Dat Der Dokk Iz Bak!

Cast your mind back to the heady days of June 2020 and you may recall that I painted a Bonesplitterz Wardokk (or a Savage Orc shaman if you speak English). If you need a reminder he looked a little bit like this…

Secretly I was never entirely happy with him. His skin, painted exactly the same way as all my other Orcs and Orks, looked too dark and drab. Perhaps it was the way it contrasted against all the bones he’s wearing but it didn’t look right to me (although I’m perfectly happy with how it looks on all my other greenskins). Plus he needed some tattoos and warpaint to really look the part of a crazed barbarian shaman. In fact it was this dissatisfaction that lead me to try a different shade of skin for my Savage Orcs when I put together a warband of them last Orctober. Here’s an example of the new style. 

Since then I’ve been meaning to go back to the old Wardokk and repaint his skin to bring him into line with the rest of the crew, and now I’ve finally got around to it. 

And here he is hanging out with a couple of his new buddies as he finally finds his place in the tribe.

Needless to say I’m much happier with him now and he can take his place at last alongside the rest of the ladz. 

Back To The Primitive – Part 5

I meant to paint this guy back in Orctober alongside the rest of my savage orc warband, but somehow I never managed to get him finished. Then I decided to paint some more lads at the same time as him, but right now I haven’t even got around to assembling them. Then I thought “stuff it, let’s just get him painted”. 

Of course now I’ve actually finished him I’m feeling the bug of orcy enthusiasm again so I might just dig out some unbuilt models and start sticking the rest of the clan together at last.

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…

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.

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!

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!

Orc Champion

I’ve no idea what the origin of this old Orc is. He’s been knocking around in my collection, started but not finished, for a good decade at least, possibly longer. The aesthetic of him reminds me very much of the models produced by Rackham for the – sadly defunct and much missed – game Confrontation. However I’m pretty familiar with that range and I’m fairly certain he’s not one of them. Any readers who happen to know where he came from please shout out in the comments.

Anyway, needless to say he’s been neglected for a long, long time – but he was never forgotten, which means he’s perfect for the Neglected But Not Forgotten challenge being run by Ann’s Immaterium.

He didn’t actually take me that long to get him from his half-finished state to completed, maybe an hour or so, which goes to show I could have done it any time in the last ten years or so. Still, he’s done now and I’m pleased with how he’s turned out. Big thanks to Ann for running the challenge, I’m fairly sure he’d still be gathering dust without it!

Dat Der Iz Da Dokk!

Remember the Bonesplitters WardokkI built just a couple of weeks or so ago? In startling turn of speed (bolstered by my enthusiasm for all things greenskinned and a surge of Waaagh! energy racing through my paintbrush) I’ve only gone and painted him up.

I’ve been promising myself that I’m going to tackle my Cawdor gang for Necromunda for a loooong time so I’m going to take a stab at them next but I’ve really enjoyed this little excursion into fantasy greenskins so expect to see some more in the near-ish future.

Iz Dat Da Dokk?

Let’s be honest, some miniatures are just a bit duff. Take the Bonesplitters Wardokk for instance (which used to be a Savage Orc shaman of some description). Let’s not beat about the bush, it’s past its best. In fact, it’s hard to say exactly when it’s best was…

For those unfamiliar the Wardokk is essentially an assistant shaman amongst the Bonesplitters. This faction of Orcs are lead by cabals of savage mystics, with a Wurrgog Prophet (the model for which, confusingly, used to be the special character Wurrzag, Da Great Green Prophet – something I still find takes a little getting used to). Each Wurrgog Prophet has a few acolytes around to assist in imposing his orders (however mad they may sound) on the recalcitrant boyz, to whip the clan up ready for battle and to perform the secret dances by which they channel the power of the greenskin god. One of these so-called Wardokks will go on to become the Wurrgog’s successor, to quote the army book, “should the Prophet fall in battle or accidentally blow himself up”.

At first I found myself wondering why GW continue to give the Wardokk miniature a place in the ranks of the Orc (or should I say Orruk) Warclans range. There’s no denying it’s letting the side down a little, when compared with some of the brilliant models that march alongside it. However after giving it some thought I came to realise that actually they made a smart move here. Keeping the Wardokk around adds another option to the range, and kitbashing your own version from the Bonesplitters set, plus a few odds and ends, is actually pretty straightforward and a lot of fun.

The key elements to capture were the skull mask (taken from the Ironjaws Brutes), the dancing pose and the bone-fetish rattle (made from bits and bobs in the savage orcs kit, rather than wire wool as the original appears to have been). The army book describes how the Wardokk will do whatever is required to get the boys in a fighting mood (surely not that hard) including, but not limited to, a quick punch in the face – something I thought the clenched fist on his free hand conveyed rather well. I might raise him up on something to make him stand out a little amongst any future boyz but otherwise I’m pretty pleased with him (although as ever I’m open to any and all feedback). In fact he was so straightforward to build that I’m now feeling tempted to make a couple more – the book does describe multiple Wardokks in each clan after all. Not sure when I’ll get around to painting him but he was great fun to make, and he’s certainly given me the itch to tackle some more green boys soon.