So, Schindehette has posted some of the initial entries in the D&D Art Contest. Look them over and declare your favorites! Let's try to keep the thread positive. Just say who you like and why. Don't attack other people's preferences and don't dish on the other entrants.
TEST ONE: CREATURES Shaman: I liked the pieces by Anna Steinbauer, Brian Lawver, David Vargo, Jonatahan Vair Duncan, and Ivan Dixon. The pictures were all strong and felt both shamanistic and ogrish. They weren't posed or passive. They seemed to place the character in media res, and they were all beautifully rendered. But Mark Molchan's shamanistic ritual setting was spectacular. Hands down my favorite.
Cook: The humor category has to go to Chad Welch, for his gnome stew, followed closely by Michal Ivan for "Needs More Salt" (my names for these pics). But for serious pictures I went with CJ Derra and Joel Hustak, for pictures that made me think these cooks were both brutal and bloody and yet had a sense of aesthetic. (What is it with ogres and buzzards, anyway?) But my favorite was Milivoj Cera, whose picture gave his cook a lot of personality.
TEST TWO: ENVIRONMENT Environment: This was difficult, as there were many really good pieces here. Alexander Tooth, CJ Derra, Collin Lidston all did great jobs, but my favorite may be Shane Madden, whose exterior shot had a real sense of place and time. Even though there was almost no activity, it felt like something was happenign,a nd that is very engaging.
Halls of the Dead: David Demarest wins this one for me. The exterior is stunning, and the hovering ravens and approraching warriors gives it a nice sense of story.
Interior: I like them both. I think Christopher Bradley's is amazingly well-rendered, and the cat wandering about on the table gives it a special zing. Liz Clark's use of light is refreshing as I get tired of dark pictures.
TEST THREE: CULTURE Town Guard: So I liked Alexander Tooth, Andrew Ryan, Carlos Cara, Jason Juta, Johani Jokinan, and Michel Taliga. Eric Lofgren's, though felt both heroic and small, so that I could admire him, but I never thought he'd overshadow the PCs. That said special mention to Max Antonov for his photorealistic digital rendering.
Equipment: Claudio Pozas wins this for me. The lines are crisp and the detail is evocative.
Overall, it turns out that CJ Derra was a top pick in two categories, and I generally liked his work in other categories, so I guess that's where my aesthetics tends to lie.
1) Interesting. Reminds me of the work Nils Hamm does for M:tG. I'd love to see this ocassionally, but it neither fits D&D as a whole nor does it really work as an occassional inclusion amidst work of a vastly more realistic style. I think this would be good for very particular circumstances where the abstraction is a positive. 2) No thank you. The design is interesting, but the cartoonish style doesn't sit well with me. 3) I love this one -- realistic and doesn't succumb to Bright Colors Syndrome. Just an iconic Greenskin tribal caster here. 4) Fascinating! This is a little like #1 in that I feel it has its place, but that place isn't everywhere. I want to see more, though... something with a background maybe. 5) Suffers similar problems to 2 in a different way. Still over the top and cartoonish if not in the "all action all the time" sense. 6) I get a strong feeling of culture from this, a lot like with 4. Very good at evoking somethign different 7) Our most bent towards realism yet. I really like the detail put into this. 8) Whimsical, which I like, but also a bit sparse. It works, but as an art director I'd use this in corner cases where that touch is needed, not as the default 9) Exaggerated, disporptionate features, lackluster textures, cartoon colors. It's competant art, but I'd give it a pass 10) Very nice. I like the detail even better than 7, I think -- 7 felt a bit warrior-ish while this is a clear caster. 11) I'm undecided. I like the art style itself, but the figure doesn't really do it for me. I'd want to see more of this artist's portfolio. Certainly, could go a LONG way with good direction. 12) Goes a totally different way in almost every way. Unbulky, emotional, B&W. You have my vote for inclusion 13) Similar to the previous in evoking more whimsy and emotion, but in color and a style more consistant with the rest of what we'd likely see. This makes me happy 14) There's nothing wrong about this, but there's nothign right about it either. Pass. 15) This is the same artist as the last one! I like the spell effect somewhat, but I'd still pass overall. Nothing sets this apart. 