Hello everyone,
As every year, Games Workshop is releasing several limited-edition miniatures, sadly, often difficult to get hold of. For 2025, we’ll be reviewing the anniversary miniatures available exclusively for about two weeks during official store anniversary events. We begin with Estenna of Brighthall, a Knight-Zephyros that brings a fresh update to the earlier Neave Blacktalon sculpt, while still remaining proportionate alongside the latest Stormcast Eternals miniatures.
Assembly is straightforward, and the pose is dynamic. However, the lack of a helmeted head option is a bit disappointing. In terms of sculpting, the only real point of critique lies in the hairstyle, it appears slightly too raised, giving the impression of a wig perched on top of the head. That said, the miniature offers an excellent canvas for painting, with a variety of textures to explore: metals, skin, fur, and fabric. The overall level of detail is well balanced, rich without being overwhelming. The model consists of 11 parts and is easy to assemble. You’ll find the assembly guide below.
This miniature is therefore a welcome addition, especially since the Knight-Zephyros is currently no longer available in the range. However, it’s a bit unfortunate that it’s only offered as a limited release within the Stormcast Eternals lineup, even though it’s reasonable to assume that the Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber will eventually receive a full update, as the current sculpts date back to an earlier version of the army. The real question is when?
Personally, I don’t mind the idea of offering an alternative miniature as a limited edition. What I do regret, however, is the lack of a standard-release alternative (aside from Neave Blacktalon, who is only available in the Blacktalon box). This can understandably lead to frustration for collectors or players who don’t have easy access to an official store, or who are forced to spend a significant amount either to get the Blacktalon box or to hunt down the miniature on the second-hand market.
All in all, this was a miniature we truly enjoyed painting. We went with a classic gold and jade green color scheme, and we hope you’ll enjoy the final result. This scheme will also be used for the rest of our Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber models, which are still waiting patiently somewhere in our pile of shame.
Here’s a comparison photo with the original Knight-Zephyros model. Looking at them side by side, we’re reminded of how much we liked the old axe, it’s a bit of a shame it wasn’t carried over to the new version. But that’s just a minor detail. However, we don’t really understand why the previous model is no longer available, since the sculpt still holds up well and the proportions are in line with the newer miniatures… It’s a bit of a shame.
We’ll be back soon with our review of the second anniversary miniature: Biosigns Terminated. In the meantime, you can, if you haven’t already, read our first article about the Vanguard Auxiliary Chamber.
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