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Orlygg's Top Ten Miniatures of all Time!

July 24, 2014, 9:29 am
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Now axiom has posted up a fantastic post on his blog, Magpie and Old lead, that goes into detail about his favourite top ten miniatures of all time. No aggressive 'I'm right you're wrong' list this, oh no, just an honest, personal journey through the models that mean the most to him and why. In the comments section, Edward George Gladdis has gone on to state that he hopes that other people jump on this particular goblin pump wagon and join in on this idea. By doing my own list, I hope that many more Oldhammerers in the future join us and list their own favourite models. We have done similar things in the past (the miniatures wishlist comes to mind) but the Community has grown enormously in the last couple of years and I suspect that many new faces would like to share their views on this most personal of endeavours. 

Right, before we continue I suppose I should offer some criteria about how I am going to make my ten choices. Here they are...

1) No numbers - the list will just include my top ten models in no particular order. Trying to organise them in this way would be very difficult.
2) Sets of miniatures/plastic kits can be included- though not a 'single miniature' I feel that choosing from releases such as these is fair, but an avoidance of Big Boxed games is important to avoid comparisons between 'best game' lists. 
3) These are just 'my' personal favourites for lots of reasons - nostalgia, design, pleasure painting them, avarice, covetness etc.

The Great Spined Dragon


I adore this model and I have written about it a great deal. It is an exquisite piece of art let alone miniature sculpting. In my opinion it still remains the best dragon produced by anyone anywhere and I very much doubt that it would ever be surpassed. A timeless creation that seems only moments away from flapping into life, even when just pinned together as bare metal. In case you are not aware, it was sculpted by Nick Bibby who has gone on to become a world class sculptor in bronze. If you are going to own a dragon - make sure its this one! 

The Skeleton Horde


Still the best plastic skeletons ever produced. I love them for their realistic proportions and accessibility. In fact, they were originally released in 1986 and were available for a long time, well into the 1990s. The plastic set that replaced them was inferior in many ways. I love the creepy look the models have and the way the flat round shields inspire freehand designs. Rarely for such a seminal release, the sequel, Skeleton Army, was even better than this as it included rusty pieces of armour, a chariot and skeletal horses. Nothing beast the sight of ranks of these models in a collection or on the battlefield though. They were developed by Bob Naismith who still does a great deal of plastics today. 

 Dragon Ogre

More gigantic sculpting prowess from Nick Bibby. The Realm of Chaos era Dragon Ogre is a nice weighty model that takes a bit of time to assemble so makes you feel that you have accomplished something before you are rattling the spray paint can. For me, this model is the perfect blend of dragon and chaos warrior only on a larger scale than normal. The ogrish face, heavy armour and drooping layers of chainmail produce a monster that reflects many of the most common design elements of 1980s miniature sculpting and imagery. I am lucky enough to own one of these though it resides in storage somewhere and similar to both the skeletons and the spined dragon it was replaced by far inferior models later on. 

Slambo


Jes Goodwin's ultimate chaos warrior has everything going for it that you would expect of a chaos warrior, only he is sporting two gigantic axes. The pose, the design, the authority of the figure make it the greatest chaos warrior model for me, and one that I own and have painted up. As you can see in this photograph. If you have any interest in chaos warriors you really need to own this model. 

Citadel Giants


These giants are a curious entry on this list. If you had asked me a couple of years ago about these models I would have laughed all the way to the Marauder giant but time has changed my attitude of them to such an extent that I now love them. Especially since Steve Casey gave me a complete example a couple of weeks back, so thanks again Steve! You may be asking why I like these models so much, well the answer is simple - they are just soooo Warhammer Third Edition. The look, the style, the sculpting, the ethos, in fact everything about them just fits in with my preferred edition of the game. They may look as ugly as sin in the photograph above, but with a little skill and painting ability these models can be made to look really impressive. Again, these models are the work of Nick Bibby. 


Chaos Toilet


Its just so silly and so zany that it just works! Aly Morrison's bizarre model dates from a time when anything went with everything else! Any wild idea or concept imaginable was sculpted into existence and were bought up by eager miniature fans who just didn't take themselves too seriously. I have actually witnessed an argument between two gamers over whether or not this model even existed, with one GW fanboy refusing to accept that such a model was once produced by Citadel Miniatures. Was it actually canon? he asked me nervously after I informed them that such a model was made. Sadly, I have yet to lay my hands on one of these though I once used a petrol station lavatory that looked similar on the A34 once.