16) A neat scene... but the artist could stand a little work. Practice more and return -- I like your design but there's something off in the technicals 17) Snowfield + Lack of Clothing = . There's not much special about the piece other than that, though it tends towards the more muted pallette that I like. 18) Another forked staff, bright pallette, bulky orc piece. In a moment I shall have forgotten it entirely. 19) Has many of the problems of 16 to a greater degree. Looks like something you'd see in modern, western animation. I don't think this really works for D&D 20) This files again with the "Ok to average" spectrum. 21) This is a good scene, but the figure is lackluster to me. 22) I personally like this piece, but there's something "off" about it that I can't quite place. 23) I love the lighting, and the demented look of the shaman. This is def. one I could stand to see more of. 24) Lacking in texture, though the composition overall is nice. 25) While I like the repeated effect of the whispy pink magic, I don't particularly care for the orc's design. It's got too much bulky stuff (including what looks like a whole stone altar) strapped to it. 26) This is another example of what I want to see from an orc shaman. I could imagine this piece appearing right in the Monster Manual. Some of these designs have been generic, but this one is SUPERB generic. It checks all boxes emphatically, though nothing outside of it. 27) Much like the above, but with a slightly different tone or implied cultire. I think I like this one even better. 28) The orc's not much, but the overall scene is great 29) I don't particularly care for the magic effect, and another tree-trunk-limbed orc is, at this point, forgettable. 30) AWESOME! First, someone actually went above and beyond and gave us a female shaman in the middle of... summon monster I? I love the orc kid cowering in the background. It adds so much character to the piece! 31) The style here is gorgeous. Yeah, the clothing design is excessive on spokes-and-tusks, but i want to see more from this artist all the same 32) This orc must really hate doors. A lot like 25, there are things I like (the background and the pallette) but the design is just too much for me. 33) A little cartoon for my tastes. Though the orc is a bit more origional than most, he's also quite top heavy! 34) Nails "Old wise man" and I like the impliments and magic effects. 35) I love the detail given to the orc, especially the crazed look in its eyes. I dislike the lack of detail given to the magic effects. Especially next to the orc, they look flat. 36) Another whimsy piece, and another piece where the orc shaman has a mysterious load of crud strapped to his back. The load here isn't too absurd though, and I like the composition. Still, doesn't really rise above the rest 37) I don't much care for the poroprtions, and the orc seems inserted onthe background (which is itself quite nice and dreary) 38) The colors are a tad too bright for my taste, considering the rest of the image, and personally I don't think the mohawk plays. It's nice, I guess, but not so much amazing. 39) I dislike this. It's probably the head proportions and the designs of the gear. 40) This is a lot like piece 1 for me in that it has its place, but thanks to it being abstract as it is, that place isn't everywhere. I love the scene, but the style isn't one I'd see repeated as D&D's iconic theme. 41) Generic, and not amazing in its execution 42) I have to admit, this one wowed me despite the back-gear. I mean, we've got an orc walking like a gorilla. That's odd and interesting! And there's so much gorgeous detail... 43) I know I've said "cartoonish" a lot (usually to mean flat colors with little shading), but this, like 19, really does feel like it belongs in the current canon of western animation. I don't much care for current western-style animation. 44) Nothing really makes this interest me. In a moment I shall have forgotten it entirely. 45) The runes are a nice touch, but there's somethign off about the scene... I think it's the lighting making it look like the orc is outlined in white. 46) I like the "sketch on parchment" idea, but if you're going to go all that way, I want the sketch to look like something out of a naturalist's journal, which this doesn't. 47) For once there is too much detail, especially with the harsh lighting. I dislike the magic effect. 