Kruel and Unusual – Part 3

This Orctober one of my key goals was to paint up a Warcry warband of Savage Orcs (or Bonesplitter Orruks depending on how well you speak AoS). I’m pleased to say this is now complete, with the crazed, stamping Wurrgog Prophet added to the group earlier in the week. This also gives me four different warbands to choose from for Destruction themed Warcry games; Bonesplitters, Ironjaws, Gloomspite Gits and Ogres. However there is one more Destruction faction available for greenskin fans to use in Warcry, the new Kruelboyz. These were given rules as a free download through the Warhammer Community website (and if you’re interested you can find them here). With the Savage Orcs complete I turned my attention to the Kruelboyz. Could I paint another Warcry warband with only a few days of Orctober left to go?

No, of course I couldn’t! However I didn’t need to – by chipping away my new collection of Kruelboyz harvested from the Dominion boxset over the past couple of months I already had almost everything I needed to get started. A couple more greenskins would be sufficient to round out the warband and that was a much more achievable goal.

First things first I decided to add another Gutrippa to the group. I think my preference would be to include one of these boys armed with a close combat weapon (a hakka) rather than another spear (a stikka) just for a bit of variety. As it happens I have managed to nab myself some hakkas amongst various other useful bits, so I’m planning to convert some of my boys with stikkas from the Dominion box into boys with hakkas. For now however I don’t have time for those kind of shenanigans – plus I already had a boy with a spear sitting on the desk – so I just concentrated on getting him painted.

Here he is next to his two new mates.

Next I turned my attention to giving the tribe some ranged power. Unlike some other greenskin tribes the Kruelboyz aren’t averse to standing well back and shooting their adversaries full of arrows, and the ” Man-Skewer Boltboys” do pretty much exactly what it says on the tin.

Then it was just a case of adding the Hobgrots, the Killaboss and the sneaky little Stabgrot that I painted earlier in the year and the warband is good to go.

I do have a few other Kruelboys still kicking around and I had rather ambitiously hoped to get them painted this month as well, but alas it was not to be. Still I’m proud to say that’s another warband finished – and my total number of Orcs painted this month now stands at 33.

The Git-Killaz – Part 3

Time for one more visit to the Blood Bowl pitch for this month. As I hoped I’ve managed to get all six of the Orc players for my Black Orc team painted, let’s take a look at the final pair.

And here’s the obligatory group shot of the team so far.

This just leaves the goblin half of the team to paint, plus the various counters, tokens and balls. Oh and a troll, but I’d like to convert him to make him look different to the troll that plays for my other Orc team (and yes, I’m perfectly aware that I still haven’t painted that first troll either, no need to nag thank you!). I’m aiming to keep chipping away at the rest of the team and get them all wrapped up by the end of the year (minus the troll of course – I know he’ll need a bit more work).

Back To The Primitive – Part 4

One of the main things I wanted to do this Orctober was paint up a warband of Savage Orcs to use in games of Warcry. Now the warband is pretty much done – and the final thing I needed to add was someone to take charge of these gits. For that I decided to call upon the talents of a Wurrgog Prophet. These are the leaders of the Bonesplitter clans, and it is through their demented gibbering that the will of the Orc gods is interpreted. Each one is a powerful shaman in his own right, just the kind of guy I want to lead my mob of maddened primitive greenskins.

However, just like the Savage Orcs themselves, I’m something of a traditionalist. To me this model will always represent Wurrzag Ud Ura Zahubu – the Great Green Prophet who roamed the lands of the Old World, raising up tribes of Savage Orcs, seeking out worthy warbosses and spreading the word that the Green Gods were coming and it was time for some propa’ fightin’!

When WHFB met it’s untimely end I expected that would be the end of old Wurrzag too, but although the character died the model lived on, rebranded as the Wurrgog Prophet just as the Savage Orcs were rebranded as Bonesplitter Orruks. When it became obvious that the axe was about to fall on WHFB I picked up old Wurrzag because I really liked the model, and the character, and I firmly expected the miniature to be discontinued. At the time I had a scheme to put together good old fashioned Orcs and Goblins army, something I’ve often considered over the years but never quite got around to. As it turned out I didn’t need to rush, and the model remains available even now. Anyway, old Wurrzag ended up tucked away safely for a rainy day and there he remained… until now…

With the Wurrgog Prophet painted up I now have everything I need to unleash a frenzied pack of underdressed loons in games of Warcry. Not burdened by frivolous things like armour, clothes or sanity these boys are spoiling for a fight and with wintry weather drawing in I reckon I’ll soon get the chance to roll some dice and let them unleash their crazed barbarism on the tabletop. Don’t strain your eyes, click on the picture below for a proper look!

