Kill Team: Exodites (Dragon Masters & Dragon Knights)

[SvenIronhand]

I think, had they painted them in the Sláine esque tartan and given them the pelts the Jes designs had, I would like them a lot more.

[marspeople]

Its hard to get excited when its one squad and a few characters.

I need them to be a full army.

[Alby the Slayer]

Very cool but not amazing for me.  They are very "plain" for me, like a safe not too unique version of what I was wishing, you know?

 

If maybe they also did naked heads with more wild tribal aeldari style and they will show it near the launch date, that would be much better.

But it seems strange not to show them now.

 

 

 

 

[The Praetorian of Inwit]

Those are beautiful looking models. 

[Bouargh]

I am not that convinced, even if some bitz look very interesting for kitbashes

[lhg033]

I like them though I have too many projects at the moment so I'm not sure if I will get this one or not.

 

I'm more torn on the beast snaggas. A pro is I dont have any of these for my orks but the con is I also am not too bothered by the Snakebite style.

[Jukkiz]

The "alien dino" nitpick of mine is... 

They look like anthro dinosaur, forced to carry eldar. The arms are too long, making them look like more sentient rather then wild animal 

Edited June 27 by Jukkiz

[Iron Lord]

6 hours ago, Wormwoods said:

I like how the lizards kinda have the look of the old Warhammer Fantasy elf dragons, in the heads anyway. 

 

Especially the wood elf dragon.

 

Broad belly scales, leaflike back scales, and that narrow, long, beaky+toothy head, all together combine with the handlike front paws and three-toed hind paws, to make it very distinct from a Dark Elf Cold One or Lizardman Aggradon.

 

Mike McVey's Exodite duel from White Dwarf August 1996:

 

was also a pretty good take.

 

[soviet1337]

It might be the paint scheme that's making them look a little unexciting. They are gorgeous models. Maybe a more classical Mike McVey era wood elf palette with a splash of red or copper would make them pop more. 

Cross posted, heh

[Redcomet]

Flawless. 10/10 no notes. These are exactly like I had imagined they would look

[Frogian]

45 minutes ago, soviet1337 said:

It might be the paint scheme that's making them look a little unexciting. They are gorgeous models. Maybe a more classical Mike McVey era wood elf palette with a splash of red or copper would make them pop more. 

Cross posted, heh

yeah i think this might be another unit where what the community comes up with is way better than the more standard 'eavy metal style

[TheMawr]

Exodites at long last.. literally the unit entry/art that got me into eldar/40k many decades ago. Since then I've been waiting, converting and abandoning the hobby ( to return with the ynnari release ) all the while having the store employees answer in my head when purchasing the codex and asking about those "oh they probably will release them soon" 

 

I like them, maybe I even love them.. but after decades that needs more words.

 

They stayed very close to the original lore in 2nd edition, or more specifically rangers lore. ( repeated by Jes in a white dwarf last year )

Rangers are fashioned after exodite fashion and where always the "exodites on foot".

Part of me hoped for a retcon on that to make them more corsair/visarch armored, but it would have been a massive sudden retcon wich I think a lot of people overlook in the criticism.

They are what they always said they are. And that is great too.

 

However I do miss 2 things there : Bare heads with the iconic hair. ( either from the old art/epic models or topknots like rangers .. even better both.)

And, but thats more the presentation side; alternative paintjobs that emphasize this link.

They should have shown rangers in this paintscheme and maybe an exodite in reds and greens like the official rangers look.

Those are all issues that are easily fixed.

 

The dragons, I dislike the pupil eyes for them, I think a monocolor eye will work much better... they also miss something on the top of their head for the silhouette. Again, not difficult to fix/personalize.

 

That is all mostly on the models part. Wich I'm more than satisfied with... though again bare heads missing is big. Exodites are often described for their hair and facial tattoos.

 

The kill team side is another story. 

I dont like this as a kill team, adding some rangers ( Ala Ogryn in ratlings ) would have been better, especially as the rangers already have the bits for some more operatives.. but probably require to make the dragon masters too weak. It's all part of an evolution in kill team I dislike.. fewer models, fewer funky and weird operatives.

It also leaves eldar without proper ( imho ) kill teams soon, as this is the first eldar kill team this edition, and possibly the only if I listen to the rumors. 

 

I hope it isn't too soon, as I cant afford these right now.. but I want them asap and I especially want the booklet.

 

All in all satisfied and happy.. even if im not blown away. ( wich alt paintjobs and bare heads might have done.)

 

 

 

[Captain Idaho]

My issue with these Eldar Exodites is they're just an AoS with a Dire Avenger and Ranger on top. There's nothing feral or distinctive to contrast the existing Eldar range and why use these when I could just take Shining Spears?

 

Miss opportunity here, especially considering GW original art:

 

 

[TheMawr]

2 minutes ago, Captain Idaho said:

My issue with these Eldar Exodites is they're just an AoS with a Dire Avenger and Ranger on top. There's nothing feral or distinctive to contrast the existing Eldar range and why use these when I could just take Shining Spears?

