This is a very special time of the year. We are right now just between Christmas and New Year's Eve, and it's always a time where we want to come up with a release that has a special flair for you.
I think we did well on that this month. It's been many years that I have wanted to work on a Chaos-focused release. We never fully did that for Raging Heroes; we did a few characters here and there, but never like a full army with Troops and all.
One of the reasons is because I think that Chaos deserves a special level of attention.
If you want to create powerful characters with something unique, something that doesn't necessarily exist elsewhere in the market, it's a lot of work, a real challenge. I'm pretty happy with the first run we did here for this Chaos Blood and Steel release. I hope you will like those characters a lot.
We also thought about those of you who prefer Sci-Fi, and to the Queen, probably the most epic characters of this release, we added an alternate Sci-Fi version as our special New Year gift to our subscribers.
As always, even though this is a single-themed release with only one faction, we have created variety so that each of you can find something they like.
And, of course, it's Raging Heroes, so there's got to be female characters. One big thing I wanted to accomplish here was to start building a really strong and interesting look for chaos female characters, which is not that easy. There's a cool blend of heroines here that I think are top-notch. We've tried to have a good mix of warriors, spellcasters, and demon-like characters.
Watch the video, then keep reading to discover the gift we’ve included for you in this release. And at the end of this message, you’ll find more info on the lore of each character of the release if you want to know a bit more about them.
Full release spread out over a few days
I'm pretty excited by the results here. I'm pretty sure that your printers are going to run hot to have those characters printed quickly. By the way, I have to let you know that because of the Christmas season, our support team who usually provides us with the supports is short-staffed during the Holidays. You might know that we work with 3D Atlas, a key support maker in the industry, but they were tight on schedules and workforce during the holiday season. So not all the files will be available right away at launch, but they will come up very quickly in the next few days. So don't worry, you will have them as soon as humanly possible. And you will, of course, have a few cool stuff to start with when the release is posted.
Let's talk a bit about those characters
These characters are quite epic and massive, full of attitude and uniqueness. We really tried to give something special or unique to each one of them. My goal is always to make movie-like characters for you, so that when you play, you can play your own movie in your head. Here, we have a group that is very much like that.
You can see the two Spellcasters being very different from one another, with strong characteristics. Grimaria, the Blood Ritualist, has this cruel and relentless vibe to her. She conducts battlefield rituals with terrifying zeal. Behind her mask, there is absolutely no mercy, and she will sacrifice as many people as necessary to ensure her side wins. On the other side, you have Elexara, the Curse Weaver Sorceress, with a very different vibe. She's undulating and weird, calling strange forces on the battlefield. She knows things you will never know and has seen things you don't ever want to see. She is dark, seductive, beautiful, and terrifying. When the raven on her shoulder starts to cackle and crow, you know that something bad is going to happen…
Kyrasha, the Arch Champion, has this imperious, full-of-attitude warrior vibe. She has a powerful presence and hides a dark secret behind her skull mask. Her presence on the battlefield is a potent doom.
Then there's Krethor the Executioner, a massive figure roaming the battlefield, executing the will of his Chaos Gods, seeking those marked for death. His towering presence and inhuman metal mask make him a fearsome figure.
Talrissa, the Chaos Warrior Queen, is younger than the rest of the team. She represents the fury of teenage years in service of chaos, a chaotic blend of youthful brashness and deadly force. Her massive armor, bellowing capes, and banners make her uber-imposing.
Monsters, Troops and Centerpiece
It would be hard not to mention the Monsters, starting with the mounted version of the Queen, an impressive sight. When you put that on your table, some jaws are going to drop for sure.
Then there's the mounted version of Kyrasha on that massive metal Bronzebeast, another stunner for the tabletop.
Finally, you have Arkariah the Kingslayer. I wanted this one to really tell a story. She's standing there motionless on the battlefield, holding the remains of the kings she has slain, looking like nothing in her hands. I think it's a pretty potent vision.
You definitely don't want to cross paths with any of these characters.
Moving on to the Troops, the choices were pretty straightforward. And of course we included female characters in those troops because it's really hard to find good female Chaos Warriors. We wanted to accomplish that with our Troops. If you like them, we are going to make more of these in the future, including sci-fi versions.
