This time out there's not really a ranking as any of these models would be excellent showpieces for a tabletop army. Let's hit the list!
Lord Celestant on Stardrake
The new faction introduced in Age of Sigmar is the Stormcast Eternals. Basically the equivalent of the angelic host, only they act in service of Sigmar, the good divine being that really has a thing for hammers. There's two Stormcast Eternal models I think are really awesome, and the Stardrake is one of them. Just look at that! Why bother trying to hit things with the hammer when you're riding a celestial dragon that has its own battle armor!?
On the technical, modeling side of things I appreciate the base. This beast is roaring in triumph as it just crashed to the mortal realm in a blast of celestial energy that took out a building in the process. This is the sort of bad-ass dragon riding knight dude that I would doodle in my 6th grade notebook. When the Warhammer aesthetic is done right, 6th-grade doodle is high praise.
Celestant-Prime
The other awesome Stormcast Eternals model is the Celestant-Prime. The head honcho of the Stormcast Eternals looks every bit to be the bad-ass warrior angel that he is. I can't imagine trying to assemble this model as those swirling bits have got to be a pain in the ass to get into place. Nevermind the actual wings, which look awesome, but I would totally snap those into little pieces or have my colors all run together. Again, we also have a hammer. Because Sigmar.
The rules for this badass warrior angel are also awesome. He starts the game chilling off table in the "Celestial Realm", building up power. The later in the game he crashes down to the mortal realm, the stronger he gets. You get more swings with his hammer for each turn he builds power and it's already a beast of a weapon, since it's Sigmar's personal weapon, Ghal-Maraz. This guy is one of the reasons you ALWAYS see Stormcast Eternals in tournaments.
Nagash, Supreme Lord of the Undead
To give a sense of scale, the Nagash model is about 3 inches taller then the Stardrake model. Four if you count his staff. This is another huge showpiece that happens to be of, well, the Supreme Lord of the Undead. Nagash in the Warhammer lore was THE Necromancer, solely responsible for the existence of the Undead in the Old World. In the game, his rules back up that power level. Half the time at least.
You see, Nagash has a spell that when you cast it you get to hide a die in one of your hands. If your opponent picks the hand with the die, then the target model dies. No saves, doesn't matter how many wounds they had, they just die. It's both a really stupid spell and a really awesome spell. As with the Celestant-Prime however, those plastic tendrils of power connecting Nagash to the base look like a pain to put together.
But so awesome.
Maneaters
It's an Ogre Ninja!
It's an Ogre Pirate!
These are real models that exist and are playable in the same game as the other models in this list! How awesome it that!?
Harbinger of Decay
I'm partial to the Chaos models because that's my faction of choice. The Harbinger of Decay is a perfect Horsemen of Pestilence/Plague model. From the scythe, to the diseased mount and even the carrion crow on top of the sign, this model just reeks of death and decay.
Again, I also love how the rules for this model give it an aura of decay that causes mortal wounds to enemy models within 3" of him, or even your own models if they aren't also followers of Nurgle, the Chaos God of Plagues.
Bloodwarriors
I have been on the receiving end of these guys. Crazed followers of Khorne that still get to attack even after they die. What I think makes them awesome is the amount of detail on each and every model in the unit. These have to be seen in person to really appreciate how intricate the armor and weapons are for a baseline unit. You can swap heads and arms around so that your unit doesn't look like the one in the photo. They'd still look just as badass.
Stegadon
Jungle lizard tribesmen riding into battle on a stegosaurus. Sometimes, it's not complicated.
Alarielle the Everqueen
The Queen of the Forest rides into battle on the back of a giant beetle. Just the beetle alone would be an awesome model, but Alarielle puts it over the top. Her wings are actually branches coming out her back, and the "feathers" are leaves. Little details like that, and the saplings coming out of the beetle, really enhance the quality of a model. This photo also leaves out the details on the base.
There's so much going on with this model that the detail may actually be a bit too much, but then again, the Warhammer aesthetic is "Go big or go home", and bikini forest queen on a giant beetle fits perfectly.
Ironjawz Megaboss
I talked during last night's stream about the Warhammer Orcs, and in the jump from Warhammer Fantasy to Age of Sigmar, the Orcs were amped up to 11. Orcs can not have enough bits on them, their axes are never big enough and the armor is never gaudy enough. The beast skull on the shoulder really sells this model and gives a great impression of "this is the guy behind the horde." The Megaboss is awesome just for being the Orkiest of Orky models.
Archaon the Everchosen
Leader of the forces of Chaos, the Chosen of all 4 Chaos Gods, capable of killing any model in the game by just rolling doubles in close combat, Archaon is the pinnacle of power in Age of Sigmar. His model is also gigantic, detailed and depicts a guy from the cover of a Ronnie James Dio album ontop of a three-headed dragon,
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