AoS: Trouble in Pairs – Two Coolest Kits from Every Grand Alliance
It’s a holiday throwdown between two Age of Sigmar centerpieces from every Grand Alliance. Place your bets!
Welcome in, Generals of the Realms! The holidays are fast approaching, and we’re almost out of time to pick up last-minute gifts for our loved ones. If you’re like me, you’ve got a lot of gamers in your life, and you’ll be heading over to GW to pick up some new plastic for them. But what exactly should you get? Sure, you can get whatever you need for their army, but that’s boring. Instead, you could get them a snazzy new centerpiece to brighten up their table (or display cabinet) and keep them occupied for a few weeks. However, there are so many gorgeous things; how do you know what to pick? Well, step into the gladiatorial arena as we check out two of the coolest models from each Grand Alliance battling for supremacy.
Order: Tahlia Vedra vs Krondys
First to the arena are two titans of Order: Cities of Sigmar’s Tahlia Vedra, the Warmaster of Hammerhal, and the Stormcast Eternals‘ Krondys, an ancient Dragon. These kits are gorgeous and a joy to assemble and paint.
Tahlia rides to battle on the back of a regal manticore, and her model is lousy with detail. From the intricately textured base to the shaggy mane of her leonin mount, there’s a lot to love about Tahlia. Best of all, she’s an absolute monster on the battlefield, able to issue commands to two units and dishing out a nasty amount of damage. However, her opponent might still have the advantage.
Krondys is one of the largest models in Age of Sigmar and is worth every piece. This is one of the most dynamic models in the entire range, and the details are incredible. You can even build him as his scarred brother, if you have the inkling. Once he hits the tabletop, he’ll absolutely devastate whatever you point him at. This is the perfect big project for the avid painter in your life.
Chaos: Screaming Bell vs Archaon
Switching sides for our next throwdown, we have a holy relic of the newest Chaos God up against the Everchosen himself. The Skaven have seen a renaissance recently, and Slaves to Darkness have never been stronger. Whichever of these massive kits you choose, you can’t miss.
The Skaven Screaming Bell is one of the coolest models in a range of very cool models. The ramshackle look is so very Skaven, and the whole construction is just beautiful. I am a huge fan of dynamic models that are clearly “in action” and not just menacingly posing, so this model has my top spot for Chaos (possibly for all of AoS). However, I also recognize my Skaven bias and will give a fair shake to the Master of Chaos himself.
Now THIS is a general. Master of the Slaves to Darkness, Archaon, mounted on his trusty daemon Dorghar, is one of the most incredible things to see on the tabletop. While he doesn’t look as dynamic as the Screaming Bell, the pose is still striking, and the legendary Slayer of Kings is the model’s star. Everything about the model tells you that this is the man in charge. It takes a powerful warrior to keep a being like Sigmar on edge, and Archaon is doing just fine. After all, he already snapped the world; what’s a few more Realms?
Death: Nagash vs Ushoran
On the spooky side of the battlefield, we have two undead monstrosities that will definitely creepify your play space. One is the master of Death himself, and the other is one of his most loyal (and perfectly sane) lieutenants. You can’t go wrong with either of these graven generals.
One of the OG “big guys” from the end of Warhammer Fantasy, the enormous Nagash model will undoubtedly draw the eye. The First Necromancer looks resplendent, floating into the air surrounded by Death magic, forbidden tomes, and tortured souls. Best of all, he can slot into any army in the Grand Alliance, so you’ll always have a place for him.
My favorite of the Death generals, Flesh-eater Courts‘ Ushoran is finally here in all his delusional glory. He strikes an imposing figure on the shattered masonry he stands on, carrying a massive scepter of office and wearing a twisted bone crown (though “wearing” might be a bit of a stretch). Even though his rules took a hit in the new edition, he’s every bit the king he was, and he’ll make any gamer in your life simply mad.
Destruction: Kragnos vs Cabbage
Closing out our holiday smackdown is the faction that probably started it in the first place: the Forces of Destruction. In one corner, we have the avatar of ruin himself, Kragnos. On the other side, we have the angriest vegetable you’ve ever seen, bearing an even ANGRIER mushroom into battle. With these two beasties on the ticket, there’s really no bad bet.
The Centaur of Ruin himself, Kragnos is here to smash everything your enemies have built. His model looks so great, standing triumphant over a stone shrine, ready to smash into the enemy line. It’s still a crime that he’s not at all related to the Beastmen, but considering that army got shuffled off the roster, I’m glad we got to keep him.
Meanwhile, the Orruk Warclans bring the angriest cabbage in all the Realms to battle. The Maw Krusha is an amazing centerpiece in an already dynamic army, and the Ironjawz are spoiled for choice. Almost every model they have is beautiful, but the Maw Krusha has a special place in my heart. With the range refresh incoming, I can’t wait to see more of this handsome fella on the battlefield.
Which kit is your favorite?
