Have You Seen Warhammer 40,000 Massive New Mortarion Yet?
September 4, 2017 by brennon
Games Workshop has been showing off more of Mortarion as the pre-orders for the model close in. This fellow is massive and well deserving of the name Primarch as he dominates the battlefields of Warhammer 40,000 on his putrid wings...
As you can see he is flippin' huge! If you're not sure that we're telling the truth on this one then wait until you see him compared to some of the other new models.
I'd have to hazard a guess that this is probably the biggest character that Games Workshop have done yet? I actually quite like the design a bit more now we've seen the full model away from the fuzz of a leaked image. The model is going to need a good hand to bring out all of its quality and detail but it should be a great focal piece for your Nurgle forces on the tabletop.
Games Workshop also shared some of his statistics too...
As you'd imagine, being a Daemonic Primarch he isn't exactly a pushover and I like how he has rules that reflect him losing health, his wings getting shot to bits and such; it's a nice touch. Enemies nearby as well are going to be turned into piles of goo thanks to his Host Of Plagues and ability to lower their toughness - ouch.
Death Guard Codex & More
As well as Mortarion we have the Death Guard Codex to look forward to. It will come in two flavours as per usual with the standard version...
...and the special limited edition version with all manner of gubbins like art cards, trackers and data cards to keep you going.
We're fairly sure that means you're also going to see plenty of new miniatures too to build up this force including new ways to bring together Plague Marines on the tabletop.
The three new models above are the Plague Brethren which are three entirely new designs for the Death Guard not seen before. One assumes you'll be using these as Aspiring Champions of the various squads you bring to the fore.
Are you liking the look for Mortarion or is it not your cup of tea?
"As you'd imagine, being a Daemonic Primarch he isn't exactly a pushover..."
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Im on the fence with this one, its nice enough, but the pose just feels like a copy and paste of naggash, i would much rather feet planted swinging scythe back,rather than wafting over the battle field on a cloud of nurgle fart, i dunno the wings just seem too fantasy for 40k, could see him being the basis for some awesome AoS blight knight champions 😀
The mini is nice enough, but that swirly crap beneath it is garbage.
Unnecessary details. It looks like the same person designed this that designed a lot of the undead characters.
Whether the details are unnecessary is subjective really. I don’t see the similarities between Mortarion and the Age of Sigmar undead to be a problem. There’s similarities in general between Nurgle and Undead (Rot, putridity, corruption etc). I had no preconceived notions of what Mortarion should look like and this seems like an acceptable vision of him. I just don’t think it’s been painted dirty enough. It doesn’t look bloated or corrupted or disease ridden and I think that’s because of the colour choices.
I think a lot of the reason for the dislike of them is the paint job they went with
Not a bad thing. Nagash and his Mortarchs are glorious models.
If Mortarion insists on wearing a shroud and carrying a massive scythe, as he has done since his last appearance as a Daemon Prince in Epic, he must expect comparison with the fantasy Undead range.
Sorry Mortarion.
No he doesn’t. The model is glorious and beyond reach for any miniature company at the moment. GW haters gonna hate GW models no matter what.
I like the model- I don’t think the similarities to the Undead range are a bad thing, either. They’re cool miniatures, and Mortarion has always had a Grim Reaper/spectre of death vibe.
I was pointing out that the scythe and shroud has been Mortarion’s 40th millennium look since at least the mid-nineties, so I’m surprised those elements have contributed to the criticism at all.
@inhumanbookworm Seems a lame effort to pre-empt any constructive criticism.
The model is actually middle-of-the-pack in terms of what else is out there, but will most certainly be a leader in terms of price.
I love the model but I think the colour scheme they have used looks a little to bright and clean. I think it needs to look much more dirty and diseased. Then again I wonder if it’s just been painted in such a way that it better shows of the models details.
Aye, beautiful miniature, busy paint scheme. Looking forward to getting my putrid mitts on him.
Maybe it’s painted in a way that will be achievable for regular painters who will follow their online tutorials?
