Craftworld Iyanden 01 // Heart of a Craftworld

Welcome to my Games Workshop fully focused Craftworld Eldar section. So far on the blog we have touched on my love of Eldar with the Dictionary and Path of the Warrior. So now it is time to show off some modelling. First up I have to say my photographs are pretty crap at the moment but this will improve in time, just have a bit of faith (all tips are welcomed) .

But where to start? I've been collecting Eldar on and off for a few years now and have amassed a good size collection. My Craftworld of choice is Iyanden, there is so much to love about them. From their bright colours to it morbid lore background. So much to love in fact that I plan on doing a blog posts purely about Iyanden life and tactics so watch this space.

With these future plans in mind I have chosen to start with a project I completed about this time last year The Avatar!
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Straight away I recommend looking at Games Workshop's version, it is one of the oldest models they still produce, hailing from the amazing 2nd Edition (now on 8th). To put it into context the model hasn't been updated for over 26 years (I was eight when they released it). In the lore the Avatar is described as the molten heart of a Craftworld, brought to life through the rage and anger of the Eldar race. The Avatar is a living embodiment of a War God! In stories and lore he can survive bolter fire, melta weapons and in one book almost beat Fulgrim (a Space Marine Primarch) in a fist fight. This is a creature of unimaginable strength and should be a monster that strikes fear in the enemy, so why make a model no bigger than the current Forgeworld Primarch's (to be honest most are actually bigger than the Avatar), he is so small! I personally can't get past his size, it's almost comical. Forgeworld did fix this problem and released a model more fitting it's true stature, but I'm cheap so I decided to make my own (Forgeworld model comes in at $98 cad at the current exchange rate plus postage plus tax!).

So where to begin? Like many people I turned to good out google for answers and noticed many players had used the Sylvaneth Treelord especially the Spirit of Durthu (he has a sword). Though cheaper at only a mere $73 cad plus tax, it was still a bit too pricey for my taste. Then whilst checking out a local selling site, I got lucky when a gamer was also selling his Durthu (timing/fate who knows), so for only $20 I was a proud owner of Durthu. The pose and the imposing sword was perfect for what I wanted, so the hardest part of a conversion was already done for me already. All I needed to do was make it seem more Aeldari than Elf. The biggest fault or issue I could see was the twigs the bigger ones really had to go, then all I needed was some parts that looked like armour and somehow create that Iconic helm shape.
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The process of cleanup and modeling followed in these easy steps:

Step 1. Trim off all the twigs, unless they can look like flames.
Step 2. Add some armour plates.
Step 3. Form a helmet crest of some sort.
Step 4. Continue to convert until I finally paint paint it.

Can't lie about step 1, it was annoying and time consuming. But soon I was down to the models roots (sorry bad pun) and ready to start Step 2. For the armour I wanted to keep it clean and simple knowing that the model already had a lot of details that I didn't want to cover up. So I just went with a pair of clean looking Shoulder Pads, made from an old Jetbike canopy. Now all I need is something for the chest piece, something that I am still searching for annoyingly. If you have a suggestion (beyond green stuff let me know).

Fully stuck on the chest piece armour, I decided moved on to Step 3, the iconic head piece. I thought I had some plastic card laying around, that I could carve and glue on. After a hour of searching and destroying my modelling area, it became clear I didn't. I then tried to make do and used an old plastic container that was laying around. I cut it up hoping I had found a fix but it didn't work (no surprise there). It looked clumsy and ultimately fell apart with ease, just looking at it made me angry. So once more I dived into the bits box for ideas and found the Eldar support platform shield and 5 minutes later with a craft knife and the head piece was formed.

This is were the story ends for this for mighty War God. Since this stage he has sat collecting dust, staring at me begging to be finished. But the search is still on for the armoured chest piece and a way to make a flowing hair piece (without green stuff). So maybe you guys can help? If you spot something please send me a link and let me know about it, the Ghost Halls would truly be indebted to you.

Please help finish me!