On Monday, Games Workshop revealed a brand new limited edition model called ‘Oath Fulfilled’, a new version of the Chaos worshipping barbarian Darkoath Warqueen from Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. The sculpt is subtler and more refined than the 2018 original model, dropping some of the cartoonier elements of the original – elements that happened to include some of the signifiers for the Warqueen’s gender. The happy accident is that now, if you want your forces to be led by a Warqueen, Warking, or gender-nonspecific-Warmonarch, this is the figure for you.
Subtle details on miniatures aren’t easy to interpret at a distance, so Warhammer models often feature exaggerated elements like big heads, hands, axe heads, and so on. The Darkoath Warqueen comes from a faction that all dress in rags and scraps of armor, and the original model’s gender is visually indicated with the presence and absence of a few features: she’s got big 1980s Madonna hair, softer muscle definition than the male Chieftain figure, and chest armor styled like a metal crop top.
The new Warqueen’s hair has shifted from 1980s Madonna to 1990s Fabio. She’s a hint more muscular. Her metal boob tube has been replaced with some fur and belts that cover up her nipples but don’t read as any recognizable feminine clothing. It’s a more naturalistic look, and that puts it outside the stereotypical standards models often use to signify gender. That creates space to read other gender identities in the model.
I’m not saying this model is intended to represent a character who was assigned male at birth and now identifies as female, or who identifies as male but chooses to assume a female-gendered role in Darkoath society; the Warhammer Community article announcing the figure doesn’t say so, and as a limited edition miniature without a backstory, it doesn’t really have lore. But if someone wanted to lead their Age of Sigmar army with a gender non-conforming Warqueen, this would be a great mini for the job.
This isn’t to say this mini is a bad representation for a cis woman, either. There’s a big overlap in appearance between more femme-presenting men and more masc-presenting women: cis women who fall into this zone have found themselves targeted by some of the same suspicion, harassment, and violence that is harming trans women, and policing this boundary is a basis for violence against LGBTQ+ folks in general. The Oath Fulfilled is a miniature made without some of the stereotypical markers of femininity that GW models have traditionally used, and its apparent gender is a little ambiguous as a result. That only reflects our messy reality.
The new Warqueen will be available on Warhammer Day “later this year”, though GW hasn’t yet specified when that is. If you’ve enjoyed this article, you’ll find a pleasant, well-moderated community in the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
