Hello dear miniature enthusiasts!
So, are you ready for summer?
I hope you are.
And I hope you didn't think that since, a few months ago our Arthurian friends went and took a stab at the baddies from the Undead Necropolis under the sands of foreign sunny lands, you would be good this summer and could rest and have a little bit of fun in the sun yourself ???
Well, too bad…
Because here they are again! Those Undeads are just unkillable…
Also cooler and meaner than ever!!!
But this time, there are some new baddies entering the field…
Vicious, stinky, mean and vile.
And yet… They just look freakin’ cool too!
Boy, this summer is gonna be intense!
YOU made something BIG !!!
Now, time to go and watch that video, right?
Yes, but..
Before that, I have to address something BIG…
→ YOU made this June’s crazy Sci Fi Chaos release THE MOST POPULAR RELEASE EVER !!!
So, while we are already working on Part II, let me tell you that as always you can be proud because you're owning some of the most coveted miniatures on the market today!
You can definitely brag about that!
As I always say, YOU are the ones who make these miniatures happen.
YOU are the ones who guide us into what would please you, what would excite you, and we always try to answer that in the best possible way.
So once again, go, show off, blow your horn on social media and everywhere!
Go and tell them everything you love about Raging Heroes and Heroes Infinite.
This makes a huge difference because it gives us more resources and more time to continue to push the envelope further so that YOU get even cooler minis.
And THANK YOU again for your incredible support and your super kind and enthusiastic messages. And just so you know: the entire crew reads, enjoys, and is motivated by them!
Here’s the video! And below, keep reading for all the behind-the-scene info just for you!
Nasty Rats and Dusty Mummies…
To follow-up the Undead Necropolis release, we wanted to continue and expand on that environment. And after Arthur his Knights, we needed to find new worthy opponents to these crazy megalomaniac Undeads.
So as always, we turned to your answers to our last poll.
One of the things that was coming pretty clear was that a lot of you wanted Ratmen and we thought:
“Well that would be just perfect! Let them raid the Necropolis’ treasures!”
Another reason we chose this faction was that in your requests, there were a lot of Chaos and Elves. And we've been outputting a lot of stuff for those types of factions.
We sure have plenty of room to do more, plenty of different types of Elves or Chaos characters to bring to life, that's for sure. But we wanted to give you a little break so you wouldn’t feel like: “Oh, it's always the same kind of stuff...”
All right, let’s dive in. First of all, I gotta say that Egyptian-type Undeads and Ratpeople tend to be depicted in a fairly old-school way… 
Well, sorry, that is a bit true.
And we thought, hey, this is the opportunity to bring the Raging Heroes touch, the Heroes Infinite touch to these two factions...
Beautiful Horror
As always, we were like: “okay, what can we do that other brands don't do? How can we make those characters special? What will you guys like?”
There's no female characters in Ratmen in general or at least, they don’t stand out. So we worked on that.
I already talked about that in the past, but creating characters that express maximum contrasts is something that I love because it creates a powerful reaction as it tricks the viewer into feeling two opposite sensations at once. One of the most common way to do this is to generate attraction and repulsion at the same time
This release was perfect for that.
I focussed this approach on some of the females of that release: The Rat Queen, Duchess Scratchfang or the Sekheta the Undead High Priestess are perfect examples.
They both look creepy, unhealthy and dangerous and yet, there is something oddly fascinating and, dare I say, attractive to them.
But depicting these kinds of characters is a real challenge. Once you look at them in all their sculpted glory their good looks might feel obvious, but getting there and making a female character that has been mummified and dried and rotten look somewhat good is a challenge.
They can very quickly end up looking something like that:
Trust me, it's really hard to make them look charismatic and feminine yet horrifying.
So I'm very excited by what the creative team has been able to achieve on this release.
Also, we wanted all these characters to feel very much alive into the action
And when you watch the video you'll see how their poses or their attitudes make them look like movie characters and that's always our goal in all our collections
We mixed powerful dynamic diagonal lines (like on Gnawvine Darktail, the Grey Prophetess or Skarix the Rat Demon) with strong body language. The lower ranking rats are prowling and sneaking about while the higher ranking ones are full of lightning fast fury. And the lower ranking undead look like disarticulated puppets while their bosses are all about haughty attitude and power.
Look at the video, it speaks for itself.
They look killer!!!
Exciting characters mean exciting stories
I won’t go into any more details about what’s in this release. I think it speaks for itself 🙂
As always, we’ve sought to merge well-established with new original ideas, for example, the pyramid catapult: something you’re unlikely to have ever seen before!