These aren’t nearly all the Savage Orcs I have tucked away however, although I think it’s a safe bet that they’re all the ones I’ll be painting this month. Still, Orctober isn’t over yet and I still have a few more greenskins I’d like to get done if I can…

The Git-Killaz – Part 2

Time to return our attention to the Blood Bowl pitch now; I’ve got another two Black Orcs finished up for my new team. Not a lot to say here that I didn’t say last time, so here’s a pair of angry, muscular thugs ready to rough up the opposing team for the entertainment of the crowd.

This brings me up to four finished players on the team now so the Orc half is 2/3rds completed. All being well I’ll aim to finish the other two before the end of the month, which will just leave me with the goblins and the various tokens to paint, and they can wait (although I’ll aim to look at them, and perhaps even paint them, in November).

This also brings my total number of Orcs painted this month to 27. As ever I’d like to give a shout out to my fellow blogger and partner in this Ork-painting marathon IRO. If you’re not already familiar with his work go and check it out, he’s churning out some really awesome looking greenskins.

Back To The Primitive – Part 3

This week I’ve got two more models to add to my Savage Orcs warband. Those who’re following my contest with IRO please note, that’s two more models – although it’s not two more Orcs or even two more creatures.

First of all here’s a Savage Orc Boarboy. They’re often described as grumpy, untameable, aggressive and chronically flatulent – and that’s just the riders! Nonetheless Orcs and boars tend to get along well – after a fashion. Clinging to the back of an enraged boar as it charges furiously towards the enemy ranks sounds like just the kind of thing an Orc would enjoy, and it’s also exactly the sort of thing I think my Orc warband needs as well!

The other addition to the clan this week is a “big stabba”. I enjoy the serious side of Warhammer a great deal, but I’ve always found the Orcs to be at their best when they’re being silly and OTT and that’s exactly what we’re seeing here.

With these done the warband is almost finished, I just need to complete the shaman who’ll be leading them. This also brings the total number of Orc models I’ve painted this month to 25.

Gonna Smash ’em – Part 3

Nothing too fancy today, just a pair of stomping, smashing Orc Brutes for my small collection of Ironjaws. The first was built straight out of the box…

…whilst the second was tweaked slightly, with his chest armour removed and some small gaps tidied up with greenstuff so that he can show off his Orcy muscles.

I started these two alongside my other Ironjaws a year ago but whilst the others got painted they were left in the doldrums so I’m pleased to declare them done at last. What’s more they bring my total number of greenskins painted this Orktober to a healthy 18 – and we’re not even halfway through the month!

Back To The Primitive – Part 2

Yesterday I promised you that I’d been working on lots of Orcs over the weekend so now it’s time to deliver. One of my key plans for this month is to complete a warband of Savage Orcs (or Bonesplitterz if you prefer) for games of Warcry. The good news is we’re more than halfway there already.

Rounding out the rank and file we have an Orc with a suitably stabby looking spear.

Then we have this angry individual. I originally built him to serve as the leader for the warband but now, because I’m powering through the rest of the ranks so quickly, I may well paint up a Wurrgog Prophet as well so that we have lots of alternatives to add variety to our games.

Lastly we have this boy who carries the clan’s bone totem into battle for them. This tribal artefact provides a locus around which the rest of these barking mad Orcs gather.

With six boys painted now it’s already time for a quick groupshot showing the whole warband so far.

This brings the total number of Greenskins I’ve shown this Orctober to 12 (note “shown” not painted, I’ve got a few more up my sleeve that I finished over the weekend but they deserve a post of their own so expect to see them tomorrow). As many readers will be aware I’m participating in an Orc painting challenge with my brother-from-another-warband, the international man of mystery known only by the alias “the Imperial Rebel Ork“. If you like heavily converted greenskins and you’re not already familiar with his work go and take a look at it now – you won’t regret it!

The Gitkillas – Part 1

Readers, I know what you’re thinking. “Wudugast, old pal, you’ve started at least 7 Blood Bowl teams now by my count, and you’ve not finished any of them. And the only one that’s pretty much done (just needs that damn troll…) is the Orc team. So what, pray tell, are you doing starting another Orc team? Dammit man, finish one of the others!”

