The Rise Of Obliterarium is now on Kickstarter from Magical Miniature Game and I have been lucky enough to get my hands on some of the figures (I was going to say minis but it doesn't count when most of them are close to 90mm tall). We've been sent a selection of two of the clans and also three of the stretch goals so we can have a look at what you can expect from them.

Kickstarter Exclusive // Avials: Priest

If you haven't seen Ben's breakdown of the premise then I'll briefly introduce you to the world of Obliterarium. A Cataclysm obliterated Earth, few species managed to cling on and over the millennia they evolved taking over the niche that mankind had vacated. They grew into societies borrowing from the remnants of old cultures and they now fight to the death with a dream of conquering this new world.

In this world there are four Clans and they have a distinctive look, the Avials borrowing from Meso-America, the Kizune from Japanese folklore, the Mintaros from Babylon and the near east, and finally the Sphynx from Egpyt. The miniatures from the Clans themselves are split into the Demi-Gods which are hulking sculpts indeed if the range I've taken a look at is anything to go by for the Clan members and their familiars.

Clan Avials // Magical Miniature Game

Avials are the descendants of the winged rulers of heaven. They’ve become a race of travelers, discoverers, and merchants. They live by mountain peaks and according to their strange rules. Their land is inaccessible to other nations, ruled by the messenger of their God on Earth - the almighty Emperor.

The Avails I have been sent are based on three different birds, no great surprise there I know. There is an Owl Priest who is the kickstarter exclusive, A majestic Eagle warrior armed with a wicked scythe and covered in elaborately adorned armour and finally there is the stork, which is probably my favourite figure I've looked at but more on him later.

The sculpts themselves are good quality with a high level of detail and minimal flashing on them, some of the joints are pegged which required a bit of clean up on these figures to get them to fit but nothing 10 seconds with a file couldn't solve. There is a consistent style throughout making them stunning as a group in a game or for painters who are looking for something different.

Clan Sphynx // Magical Miniature Game

The children of the Great Desert are outstanding architects. But their strength lies in their power as warriors and conquerors. Living a life of creation and conquest, the Sphynx diligently prepare for their glorious afterlife. They must live in glory and heroic deeds if they are to be assured a place amongst their god-kings. The Sphynx stand solid like their huge buildings, they seek to rid the world of all evil. When they are tested by the sick corruption of other races, they know the Great Sphinx will come to them and revel in glorious victory.

The Cat based warriors of Clan Sphynx are taller more regal in stature the sculptor has textured their bodies so a fine fur grain is sculpted onto them rather than a smooth surface, which is an insane level of detail that I'm glad I didn't have to do. They have finally detailed Egyptian styled artistry on their armour also along with classical weapons and the hunter's bow and khopesh is a fantastic example of that. They also have some very nice bases which for painters will look terrific, I'm not sure if they will carry across the three other Clans though but I do like the ones that they have done for the Sphynx with a desert theme on the hunter and the other two having stone sculpted bases with designs inlaid into the floor

Stretch Goal Sneak Peaks

Nagual // Clan Avial

This is my favourite sculpt that I have assembled, I love the stork balanced on one foot and leaning on his staff. The texture worked into the cloth looks like you can see the weave of the fibres and the wave pattern around the hem is beautifully realised. He feels as if he may be another priest, with an obsidian dagger on his hip and a skull on his shoulder Nagual is the epitome of an Aztec death cultist. Wonderful.

Assassin // Sphynx

The Clan Sphynx assassin dual-wielding a pair of khopesh is another wonderful sculpt. The blend of jewellery and armour on her shows a level of wealth so clearly, the Sphynx pay their hired killers well, or perhaps the other Clans pay top prices to eliminate troublesome enemies. She was also practically a one piece cast. The loincloth, tail and sheathed sword on her back were separate castings but the entire model was one piece which considering the lack of flash or noticeable mould lines was impressive although her swords needed a bath to straighten them.

Archer // Kizune

The last of the sneak peaks I've been sent is from the Kizune Clan. Mysterious, secretive, and noble warriors, the Kizune live only to serve their Shogun. Even death can’t stop them from this duty. These mythical killers live in a closed community. Preferring not to contact other races unless absolutely necessary. Smart and effective assassins and scouts.

This is based on a six tailed fox from Japanese folklore and I love the one paw balance on the stump to take her shot. The robe is delicately decorated with cherry blossoms and should be simply a dream to paint up, another stunning example of sculptor and caster working seamlessly together.

Final Thoughts

There is a wealth of detail in these figures and I know that MMG has plans for a game, but setting that aside for use in other games or for talented artists to show their skills I have to say that these are gorgeous works of art. If I did have one criticism it would be that some pieces within the same Clan look like they've been designed by different sculptors so the CAD design on the little Sphynx looks too clean beside the warriors that look like they're more traditionally sculpted. But overall the figures I've seen have been beautifully put together and from the Kickstarter page it seems that a wealth of planning has gone into this already, so I'll be interested to see the direction they take for a game in the future.

For now, though I just have to enjoy these beautiful figures, life is hard sometimes.