Or simply trying to do the best possible version of classical types of characters such as the Undead Priestess or the female Rat Assassin.
There is some serious Rat Badassery in this release…
What I really want to talk to you about today is how to maximize the use of your minis by weaving a cool story about them, whether you’re roleplaying or wargaming.
Storytelling is obvious for roleplaying, but it can also really bring another level of enjoyment to your wargame, propelling it into a massive blockbuster movie that unfolds on the gaming table.
The character that prompted this entire release for me was the Duchess, the leader of the Ratmen faction.
I wanted to have a complex rich female leader for the RatPeople, someone who has a vision for her kin. And someone you’d have to deal with not just with weapons, but also with negotiations and treacherous diplomacy…
Why am I telling you about this?
Well, since it’s summer, let’s talk about summer movies!
Do you remember The Mummy (1999)? One of the cool things about that movie was that the villains of the story were acting out of love for each other, and this gave the movie an interesting twist, actually making the villains more relatable. There were also secrets to be discovered and mysteries to be solved.
Oh, and of course…
Since our release takes place in a similar setting, I think it’s a good opportunity to take some inspiration from that story and inject something similar to your games.
So I thought about this: Let’s imagine that The Duchess wants to go inside the Necropolis because she’s looking for something very specific there.
Our problem is that she knows that she can only obtain what she is seeking by making a very unpopular alliance with Arthurian Knights (or any other group of benevolent characters if you don’t have access to our knights). She needs a pure-hearted character to do something for her. Of course, this will generate resentment in some of her close advisors.
And on the other side of the table, the Undead High Priestess and Lord Osyrion had a tragic love story when they were alive. What truly happened? And what is the High Priestess now planning? She also sees an opportunity that has not happened for millennia as she witnesses the Arthurian Knights entering the Necropolis…
For now, I don’t want to go deeper into this story. If I have time, I’ll develop it further and present it to you in a form that won’t spoil the various eventual revelations, whatever the type of game you are playing.
If it’s very clear that if you’re playing DnD, the Adventurer party would be the pure-at-heart explorers and the adventurers will have to negotiate with the Rat Duchess and then, try to understand what is really at play for the two evil forces in presence in this adventure.
Wargamers, you can also use this story in a very entertaining way by using a small group of non-player Knights that each gamer will alternatively play to try to get them to accomplish specific secret mission objectives. The story can unfold through 3-5 scenarios with secrets being revealed through the game and that will push the course of the battles in unexpected directions.
Once again, I’m not going deeper into this right now, but I hope to find the time to work on this a bit more and share it with you later this month if I’m happy with it.
This brings me to the following topic:
More fluff please!
Many of you are asking about more fluff and storytelling around our characters.
And we've been wanting to do that for years, honestly. And the problem has always been, how do we find the right people? How do we find the time? How do we organize that?
So, as you can see, I’m working on this. I cannot make any promises at this stage, but we would love to do something like that and help you play with those characters, give them more depth, more story. That would be awesome. Indeed, I do have a lot of stuff in my mind that I just haven’t had the time to write down and share with you.
But guess what: I'm finally starting to find some ways to make that happen. So fingers crossed that it can come to fruition.
→ Please, can you drop me a thumbs up on the last comment that I made below if you’d like more backstories, adventure ideas, etc?
→ Do tell us!
Okay, so as always, as a way to end this post, I need to know...
What are you gonna do with those minis?
Are you gonna play a summer story, a summer campaign like I just suggested?
Are you just gonna focus on painting your favorite ones? Are you gonna use more of the characters, more of the troops?
Is there something that speaks to you like: “I've been waiting for that for so long…”?
I know that some of you have been asking for Ratmen like, forever, and I truly hope that today you are happy with what you are getting here.
Let us know which are your favorites, what you plan to do with them, is there a color scheme that you like in the video?
Tell us about all this!
And once again, I want you to REALIZE that when YOU share THIS in the COMMENTS, you ARE INSPIRING OTHERS. Sorry not sorry for shouting :)
We are all very excited to read your comments, your ideas, your plans.
It really inspires everybody.
It's a great opportunity to share ideas together and to inspire others with your ideas. Even if you think they are simple or basic.
And that's also what this hobby is about !!
Please have a great July, print great miniatures, have a lot of fun and we'll talk soon again!
Bye bye,
Benoit GuervilleCreative Director
PS: Yep, it’s coming!
Okay, so last month we told you that we would release a post to help you with your print, your printing experience, to make sure that everything would be easier for you. And we have to admit we've been so busy on so many things, one of them being preparing for the summer season where most of the team will take a break. We are running late on this, but we're not forgetting it.