 

Miss opportunity here, especially considering GW original art:

 

 

All the elements are there but less accented through a very pale paintjob.

I'm 100% sure the riders can look like this just through painting.

 

Biggest difference is the lack of bare heads ( wich blanche art and the epic miniatures had ) But lots of 40k fans complain about bare heads, maybe they changed it for them.

 

But also two things I forgot in my above analysis;

Saddle is extremely downplayed ( as is the dragons decoration ) but both of these might be more "for the leader" 

 

I also dont like the weapon design, the art has a more primal silhouette and the miniatures have very plain ones.. the second biggest miss there. And a less fixable one.

[SvenIronhand]

1 hour ago, TheMawr said:

But lots of 40k fans complain about bare heads, maybe they changed it for them.

 

As a Space Wolves player, those people are cowards! Cowards, I say! 

[No Foes Remain]

3 hours ago, soviet1337 said:

It might be the paint scheme that's making them look a little unexciting. They are gorgeous models. Maybe a more classical Mike McVey era wood elf palette with a splash of red or copper would make them pop more. 

Cross posted, heh

9/10 this is the problem with a lot of GW's releases. It's the 'eavy metal style that doesn't really work with the models having 3 shades of edge highlighting, the new orks are a good example for this: look better in the plastic than they do with GW's new super bright ork skintone.

[Petitioner's City]

8 hours ago, Wispy said:

There's really very little in John's for a miniature designer to chew on. One is specifically for production and John's is an art piece - style and vibes where it's hard to discern anything besides silhouette. 

 

That's what I mean, I wish they had gone 6th edition wood elves - like what @TheWarmaster says in the post after your own :) 

[soviet1337]

Are there corsair or AoS/Wood Elf bare heads that would work for the wilder look?

[Iron Lord]

Probably. And one helmet does have a topknot, one helmet had feathers, and there's the ranger hood.

 

One could even take the "seer helmet", cut the horns off, file gently till it looks like a hornless helmet, and attach each horn on the back of a "regular helmet" for a bit of variety.

 

And if the tartans in the Jes pic appeal, one could paint the fabrics on  all the models in simple tartan (brown with thin horizontal and vertical black stripes)

 

The fact that at least one of the "steed head" options, is a helmet with a single big horn, does go well with the leftmost dragon in the Blanche pic, and the rightmost dragon is the same species as the leftmost, but has no helmet at all.

 

So there's precedent for both helmeted and helmetless dragons there.

[Blindhamster]

because of how much they look like dragons... I want them to do an exodite character on an actual dragon. That would be so incredibly cool. 

I'd also like to see exodite infantry tbh.

[Iron Lord]

8 minutes ago, Blindhamster said:

because of how much they look like dragons... I want them to do an exodite character on an actual dragon. That would be so incredibly cool. 

I'd also like to see exodite infantry tbh.

With the right paintjob and careful choice of helmets and bare heads, Voidscarred could give off a very "exodite infantry" vibe, I think.

 

For a dragon - perhaps use the Corsair Vyper rules, model a reasonably large but not excessively so flying dragon, and attach the appropriate Corsair Vyper guns?

Edited June 27 by Iron Lord

[TheMawr]

23 minutes ago, soviet1337 said:

Are there corsair or AoS/Wood Elf bare heads that would work for the wilder look?

 

They will probably follow the same neck connection as al eldar units. Wich means AoS/Whfb will need some work ( as their necks are attached to the torso )

 

Corsairs will work well, as will other eldar bare heads.

 

Cheapest easiest option is probably buying a box of wyches just for the heads. Scourges heads I had used alot for my old exodite conversions. They have a bit of a primal mask vibe.

 

I had saved up the "angry mouthmask" hellion heads for something special... think it might look good here too.

 

Most of all I hope there are many more options in this kit itself. GW has been very bad at showcasing the full scope of options in KT kits.

[TheMawr]

Wait what am I doing, ignore all my posts, this is the only relevant one:

 

@Iron Lord nope, there are no head options that can fix things.. if I where you I wouldn't buy them

 

@ others 

Nah you are all right, they aren't very good.. ignore remarks that it might be just the paintjob. No matter the paint, it's unsalvagable ... I'd advice you all to not buy them.

 

To those that are really happy and preparing the wallet... are you sure ? I mean.. are you really sure?? There is probably a better place for your money.

 

( I need to increase my already slim chances, not lower them !!! )

[Tastyfish]

1 hour ago, soviet1337 said:

Are there corsair or AoS/Wood Elf bare heads that would work for the wilder look?

There's definitely a few mohawk ones, though I think the best heads would be from the Dark Eldar scourge.

[Magos Takatus]

I really like their current look. They were the most restrained Eldar, more so than the Craftworlders. I think noble and rustic suits them pretty well. I'm not sure more savage would work as well. I believe that's why they paired them with the Beastsnaggas thematically. They are both cavalry but they go about it very differently. It feels like Exodites bond with their steeds until they are able to ride them. The Orks punch their steeds in the face until they are able to ride them. I wouldn't want to blur the lines between the two more than nccessary.