The Elder Scrolls franchise grabbed me during Morrowind’s Xbox/console debut back in November 2002. It spoke to the tabletop fringe kid I was, and who I still am. My curiosity of Modiphius’ venture into bringing Bethesda IP to tabletop peaked with Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms.
Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms
Thanks to the support team at Modiphius, TechStomper managed to get its hands on a Rulebook and some starter sets. This article will cover initial impressions of Bleak Falls Barrow, Imperial Legion and Stormclocks resin sets.
Firstly, the packaging is put together with the consumer in mind. Spruses and other resin parts are zip-bagged and bubble wrapped, which is great considering how brittle the material is. The detail in resin miniatures is considered a good trade-off, however.
Secondly, it’s always a good idea to have a pair of small clips alongside a small file/scalpel to remove any scrap resin and mould marks. There’s nothing worse than painting a model to find a Stormcloak spawning a third-arm (No pun intended).
Sticking to Quality
Super glue is the best adhesive for resin miniatures, although it’s best to go for liquid rather than gel. The last thing players will need is excess Gell-based glue soaking up the detail on these high-quality miniatures.
Lastly, resin can be a hard surface to paint on unless a good undercoat has been applied. Going with a Games Workshop Chaos Black spray paint, laying miniatures down and spraying at an angle works best for covering the maximum surface area. In future, I’d go for a quick initial spray of primer to ensure a solid coverage. This saves on base-coat waste.
Due to the detail on Call to Arms miniatures, dry brushing and inks/washes are going to be a gamers best friend. Of course, more experienced painters can opt for various shades and tone blending, but this is a great place to start.
Put on Another Coat, It’s Cold…
The Bleak Falls Barrow skeletons received a dry brush of dark brown, followed by a leather brown then a dulled bone shade. I then applied a dark brown wash then built up the bone tones. Whilst there’s more work to be done, it’s a great start for the major paintwork on these miniatures.
Trying out new techniques when painting is part of the joy of working with tabletop games. Modiphius has made a strong first impression with the quality of Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms. Stay tuned for more coverage on getting these miniatures battle-ready and the tabletop game itself.