48) Another truly amazing entry. This catches, for me, the spiritual angle of the tribe shaman. A lot of these have been feeling like sorcerers or wizards, but this guy is clearly a divine caster. go you. 49) Nothing wrong with it, but Nothing special. In a moment, I shall have forgotten it quite entirely. 50) This gets major brownie points for showing off an entire orc tribe. I like how the shaman is contrasted with the regular orc warriors, and is clearly somethign special and the spiritual center of the group. 51) Nothing good, nothing bad, soon forgotten, etc. 52) Ditto. 53) I like this guy's delightfully crazy look, and I like them mostly gray pallette, except for the magic effects. It's good. 54) It's very styalized, and I'm not sure what to call the style. Clip art? It's great for what it is, but I don't think it would be great for D&D. 55) The shamans ornaments aren't given enough detail -- the severed hand that's got the stump pointed at us and the bone are the worst offenders. The rest of the piece is fine, but this is a very stiff competition! 56) I love the orcs... I hate the human! 57) I like the style here... It makes it different than the rest, so I might actually remember it. Good, if not amazingly great. 58) This is a good *different* piece. The shaman, despite beign an orc, is not physically imposing, but haggared. The missing eye is a very nice touch. 59) Other than the blindfold another "Forget you in a moment" Really, there is nothing wrong with the pieces I say this too... There are just almost 80 entries here, and a lot of them are in the average-to-good spectrum with nothing special for me to say. This makes them, next to their neighbors, forgettable. 60) I can't call this "cartoony" because it does have a lot of shading. The colors are a bit bright, and I'm not sure I like how the magic is handled. 61) This is what I wanted to see out of 46. I love the style, though I think the final design is too busy. 62) You know the drill by now. I've really got little to say about this piece. 63) This is a cartoon orc. There's nothing wrong with that... well, there is in that it's not what I'd want to see when I open up my D&DN Monster Manual. 64) The lighting is supremely weird (though possibly effective) but everythign is just too... flat... for my tastes 65) I was going to go with my "Forget you now" response.. .and then I noticed the demonic faces in the fire. That pushes it over the top into "memorable if not amazing" 66) What in the world? Okay, this is a really neat concept, but the outline-deal detracts from it and it's hard to tell where the fur cloak ends and the monkey begins. 67) Took me a moment to spot the shaman. What 50 did very right, this does... not so right. the orcs are all terribly generic and doing the most genarically orky thing they could be doing, and nothign sets the shaman apart. 68) I enjoy the raven familiar and red hair. It's not one of the pieces that makes my jaw drop, but I will recall it. 69) Tree trunk arms, mysterious back gear, and squat little legs don't particularly do it for me. 70) This is another one like 1, 4, and 8 in that I could see it, but I wouldn't want to see it everywhere. 71) Too obviously CG with no other notable qualities. 72) This is another great piece that shows off the shaman as something different than a generic orc, a little like 58 (though for different reasons) 73) Another very good orc that I won't remember in a moment, 74) er... Style guide: Orcs? Where's the shaman figure? 75) The peace pipe is a nice tough, but I don't think that's how they work, and the orc does not impress overall. 76) Almost too mean looking to forget. Almost. 77) This orc is far to obusy. Seems like the result of the parchment style guide earlier. 78) This peice stood out as another good traditional piece. It seems like I gravitate towards them, doesn't it? Of the ones I've praised, though, this is the closest to sliding into the forgettables. 79) I will not remember this CG orc.
GREAT: 13, 27, 30, 42, 48, 50 Good, but problematic: 1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 40, 53, 70 Favorites: #27 (Dleoblack) & #50 (Mark Molchan). Dleoblack's Orc is what I want to see in the Monster Manual under "Orc Shaman" -- though I didn;t like it as much as some of the others I listed, It's very iconic. Mark Molchan's work is what I want to see most of all, though. My absolute favorite.
