Level-Up Hobby: Eternal Eagle

One of the most popular tabletop wargame is Warhammer 40K, which has a very rich background lore. There are lots of smaller companies producing updates, conversions and straight-out figures missing from the official releases. Level-Up Hobby came out with a resin figure in three different sizes which can be used as a proxy for the Emperor of Mankind, the founder of the Imperium before he was confined within the embrace of the Golden Throne as the world's most famous skeleton.

I bought the mid-sized version between the gamer scale and painter scale as I was pretty excited to have the guy in golden armor on my shelf. (Even though his parenting skills are quite low.) If you have access to a 3D printer you can buy the file and print it any size you want.

The set comes with alternative head options: helmeted, angry, neutral and smiling expressions. The latter reminds me of Buddy Jesus from Dogma, honestly.  You can get alternative weapon options, too. (I ordered a second set of lighting claws but they have not arrived yet.) You also have an option to have the cyber eagle perch on one finger of the lighting claw or leave it off completely (or perch it on the top of his armor as I did. Overall this is a very nice, very detailed model which stands out from my collection of minis for sure; the only gripe I have is that perhaps the head is a tiny bit too small for the rest of the body.

The model arrives in a nice, sturdy blister pack; there was no damage to the parts at all. The detail is very good; all the intricate filigree and ornamentation is done perfectly. There is no flash, no cleanup to de done: just glue everything together and you are finished. I magnetized the heads and the right hand so I can display him with alternative heads and weapons; although I like the helmeted version best.

The painting was pretty enjoyable, really. I used AK Interactive's true metal wax-based metallic paints, acrylics and oil paints. If you get the largest version, you get the flames next to him out of transparent resin, and you can use LEDs to lit them up.

This was the first mini of the big E that I know of available, but since its appearance there are more and more options on the 3D printing market. Nevertheless I can wholeheartedly recommend it.