Reaver Titan 


I have always loved the concept of these giant walking robots ever since an example was printed as the front cover of my first White Dwarf (108 if you are interested) and I once owned two of them. I think its something about the suggested power behind them as well as the graceful design. I cannot recall who first designed them, but looking at the shape of the model above something about them suggests Jes Goodwin. Somewhere in my bedroom cupboard is an old plastic pint glass full of bits to these wonderful models, a sad remnant of my once might Space Marine collection. 

 Giant Spider


Trish Morrison produced quite a few great monsters back in the day and this one is my favourite. Its so well done that the model can make your skin creep, especially when the legs are flexed out in a realistic manner. I own three of these models, though I have yet only painted one example (which you can see above) which is part of a Tzeentch force. A word of warning about these models though, the legs are about as weak as can be and often snap off. 

Nurglings 


Kevin Adams did most of these and his zany style and great sense of humour is obvious throughout the range. I own loads and have yet to see a definitive collection of them. These models are great fun and come from a time when horror was made more horrible by including a little dark humour into the mix. Sadly, all the subsequent versions of these models have not had one hundredth the charm of these originals. Much like many of the other miniature types on this list.

Alpine Dwarf


If I ever had to put my finger out and point to my favourite model of all time it would have to be this lovely, lovely example of a fantasy miniature. Still wonderfully original today. I don't think anything else needs to be said really does it?

So then, what is your top ten miniature countdown of all time? I am sure that you will have one, just as I am sure that your lists is likely to be completely different from mine. So I hereby lay down an Oldhammer Gauntlet and challenge you dear readers to do the same. Share with us your favourite models either by blogging your own list or starting a thread on a forum you use, using the comment section below or whatever. I would really like to see other people's lists.

Big thanks to axiom for having this great idea.

Orlygg.
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Acceptable in the '80s: Marauder Releases from White Dwarf 120 and 121

July 27, 2014, 2:38 am
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With the weather being so hot at the time of writing, I have found it hard to do little but laze about on my holidays and cook tasty meals for my family. Oldhammer related work has ground to a halt. Things seem a little cooler today, so I am back at the desk, though my goal at the moment is review the next releases of Marauder miniatures rather than wield the paint brush. Right then, where are we in this journey through Warhammer Third Edition? These releases featured in White Dwarf 120 and 121 and saw the introduction to something that got many of us fantasy nuts drooling - Marauder regiment and army deals. 

Issue 120 saw the arrival of some more Dark Elves into the range, or more precisely, Witch Elves. I find these models rather chunky and frankly, rather manly. The Bob Naismith Dark Elves are much better in my opinion, and far more lithe. I traded some away a few days ago to Stuart and am now lamenting their loss. Still, their absence from the collection just gives an excuse to buy some more in the future. The paintjobs are little better and have a distinct whiff of the 'Red Period' of painting that followed the 'Classic' Bryan Ansell years. 

Things improve further down the page with a second visit to the incredible Marauder dwarfs. I have written about these before and I have stated that they are probably the greatest dwarfs ever cast. My opinion hasn't changed since my last visit to the models and the standard bearer is a thing of beauty, both for the actual sculpting and its exquisite paint job. In fact, the entire command range are practically perfect and shame the entire modern dwarf line all the way to the headmistress' office. 

Finally, we have the Orc stone thrower. Considering they are not by Kev Adams, these greenskins are really rather good, though shades of the Man Mangler remain. I would be happy to own this model and paint it up for my Goblinoid army, as I expect would many of you. 


It being the very late 1980s at this point, colour photographs in magazines were still expensive and black and white was still used extensively- its funny what you forget, isn't it? Sadly, we have no photographs of the remaining Witch Elves, nor the goblin regiment but what we do have is an intriguing reminder of the Marauder Blade painting competition. Its often forgotten these days and I wonder what happened to all those blades?


And so we are on to White Dwarf 121 and the first army deal from Marauder. I loved these as a youngest for two reasons. One, the painted models. Two, the background context that the army was put in. Many of the models on show here were previously shown only as line drawing and its fantastic to see many of them, even though some of obscured in the second rank. Two models here catch my eye as being worth a mention, namely the Deathcap Hero (in a classic pose for a single cast model) and the brilliant standard bearer. 


