command option.
The Chracian noble is a new miniature, a Forge World resin Hero or Lord option and an ideal character to lead your Chracian Warhosts to brutal victory. Ishaya Vess is also a new sculpt, and she’s very dynamic for an Elf. Korhil is a classic model, and returns in metal.
As for the Made to Order offer, there are four sets on their way: a Mage on Unicorn, plus classic Nobles, Heroes, and Mages. These miniatures will all be very familiar to fans of various vintages. The Mage on Unicorn is a Stormweaver – a type of Elven Mage often seen alongside the Sea Guard – and a true classic, dating all the way back to 1993.
The heroes are a selection from 6th edition of Warhammer, and there’s another set of nobles from longer ago than that, including one hero you might remember from the original Warhammer Quest…
Thanks again! Remember, the first wave of High Elf Realms releases, including the Arcane Journal and the Battalion, hit pre-orders tomorrow.
