Review Alai The Templar's Atonement - Produced by Galapagos Miniatures

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Gary_81

A Fixture
Joined
Nov 1, 2019
Messages
505
Alai The Templar's Atonement
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Concept art by Yeon-Min Jung​
Sculpted by Ju-Won Jung​
Story by Yolanta C. Siu​
Box art by Ju-Won Jung & Marko Miladinovic​
Produced by Galapagos Miniatures​
Materiel Grey resin​
Packaging and Contents
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The kit was ordered from El Greco Miniatures and as per usual from them came very well packaged and secure. The bust came in a cardboard box that was secured within a plastic slip sleeve which nicely protect the box art from damage. I think on the whole miniature packaging has really improved and the box from Galapagos Miniatures really sets the standards very high. The cardboard box is made of a nice quality card stock with a lovely texture that shows it's quality, on to this is embossed the logo and information in a rich metallic gold and the top and bottom of the box have to lovely pieces of box art printed on a high gloss paper.​
Inside the box everything is packaged between 3 layers of foam and the part I love is in the middle piece of foam 2 holes have been cut to accommodate the head and the torso. For me a detail like this really shows care and planning in regards to getting the model to the customer in perfect condition. Added to this the 3 smallest and most delicate parts being the hair strands and sword pommel are secured in there own little plastic bag so no chance of them getting lost.​
The contents of the box consists of 13 high quality resin parts that make up the bust. Included along with this is a high quality art card printed on good quality card stock with a wax seal on the back bearing the Galapagos Miniatures logo. The art work is beautiful and shows the inspiration for the sculpt and the box art, for me I love that almost all the models I'm buying have these art cards in them as they are great to collect and a wonderful bonus to have.​
Kit Components
Torso
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The model has been sculpted in 1:10 scale and has a really nice overall size to it, for a delicate elf it still feels very substantial and gives plenty of painting room. The casting quality is very high and on the torso there are only 2 small casting blocks to remove and very little else in the way of clean up on this part.​
The level of detail is very high from the mail sleeve to the lacing fastening parts together. I really like the fine detail on the collar as it represents the concept art perfectly. The cloak at the back has been sculpted really well and has some great folds which should be fun, and due to the large are it would be great to try some texture effects on the cloak. Now to talk about my favourite part of the armour, the giant lion head :D is it practical? is it realistic as actual armour? well the answer would be a huge no but wow do I love it and in a fantasy model do we want realism or do we want imagination. The detail in the lions face and the regal feel about it has been so well done that it really shows Ju' talent as a sculptor.​
Head
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The head has a single casting block at the bottom of the neck and a mould line on the back of the head which should be easy to remove with a sharp scalpel. On either side of the face are located holes for the hair pieces to be attached and at the back of the head is the hole for the ponytail to be attached.​
The face has been sculpted with a beautiful and serene look and has the perfect elfin feel to it. The hair is simple and at the same time very detailed which again shows of the sculptors talents. It has a wonderful texture and parted elements leading to a lovely braid on one side sporting some very fine detail. Overall I personally love this face sculpt and feel it captures all the magic of the elven race perfectly.​
Arms
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Each of the arms has a single casting block and apart from that very little else in the way of clean up. The gloved hand is simple but well sculpted with nice folds and some well placed studs, this is a nice balance next to the very ornate armoured arm. The armoured arm really is a mini masterpiece and despite being ornate with the winged decoration it looks highly practical and realistic, a fun contrast next to the giant lion head pauldron. I think this is a part you really need to hold in your hands to appreciate all the detail that has gone into it, Ju must have done his research to get all the points of articulation so precise.​
Adornments
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The fabric piece has a single casting block and has the same quality of sculpting as the cloak which I think will help make the task easier for all skill levels when it comes to painting. Added to this part is also a small element of armour that brings some extra interest to this piece and will stand out well next to the fabric.​
The next piece is the feathers which hand beneath the lions head, this piece has 2 casting blocks to remove. This piece is extremely detailed with some wonderfully sculpted feathers, the part I like most about this is that the feathers have a wide range of variety. You have feathers of different sizes but also ones going in different directions with curves breaking up a boring uniform look and invoking a more natural realistic appearance to the part.​
The last piece which resembles a ornate neck protector has a single casting block and continues the winged appearance . This piece is very simple but once it's added to the model it brings an extra lavish addition to the torso and it's armour.​
Continued in the next post
 