And here is the rest of the force. Gorgeous when arrayed together. The perfect mix of riotous colour and conformity which, perhaps rather surprisingly, works as a whole. Of note here are the excellent Marauder shields, which are a mixture of freehand designs and painted cast patterns. The price is enough to make you weep all these years later, £50 for 78 Dark Elves, 4 Warhounds and a FREE Darklord and Deathdealer on Cold Ones. I for one, recall pouring over this article and vainly attempting to construct a plan that would see me having £50 to spend on them. I failed, as I expect did many of you! Still, it just goes to show, GW did once do deals.  


A simple army list has been included at the end of the article along with an intriguing ad for Abandon Art. These days Fantasy and Science Fiction tropes have become rather mainstream, especially in the world of computer games and have in many cases become rather generic. One bald 'Space Marine' looks much like another in games like Mass Effect, Gear of War and so on. Fantasy has had a similar fate, though there have been exceptions, like the startling original world of Morrowind in the Elder Scrolls series. Adverts like this remind us that back in the later '80s Fantasy was much less mainstream as it is now and subsequently was treated a little more seriously. A quick glance at some of the artists involved is impressive and I would certainly love to walk through the gallery to this day! 


The final image shows off the Warhounds in further detail. I haven't got much to say about them really apart from pointing out that the dogs do look a little 'cute'. When compared with the Troll Slayers you can catch another whiff of the 'Red Period' with the dominance of that shade, and its cousins, in the paint schemes. I rather like the Troll Slayers, don't you?

What is interesting is that the Painting Competition I mentioned earlier seems to have been renamed in the past month. Its now the 1990 marauder Blade Painting Competition. It sounds MUCH more impressive doesn't it. I wonder who won it and what the winning entry was? 

Anyone know out there?

Orlygg
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'Eavy Metal Special: White Dwarf 121

July 28, 2014, 9:23 am
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It seems that I spoke to soon above the weather today. My wife and I started a big clear up today, mostly of all the kids' clutter that builds up through the year and we have decided to change the playroom into a grown up room. This means we should have a space that is not riddled with Hot Wheels cars, Lego, Disney Princess or the other bric-a-brac that children seem to sweep in with their wake. Perhaps I'll be able to create myself a little miniature painting area in there at some point. The trouble is, its far too hot now for us to want to finish off the rest of the house and the wife has settled herself down on the sofa with the fan blasting out full blast while my two year old has a nap. 

Snatching a few moments away from the big project sees me following up a recent post about 'Eavy Metal with this one. The figures presented in WD 121. There is lots to see so we better press on before I am needed to move some heavy furniture or hoover under a sofa!


More from Phil Lewis, who I interviewed no so long ago, with some more models from his collection at this point in time. We are presented with a nice range of models too, with a couple of Khornate beastmen and a rather striking female barbarian. Two models from the Death on the Reik range have seen the attentions of Phil's brush, with the Wittgenstein monster and Malmir the elf. There is a return visit from some of the members of the famous Chaos All-Stars models along the bottom, a curious Golden Daemon model and a plastic fimir from Heroquest. Rather eclectic really. Standout pieces are the terminators and these are some of the very best painted examples I have every seen of this classic set. The daemonette is worth a  mention too, for not only with Phil really rather good at capturing the pastel menace of these twisted beings, I am pretty sure that this model is now part of Andy Craig's collection. Perhaps I just dreamt it, but I am pretty sure he once shared a photograph of this model stating that Phil gave it to him at once point.  


Here is a rare treat, a set of converted figures from John Blanche himself. The titans all look suitably impressive but it is the two smaller models that really capture the interest of the Citadel historian. For here we have a gang member that was the result of John Blanche's first attempt to scratch build a miniature and as you can imagine, it looks just like one of the characters from his artworks has just stepped into the realm of three dimensions. Finally, that terminator conversion is just brilliant! I really like the bases on these models as they seem a little more raised than simple sand coverings allow and I wonder how they were done. Polyfilla? Milliput? Both these materials were popular back then in WD articles and could have been used to achieve these great effects. I wonder if you build an irregular base up with polyfilla and cover it in fine sand if you will get a similar result. Something for someone to try, perhaps?


With the release of Space Marine there was a need to come up with loads of Epic scale models for the Imperial forces, as well as their erstwhile enemies. The system produced much of the Horus Heresy background is something I would like and collect and game with at some point in the future. I have got all those fantasy armies to paint up first though! A quick glance through this page lets you realised how varied the Epic game was at this time, with all kinds of crazy ideas developed for it. Many of these ideas are now being produced in 28mm scale. 