So it's coming. And so if you have questions about printing, if you have troubles about printing, now would be a perfect time to ask some questions and make sure that we include some answers in that post.
PPS: Who’s who in this release?
Duchess Scratchfang, Monarch of the Ratkin
She orchestrates her court with sinister elegance, her long coat and fur collar a tapestry of her vanquished enemies. Despite the squalor around her, she maintains a deadly dignity, ruling her brood with an iron fist. An acute negotiator and treacherous diplomat, she is not to be messed with.
Lord Osirion, Monarch of the Undead
Known for his warrior and magical skills, Lord Osirion carries the ancient secrets of embalming and mummification, which he uses to repair and empower the Undead legion. An unsettling figure, he is draped in robes covered in mystical hieroglyphs that glow with an eerie light.
Nefrascara, the Swarm Mistress
She was once a revered princess of her desert dominion, but was cursed then reborn as Nefrascara the Swarm Mistress. Condemned to eternal torment, her essence merged with that of her punishers, the ravenous beetles. She skulks in the shadows of the pyramid tombs, armed with a cursed dagger dripping with lethal venom, ever ready to mete out death in service to her undead king.
High Priestess Sekheta
Sekheta used to be the most beautiful woman of the kingdom. But today, her jaw grotesquely unhinged, she chants from scrolls of devastation. Her voice summons spirits from their cursed repose, trapped in her Ark of Damnation. She used to be the lover of Lord Osirion, but something tragic happened to them. The sands of time have erased their story but the necropolis surely hides their terrible secrets.
Gnawvine Darktail, Grey Prophetess
Gnawvine Darktail channels the divine Rat God. She wields pestilence and blade with equal ferocity. She commands magical epidemics that devastate her foes.
Whisperfang, the Silent Claw
Assassin Whisperfang strikes from the shadows, hands and tail armed with ever ready poisoned blades. She wields them with silent, deadly precision. You will never see her coming.
Seshatara, Marshal Tombshade
The Marshal Tombshade is a sovereign encased in bandages and bygone ornaments who bears the battle-standard of forgotten kings with chilling authority. She is also a formidable archer and her cursed arrows will transform anyone into a servant of the undead legions.
Vezthik, Marksman Voltwrench
With a demeanor as murky as the fog-laden landscapes he prefers for his hunts, Vezthik is the embodiment of patience. His gear, a patchwork of tarnished metal plates and faded textiles, speaks of numerous confrontations, while his rifle, 'The Endbringer,' ensures they end swiftly.
Mordkarn, Inventor Electroclast
Mordkarn manipulates high-voltage chaos with a mad scientist’s glee. His generator hums with doom, channeling violent energy bursts that could backfire at any moment. But when he unleashes the power of his insane weapon, be ready to run…
Skarix Deathbringer, Great Rodent Demon
Summoned from the darkest depths by the greatest of Ratkin prophets, cloaked in shadow, this colossal Demon Rat wields a scepter of desolation and a fearsome horned mask, spreading terror wherever he appears.
Skull Screecher Catapult
Crafted from sacred woods and lined with eternal glyphs, this catapult strikes fear by hurling inferno-engulfed skulls that scream across the skies. Each impact resurrects echoes of the ancient pharaohs’ wrath upon their enemies.
Ratkin Milicia
Drafted from the teeming rat-warrens, these reluctant warriors clutch rusted weapons and hide behind chunks of battered metal. Though often unreliable, their vast numbers can overwhelm any foe.
Serpent Strike Bowguard
Resurrected from their dusty tombs, these archers use their ancient bows to shoot arrows dipped in venom extracted from desert snakes, ensuring their targets a swift and poisonous demise.
Sunset Chariot Revenants
Noble souls once buried with their chariots, these undead warriors ride again. Wielding war-tools of old, they crash through the ranks of the living, a haunting shadow of their former glory.
Fireclaw Snipers
Made of zealous volunteers, these Ratkins teams experiment with engineers' latest lethal firearms. Armed with lengthy rifles and makeshift metal shields, they aim to eliminate adversaries from a safe distance.
Ratogre Doomfiends
These towering terrors, born from forbidden experimentation, prowl the warzone. Their thick hides barely contain their bulging muscles, and their blade-limbs gleam with the blood of foes. Every scar tells a story of survival against all odds.
Doomsday Bell
Surrounded by the clanking of chains and the cries of Ratmen moving it forward, this dread convoy advances, bearing prophets who invoke their dark magics through a giant, resonating bell. Each toll releases waves of cataclysmic magic, devastating all who stand against them.