I am not liking what GW did with Mortarion if you compare that model Demon Primarch to FW Primarch version and to art work. Everything about that model makes it seem like totally different character. Both his scythe and armor don’t look like corrupted versions of what he had before becoming Demon Primarch and instead look totally different. Besides of that his head sculpt doesn’t look that good either while his wings don’t really look like those would be part of him and instead are stuck to his back. Now while I am not huge fan of Nurgle stuff in… Read more »
They’re practically identical to the ones from Dark Imperium and the easy build kit though. Same model and details, just jumbled up a bit to make new sculpts.
Wow, just wow. I must say I like the Forgeworld one a lot better. Maybe it’s the unnecessary detail, the funny pose or the colour scheme, way too much blue. He looks like a giant fairy.
Forgot to add that I like all the other new nurgle models. This iobe really feels out of place.
I must say that this is my preferred Demon Primarch, I much prefer the size to giant Magnus which even with the baxckground his size seems a little at odds with the rest of his legion. Mortarion with his insect wings, tortured armour and face is what I’d expect of a demon primarch of Nurgle and I love all the extra detail that they have added the nurglings etc add character in my opinion. This alone could tempt me to start a Death Guard army, great work GW.
I echo most of the above comments. Not keen on the over-design nor the paint scheme, both of which are repeat offences from GW in recent years. They could do so much better given the obvious skill they have.
Eye of the beholder and all that. Fair enough saying you find the sculpt too busy, but you seem to love the phrase “over-design”, where there’s no such thing in terms of a piece of sculpture. Art is entirely subjective.
If they’d added a retractable tape measure inside his base, an AM/FM radio in his backpack and a cup holder on top, that might be considered “over-design” for a display / gaming miniature.
I agree the colour scheme doesn’t suit such a detailed miniature though. Far too many colour fades leave it looking busy.
I use it because it conveys what I mean. Should my intended meaning not travel to you then we can discuss and find common ground so I’m understood to you, if not actually finding agreement with you. Art is not entirely subjective, else it could never be critiqued. It is partially subjective and partially objective.
Art critique is by its very nature, subjective. Something one critic loves, another may loathe. As long as the artist is happy with it, nobody else’s opinion really matters.
A lot of us are saying they find the paint scheme of the Mortarion model in the photos to be too busy, yet others, albeit in minority, think it looks great. Nobody is “correct”.
Too busy for my liking.
Agreed… like most GW stuff in recent years.
And another Primarch takes to the field. Who’s next? My money’s on either Leman Russ, wanting a word with Magnus about what’s happening on Fenris. Or Perhaps Jaghatai Khan, with Commorragh and The Webway all messed up he might finally find his way out of that labyrinthine realm. but it’s ultimately in the hands of fate and GW.
The Lion! Or maybe Angron on 08/08/18, should be enough 8s for Khorne!
Yeah, I think you’re looking at either Russ or the Lion; they’re probably the most iconic loyalist Primarchs where you wouldn’t have to fudge the story too much for them to appear.
That said, I would put a cheeky bet on Sanguinius appearing at some point.
Unrelated to the Primarchs above, but there were rumours that 2 Primarchs would swap sides at some point in the future.
I really like how ridiculously detailed Mortarion is, and I don’t mind the weird Brian Froud faeriness either. Primarchs and their armour were notoriously extravagant and ostentatious, and what better excuse to push the baroque angle to its limits than becoming a Daemon Prince?