The final page has the ubiquitous orks. With the first of three books on the subject around the corner it was no surprise that each month had its quota of greenskins to show off. You can see the influence of the 'Red Period' growing once more in their colour schemes. The Space Fleet ships are a rarity in White Dwarf and models from this game, which eventually became Battlefleet Gothic, are interesting. I really don't know much about them and I cannot think of a blogger who collects them either. Something for the future perhaps? A lovely Space Hulk diorama finishes off the page, and I always wondered how they made the backgrounds for these. Bits of olf plastic? Toys? Junk from the bitz box?

Orlygg
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Orlygg Builds A Full Scale Gaming Table Part One

July 29, 2014, 6:27 am
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For me, one image and one image only has defined what I want from a gaming table and that image is shown above. It my appear familiar to you dear readers and this is because it was used to illustrate Warhammer Third Edition in the 1987 rulebook. To this day, I have no idea who built this board but to me it sums up everything that I want from a gaming table. 

Number one, its flat. Contours can be added by either carving into the top (like the river section her) or by constructing hills and woods. The buildings, walls, hedges and trees all look scratch built and different  to each other while the fantasy setting is subtle enough to make the scene believable. In short, I am going to build a table inspired by what you see in this picture. I plan to build in four sections, two of which will include the river, but why this sudden need to construct a table when BOYL is only two weeks away. Well, in truth its down to the weather, its nice and warm at the moment which means that modelling projects dry quicker and secondly, the wife has just had me clear out the garage and I have unearthed a horde of material to use. 

Check it out! 


I don't have the space to build all four sections at the same time, after all there are two under 5s running about not to mention a wife to loathes miniatures and mess. So I am opting to work on and complete each section at a time. I am using the piles of polystyrene that I have filled the garage with over the last five years as a base material (proper old school) and have used plaster to clear up and protect the edges. 

Here is a WIP shot of the first board. 


Now, the next step is to construct and decorate the playing surface. I shall leave this board to dryout in the garden and then tomorrow cover all of it with an earthy brown basecoat. I was tempted to cover the surface with sand like I did with my mini board but  am not so sure what was used in the original photograph. It looks like the surface has been flocked rather than painted. 

What do you guys think? And also, anyone got any great tips for me about how to get my playing surface looking as good as possible?

Orlygg
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Orlygg Builds a Full Scale Gaming Table Part Two

July 30, 2014, 10:52 am
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Day two of my project to build a wargames table from the dross I have found in the garage. Yesterday, I found two old plasterboard pieces and a stack of polystyrene among other things and got as far as finishing the base of the first board. I was using the heat of the sun during the day to fast dry each stage of the board, which really sped things up. I was worried though that the wife might get a bit tetchy if the garden started resembling December with all the polystyrene bubbles, so I moved into the garage. 


Doing it old school, I used an old wallpaper table to balance the boards on and began to build up the second table. This time I caved in to the temptation of keeping things flat and even and added a few in situ banks (they are too small to call them hills) and a depression for the source of a natural spring or underground river. I coated the the first board in the builder's sand before covering it with an additional coat of watered down PVA. Leaving it to dry in the sun ensured that it is now rock hard. 


The second board has been left to dry before plastering tomorrow. I will tidy up the edges and ensure that once side fits smoothly with the other so there are no gaping chasms when the two sections are joined together. I am imagining that this is where the hamlet I intend to include will reside, close to the water source, and I have already got three buildings in various states to add when necessary. In my mind's eye, I would imagine that hamlet to be built up around a coaching inn, so at some point I am going to have to build one. Most of this will be plastered tomorrow. 


I have also done a bit more research into the inspirational table. I have discovered from various channels, that the board in question was built by The Duke, a Bristol based gamer from the 1980s who's tables where superior to anything GW had at the time. He was paid for its use in the WFB3 rulebook so the story goes!


Looking at the surface of the board, I can see that its been painted in a variety of colours and then had flock (again, in differing shades) sprinkled on top. I have lots of static grass so will be using as I am trying not to buy anything really at this stage. 


The creator of this fine table is even credited in the rulebook. I wonder who all the models belonged too? Anyone know?


