The Wood Elves Kickstarter

Back in June 2019, I gleefully backed a Kickstarter from Atlantis Miniatures for Wood Elves. The 3D renditions looked sweet and a lot like Elder Scrolls Online Wood Elves. Some even had small horns on their forehead. Previously I had painted Goblins from their line for a commission. The minis were well sculpted and had minimal flashing, despite being cast in a resin. I really looked forward to these Wood Elves.

The forecast ship date seemed quick – April 2020. The company casts their own models and in September stated the work progressed slightly ahead of schedule. October looked good and no updates until January 2020. Then COVID 19 hit the world. I think this states it all. Given the hurdles, Atlantis still tried to remain in contact and moved forward on their models.

So at the very least, I’d like to thank them for fulfilling the Kickstarter and doing multiple quality controls to make sure they put out a great product. It’s been a difficult and challenging time, one that they worked through instead of giving up.

The Models

I chose to pick my own models for this project. I picked male and female archers and warriors, and to round it out I picked up the Wood Elf Druid, for a total of thirteen models. A small amount so I didn’t flood my ever-growing pile of unpainted models. (Author’s note: This most likely is a lost cause.) (Editor’s note: It most definitely is.)

It’s a nice change to see the females mostly well-covered and the males bare chested. Far to often, it’s the reverse and these models are proof that they can still look great! It would have been nice for a few of the male Elves to wear a shirt or armor. In fact, looking over the other models not in my order, none of the males wear shirts or body armor. The anatomy is well done and proportions seem correct, except some of the hands seem very small compared to the body/face. This is my only criticism of the proportions of these Elves.

The casting overall seems good for these models. There is some flashing – none of it heavy. However, resin can cut fairly easily, especially this type of resin. When cleaning up these minis, a light hand and potentially several passes might be needed to minimize damage to the sculpt. Luckily, the mold lines on these miniatures appear fairly non-existent. One less item to clean up on these beautiful models.

I recommend you pick up these models once they are available for sale to the general public. The sculptor’s rendition of Wood Elves hits spot on. They are a well-proportioned and beautiful race of Elves with a touch of wildness about them. They are easily cleaned up and that makes getting them on the painting table that much quicker. Atlantis Miniatures line continues to grow and I look forward to future projects from this company.