Which is all fair enough, but let me get my excuses in before you lambaste me further eh! About a year ago the new edition of Blood Bowl was launched, led by a nice big box of miniatures which contained – amongst other things – the new Black Orc team. Earlier this year I was looking at it and I thought “Well, if not before I’ll paint the Black Orcs in Orctober. By then I will have completed a couple of other teams…”. Well, the second half of that claim hasn’t materialised but that’s not going to stop me cracking on with the Orc half of the Black Orc team this month (the Goblin half of the team can wait…). After all the aim of the exercise here is to tackle the pile of shame and I’m not going to achieve that if my excuse is that I’ve not already tackled the pile of shame now am I?

With these two done I’m hopeful I can knock through the other four by the end of the month – and if I don’t at least the unpainted pile is ever so slightly smaller. This also brings the total number of Greenskins painted this Orctober to 9 which means I’m neck and neck with fellow blogger the Imperial Rebel Ork who has challenged to see which of us can paint the most greenskins this month. One week in and it’s still very much any man’s game!

Back To The Primitive – Part 1

Back in Fembruary (that’s February for those of you who don’t following the Wargaming calendar) I used the month-long challenge as a spur to encourage myself into painting up a Warcry warband of Daughters of Khaine. Now we find ourselves in Orctober and I’m planning to do the same thing, this time with a warband of Savage Orcs (or Bonesplittas as they are now known). I’ve already leaned quite heavily into the forces of Destruction in Warcry, putting together warbands for the Ogres, Gloomspite Gits and Ironjaw Orcs, now it’s the turn of the savage boyz.

Feral berserkers these Orcs have abandoned the trappings of “civilisation” (to the limited degree it’s practiced by Orcs anyway) and instead live out their lives in the old ways. Their way of waging war may be low-tech but they counterbalance that very effectively with raw muscle and sheer Orcy self-belief. To start the warband off I’ve painted up these two primitive-looking lads…

…plus an Arrowboy to provide some ranged support for the tribe.

That’s three down already and the month has only just started! Hopefully I’ll be able to knock through the rest over the coming weeks.

In the meantime I’ve also got plenty of other green gits from all corners of the Mortal Realms, the 41st Millennium and beyond. I’ve also ended up involved in a bit of friendly competition with well-known blogger (and actual Ork) IRO who challenged me to see which of us could paint the most Orcs by the end of the month. This is very much just a bit of fun and not at all a tense and nail-biting head-to-head as two Ork-loving men battle dramatically for the honour of their respective tribes (although actually, it is that as well). The aim of the exercise is to inspire and encourage both of us into painting lots of green gits for our respective collections, and speaking personally it’s already lit something of a fire under me. You can read more about it here and whilst you’re about it you should also check out IRO’s first contribution, this seriously imposing and impressive Ork Warboss.

Right, I’m off back to my painting desk, the reputation of my Ork horde must be defended!

Squabblin’ Goblins – Part 8

Back at the end of September I showed a whole load of unpainted night goblin spearmen and archers and swore to have them all finished by the end of this month. As ever at least part of the credit for this rash decision lies with Azazel and the latest of his monthly hobby challenges. This month the goal is to complete a unit (or more than one if one is so inclined) and that’s exactly what I was hoping to do. Let’s take a look at how I got on.

First up there were a few more spearmen needed to round out the ranks of the malevolent little gits.

Such a rowdy bunch of goblins need a boss to keep them in line, a musician to tell them when to march and when to stab and of course a banner with a suitably impressive moon on it.

However that still wasn’t enough bodies to complete four whole ranks of the gits so a couple of quirky unit fillers were needed. This poor gobbo has looted so much he can barely stand up…

And then there’s this clump of friendly looking mushrooms that have sprouted from the floor of the gobbo’s cave…

And with that the whole 40-ish strong mob is ready to make mayhem!

On top of that there were a whole heap of archers to paint…

And they too needed a musician and a banner to round out the squad.

And with that a second goblin squad is ready to defend their cave from any wandering adventurers…

Readers who recall my summary of the gobbos at the end of September will remember that I didn’t get the last squig finished in time. Not to worry here he is now.

Needless to say I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made over the last couple of months. Here’s a reminder here’s how the army looked at the beginning of September…

…And at the end of September…

And here it is now.

Big thanks once again to for Azazel encouraging me to tackle this heap of unpainted models and turn it into a little army that I’m feeling justifiably proud of. Of course there are still various other little greenskins hanging around and waiting for attention – you’ve not seen the last of these boys yet!