Age of Sigmar: Ushoran, The Mad King Is One Overwhelming Miniature
Ushoran is coming to the Warhammer: Age of Sigmar tabletop soon and this miniature looks like a LOT of miniature!
Games Workshop has a painting guide for Ushoran and those include some more angles of the mad king. It’s an miniature loaded with details and it’s a heckuva sculpt! There’s a lot going on with it — maybe too much going on. Let’s get a closer look at Ushoran.
Too Many Details?
I want to start off by saying I like this model. Again, the sculpt and the details are truly impressive. You can really get lost in all those details. Each bit has a LOT going on with different nooks and crannies. There’s some wonderful textures all over this miniature from skins, to metals, to furs, bone, cloth, and leathers — it’s impressive. At the same time, when you take a step back from the model, it’s like everything blurs together.
Can you have such a thing as too many details? I’m not 100% sure on that. I don’t agree with the statement “less is more” all the time, but maybe in Ushoran’s case that might be true. There’s just so much going on that’s overwhelming to the point my brain starts to tune stuff out. That’s one reason I appreciate the miniature photography GW does. Take the images above, they help break the miniature down into digestible images. And it makes it look really cool! But again, take a step back, and it’s all too much.
About That Pose…
I wish Ushoran was a bit more upright and open in his pose. I get that he’s already a big model and the Flesh-eater Courts aren’t exactly known for their upright posture. But this reminds me of the old metal Daemon Prince in that way:
Much like Ushoran, this Daemon Prince is all hunched over. Had he been more upright, he would have been a much more imposing figure. Again, I get that it’s a motif they were going for. But with all those details and the hunched over pose, you kinda lose them as he just kinda looks like a ball of fur from certain angles.
Is that a ball of fur with a cape.?
When I say I wish he was more “open” I’m thinking of a miniature like Angron:
While he’s also hunched over he’s got his arms apart and his chest is more “open” in that regard. He’s also not trying to be subtle and is much more aggressive. To me, Ushoran looks a bit more reserved and less intimidating — like almost like he’s cowering or scurrying away. But then you see his face and he’s got a wicked sneer going on. Maybe it’s a warning glare?
Is he stepping away from a threat or towards his next meal?
Even the way he’s gripping his scepter seems as if he’s not there to battle. I’m probably reading into this too much but there’s just something slightly off about his silhouette to me. I think it’s that it makes him look “small” in a way. And that’s the strangest thing because he’s on the same size base as Mega Gargant!
Perhaps that’s what GW was going for with this miniature. They want Ushoran to be deceptive. Yeah, maybe he doesn’t look like he’s ready to pounce, smash your bones to bits and suck the marrow out. That’s because he’s actually stalking his prey. A hunter doesn’t want to appear threatening until it’s too late, right? Well, if that’s the case, I’d say mission accomplished.
If you want to get the lowdown on the ‘Eavy Metal Paint Job, then you can read-up on the process here. Again, I do LIKE this model. And I think as a character Ushoran is fantastic addition to the FEC range. I’m also looking forward to seeing what the community does and if anyone is going to attempt any conversion for this miniature. I can’t wait to see what crazy stuff folks do with this model!
What do you think of Ushoran overall? Do you like all the details or are just as overwhelming by them as I am?
