So after 80 editions the Imperium magazine has come to an end. Thought I was clickbaiting for a moment there didn’t you? After 80 magazines worth of paint, sprues and brushes the question is whether or not it was any good.
It’s undeniable that the subscription, even at the premium tier which I had, is good value as the technical paints and tools are worth the issue fees alone and the subscription is a saving on the models at cost. It is also a fact that there are an additional ten volumes to come but these are extension issues so I do not think this review is premature. It’s also worth noting that the models in the additional ten are more than worth the £100 cost as it includes:
- Paragon warsuits x3
- Redemptor dreadnaught
- Illuminor Szeras
- Skitarri Marshal
- Hexmark destroyer
- Inquisitor Draxus
Some solid models there and given I messed my Szeras up when the kit first landed I am happy to get another crack at him as I still think he is the best looking necron character kit.
I digress. So how have I found Imperium? Well the magazine has been a regurgitation of existing fluff and lore so there was nothing new there but the datasheets were handy had I actually played an edition of 9th and the painting guides were absolutely excellent. On the whole it was a solid 7/10 but some sort of serialised short story would have been nice.
There were a lot of extras including mugs, artbooks, novellas plus tools which came with the premium sub and these were all useful bar the GW paintbrushes which were awful. Two were on their last legs when I got them and bar the dry brush none lasted long. Because of the brushes the extras were a 6/10 for me.
So how about the models? Well there was a better range than I expected in the core sub to be honest but I do find the omission of Guard from the core sub odd. I would have expected them over battle sisters but there we go. In terms of the premium sub I would probably have dropped the Tau box for an aeldari one; but it seems that GW really cannot decide what to do with aeldari. On the shole though I would give the selection and range of models a 8/10 and it was only really let down by the omission of Guard.
So what was the best model? For me it was the Firestrike turret. It went together extremely well, was surprisingly good fun and was just detailed enough to be a challenge but not detailed enough to be a chore. I made a mess of the decals on mine but on the whole I was happy with the outcome.
Most boring kit? Sorry marine fans but it has to be intercessors. They just do not create joy for me. They are not bad models but they are a bit too detailed to work on quickly and efficiently but not enough to be a challenge. I also dislike the moulded ultramarine bits as well; if they are generic troops then make them generic. I got fed up of sanding off U that in the end I gave up and just did ultramarines.
Kit I enjoyed the most? Greyfax but as this was an extra paid for kit it doesn’t really count. From the main sub I would have to say Calgar which surprised me as I generally disklike GW character kits as they tend to be over sculpted and over designed.
Worst kit? Flayed ones and it is not even a close competition. These are absolutely bloody awful to build. I don’t care how good they look when done or how powerful they may be in the game; this kit was needlessly difficult and fiddly. Seriously GW can you not just cast the arm and hand as one damned piece? In the end I never finished the kit off as just finishing one took far too long and nearly had me swearing in a way that no kit has done for a long time.
So was Imperium worth it? On the whole yes. It has taught me some skills I did not have and the model range has given me a lot of small forces. The technical paints were new to me but at the prices they retail at I have found vallejo alternatives. If the set came around again I probably would not get it now as I have everything I need for my necrons but I would certainly recommend it to anyone else; especially if they were just getting started with 40k.
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