I'll do cooks in a different post. It takes a while to critique everything.
"Enjoy your screams, Sarpadia - they will soon be muffled beneath snow and ice." THE COALITION WAR GAME -Phyrexian Praetor Round 1: (4-1-2, 1 kill) Round 2: (16-8-2, 4 kills) Round 3: (18-9-2, 1 kill) Round 4: (22-10-0, 2 kills) Round 5: (56-16-3, 9 kills) Round 6: (8-7-1) [current round]
1) Humorous, and totally a cook... anyone who prepares food on a regualr basis turns into this guy, myself included. 2) The funny psuedodragon clashes with the totally serious orcish "cook" 3) It's an interesting design, but I'm not sure I like it. 4) Strikes me as more of a hunter (though a fat one) with the pig on a stick and all A nice, kind of light piece though. 5) In a moment, I will not recall #5 in the least. 6) Badly isolated from her environment. If she's tasting soup, there should be a soup pot right there. 7) A bit flat for my tastes. Nice "Sushi chef" angle though, opposed to the standard "Portly soup cook" 8) I love the style on this one. It's gruesome, a little humorous (though in a congruous way, unlike 2), and totally an orc tribe's cook 9) I am not a fan of the sausage weilding rambo 10) I love the rats here! This is a gorgeous piece, and its nature as a B&W doesn't stop me from liking it. 11) Could be a butcher, a tanner, or a brawler with a sense of modesty. the bloody smock doesn't say "cook" and I'm not sure I enjoy the orc either. 12) I like this scene a lot, and the orc's pretty cool too. 13) I enjoy this one as well, but not as much as the above. I like that we have an orc NOT making stew, and the cleaver from a broken sword is a cool design choice. 14) The focus of this is the drunk shaman. I'm not a great fan of the overall style 15) I'd pass on this. It's very simplistic, and doesn't gain much from its style 16) "Fat orc with a cleaver" Isn't enough to teally make an impact. 17) The porportions of the limbs seem off. 18) This has the same idea as 1, but lacks the character that really gave 1 its charm. 19) I like the orc design, and the pet buzzard, and the art style... but they don't seem to come together for me 20) Another average piece, though I like the giant ladel design 21) Does nothing for me at all 22) Seems to have been in a "how fat can I make this orc" challenge. The prosthetic cleaver is a nice touch, though. 23) I do not enjoy the style on this one particularly much. 24) I... honestly cannot tell what is going on here. 25) "Canned food, ya know?" I think too many pieces tried to play the "Eats other sapients" angle, but this one does it decently well 26) Seems to have borrowed the shaman's back-gear fetish. I still don't much care for that. 27) Axe for fighting, ladle for cooking. I guess that makes this an orcish cook, 28) I like the skull of salt, but not the peg leg. the overall piece is ok. 29) I'm not great on the palette or the shoulder spike concept. Or the orc. It's well done for what it is, but I'll pass. 30) I really REALLY like this orcish kitchen. It's rustic and a bit barbaric without being unfamiliar. 31) Falls into the "Orcs must be hulk/violent all the time" trap 32) Does Not Load 33) Kind of uninteresting. I'll put it in the "Going to forget it" category 34) I don't particularly care for this style. Someone else might, but not me. 35) Seems like a pallette swap of the main figure from the last one. I don't like him any more now. 36) I don't see what makes this guy the tribal cook. 37) Different, but I don't think it plays. Yes, my commentary is getting laconic. 38) The cooks finish strong, but the orc is posing for the camera a bit much for my tastes in a "scene"
GREAT: 1, 8, 10, 30 Favorite: #30 (Milivoj Ceran). It has the character of 1 in a style I could see gracing more of the pages of a D&D book.
