Fat Yuan Yuan and Warcrow 2017

A few days ago we informed you about the celebration of the 2nd edition of Warcrow, the Infinity miniature painting contest that Corvus Belli integrates in their Interplanetario, the event that is being held annually in Vigo at the end of July. This year, it will take place in between July 28 and July 30. The last weekend of the month.

Regarding the gaming tournament itself, I am not the best to comment because I am not an Infinity player. But I do want to talk about the painting competition and why I think it is becoming one of the most relevant in the fantasy painting panorama.

Within the contest circuit, we see more and more contests in Open format. This format is so common now that from my point of view it is gradually distorting the meaning of these events. In each category there are as many prizes as the judges believe convenient and they even contemplate the option of leaving deserted categories, with no medals awarded.

Although it is a system that should not be problematic at first glance, what we often see is that in these contests “everyone” takes awards, and from my point of view, this reduces the value of the competition.
(This is my personal opinion, and I think this is shared by many people who love pure competition, so I beg the reader to forgive me ifthey don’t share my opinion. It is not my intention to create controversy in this post! 🙂 )

On the other hand, we have the format that has been coined by many as the ‘Golden’ format, in reference to the format followed in Golden Demons. In this format, there are 3 awards per category, as a podium of sorts. Only the top 3 win a medal.
I think this multiplies the value of the prize, and even more if the contest has the participation of the best painters of the time.

Warcrow is organized in this last format. Three medals per category and a Best of Show among all the miniatures of the contest. As in Nottingham, Corvus Belli restricts the type of miniatures to be used to their particular franchise, Infinity. So, within its wide range of miniatures, you can present whatever you like. In addition to the usual miniature categories, Small, Large, Platoon or Diorama, this year they have introduced the Conversions category. FInally, the one that is the queen of the contest for me: The Specialist Model.

This last category proposes a miniature for each edition, which will be the same for everyone. This year the special edition model “Fat Yuan Yuan” is the chosen one. We have put our hands into one of these kits and we will do a little review below.

Another important attraction for this contest, is the fact that awards also come in the form of hobby material. It is something that we are not too used to see, but Corvus Belli offers us this as a great incentive to compete. In addition to the remarkable trophy, you can go home with a lot of hobby material. From high-end airbrushes to complete paint sets. Something that each and every one of us use every day.

I do not want to close this section without mentioning the location, Vigo, in July. In the middle of the Rías Baixas in Galicia. I cannot say much more than that to lure you in, just come and enjoy a weekend full of miniatures and the best atmosphere that this hobby can give us.

Let’s take a closer look at the model that this year is proposed for the category of ‘Specialist figure.

FAT YUAN YUAN ANALYSIS – CORVUS BELLI

We are instantly drawn to the packaging. Honouring the back story of the character, we find the model wrapped in a box of chinese food. It is a takeaway package from Lo Pan’s, Fat Yuan Yuan’s favourite restaurant.

Inside we find the two versions offered by the company. A Fat Yuan Yuan in combat, driven by his jump pack and in the air, and another eating some proper Chinese noodles. In addition, they include Lo Pan’s menu where they tell us the background of the character.

COMBAT POSITION

You can see the usual quality and exquisite details of Infinity models. It’s incredible how so much detail can fit in such a small size.
As you can see in the photos, the heads of the two miniatures come in a blister, and the wings of the jump pack in another. So, in this case, there is a part of wings spare (which are identical).

EATING NOODLES POSITION

What I mentioned before, in these photos there is a head spare that belongs to the model in combat position.
We can see that the body is exactly the same, although the pose changes when assembled on the jump pack or positioned on the ground.

CONCLUSIONS

It is a different miniature, with a heavy sense of humour within the world of wargames. We like the detail of the face in the food position, and in the combat position, of course, the barrel of PulpiBeer (which we know is Estrella Galicia, no doubt :D). The only problem we can say about the two pieces is how tedious its cleaning and preparation can become. One must thoroughly check all the mold lines and scrap metal bits we find everywhere. Apart from that, these are miniatures that fit perfectly.

PROS

• Careful and detailed sculpture.
• A different presentation, very well presented, to save as a box to be used for anything. We love this!
• Two miniatures in different poses and attitudes.
• It’s a character that breaks will all the sterotypes of a warrior, and this is a plus for us.
• fair price.

CONS

• A tedious and complicated assembly and cleaning, something we see quite often in miniatures as small as these.
• This is a limited edition, so it is already quite complicated to get a copy of it.

If you like the world of Infinity, we believe this is a miniature you need to have. It’s possible that some retailers still have it in stock and you can get your hands into one. Good luck!