Citadel Finecast

The new Citadel Finecast resin models are also made for the Warhammer and Lord of the Rings GW lines. I'm focusing on the 40k models because that's what I play myself.

For more info on these miniatures across all three game systems, visit Games Workshop's Website

Chaos currently has the following disgusting Finecast resin miniatures ready to lay waste on the battlefield:

Characters:
Abaddon the Despoiler
Skulltaker
Huron Blackheart

Units:
Nurgle Daemon Prince
Chaos Space Marine Raptors
Plague Marines

The details on Abaddon and Huron are amazing, and now your core troops can be even more attractive (repulsively attractive) with the finer detail that the resin models provide. I can't wait to see some Citadel Finecast Khorne Berserkers.

The Eldar are well represented in the initial Finecast offering with a variety of characters, units and (Woo!) Harlequins!

Characters:
Eldar Autarch with Power Weapon
Eldar Farseer and Warlocks (set)
Avatar of Khaine

Units:
Eldar Rangers
Eldar Dark Reapers
Eldar Striking Scorpions
Harlequin Death Jester
Harlequin Shadowseer

Eldar painters have always had to be OCD in their detail, but with the Citadel Finecasts it seems even more so. I'm looking forward to seeing some incredible Eldar armies in tournaments soon that will be outright stealing Golden Demons.

Thanks to popular demand and a new codex with a staggering array of new units, the Dark Eldar get a big representation in the first batch of Citadel Finecast models:

Characters:
Dark Eldar Archon
Lelith Hesperax
Urien Rakarth
Dark Eldar Succubus

Units:
Dark Eldar Incubi
Dark Eldar Mandrakes
Dark Eldar Wracks
Dark Eldar Grotesque

Dark Eldar players have many new creepy options to place on the battlefield, and as the Finecast line expands, I think this is going to bring a lot of players back to the Commorragh fold. All of the existing models got new designs in the Dark Eldar army, and Lelith and Rakarth look especially good in Finecast resin, although I kind of miss the old Lelith model.

The Orks also got a nice representation in the first set. Due to the expensive nature of the resins, and the ridiculous number of orks you need to fields, its not surprising that the first models are either characters or individuals. Still, expect to see bigger mobs available in the near future:

Characters:
Ghazghkull Thraka
Ork Warboss with Attack Squig
Ork Big Mek
Ork Big Mek with Shokk Attack Gun
Ork Painboy with Grot Orderly

Units:
Boss Zagstruk
Ork Tankbustas

With awesome models like Thraka and the Shokk Attack Gun Big Mek, the Painboy stands out with tremendous detail (and the grot orderly is just damn adorable). I really dig Zagstruk too - A finely detailed mode, with intriguing gear.

There are only a couple IG characters in the initial release, but Citadel could make a career of just converting IG units. There's a lot of potential here, so we all look forward to what else will be coming out in resin in the coming months:

Characters:
Commissar Yarrick
Imperial Guard Lord Commissar

I like that they started with one of the IG's greatest characters, and now you can have both Yarrick and Thraka in Finecast for your Armageddon grudge matches.

Tau got the short end of the stick by Citadel for the first wave of Finecast resins, but I'm sure more are on the way. For the time being, all you get it is:

Characters:
Tau Etheral with Honour Blade (A very nice model though)

Units:
Tau Sniper Drone Team (A puzzling and expensive choice)

I'm waiting for the battle suits to come out, and as they have been teasing in the codex, some new battlesuit options, maybe.

Another numbers heavy army that got a ton of new minis, the Tyranids look great in resin, and should give modellers a little more ease in painting and assembling these behemoth models:

Characters:
Tyranid Hive Tyrant
Tyranid Tyrant Guard
Tyranid Hive Guard

Units:
Tyranid Broodlord
Tyranid Lictor
Tyranid Pyrovore
Tyranid Zoanthrope

The new Broodlord is a great addition to the Tyranid range, as is the Pyrovore, and the new Lictor is just crazy.

I saved the best (yes the best) for last.

Citadel came out swinging with Finecast resin miniatures covering a variety of chapters, as well as plenty of vanilla marines for almost any chapter:

Grey Knights:
Lord Kaldor Draigo
Brother Captain Stern
Castellan Crowe
Inquisitor Coteaz

Blood Angels:
Commander Dante
Astorath the Grim

Black Templars:
The Emperor's Champion
Black Templars Sword Brethren

Dark Angels:
Dark Angels Company Master

Space Wolves:
Logan Grimnar
Njal Stormcaller
Canis Wolfborn

Ultramarines:
Marneus Calgar and Honour Guard

Space Marine Characters:
Space Marine Chaplain with Jump Pack
Space Marine Librarian in Terminator Armor

Space Marine Units:
Space Marine Techmarine with Servitors
Space Marine Sternguard Veteran Squad
Space Marine Vanguard Veteran Squad

Being an Ultramarine player (among other things), the Calgar/Honour Guard set is neat, but Astorath the Grim is a work of art.

I could put together a nice 1500 points with less than $300 worth of resin models (and a couple squads of existing troops and razorbacks).

Space Marine Chaplain

3 5 Man Sternguard Veteran Squads with melta-gun
3 5 Man Vanguard Veteran Squads, with 2 plasma guns and all with power weapons

2 10 Man Troop squads, combat squad-ed with flamer and missile launcher
2 Razorbacks with TL Heavy Bolter

About 1510 points.

Deep strike the Vanguards and assault right away, throwing in the chaplain for good measure, shoot the sternguards from a distance and force opponents to move up and engage, mow down everything else with the long range weapons.

It's cheesy and light on troops, but I just love the Sternguard models (which arguably could be modeled from other troops. The vanguards are also over priced (I would swap them out for assault squads) but if I was given $300 to buy models, I'd love to have the first batch of resins.

Space Marines:
The venerable dreadnought model can benefit from Finecasting.
Space Wolves need more wolf mount models, as well as accompanying wolves, so a line of these would be a blessing.

Dark Eldar:
Like with the wolves, a range of cool beastmaster beasties in resin would be welcome.

Necrons:
C'tan Nightbringer - I've never tried to build and paint him myself, but his stature seems to scream for a lighter, easier to mount resin model

Chaos:
A variety of chaos demons should be lining up behind the Avatar of Khaine in the production queue.

Tyranids:
Trygon, anyone?

This is just a small sample. I'm sure you can think of more models that deserve the high-detail, lighter and easier to construct nature of the new Citadel Finecast resin process.