Today’s model is also my slightly-delayed submission for Alex at Leadbaloony’s Fembruary 2018 painting challenge. Originally, I’d hoped to get a few other models done in time as well, but with how February turned out, I’m actually quite happy just to have finished off Morathi to a this standard.
Of course, there’s a new pair of models for Morathi these days, as in AoS she currently leads the Daughters of Khaine faction. But never mind those – I’ll get to them when I get to them! This model originally had a rather ornate head to the staff, but as I didn’t like it, I chopped it off around the time I bought this model and simply replaced it with a skull from a plastic skeleton kit. Morathi might not look “dressed for battle” with more than a touch of cheesecake but to me she gives off a nice “Maleficent” type vibe, and she’s clearly powerful enough to dress however she likes…
Marouda, today.
As well as Alex’ challenge, I’m also dedicating this Fembruary model to Marouda, who is both a mentally strong woman as well as one who has been becoming physically stronger as the weeks go past (we’ve been going to the gym regularly since late last year, but more on that in a later post). She didn’t know why I wanted to take this photo, either. 😛
The palette I’ve chosen for Morathi is around the overall scheme that I’m doing my Dark Elves in, which is to say a lot of Turquoise and Aqua, with use of the blues and greens to each side. I’m also going to call this model the beginning of another AoS Skirmish warband, and shoehorn it into Alex’ other group project as my only other painted Dark Elves are limited to a pair of Assassins and a pair of Bolt Throwers that lack crew. Warbanding them up a bit more seems like the perfect motivation to getting a few more of these models painted!
Now, to get on and paint some Skaven! (wait, what?)
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Looks good, now you need to get the new one and have them battle it out to determine who’s the real Morathi!
And yeah, I totally see Morathi as someone who’s arrogant* enough that she’ll wear the cheesecake armour and such as a statement of her power and a challenge to those who dare oppose her.
Also, Holy Mother of Ludicrous Shoulderpads, Batman! Was she trying to make it look like she had wings?
*Or maybe that should be “confident”, since she actually does have the power to back it up.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yeah, I have the newer pair in their box in the Pile’O’Shame. Still a lot more neglected and old stuff I want to get painted and out of the goddamned way before I break into that series of kits, though.
It really does look like Fitz was channelling a lot of “witch” and “sorceress” archetype images when sculpting this, and the shoulders are probably proxy “bat wings” as well, I’d think.
LikeLike
Very nice painting, like the conversion of the staff as well. Very bold choice in colours which I really like
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Dave. I wanted to keep the reddish stuff very dark and subtle, so it went to the pale ochre/yellow to provide the contrasting “pop” on this miniature.
LikeLike
Heh, when I saw the model’s face, I instantly thought about some Disney character – Maleficent is probably spot on! I’m not a a huge fan of most old sculpts, but your paintwork is as impressive as always!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, and yeah, there’s some wonky proportional stuff on this one, and it’s not Fitz’ greatest facial sculpt, but I still like this one anyway. 🙂
LikeLike
Brilliant mate – your colour scheme works a treat, and that mini is just too cool. She might be a bit cheesy, but she screams ‘badass baddie’, and the subtle work on the staff helps to tone it down a bit.
Kudos to Marouda for the gun-show! It’s so hard to get in (and stay in) shape, and I always have massive respect for people that do.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Alex. She’s not the greatest sculpt in the world with a few wonky bits, but it was really good for me to have something that worked as a kick up the arse to get her painted. Winter illness has put a damper on the gym in the past few weeks, but the main thing there for us is to carry on carrying on despite the little setbacks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice work! I remember Chris Fitzpatrick’s take on Dark Elves being such as breath of fresh air back in the day.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Yeah, Fitz’ work on the DE was pretty nice. I’ll always be a Jes>all kinda guy, and Naismith’s early DE were also really good, but Fitz’ spin on them generally worked for me as well, unlike so many of the resculpts of the original ranges circa 4th and 5th edition…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stunning paintjob on a great miniature! Nice work 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, mate. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great job on Morathi, nostalgic feels! I assume Marouda has a license for those guns!?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Critter. Her guns are now a little bigger and more defined, which has been pretty cool to see develop. She’s now finished the whole cutting thing and now wants to bulk up the muscle. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still like that model, maybe is was the 80’s power shouldpads…
LikeLiked by 2 people
You can just imagine this version of Morathi opposite Michael Douglas in some film….
