Duncan Rhodes has launched his own premium painting academy. Can the previous ‘face of GW’ justify the $5/month cost of entry?

Hot

• It’s Not Just Games Workshop – Duncan Unchained indeed! The Academy has only been open for a couple months and we’ve already got videos for Bolt Action, A Song of Ice & Fire, Star War Legion, Warmachine, Black Powder, and Fallout Wasteland Warfare. Plus, a handful of LotR, AoS and 40k. The variety is already staggering and there is plenty more on the horizon.
• More Than Models – It’s not only the minis themselves, there are videos on basing, transfers, using Contrast and some great resources including color wheels, color theory charts and full lists for the paints used in each video.

• YouTube Channel – The Duncan Rhodes Painting Acadamy YouTube Channel hosts a selection of his videos for free. This is the same quality content the Premium Members have access to, just not as many videos.
• It’s Dunc and Rog – Just in case you needed a reminder, this is the team behind the launch of Warhammer TV and a major factor in the incredible Warhammer Community. These guys set the gold standard for what a painting video could be. They have mastered the delivery, content and style.
• Members Area – One of the improvements since launch is the Members Area. On this page Dunc and Rog post teases for things to come, communicate with the members and they have started posting polls asking for input on future videos.

Not

• Embedded Videos – The videos in the Members Area of the website are embedded on the page in such a way that you only have two viewing options – the tiny embedded player or full screen. Update – about a week ago they made a change to the website and now all the videos are in the large embedded player. This is a major improvement.

The Takeaway

There are untold thousands of painting videos online and the majority are free. Paying for premium access demands premium product. I believe Duncan and Roger has done just that. They have created a library of painting resources that more than justify the $5/month price point. Time will tell if I maintain my subscription, but one thing is for sure, I’m thrilled to be supporting this project.