Alrighty... time to talk Saurus.
I think it's pretty safe to say, that the old MkII Saurus Warrior leans heavily into the Aquatic realm, and, for it's time, was a great model. But sadly, I think that time has long since passed.
1) Greater detail is definitely possible, though not always better.
2) The Saurus' competitors have generally always been, or gotten bigger. A standard Saurus looks rather lanky and underfed compared to Chaos Warriors and other supposedly on-par armored opponents.
3) With the advent of the Total Warhammer II game, we've seen what I would call a respectful "reimagining" of the Saurus design, and what can be done with it (fiercer, more angular jaws, throaty under-necks, whisping wavering tails, etc.)
4) GW's newer kits also deviate from the original Saurus while trying to maintain enough similarities. To the point where it's almost a distraction in my opinion. (The newer bloodbowl Lizards are "claws and tails" better than all other Saurus models in my opinion).
5) There are now multiple alternatives available to Saurus. There always have been, but now 3d printable ones are... this is key, because most Proxies were always more limited in availability/poses/weapon options/etc. to easily replace our standard Saurus.
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With these factors in mind, I began my quest to create the perfect Saurus, armed with a 3d Printer, the will, and the lack of self-control to spend my money... I began investigating my options.
Firstly, we have what I believe was the first widely available 3d print alternatives... Lost Kingdom Miniatures.
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Mostly first on the scene, these models have truly fantastic details, and a distinctly different style than we are used to, blending elements from Southeast Asia and beyond with our beloved Mesoamerican ones.
Pros: Great poses, multiple poses/bodies with different details, high degree of weapon and shield variety.
Cons: No distinct scales, more of a leathery skin (which is the effect smaller scales would be, and isn't a bad look, just different), being early to the scene pre-supports are not always present on all LKM models of the Lizard range, and their pre-supports are not the best I've experienced. Tails are stubby, straight, and rather short with a decorative metal/gold pyramid cap. The heads are much more lizard or snake like than one would expect of "dinosaur people".
As a result, I would class these as great Lizardmen, not-so-great Dinosaurs. I'm Pro-Dino. Still these models got me into 3d printing in the first place. I own them, and use much of them. More on that later.
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Secondly we have Last Sword Miniatures.
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Some good stuff here, the weapons and shields are great looking, the tails are not stubby or two short, many poses are dynamic, but still rankable. However, the heads of the Saurus are all taking the newer "Kroq-Gar"/Carnosaur rider as their basis, going with a very sharp and extremely angular crest. I personally don't love it, but boy if you wanted desert lizards, these guys are pretty perfect due to their dragon-lizard look.
Pros: Well sculpted, great posing, great tails. Cool weapons and other accessories. Good for Kroq-Gar enthusiasts!
Cons: Availability has been spotty, mostly you had to kickstart, and as far as I can tell you can't get 3d Files for them (this is a deal breaker for me).
Note, the rest of the range has some good stuff, and I think they produce the overall best Skink design. I'll be watching them closely for the day I can buy large numbers or files of these guys. Please correct me if you know more and I'm mistaken on these points.
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