Having caved in about having a water feature (I found a tube of GW water effects in the garage too) I will also be stealing the idea of adding a road. Here you can see that the road is made up of an unflocked painted surface. And this is something I am keen to emulate when the time comes. 


Plenty of lichen used on this board! I love the stuff, but find that it dries out quite quickly if you don't look after it very well. The key to using it well on a gaming board is, like many other things, all a question of where you position it. I have no plans for a ruined monastery at this stage. 


A hint for the future. Bushed made from wire wool? Rubberised horsehair? Its certainly not the brillo pad specials that I had built before.

Well, with today over, I hope to get a layer of plaster over that second board tomorrow and give it a good coating of sand. Once that is done, I shall move on to basecoating and getting the soil painted up. I don't have much paint about the house, so I might have to have a look about in the kids arts and craft sections at the local shop.

Orlygg.
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Orlygg's Blog Rundown

July 31, 2014, 8:37 am
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I remember a time when I could keep track of pretty much everything the Oldhammer Community produced. After all, there were only about five of us! Now I feel it is impossible to really keep up with everything and I really enjoy finding articles published here and there that I missed first time around. I am also well aware that this blog is the most widely read and sometimes my interest in Old School Citadel and Third Edition is mistaken as the attitude of the whole. 

This is very wrong. As the bloggers who consider themselves to be part of our community are a varied bunch with a great number of gaming, collecting and writing interests. I am often asked about why Oldhammer has been so successful and I think the answer is a simple one. The posts published across the whole spectrum of the community share two things: passion and well written articles. Now, what follows is a run down of some of the lesser known blogs in our community that I feel need a little bit of attention from the unwashed masses (that is you lot!) as well as a little comment from me about each site. You will find quality articles and passion for their subject aplenty here.

So make a cup of tea and have a stroll through the blogs I have selected for you. Don't forget to join up and follow these sites if you have a Blogger account! 



http://www.classicchaosdaemons.com/

Rob Leach has been blogging since March and writes about his quest to collect Citadel Chaos Daemons, with a particular focus on his quest to source and paint classic era 'Realm of Chaos' daemons. His collection is quite varied and can leap from decade to decade. His painting is bright and immediate and certainly makes the most of the daemonic models he is working on. Well worth a visit. 



http://snickitstail.blogspot.co.uk/

Snickit (Erny's brother) is an irregular blogger but focuses entirely on collecting Skaven. He has hordes and hordes of models painted to tabletop standards. If scale is your thing, its a great place to go as he posts up quite chunky units of old and new school ratmen. I always enjoy his musing and wish they were a little more regular. Check it out!



http://officinachaotica.blogspot.co.uk/

MJDredd is another blogger who writes about a range of miniatures from different eras. Its well worth a look for some of his paint schemes and mini dioramas, as can be seen in the picture above. The blog has been going since 2012 and includes an interesting quest to own all of the 1980s Jes Goodwin chaos champions. Perhaps you can help?



http://theleadpile.blogspot.co.uk/

This blog is run by colin.murray and is a really good reflection of his modelling activities. Within the posts you will find articles about Citadel collecting, Big Box games, painting and even battle reports. The miniature content isn't exclusively Citadel either, so you often get to learn about unfamiliar ranges. He has a great painting style and I always enjoy having a cruise through his latest work. Colin's style is colourful and skilful, as the image above will testify, and I hope you enjoy his work as much as I do. 



http://thelostandtheverydamned.blogspot.co.uk/

Stuart Bannister is a new blogger on the block and is well worth a visit. I only recently caught hold of his work when I stumbled across his Nurgle style Marauder troll and giant slayers (above) and followed him immediately. There is loads of other great stuff on their to discover too, even though the site has only been going to a couple of months. Click the link and enjoy! 



http://leadoralivebruno.blogspot.com.au/

Bruno Beveridge's new blog, again another one only a few months old, is worth a visit to gawp over his collection of painted Rogue Trader era Space Dwarfs and Orks. Straight out of the classic Ork books, his painting style is full of chequers, dags and goffs. My personal favourite piece in his collection? The original plastic Ork Battlewagon seen above! 



http://leadplague.blogspot.co.uk/

Asslessman needs no introduction, apart from if you have not seen his work before. A very prolific member of the Oldhammer Community on forums and Facebook, but its easy to forget that he runs his own blog too! Plenty to see here if you like chaos renegades or more of the more unusual miniatures Citadel put out during the classic era. There is plenty to read here, so enjoy it!



