[Open-box review]Nuts Planet 70mm Grimnord 'Warlord of Mad Thunder Clan' by Martin

Nuts Planet 70mm Grimnord Warlord of Mad Thunder Clan Catalogue Ref: TBS003. Sculptor: Joo Heum Yoon. Box Art: Myeong Ha Hwang. Price: £36.55 El Greco Miniatures UK. Availability: (UK) Historex Agents/El Greco/SK Miniatures.

Forward. I am a great believer that modelling should challenge us, it should be about learning and understanding new, less familiar subjects and leaving our comfort zones from time to time…… right? Well consider this review as me being so far from my comfort zone its given me vertigo! I have always admired the skills of those modellers who indulge in fantasy, Si-Fi and futuristic subjects. Some of the very best painting, weathering and diorama work I have seen has been at the hands of these guys. It was with a mixture of excitement and a certain amount of scepticism then that I agreed to review this Grimnord offering from the mighty Nuts Planet. Lets see if I come out of the other side better for it………… First Impressions.

Arriving in the now familiar, stylish and practical boxing from Nuts Planet comes this impressive looking 70mm resin Grimnord figure that forms a part of their ‘Trigger’ range. The top and one side of the presentation box is adorned in the beautiful and vibrant art work of Myeong Ha Hwang, a truly talented artist whose wonderful skills are clear for all to see. The box itself is made from a suitably strong cardboard offering great protection for the resin parts held within. Upon opening the box there are three layers of thick black foam that sandwich the individual pieces. There are two clear plastic releasable bags that hold the smaller parts while the larger less fragile parts are left loose. Some of the best packaging and presentation I have seen meant that as expected everything arrived complete and in perfect condition. The Kit. This is an all resin kit made up of 12 individual pieces. There are no instructions included for the assembly but the box art clearly shows the correct finish and therefore should be straightforward enough to follow. The resin is a very nice quality being of a perfect consistency to work with. There are areas of flash but these are minimal and very easy to deal with, the same applies with seam lines. Main Body. This forms the core on which the rest of the kit is built. It shows beautiful depth of detail throughout and even with its menacing appearance has some delicate touches that perfectly highlight the skills of the sculptor Joo Heum Yoon. The body armour looks sensational with sharp and crisp lines while the regalia like the belt, robe and neck chains break up the very hard lines well. You will notice the locating pins on the arm ends and the locating hole on the neck, these work very well offering a secure and accurate fit, a nice addition. All in all a very clean cast with only negligible cleaning required.

Left Leg. The leg carries on where we left off in terms of quality casting with very distinct patterns and shapes. The armour over the feet looks excellent while the flowing robe offers a more subtle look. One of many skulls that adorn this figure appears on the front of the leg. The locating pin works well and offers a great fit to the body, there is some flash present but nothing that will not take just minutes to deal with.

Head. This is one beastly looking head with some great features. The recessed eyes look menacing while the teeth look positively terrifying! The lines and recesses lend themselves well to adding some real character where washes should really bring this alive. Not too much required in clean up and what there is will take no time at all. There is a locating pin that sits nicely into the recessed hole in the neck of the figure, this gives a nice secure and accurate fit.

Shoulder Armour. There are two of these in the kit, one for each shoulder. They appear like smaller versions of the figures head with what look like eyes and a nose. Again real hard lines are used to effect in creating this razor sharp appearance. Locating pins are used for a great fit to the main body. Clean up remains very minimal.

Left Hand and Weapon. One of the main features and looking very impressive, I love the appearance of it with the wooden shaft, metal fittings and that razor sharp blade topping things off. The armoured gloved hand looks equally impressive. You will notice the locating hole that offers a great fit to the main body. Nicely cast with little needed to clean up, this is going to look awesome painted up.

Right Hand. Same in appearance as the other hand this really does show to great effect the quality of casting used in this figure. Seen clasping the handle of the chain weapon shown below this part also uses the locating pin method of attachment seen in the previous parts.

Metal Chain Link. Attached to the handle in the hand shown above. Nice crisp detailing showing well the individual spiked links.

Bladed Weapon. Razor sharp edges and spikes make this look like a formidable weapon of choice for sure. The end attaches to the chain link seen above.

Chain and Skull. What an impressive and ornate looking piece this is with its 3 skulls, chain link and spikes. All of the crisp detailing we have seen previously continues here in fine style with this centrepiece.

Display Base. A very simple offering but nice to see included none the less. Just a small casting lug to remove before you can go ahead and spruce things up by adding your own materials to enhance things.

Photos. The photos below are from the Nuts Planet website and show the assembled and painted figure. The results speak for themselves and show just what is possible. Excellent painting skills I am sure you will agree from Myeong Ha Hwang.

Synopsis. Wow, what an eye-opener and what a thoroughly enjoyable review of my first ever fantasy figure this has been. It really has given a breath of fresh air to take in this new genre. Quality of course is everything we have come to expect from Nuts Planet and I have no doubt in my mind that this latest offering will make for a superb display piece pleasing all of those who crave such incredible attention to detail. My research has led to the discovery of just how huge and popular the fantasy sector of this hobby is, those who partake expect a certain standard, I believe their desires will be very well met by this stunning new range Nuts Planet has to offer and this Grimnord Warlord should receive a lot of love. For those new to the genre it will definitely grab your attention just as it did mine offering equal appeal and a great introduction into this engaging branch of figure modelling. Author and Publisher – Martin Philpott. (Martin’s Scale Models) Thanks. Sincere thanks to my good friend and official sponsor of Martin’s Scale Models, Sa Benny of Nuts Planet for this opportunity and review sample. Nuts Planet Links: To follow and keep right up to date with the latest news and information from Nuts Planet please be sure to follow the links included below. Website: www.nutsplanet.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutsplanet?fref=ts