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice- has a good old school vibe to it.
Cheers,
Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Pete. Shame it took me so long to get done! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah Morathi – that was some hat she used to wear eh! It’s funny, I used to hate that model, but now I look at it again she really does have a lot of charm. Nice work 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s like she stepped off the cover of a metal album, or more likely, out of a World of Warcraft screenshot! 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great work mate. Well done for getting into the gym too
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks mate. It’s gotten to the point where I get edgy if I can’t get in there as often as I’d like now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great painting job and the detailing is fantastic.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you! 🙂
LikeLike
Love this figure from top to bottom. Some lovely detail to pick out, particularly on the cloak. I’m sure it was a joy to paint.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Quite the opposite, actually. Took me years to force myself to get her done, but now that she’s complete, I’m very happy with her!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I guess that’s the way of it sometimes but you got there in the end and she looks great.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very much so – and thanks! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great paintwork, especially the colour selection. The miniature does rather feel like it belongs to a different era (of really large heads and hands) but you’ve done it justice. She’s going to look pretty tiny next to the new Morathi though!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks! The original colours were an effective but a bit typical mix of red and black, so when I restarted, I went with a much cooler and subdued palette and it seems to have worked. 🙂
LikeLike
Morathi is beautiful. Good choice on the skull addition, really gives her a mood that tells a story. As for Marouda, very impressive. I thought you Aussies had all your guns confiscated? Hers are also impressive – don’t cross her!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, I did have to hand mine in many years ago now – but no huge deal as I rarely got to shoot them anyway. I just keep a collection of completely legal melee weapons these days instead. 🙂
Marouda’s still on the road to Dana Brooke or Lacey Evans, so that’s good and visible gains have kept her enthusiasm high.
The previous staff topper on Morathi was even more over the top than her hat/crown/tiara, so it really had to go!
LikeLike
Pingback: 2019 Fembruary round-up, International Women’s day & Women’s History Month | Leadballoony - It's a lead thing
They may be occasionally wonky, but I have a soft spot for those old Chris Fitzpatrick sculpts, especially since his Dark Elves and Dark Eldar were so similar in style! Morathi really has that Maleficient look, well spotted! And while the model has a certain clunkiness when seen from a modern perspective, there was a time when she was just about the apex of female sculpts in GW’s catalogue.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks KS, it always was a wonder why Jes never did more female sculpts, especially when he was still actively working on the various elven lines. It’s certainly a model that looks clunky today, but I still have a soft spot for it myself (especially now that she’s painted!) 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agreed. Jes Goodwin’s Escher models are still incredible, even when compared to the modern plastic versions. Is there anything the guy cannot sculpt well? 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Jes is a hard one to think about. He obviously deserves his senior position at GW/in the design studio, but it’s a huge loss to the industry IMO that he hasn’t actively sculpted in so, so many years. Just think of all of the brilliant models that were simply never created!
I think you’ve hit the probably explaination as to why we didn’t see more female models from Jes (or anyone else, really) Aside from the odd Sorceress in armies like elves, females were almost exclusively depicted in “all-girl” groups and units across all their games until relatively recently, as they’re starting to creep into other units in the games – and without fanfare.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Terrain & Neglected Models Paint Challenge February 2019 – Community Round-Up | Azazel's Bitz Box.
Really crisp and smooth job you’ve done on her. You’ve done justice to the classic Chris Fitzpatrick sculplt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Curis – high praise coming from you! 🙂
LikeLike
Great paint job, really enjoying that colour scheme.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Subedai. Going for something a little different to, but still adjacent to the traditional DE schemes has been enjoyable.
LikeLike