Lorgar Aurelian of the XVII Legion

"All I ever wanted was the truth."

Gamesday UK has just passed, and what an exciting time it is to be in the hobby!  True to recent form, Games Workshop had little to do with what made it exciting, with Forge World completely stealing the show.  Much like last year, they revealed a whole host of wonderful looking models (with only a few disappointments), primarily focusing on expanding the Horus Heresy range.  With Ferrus Manus just being revealed a few weeks ago, I was shocked to see another completed Primarch when pictures started flooding the internet Sunday night.  No rumors or hints suggesting who was next, simply Lorgar Aurelian of the Word Bearers!


The quickness of this reveal, also confirms the fact there is another sculptor tackling these Godlike figures.  As Simon Egan was working on Fulgrim, it was suggested that others might start sculpting some of the Primarchs.  And while I realized this was inevitable, as for them to all fall on Egan would have been a heavy burden, I did not think there was another sculptor that could match his talent.  Before I saw Angron, I was skeptical that the Primarchs could really be done justice in model form.  With Egan’s first masterpiece, I astounded and delighted that there was a sculptor talented enough to breath life into these legends without striping them from some of their magistry.  I wanted all the Primarchs to get the same treatment, and the thought that Forgeworld might let another, someone like Mark Bedford, sculpt the Primarchs made me shudder.

For his first Primarch, Edgar Skomorowski makes a strong impression with Lorgar.

Upon seeing Lorgar, I was relieved.  He did not appear to be an Egan model, lacking a little in the fineness of detail and the broadness in armour, but he still looked fantastic.  Then I thought of Edgar Skomorowski, one of Forge World’s newer sculptors.  He had initially created their wonderful Chaos Dwarves, but moved onto other things, notably the Legion Praetors, which hold some resemblance to the new Lorgar model.  With his recent sculpts of Erebus and Kor Phaeron, it seemed increasingly likely that he was behind the new model.  And during Forge World’s press conference, they confirmed that Skomorowski was indeed the sculptor.

All of the previous Primarch figures have been quite unique, emphasizing different aspects of the Adeptus Astartes, and Lorgar is no different.  The most notable departure from the other three is his location.  Unlike Angron charging across charred Istvaan III, or Fulgrim and Ferrus locked in combat during the Dropsite Massacre, Lorgar is standing in a dusty temple, braziers at his feet.  He is not in battle, and therefore, his pose is not a dynamic one.  And while this is perhaps a little disappointing, it is not as big a loss as it might first seem.  First, even though he is just standing still, he does not look stiff and awkward like some models out of GW, but rather holds a spark of life.  His feet widespread, one slightly in front of the other, arms at his side, one free hand beckoning onlookers, and a heavy cape caught lightly by a circling breeze, commands attention and instills a sense of awe.  Furthermore, perhaps a place of seclusion is more fitting for Lorgar, not quite the warrior as most of his brothers, but more of a philosopher and preacher, preferring to use words and charisma rather than blows and ferocity.

This was the first cast of Lorgar, one that Mark Bedford quickly painted up before Games Day to display.

He dons a baroque suit of power armor resembling a modified form of MKIV Maximus armor. The exposed surfaces of the armor are covered in cuneiform-like script, emphasizing Lorgar’s fascination with ancient language and scripture.  It has a sort of top-heavy bulk to it, reminding me of a cosmonaut, with an impressive collar framed by towering shoulderpads.  He is also the first to have a more traditional backpack, looking a bit like MKII-III ones.  I was pleased to see how well realized his crozious arcanum Illuminarium was, an impressive mace of black iron and adamantium forge by Ferrus Manus.  Although it is certainly massive, it does not spill over into the absurd, and suits his tall figure.  He also seems to have an interesting pistol of some archaic design at his side.  If the reports from people with Book Two of the Horus Heresy are true, it is an archaotech pistol.  Although it is difficult to see from the pictures, I am not sure if it is in a holster, which would be a curious omission, but we will see as soon as some pictures come out of Forge World!

Horus!  Finally a Primarch wearing terminator armor!

And while I do not think Lorgar is quite at the same level as the previous three Primarchs, I think he is still a fantastic addition to the range, and I feel few could have outdone Edgar Skomorowski.  Along with Simon Egan, we are sure to see many more fantastic Primarch models.  If the rumors are to be believed (which I think is reasonable now that they showed him off to the world), Lorgar will be released in November or December.  Possibly a Christmas gift to myself?  We will see.  Now to wait on the next to be revealed.  Wait, he already has been?!  Horus is next!?  Wow, Forge World keep it up!

-Godwyn Fischig