"Enjoy your screams, Sarpadia - they will soon be muffled beneath snow and ice." THE COALITION WAR GAME -Phyrexian Praetor Round 1: (4-1-2, 1 kill) Round 2: (16-8-2, 4 kills) Round 3: (18-9-2, 1 kill) Round 4: (22-10-0, 2 kills) Round 5: (56-16-3, 9 kills) Round 6: (8-7-1) [current round]
1) This is a lovely fantasy mountain village. I like the architectural style, and the little stream it's built around. This picture is worth many words of DM description. Highly evocative. 2) The "Distant monestary". I don't think the turquoise roofs play 3) Another distant monestary. I think I like this one better, though the side gate strikes me as rather odd. 4) This is a very different "Isolated structure" motif. I LOVE the style used here, and the lightning. 5) The best "Distant Monestary" yet, as a whole piece. I like the addition of humanity with the rider heading up the stairs to it, though I think I liked the structure of 2 better. 6) Being midway down the slope doesn't play for me, but the land and sky DO in a big way. I want to see more of this style, if not this exact place. 7) as Distant Monestaries go, this one is decidedly lackluster. Seems like it belongs in the center of a bright and happy town, not atop a snow-covered cliff. 8) Beautifully, whimsically, fantastic. A much brighter piece all-around than 6, and sort of a counterpoint to it. I love them both. 9) the Sunrise makes this piece, as does the smoke from the chimney and the light in the windows. It's very much a scene, more than a simple landscape 10) Kinda forgettable, but still very pretty 11) Another one where the light and the bredth of the land are the point, not the structure. I'll pass on it though, I don't really like the purples. 12) The iconic Distant Monestary. The focus is on the monestary this time -- it edges out 5 13) More of a "Roadside chapel" than "Distant Monestary", this gives a strong sense of feel 14) Another small town, but I don't like this nearly as much as I did 1. It seems like "Just a couple buildings on the road" not "A fantasy town" 15) The heavy black lines kill an otherwise gorgeous piece. Sometimes, the little things matter just that much. 16) Forgettable next to other Distant Monestaries. 17) Has an even better atmosphere than 13! Wow, I want to adventure in this place...
GREAT: 1, 6, 8, 17 Favorite: This is a VERY hard call, so I'll list the names of all four that struck my fancy: Alex Tooth, Colin Lidston, Jaana Heiska, and ZnY. I think I.... I can't do it! There's got to be a tie between these, because they are all very amazing for very different reasons.
"Enjoy your screams, Sarpadia - they will soon be muffled beneath snow and ice." THE COALITION WAR GAME -Phyrexian Praetor Round 1: (4-1-2, 1 kill) Round 2: (16-8-2, 4 kills) Round 3: (18-9-2, 1 kill) Round 4: (22-10-0, 2 kills) Round 5: (56-16-3, 9 kills) Round 6: (8-7-1) [current round]
1) A very interesting church with a graveyard, but a church with a graveyard none the less. 2) I... think this got lost on the way from the last contest. it's a "Distant Monestary" though an excellent one with something happening 3) What's with the massive smokestacks? Is this a factory? And it's just the desgn element on a base, not a scene or landscape like the other two
I have to hand this to #1 (Andrew Ryan), for being both the most individually interesting design and the only one to convery a place of death at all.
1) The warm colors make this inn feel inviting, the cat is a nice touch. I love the dribbly candles, the pot on the coals, and the booths making for any number of shadowy corners. It really did impress me 2) this design on the other hand is two sparce. If it's a common place, there should be more. If it's a home, there should be somethign really personal about it. It feels cold and while I like the technicals the result doesn't do it for me.
#1 (Christopher Bradley) has done a very good job I feel.
"Enjoy your screams, Sarpadia - they will soon be muffled beneath snow and ice." THE COALITION WAR GAME -Phyrexian Praetor Round 1: (4-1-2, 1 kill) Round 2: (16-8-2, 4 kills) Round 3: (18-9-2, 1 kill) Round 4: (22-10-0, 2 kills) Round 5: (56-16-3, 9 kills) Round 6: (8-7-1) [current round]
The picture of Nacho Molina is good, but that face of primate is good for monster who are going to be killed by heroes, if I play a monster PC I would rather faces like the uruk-hai from the movies of Lord of the Rings, without those long jaws .