Hair Pieces and Sword

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The hair pieces each contain a single casting block to be removed. There are 2 pieces for either side of the face with one of these continuing the detailed braid from the head. These both have raised plugs to help you align them perfectly with the holes on the head for an exact match. The third piece is the long ponytail which has a plug that will fit into the hole on the back of the head. As with the hair on the head these pieces are simple but so well done that combined they give a stunning effect of a realistic hair sculpt, once they are attached the hair really with be beautiful and will add the finishing touch to the wonderful elf face.
The sword blade and pommel also have a single casting block on each and have a nice straight forward design resembling a medieval sword which actually looks very practical and realistic to me. For me personally this is a big plus, I don't mind over the top armour but I have always hated weapons that seem impossible for the owner to wield. For this elf the sword fits perfectly and it's positioning on the final piece brings a nice balance to the pose.

Stand and Art Card

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As I have stated in my other reviews before I love getting art cards in my models as I feel it's a little bonus and it's great to have a piece of concept art for your lovely new model. This card is one of the best I have seen so far with a fairly decent size and it's also been printed on a good quality card. I like how on one side you have the art work and on the other you have a nice background story which really adds to the model whether you use it for inspiration in your painting or not. And yes I also love the wax seal:) it might not seem like a lot but to me it's a great addition for a fantasy or historical piece to have a wax seal.
For the base there isn't really much to say it's a simple stand that will work perfectly when mounting the bust to your base, I would like to point out that the base isn't wonky that would be my wonky photography :D next time I will try harder to get it straight.

Final Thoughts

I have wanted this piece since I first saw it and have checked back on the El Greco website every day since they put it up on there coming soon section, literally as soon as I saw it was available I went and ordered it right away and waited impatiently for it to be delivered even though the delivery was speedy it still felt to long :D. With all that it put a lot of pressure on this model to live up to my expectations and I have to say it exceeded them more than I thought possible. The quality of packaging blew me away and no it isn't needed as a much simpler box would have done but if you're going to make a quality model why not carry that on into your presentation and show how high your standards are in everything you do.
As to the model well wow for me it's breathtaking, the quality of casting is spot on with a minimum of work to be done before I can get painting. As for the subject matter it's everything I could want in a fantasy piece and having a great love for elves it really is a miniature of my dreams. One part I love is the continuation of the winged theme throughout the model, even the lions head fades into feathers at the edges. Elements like this show a great level of design at the concept stage which has been carried on into the sculpt perfectly.
I know some people don't like the fantasy armour especially when some cleavage comes onto show, but having it in my hand I can say that the breasts are actually very tastefully done being of a normal size and not overly exposed. Added to that both breasts actually have pieces of armour over them giving her some good protection.
At £45 I can really see this being a sell out piece and having it and having done this review I can totally understand why this will be the case. I would highly recommend that any one who is on the fence regarding this bust take the plunge and get one, and maybe a few people who hadn't even given it a thought might now decide to have a go as with so much variety in one piece it's sure to be fun to paint and at the end of the day that's why I got into this hobby to have fun.

Gary
 
Nice one Gary you've highlight good points

I have one for review arriving any day as well !!!

Thanks for sharing

Nap

Thanks for the reply Nap and I'm glad you liked the review. I think when you receive yours you will be very happy and I can't wait to see your review and what you think about this bust.

Gary
 
Thanks for the reply Nap and I'm glad you liked the review. I think when you receive yours you will be very happy and I can't wait to see your review and what you think about this bust.

Gary


Looking forward to getting it as well and having a good look

Galapagos are also supporting Febs FOTM with this as the 1st prize so a BIG THANK YOU to them

Nap
 
Looking forward to getting it as well and having a good look

Galapagos are also supporting Febs FOTM with this as the 1st prize so a BIG THANK YOU to them

Nap

Wow that is a big incentive to enter the FOTM. I hope to be back painting very soon so maybe in the not to distant future I will be entering something myself, although I expect I will be very rusty with the brushes :D.

Gary
 
excellent review, i felt in love with this bust when it was published but now i definitely need to order one ! my mastercard thanks you very much LOLOLOL
 
excellent review, i felt in love with this bust when it was published but now i definitely need to order one ! my mastercard thanks you very much LOLOLOL

Hey Franck glad you liked the review and happy to see you are picking one up also. I'm waiting to hear from other people who get it to see if they're as impressed with the packaging and art card or if it's just me:D.

Gary
 
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