It seems clear that the intent behind this version of Perdita is to make her very different to the original. The feel of the model is much more relaxed and doesn't exude the same "cool factor" as the original. Where Original Perdita seems confident, elegant and poised, Alt Perdita is more dynamic, but somehow less so at the same time. She looks a bit like she's skipping along, waving her guns around in a rather incompetent fashion. It's probably due to the fact that the original is among the best of Wyrd's first batch of sculpts (I've just finished painting mine, pic to follow), but I dislike this one and don't see why anyone would prefer it.
Avatar Perdita
I'm liking this Avatar a lot. The beast itself is big (too big for most cases?) and scary, and the flying/leaping pose works well. I'm unsure about the fact that it's balanced on one leg on a crystal, and that it's a mostly metal miniature that's going to be very heavy. It seems like this would be an ideal candidate for resin casting so it seems strange that it's been released in metal with such a small contact point with the base. I've heard that there are problems with gaps in assembly but nothing a bit of greenstuff won't fix. If I'm going to need to fill anyway, I might even take the opportunity to shorten the neck on mine, which looks a little unnaturally extended, although this might just be typical of whatever the creature is meant to be. Perdita herself has more in common with her original incarnation, being more slender and demonstrating buckets of style.
Alt Viktorias
It's difficult to review these models without another comment on the developing painting style at Wyrd, as these are classic examples of the new trend. The blacklining (especially around the face) and the bold flat areas of colour make them appear straight out of an anime cartoon. Not in itself a bad thing, but it's a new direction for Malifaux stylistically that I'm not a fan of.
The Alt Viks seem to have inexplicably chosen to model themselves on Jedward, although Wyrd could be forgiven for not knowing about this pair of Irish clowns before approving the sculpts. Apart from this, I think the sculpts look nice, but would have to see them in the flesh to be sure. Again though, I'm not convinced that the originals aren't better.
Avatar Viktorias
This model had the difficult job of living up to the amazing piece of artwork that was chosen for the front cover of Twisting Fates, and I think it does a fair job of capturing the feel and slaughteryness of this pair. I feel like there's a compositional issue with the Wyrd model (surely it needs moving half a centimetre to the right on its base) but looking past this, and the paint style, it's a nice model. Demonstrating the highest ever sword to height ratio in the game is no mean feat in a game containing Baby Kade, but I think the Viks pull it off here. that sword is brutal, and the crouching Vik with two swords looks equally deadly... almost! I can't tell what Masamune Vik is standing on - is it a stone or a cloud of air? That might have to go if I ever assemble the pair myself.
Dead Doxies
Yay, more Belles! In a rare turn, I prefer the model that isn't based on artwork from the book, who I think is too close to the Showgirls to fit in with the rest of a Rezzer crew. That's not to say she isn't very cool also. I particularly like that they both have completely unique poses - you can't go wrong with headless models, and if they're hookers well that's even better. Nice sculpts, nice dresses, nice paint jobs, I don't think there's much more to say. There's some dispute over what these girls bring to the table beyond what you get for regular Belles, but I'm eager to pick some up and give them a whirl.
Latigo Pistoleros
Released to coincide with the new Perditas I'm sure, these are nice, if a bit generic, models. There's nothing much here to make the Latigos stand out as "Malifaux" rather than just ordinary real-world cowboys, but I figure that's the intent. The Latigo Pistoleros are *meant* to be generic bodies to bulk out a Ortega crew. I think I'll be picking these up relatively soon to try out in games where I'd like to maintain the Ortega theme.
I can't choose my favourite between the bow legged guy in the middle and the fella on the right who looks to be reaching for a knife. The female model I'm not as keen on, and I share the disappointment that others have voiced that they didn't look more Mexican/Hispanic, but perhaps stereotype avoidance is the very reason that they don't, and that might be possible to achieve in the paint job. Some possible alternatives (including Mexicans) can be found at Black Scorpion Miniatures
Spawn Mother
The Murloc resemblance is striking. Let's get that out the way at the very start. I suppose it's difficult to sculpt a humanoid amphibian without it resembling one of Azeroth's river dwellers, but in this case it almost seems deliberate. Looking past this resemblance (and the Disney paint job), I think I do like the model. She looks nice and fearsome and should provide a new beatstick centrepiece model for many a Bayou-themed or Marcus crew. I reckon she's also the new holder of the "Biggest Mouth in Malifaux" title, which I believe was previously held by Teddy!
Gupps
I'm not as fond of the Gupps as I am the Mother or the regular Silurids - to me they don't really look like something that would grow into the original models. It could be the crowded base combined with the painting style, but it's hard for me to see what's going on from this picture, so I have a feeling I'll like them better when I see them in the flesh.
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