The look makes me rebember my boardgame of Hero Quest.
Markus Erdt
* I haven´t could see all the pictures. It doesn´t work.
"Say me what you're showing off for, and I'll say you what you lack!" (Spanish saying)
Book 13 Anaclet 23
Confucius said: "The Superior Man is in harmony but does not follow the crowd. The inferior man follows the crowd, but is not in harmony"
1) It's a neat design, but the bright blues seem out of place for an ordinary guard. 2) A wonderful northern soldier. I like the furs, and the choice of a spear as the primary weapon 3) This lineup really struck my fancy. As "Town guards" go this is everything I want. Livery is good, interest is nice, and I especially like the inclusion of a female guard design alongside the male. 4) Has a bit of a flatness problem 5) This man... I shall forget. 6) The jagged axe does not play. Maybe for a barbarian, but town guards are supposed to be relativley regimental troops, I would think. 7) The design page angle is good, but I don't particularly care for the results gained. 8) Standing on his little platform, this guard does very little for me. Perhaps if his world was more fleshed out around him? he seems to need it. 9) I can believe this as a guard, but frankly the brown on brown with brown ensemble is a little dull. 10) The technicals on this badly need some work. I have a feeling that this could go somewhere with training and refinement, but as it stands this work doesn't hold a candle to most others. 11) This is the same artist as 10, still having the same problems. Perspective and proportions seem to be the biggest issues to be had. 12) A bit of a dull one. 13) I admit, I like the axe design. It's not terribly practical, but guards might be expected to carry weapons with a ceremonial purpose as well as an edge. 14) Mounted guards? I'll go with it. I actually really like this for showing a scene. 15) A lot of designs look really ottoman. I have a feeling that was in the style guide, so I won't hold it against anyone. Still, this is in the "average" category 16) The axe and mask play. I suppose guards should be faceless, though I'd peg this guy as an executioner. 17) A nice, average soldier with a short sword... does not go terribly far 18) Female guard with a spear and a shortbow. I really like the style this is done in, too. Certainly worthy of consideration 19) The faceless mask, I don't think really plays here, and the foreground colors are too bright. 20) WOW. As B&W's go, this is SUPERB. Exactly what I'd want to see. (but B&W hurts it for general distrobution) 21) A little more nordic than the rest, which makes him stand out even if the quality is (the very high) average. 22) I have no idea what is going on with that weapon, and the piece is a bit flat. 23) As a "Bits plus finished product" piece, this one is amazing. the finished product is good and all the bits are consistant. 24) WOW. The heavy black lines actually work in this one, I think, and this piece EXCELLS at being a guard with a beautifully designed halberd, carrying a regimental (or city) standard on it, a clear uniform yet a practical design. Also picks up extra points for the guard dog, and for being a lady guard without feeling it necessary to draw special attention to femininity. an AMAZING entry. 25) Another one on the "nordic" end of the "Ottoman - Nordic" sliding scale we've got here. I like his pose and his guard wolf 26) This is a very good character portrait, but there's no "town guard" in him. 27) A fantastic Royal Guard. A bit fancy for my tastes overall though 28) Another "Warrior" rather than "Guard" his uniform bears no clear livery, and there's no town in sight. 29) Good "ottoman" end guard. no special commentary 30) The kabuki mask just does not work for me. Masks can play, but it doesn't here. 31) Average Bow Guard is Average 32) A halberdier same as above. 33) A very good mounted warrior, but I'm looking for somethign "Guard" -- there should be a tabard, an emblem on barding of the horse, a nonmetalic color scheme, or something in the pose, setting, or framign that tells me "Guard". She's not not a guard, but she isn't really one either. 