http://rogueheresy.blogspot.co.uk/

Jason Fulford is a blogger I have had the pleasure to meet and throw dice around with. His blog is the perfect place to head if you are into early Rogue Trader miniatures as he is attempting to collect and paint all of the models in the RT601 Adventurers release. His painted efforts can be seen above and jolly good they are too! 



http://theworkofshaitan.blogspot.co.uk/

Ed Gladdis is a familiar name here at Realm of Chaos 80s as I showcased some of his chaos models not so long ago. He has a little blog I have just discovered and there are loads more quality painted figures on show there. My favourite pieces in his collection are the dioramas he has produced, like the Chaos Battering Ram shown above, and I am sure you will appreciate a look at them too!



http://fullashtraygaming.blogspot.co.uk/

24_Cigarettes is by his own admission, an irregular blogger. Even so there is some excellent material here, especially if you are interested in collection and painting classic '80s skaven.

And so I must end my round up of my favourite blogs of late. Of course, if you think your blog is worthy of our attention then just drop a link in the comments section below so we can all enjoy your work and collections.

Orlygg


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Raiders of the Lost Adverts: Warhammer 40,000, Blood Bowl, Fantasy Roleplay and Talisman

July 31, 2014, 12:41 pm
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I have been chronicling these funny two page adverts for a while now, and I must say that I love them. Not only are they very well put together considering the technology available at the time, they are also jammed packed with the product we love to pour over on eBay, only in these ads all that product is brand new! The first two pages are dedicated to what would later become Epic, but were originally termed Epic Battles, and really, this means Adeptus Titanicus and its cousin, first edition Space Marine. Both sought after boxsets these days. Its great to see this spread of releases. I can remember vividly pouring over the hundreds of models that were used to build the dioramas for these. 


What I find curious about these ads is the fact that they mention White Dwarf magazine. I have often wondered if these ads ran in any other non-GW publications back in the 1980s. They do seem rather indulgent just to run in the house magazine don't you think? Does anyone recall seeing ads of this type in other magazines?


Next up, the advert for second edition Blood Bowl. I just love this game and its miniatures. One far off day I shall collect all of these brilliant miniatures and paint up all the teams. For now, I will make do with pouring over this fantastic selection of models, art and paintwork. 


I enjoyed playing Blood Bowl more than any other game back in the 1980s, but I failed to notice that the 'board' for Dungeon Bowl was made up from artwork used in the Dungeon Floorplans releases. Pete Knifton's artwork is very obvious here, and his work really sets the tone for this game. 


By the later '80s, Flame had been set up to pump out WFRP material and this is one of their ads. Great art in support of this game, don't you think? It makes me wonder why much of the fantasy art you see used in roleplaying games in so sub-par!


Empire in Flames ad next. I bought a copy of this in about 1995 when I was running the Enemy Within. We never got as far as playing it but I later sold my copy of this book for £78. In the age before pdfs, books like these really went for a song. 


And finally, and rather surprisingly, a two page advert for Talisman. A classic game, though I am only famiilar with the Black Industries one that was put out about 6 years ago. It was so good even my wife played it. Even my wife's friends came around and played it. I now have the app for my Kindle and enjoy completing its challenges during my holidays abroad.


This page shows off the lovely, and rather collectible, range of miniatures produced/selected in support of the game. I only own the Inquisitor figure out of this set but have seen lots of lovely painted examples of the set online in recent years. 

Orlygg
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'Eavy Metal Special: White Dwarf 122

August 1, 2014, 10:37 am
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Welcome to another journey through the pages of old school 'Eavy Metal. This time we will be pondering the models shown off in issue 122 of White Dwarf. The first page gives us another one of those step by step paint jobs that were a familiar site in the magazine during this period. A truly garish example it is too with some rather sickly colour choices. Not a scheme I would use myself the the quality of the painting of the actual horse cannot be denied. 

Bob Olley's orcs really have the moment to shine here with a really great paint job and a rather interesting green tone for the flesh. I love my goblins with a tint of yellow, but these brutes look superb. I must confess, these models are not one that I am overly aware of and its a real pleasure to discover something new in these old pages. Its unusual to see dragons in WD at this point, so its a pleasure to see the mini rock dragon and the looks nothing like Nick Bibby's masterpiece Spined Dragon. This is a real shame, as a smaller version (perhaps a baby?) would have been fantastic. Rather unsurprisingly, a couple of the Marauder Witch Elves that we discussed recently make an appearance too. 