Centerpiece & Scenery
For the Centerpiece, I didn't want to go with a building. To me, a big Dragon for your Chaos Army was essential, so that's what we did. This dragon is huge, and it's going to be a beacon on your battlefield. In truth, it's hard to convey the scale of such a large miniature onscreen. You have to see it in person to realize how big and majestic it is. It might seem a bit simple or flat on screen, but I can assure you it's a massive piece.
Since we made a huge Dragon for the Centerpiece, we made the modular scenery in a way that allows you to easily build your own massive scenic centerpiece. I remember just a few years ago how chaos fortresses would be so incredibly costly in physical miniature shops. Now, you can print something incredible at home for a fraction of the cost. It's really amazing.
Behind the Scene
Overall, I'm very excited about this release.
Like I often say, every month it’s the same feeling: I worry about whether we're doing good enough, if the characters are diverse enough. Every month, we rework a lot of stuff on the sculpts as we go. And this month was particularly challenging. It took some time for this release to click. There were so many options and things we wanted to express with these characters…
But in the end, I'm very happy with the results, and I hope you will be too. I love the video and the atmosphere it creates!
What a Crew!
I'd like to ask you, our valued supporters, to join me in giving a huge shout out to Claudia, our exceptionally dedicated graphic artist. Her commitment shone brightly as she spent her Christmas Day continuing to work on the video edit, ensuring you'd receive it on time. It's a testament to her extraordinary dedication and skill.
Indeed, our team's unwavering commitment and exceptional talent are key to bringing you an outstanding release each month. I am a demanding taskmaster, and it’s probably hard to imagine for you, but every month is really like a war that we have to win every time. It's the passion and determination of the entire team that truly makes each release a triumph. And it is your support and enthusiasm for our work that make all these efforts worthwhile.
We wish you all a fantastic end of the year and a great start to the next. We hope you have a lot of fun on New Year's and look forward to seeing you on the other side.
Backstories
Talrissa Bloodclaw, Chaos Warrior Queen
Talrissa is a chaotic blend of brattish youth and deadly force. Her enormous sword and clawed hand, coupled with her massive horns, make her a terrifying sight, as she cuts a swathe through her enemies with reckless abandon
Malgrath the War-King
Malgrath, with his imposing stature and arsenal of enchanted weapons, is a figure of awe on the battlefield. His multiple demon-enchanted weapons and the evil dragon-vulture perched on his shoulder symbolize his absolute control over the forces of chaos.
Lyraxia the Sky Piercer
A fearsome demoness, Lyraxia descends from the skies like a hawk, her spear and shield wreaking havoc. Her bat wings and hooved feet make her an agile and deadly predator, feared by all who cross her path.
Grimaria Painweaver, Blood Ritualist
Cruel and relentless, Grimaria conducts her battlefield rituals with a terrifying zeal. Her skull mask hides any semblance of mercy as she uses her scythe and knife to offer sacrifices to the gods of war.
Kaadrhan the Skull Collector
Transformed by battle and slaughter, Kaadrhan is a terrifying sight. His massive horns and demonic visage, along with his barbed sword and flaming skull, make him the embodiment of chaos's brutal power.
Elexara, Curse Weaver Sorceress
A sorceress of great power, Elexara is both beautiful and terrifying. Her third arm weaves spells of doom as the raven on her shoulder cackles and crows, signaling the onset of her devastating spells.
Kyrasha, the Arch Champion
A champion among chaos warriors’ champions, Kyrashais’ skill with her axe and hammer is unmatched. It is said that her skull mask hides a terrible secret. Whatever the truth is, her presence on the battlefield is a portent of doom.
Vaargrim the Battle-Scarred
A veteran of countless campaigns, Vaargrim leads his troops with an unbreakable resolve. His firestone sword and shield are emblems of his countless victories and the respect he commands among his Skullcrusher troops.
Krethor the Executioner
Roaming the battlefield, Krethor seeks out those marked for death by the Chaos Gods. A towering figure, Krethor's presence is a promise of death. His massive axe and helmet make him an avatar of the gods' wrath, his victims chosen by divine decree.
The Monsters
- Talrissa Bloodclaw on Ironstride
- Kyrasha on Blazesoul Bronzebeast
- Arkariah the King Slayer, Arch Demoness of War
The Troops
- Skullcrushers
- The Elateds
- Skullcrusher Ravagers
- Elateds on Blazesoul Bronzebeasts
- Beloved Offsprings
Centerpiece & Scenery
- Malgrath on Malvorax the Three Headed Doom
- Scenery: build your own massive scenic centerpiece (such as a chaos fortress, etc.)
