"Dark Eldar Wyches... females?" Topic

Man, I just got a close up look at some of the female Wyches' sculpts…
what's up with the Dark Eldar and steroids? Or is it just that GW sculptors don't do enough women?
I mean, the chest-bumps are there but the faces and arms on them are waaaaaay too butch.
I kind of like the new DE sculpts in general but… not these.
I'm surprised I haven't see commentary about them already…

"I mean, the chest-bumps are there but the faces and arms on them are waaaaaay too butch."

They're British females…

(okay, maybe they all don't look that bad, but…)

Sadly, I was waiting for the Wargames Factory amazons to use their arms for the female Dark Eldar. :(

I thought the idea was that you could make them male or female depending how you build them. Or that's the impression I got from White Dwarf.

The "Wyches" have always been a mixture of males and females, but I do agree that the sculpts have never been that great for Dark Eldar – or Dark Elves, for that matter.

I agree with altfritz.

I rather like them – they should be sculpted, muscled, and nearly California Female Bodybuilder physiques based on the fluff which says they train nearly constantly for combat. Otherwise, the whole lot of GW stuff is rather silly. If you want to talk silly – how come a Space Marine is nearly the same size as every other figure, yet he is supposed to be some 8 foot tall war god in powered armor?? Heck some of the DE wyches are the same height! Don't even mention the Imp Guard models who make Rambo look like a "girlie man!"

Get real – it's a fantasy game!

Lilith Hesperax is the only remotely 'attractive' female in the entire DE range.

I think it's because the arms are interchangeable with the male figures. Thus they all have broad 'manly' shoulders.

I agree the new Lilith Hesperax figure is much easier on the eyes.

I'm really not keen on the new Wyches, partly because of the masculine faces and physique as discussed, partly because of the awkward poses.

I do like the new warriors though, I picked up a couple of boxes of them to use as Eldar pirates.

I'm no fan of G/W, especially their fluff … but I don't want to turn my comments into a "I hate G/W" rant … I don't … But I think G/W's creation of the Dark Eldar and even the Sisters of Battle … are based on some sort of deep seated S&M, Dominatrix, "slap & tickle", "Mommy" fantasies of their staff. I really think they should have a mental health doctor on staff, so their employees could readily get help for their psychological maladies … But I could be wrong … maybe it's a "Brit" thing … like Monty Python …

Umm… they're meant to be aliens, aren't they?

Not human, so comparisons of anatomy are redundant.

Leigh

I agree Manflesh, in every description of the Eldar or their Dark Eldar brethren they are described as being very alien and only having a superficial resemblance to humanity. I think the new Dark Eldar are some of the best plastics GW has produced to date.

Well that depends, if you play Rogue Trader it'll tell you that Eldar and humans are so physically similar that they can successfully interbreed.

There's also a history of a particular aesthetic being employed by GW for the Eldar, which is essentially human tending towards slender (with pointy ears), so to point to differences in one new kit now and say it's because they're aliens doesn't really wash with the previous two and a half decades of 40k miniatures and artwork. Just like if they suddenly produced a set of slim, elegant Orks.

British Females? I'd say they are more Hollywood, Beverley Hills or somesuch considering their boobies are all plastic ;-p

If you play Rogue Trader then a whole raft of things have changed in the decades since, from Marines to Tyranids.

Manflesh, I'm aware of that. I was responding to Delthos' comment that "in every description… they are described as being very alien and only having a superficial resemblance to humanity" (my emphasis added). Just pointing out that this isn't an accurate statement.

In any case, my second point still stands.

Get real – it's a fantasy game!

That translates to 'I have nothing to say'.

I agree with Parmenion… Elves/Eldar… especially those tied to Slaanesh… should be relatively effeminate and seductive… not burly, no matter how long they spend in the gym.
I generally like the new Dark Eldar sculpts… the warriors are very nice. It's just the Wyches that annoy me… unless the fluff has some bit about them being tranvestites/transexuals… I mean, they're Slaanesh… so who knows.

My guess is it has something to do with saving money by not making two different sorts of arm sculpts available.
Are there any GW plastics with arms that would look a bit more 'feminine' on them?

Eldar?

I suspect alien female fanatics who live for war might not be quite as feminine as one might think

That being said, interchangeable arms between male and female is probably stretching it a bit

"masculine faces and physique"

The word "handsome" comes to mind….

These? picture first thought was Slannesh daemonettes link with a different paint job/equipment

As much as I like the ideal of Slannesh, those dark eldar push the line a bit…yeah transvestites!

Those Wyches are the older ones 28mmMan.
Here are some new ones picture

I suspect alien female fanatics who live for war might not be quite as feminine as one might think

It's not like I think they should look like Sailor Moon or somesuch… just not… quite… so… cocky.

Venus OMG those are Space Tranies!

Hilarious!

Cocky Sailor Moon you say? picture

Interchangeability is the issue here. Mixing male and female parts isn't a good idea, even if you accept that male Eldar are more effete than their human counterparts. If you look at the old metal Wych range, the females look a lot 'prettier' and less 'butch' than the new plastics:

picture

Yep, just as the new Lilith, being her own sculpt and not relying on 'man bits' doesn't look sexually confused either.

They look playable, but all of the spontaneous re-enactments of the "Time Warp" would make the game take way too long.