A fantastic gallery of models awaits us on this page. The terminators catch the eye immediately and they are quite frankly superbly painted. There is plenty of iconography here but with such things still in development there is plenty of room for artists interpretation. Random genestealer hybrids appear (again) and its makes you wonder of the 'Eavy metal team were obsessed with them during the later '80s as they appear so often. I am really impressed with the subtle pastel shades employed on the daemonettes and I feel that this kind of look its much better than the 'liquorice allsort' colour schemes that you see elsewhere. The orks are okay I suppose and the ogres are interesting but its the painting on the pre-slotta elementals that really impresses me. The colours are very natural in their tone, and I can practically smell the salt on the water daemon! 


Now, Steve Mussared is a name we have covered before, but Rob Baker is a new name to me. Both share a similar style and its hard to say who's miniatures are who's really. One of the jobs of the Oldhammer scene is the varied interpretations of models when it comes to painting. The same model often looks strikingly different depending on who painted it. I always found the differing styles used in 'Eavy Metal and inspiration. I love the samurai warlord and the ogryn conversion on this page but note must be made of the unreleased plaguebearer in the centre of the page too. 


A gorgeous range of classic chaos models here and these images will no doubt inspire me further when I begin my Tzeentch and Nurgle chaos armies in a couple of years time. The colours are really very chaotic here and just go to show how bright colours can be used for quite dramatic effect. The conversions really stand out for me here, especially the Honour guard and the Nurgle Necromancer. Beautiful constructed and painted models.

Orlygg.
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Slaaneshi Re-enforcements for the Oldhammer Weekend (BOYL) 2014

August 4, 2014, 6:40 am
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I have been hard at work trying to get my Slaaneshi forces finished before the weekend. Most of this work is being done in the evenings and I hope to get the remaining for miniatures finished over the next couple of nights. As you can see from the photograph above, the majority of the work has been done. Two units for the army are now complete; chaos thug and warrior respectively. As many of you will know, I love BIG old school banners and Slaanesh gives you plenty of scope for some glorious freehand designs. 


This standard bearer took some work. I only use damaged figures for conversions and this model was in really bad condition when he fell into my hands. Originally a chaos marauder, he had somehow lost his head and hand over the last twenty five years so I had to replace both. I am sure that many of you will recognise the distinctive head I used, and I am pleased with the result. A heavily armoured elf isn't something you come across everyday, but it makes sense in the context of this warband. 

The figure was really easy to paint. he was basecoated in blue and then washed with dark blue ink. Once dry, it was simply a case of working back up to the original colour and adding a few layers of extreme highlights, created by adding white to the base colour. The books I painted shocking pink, just to help the model fit in with others of its ilk, and also because the colour is indeed shocking - just what you would expect the pleasure god's underlings to wear when they are crushing the testicles (or should that be tenticles?) of foul Khornate followers. The banner took a little longer, but no longer than an evenings work to finish. I used paper as the basis of the banner and drew the design in pencil. The whole lot them got a green basecoat with thinned paint that just covered the design. Beginning with the hair, I painted each part of the design until I was happy with what I had achieved. The Slake-Sin name was a later addition as I felt without it the banner was rather top heavy. 


This was the final model I painted for the chaos thug regiment. I had trouble with the green on the shield and it took several attempts to get it looking right. I don't really like painting units or under any pressure. I much prefer to just waft from each project to the next with a huge amount of time pressure. Still, I got the model finished after a few night's work and even added a shield following my latest trend of adapting the Slaanesh symbol. 


I traded this model with Stuart the other week, and he was the only one of the models I took from him that made it into the army! I wanted to have another practise at black armour and took this opportunity to do so. I messed around with the inks in my collection when painting the horns and skin of the warrior. Its curious how bright and luminous you can get basecolours by adding a few drops of the stuff. In the far future, I will paint a Tzeentch army and hope to make good use of these skills. 