34) For some reason, plumes on the head do say "Guard" 35) Flatness is the big problem here. 36) I like this. A very obvious guard, guarding with the most iconic of all guard weapons, the halberd. 37) Another "parts and whole" design. the Guard's pose seems very stiff, like he's a mannequin. maybe he is? 38) A guard in the process of guarding against you, the viewer. The yellow does a nice job of acting as the signal of regiment, while the hand out is an obvious "stop" gesture from a cop by any other name. A+ 39) The night watch, or just a man having to go through a rough neighborhood. I really like the piece, but there's not enough guard in it. 40) For once, the blade on the weapon is too small. Usually, we have the other problem 41) This draws a little much attention to the guard's femininity. 38, 33, and 24 didn't have to give their ladies sculpted chestpieces. I suppose the furs on her are a bit lighter, but I'm not sure that it deserves the curiass treatment. All the same, she's got an emblem, a clear purpose, and a good overall design. 42) Not very guardey. 43) Line art can be a great and powerful thing. It can also fall flat by not giving us enough. It does the second for me here. 44) A team of guards with a war polar bear. The shared colors make their place as a regiment obvious. I rather like this piece. 45) Looks like some noble kid and his pet/mount, not a guard. 46) Finally one where the mask works. If only I could say the same for the lighting effects. There's a place for the fantastic in even the mundane corners of D&D, but I think this tries to overdose on it a bit much, between the design and the pillar of green light over the weapon. 47) Tabard makes him a guard. Again, he's a miniature on a base (We've seen this treatment before) which is not something I really like. Loses points in my eye. 48) A warrior, maybe even a warrior prince by the richness of his colors, lost in the cold. Not a guard. 49) A gorgeous style, and the mask plays, but what;s going on with the masked man? Was he trapped by a falling tree? Is he injured? It looks like he can just scoot out of there, so is he chopping wood. If so why is he sitting and why does he have such a dinky axe-hammer-thing? I love the style, but this piece has problems. 50) Mask plays, weapon does not. That little point is not enough weight to act as a bolas, so unless the fiery part has a lot of mass or it's a rope of entanglement, it's goign to be one of the least threatening weapons ever. And why would a town guard want to use thrown fire? Couldn't you burn someone's house down? 51) I normally like this style, but there's just somethign wrong about this. maybe the axe? 52) Like the above, but no axe problem 53) A rare guard by position. I like this, despite its forgettability 54) I really, REALLY like the face mask here, and the double cloaks. He'd rank even better if he were placed in a town. 55) A mounted guard... on a caribou-like creature. Love it! The technicals are nothing special though, and for a "guard" entry I think the focus is too much on the special mount. 56) This mask gets no cookie. 57) Mercenary? Adventurer? Maybe, but I don't get guard from him (this is seemign to be my most common complaint) 58) Oddly bucks both nordic and ottoman to go for Sherpa. I kinda enjoy seeing that. 59) What? This is a berzerk barbarian! 60) Yes, you're very fancy. but nothign special
1) I like the bearded axe, especially at a reasonable scale, but the man wearing the gear looks a tad silly to me. 2) Not a huge fan of the style presented here 3) I like this scene, and the equipment shown. the kukri is a nice touch, though I would have preferred to see a bearded axe rather than the massive two-bladed greataxe personally.
My winner here is #3 (Jonathan Moore)
"Enjoy your screams, Sarpadia - they will soon be muffled beneath snow and ice." THE COALITION WAR GAME -Phyrexian Praetor Round 1: (4-1-2, 1 kill) Round 2: (16-8-2, 4 kills) Round 3: (18-9-2, 1 kill) Round 4: (22-10-0, 2 kills) Round 5: (56-16-3, 9 kills) Round 6: (8-7-1) [current round]
. There's not much special about the piece other than that, though it tends towards the more muted pallette that I like.
