Avatars of War Daemon Champion review

Avatars of War have been releasing miniatures since 2007 and are highly respected for their 28mm models.  They have released approximately one sculpt per month and now have a catalogue of around 30 different designs available.

AoW models are characterised by high levels of detail, a wealth of options, and a style influenced by their main designers previous employment with a little known Nottingham-based company quaintly known as Games Workshop. I already own the AoW Vampire Countess and Necromancer, and I’ve been following the development of the new Daemon Champion model on the Avatars of War website with some interest.

The model comes in a large blister, well padded with a thick layer of foam.  Opening the box releases the main components (head torso etc) plus an optional tail, tongue, and a set of spikes to glue onto the back.  As is expected from an AoW figure, the components are rich in detail, from the creased brow to the intricate carving on the sword.

Putting the model together is made simpler by the use of loose ball and socket connections for the head, torso and legs.  As with any metal model, pinning is very much required, but the joints make moving the model into a pleasing position a bit easier.  I would have liked the arms to have been separate as well, as it would make altering the position of the sword, or giving the model more items to carry, much easier.

The spikes are a bit more of a problem as they are so thin they’re almost impossible to pin without the aid of precision machinery, my shaking and quaking limbs on their own were only able to get the fattest horn pinned.  In the coming months I fully expect to be bringing the model out of its case on multiple occasions only to find that I have another repair job to do on it.  It is a shame, and perhaps a trade off for something that really helps set the model apart and give him a fantastic look.

“We used to wonder where war lived, what it was that made it so vile. And now we realize that we know where it lives…inside ourselves.”  It isn’t on record whether what Camus quote was in any way an influence to the writers of the Realms of Chaos, though I like to imagine that the Absurdist did have a scrap book with “Ideas for Wargames fluff” scribbled on the cover.  Just as that quote meshes well with the philosophy of Khorne, so does this model harmonise well with the Games Workshop Daemons of Chaos Khorne models – looking like a Bloodletter that has maybe drunk a bit more blood for the blood god than he should have.

This model might make a good unit champion, or a herald.  The arm would need some dramatic work in order to turn it into a Battle Standard bearer, though it may be possible to have the standard coming out of the models back instead of one of the spikes.

All in all there is very little to fault with this model, as a hero for your army or for AoW’s own arena deathmatch games, this model makes a beautiful and characterful addition to any collection.

Diabolic delight: 9/10.