Really like Mortarion and can’t wait to get him, the cowled head makes him look suitably menacing. The little nurglings on his base with imitation hoods are nice touch and the fly wings suit him just as Magnus’ feathered wings suit him, all great nods to their patron deities. The new White Dwarf had an interesting interview regarding the colour scheme and it seems that the aim was more for a pus and rotten Mortarion rather than rusting and decay. His weapons, being of alien origin were also deliberately left cleaner. Whilst I appreciate the intent for me that wasn’t… Read more »
The model is far too busy for a Space Marine. I would have preferred one of the plastic Mk3 Burning of Prospero marines to represent Mortarion but no, they made him huge, gave him wings and added a load of cool details. Who does he think he is? A one-of-a-kind Daemon Primarch who has mutated over ten thousand years or something…
Yes I’m being facetious.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 😉 😀 (thanks for the laugh)
There’s a cracking mini in there but he’s not exactly screaming Nurgle to me – he’s just a bit too ‘fairy’ rather than ‘bloatfly’ for my eyes. I’ve always imagined him as more I don’t know….pestilent. Never been a big fan of the floaty sculpts too – largely just for practical purposes. Still loving the Death Guard reboot overall mind you and I look forward to seeing what others do with Mortarion scheme-wise.
Yes, I’d convert mine, to ground his feet and replace his wings with something folded up out of the way.
Atm I’m more interested in Typhus though.
Very enthused by the death guard, to the point I am contemplating a year long hobby of all things nurgle. Few conversion ideas and lots of painting thoughts.
Mortarion looks better in this picture, still want to see the model as photos are so variable. Gw really seem to struggle putting out decent pictures. I do wish some of the more fiddly detail was optional. At warhammer world next week so we shall see if there is one present.
Not a huge fan, but i’m not sure if it’s the fancy paint job or the model itself. It just feels too busy and (I think) kinda detracts from the presence he should bring to the table. Although, this could be because i’ve not seen this model up close and I guess I still hark back to the 40k days of yore when Mortarion was a towering winged grim reaper type dude…!
Model wise, the only real complaint I have is the wings, I still think there’s something off about them – nice idea, insectoid – just feel to flat and static. The rest of the model looks great to paint – I think a lot of criticisms could be levelled with the highly technical paint job it’s had that makes the head disappear into his chest – not enough thought with where the eyes will be drawn in the colour choices – the purple robes guides the eye away from the central area where we should be staring into the deep… Read more »
I m not a chaos player but I think the earlier version was better he will cut the wings off in battle.
I’ve always been a fan of Mortarion as a character. The art for him was always awesome as an angel of death swooping down with the big scythe. If I look at the new model, it checks all of the boxes as to what I like as far as what’s on it. (Except for the scythe, don’t like the design.) But still I can’t quite get myself to like the miniature. I think it’s because of the Tinkerbell pose that they’ve got going on. I don’t know, some how it’s not quite conveying a sense of danger or something. Can’t… Read more »
i’m in danger of losing my street cred but I actually quite like him. yes he has a lot going on and is very stylized, but i’m ok with that. personally I do prefer the understated art direction of the heresy stuff. the paint job is very clean for the grim dark but there’s nothing wrong with the colour palette, just needs weathering to bring it in line with my vision of 40k.
limited edition book is very nice, not a fan of the cartoony art on the standard edition.
Don’t stress the street cred always be yourself. I love the mini… others loathe it , that’s fine , I often dislike stuff that others think is wonderful. To thine own self be true my friend, do that and you’ll always have cred with me …… *notices emtynessisform backing away in blind panic….. Oh you want to have cred with someone that counts ??? …… bugger …. 😀
🙂
I’m shamefully tempted by this Primarch and those tanks.
Turn into a Daemon Prince…. *buurrrrp*…. Morty!
In terms of execution and manufacture, it is a masterpiece! I much prefer it to the original skeleton in shroud Mortarian from the Epic range in the early 90’s, particularly as it retains his identity as a “Space Marine”. On balance, I’m n historical gamer and in my thirties now, and its way too out-there to get me interested in 40k again.
As much as I love them bringing in these new feature models BUT! I don’t think it needed the wings, being Nurgle they have the power of inevitability, wings shouldn’t be a tool they should add to their beast like monsters. Aside from that I do have to agree with some of the people who are saying that the stuff on the ground that connects him doesn’t look good. However I think this may be due to colour choice. This very light and ethereal looking blue doesn’t suit the theme of the Nurgle Primarch. However, that is the only stuff… Read more »