BoLS Unboxing: Betrayal at Calth: Heroes & The Dread
The Betrayal at Calth continues with the Two Heroes and the Contemptor Dreadnought!
Hello again BoLS Readers! I know many of you have been waiting for a deep dive into the two Hero Models and the Contemptor Dreadnought – well the wait is OVER! Check them out right here:
The Heroes:
Captain Aethon is in the Cataphractii Terminator Armor and is a “mostly” snap-fit model. I say mostly because he reminds me of the dynamically posed “snap-fit” models from the Age of Sigmar box. Meaning that while he is a single pose model, it’s a great one-off model. The mold lines are hidden beautifully and as a model it fits together with absolute ease. It’s also packed full of details and, because it’s the only model in the box with this pose, I have no complaints about this model.
Kurtha Sedd is the other model that stands apart from the rest. By default he is supposed to be a Chaplin model – and you can totally see it. He’s got a Crozius Arcanum which is the staff of office for the Chaplins and he’s rocking a sweet head crest as well as an “old school” plasma pistol. If his helmet was in the form of a skull he’d fit right in with just about any other Chaplin! He is rocking the Mk. IV armor – or if you want to use him for a regular game as a “not-Chaplin” then he’s wearing artificer armor. As for the model itself I would echo the exact same things I said about Aethon. It’s a wonderful sculpt, goes together like a breeze and it’s the same high-quality dynamic “snap-fit” that is becoming standard for GW.
Both of these models are great and if you can only get the pair in the Betrayal at Calth (like the rumor say) then they are just two more reasons to pick up an already awesome box!
The Contemptor Dreadnought:
If you had told me a year ago that GW was releasing a Plastic Contemptor Dreadnought with multiple arms that could easily be magnetized I would have laughed in your face. I’m sorry. You were absolutely right and I apologize for doubting you. The Dreadnought is simultaneously the sweetest deal in the box (to me) and also the biggest let down. Let me explain: It’s a great model, not arguing that point, it’s the legs that stab me in the heart. While you do get multiple arms and with some very minor work you could magnetize and do arm swaps (or if you buy two with some very simple cutting you could have double multi-melta or double assault cannon or double powerfists) the legs cannot be manipulated in any way. You’d have to do some serious cutting and greenstuff work to reposition those legs. I know some people out there are up to the challenge, but I am not.
Aside from the legs, assembly is a piece of cake. Mold lines are fairly well hidden and the obvious seems can be cleaned up with some attention spend on them. In the video I did a rush job of cleaning up the outside seam but I’ve sense fixed it and once it’s painted it won’t be noticeable. The torso was probably my favorite bit technically speaking. It’s got a inside and outside plate that goes over the front and hides the inner seams very well. Who ever cut these models up for placement on the sprue did a bang-up job!
The only weak point for this sprue was the legs. It’s almost like they went the distance on the arms and then had to phone it in for the legs. But hey, it’s still a great model and it’s going to be an awesome army center piece on the board.
Overall – I really liked everything in the Betrayal at Calth box, model wise. They have been a great source of inspiration for Heresy Era gaming and a lot of hobby fun to build. These three models were the icing on the cake for me after going through the Mk. IV Tactical Marines and the Cataphractii Terminators. I can’t wait to see what the community will do with these guys once they hit the shelves and people can go NUTS building, painting and converting. It’s going to be awesome to watch!
Don’t worry – the boards and books are going to get there own walk-through…Stay Tuned for more Horus Heresy: Betrayal at Calth!