And finally, this old warrior was part of a really (pre-Oldhammer) eBay win. I must admit I hated the model when I first saw it and it has resided in a bag ever since. But there was something about him that just said 'Slaaneshi' to me so he went in. The gold armour was incredibly easy to achieve. Basecoat of gold followed by the chestnut ink was. The edges of the models to picked out with some silvera dn that was pretty much that, apart from a  little purple here and there to help tie the model in to the loose themes of the army. 
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The Oldhammer Community and the Etiquette of Trading Miniatures

August 5, 2014, 5:47 am
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"This cutlery set was used by the Perry Twins to sculpt all their minis in the mid 1980s. Honest!"
I have been buying and selling miniatures on eBay and other places for over ten years now. I started off when I was in my early twenties, just after graduating from University when money was very tight and I was still living at home. Back then, I was always being 'asked' by my mother to sort out all the stuff I had in storage in the attic and do something with it. It didn't take me long to realise that I was sitting on a goldmine of product. Doctor Who videos and collectibles, GW stuff, books and magazines etc. During my heyday, I was easily bringing in £150 week just eBaying the vast collections I had in the loft, but it wasn't long until I was buying more Citadel in order to relist the stuff and turn a profit. 

Its funny, but I get the feeling that this is becoming increasingly frowned upon in collecting circles. Describing someone as a 'Re-Lister' is another way of saying 'greedy bastard' for some, so was I a greedy bastard taking advantage of people in the past? I don't think so and I can tell you why. All of my listings started at 99p and found their price. No starting bid £19.99 for me. No really high postage rates - though it was much cheaper back then to send packages, back in the days before internet shopping became mainstream. Sure I made loads of money but after a while I felt like I had sold away my youth. 

Somethings were great sales. My Doctor Who video collection had been built up over a long period, and at that time were not available on DVD. Many were out of print and otherwise unobtainable. If I hadn't sold those videos when I did their value would have dropped remarkably, and they did! I sold The Daemons for £58 on video in 2001. You would have trouble selling a copy now for 58p. 

But times change. 

I got back into GW in about 2004, but there was an hollow enjoyment. I wanted to love everything about the hobby but I knew in my heart of hearts that things were just not as good as they once were. I found that I really wished that I hadn't sold my collection of old lead from the 1980s but carried on regardless. Eventually, about 2010 I had grown tired of it all and I gave up following GW to concentrate on building up the collection I had once had, and improve on it of course! There was clearly a collectors market but the stuff I was interested in, mainly 'Realm of Chaos' models, were not that expensive at all. I collected for about a year or so until I was able to persuade my colleague, Dan, to have a go at Realm of Chaos proper using the WFB3 rules. He had also grown tired of edition after edition of the game, but had only been involved in the hobby for a few years, largely due to his younger brother. 

Once we started we couldn't stop, and the warbands grew easily thanks to the affordability of classic miniatures online. I knew no-one else interested in the old models I was colelcting and gaming with, apart for the hardcore collectors at CCM who seemed primarily interested in the rarer pieces. The success of that experience lead to the creation of my old Retro thread on Warseer, now nearly 3 years ago, and later on my part in the forming of the Oldhammer Community. 

Looking back, the way I collect the models I love has changed totally. Before, it was fairly simple to track down the models you wanted and win them for a couple of quid, now I find that the competition is far greater. Not that this really bothers me, as there are other ways to get your hands on models on eBay and there are now far more people willing to sell older models. Mis-listed models is one such method, and this really rewards those who put the hours into searching through the listings. My method became to just snap up random Citadel models that I liked the look of without following any real plan of collecting, focusing on price. The result of this is that I has a massive collection of models from all ranges and races. 

But to tell you the truth, I have given up on eBay now. Not because I find that it doesn't allow me to find the models I need at a decent price. No. I have given up on it because I am sitting on a gigantic mountain of lead that needs to be painted up! Sure, I still trade a few pieces, like I have done recently with Stuart but recent events have got me thinking about the nature of buying and selling Citadel online and the role that trading has in the acquisition of miniatures. I found that there were a number of questions that I had either thought about, or been asked by other people, in the last year or so that I felt really needed answering. Sure, these are just mu suggestions, and you may very much disagree with my thoughts. If you do, please state why and we can all enrich ourselves together. 

Anyway, here are the questions....

1) What should you do if a package you sent through the post goes missing?

I very much doubt that there are many serious collectors that haven't lost a package in the postal system somewhere. I can reel off a goodly bunch of models that have gone astray never to be seen again, largely thanks to my local Post Office. Some of the models involved were bought by me while others were models that were sold by me. Now, what do you do if something goes missing? Personally, if its something that I have bought I usually give it up for lost, as most transactions I make are below say £5. Bigger, more expensive models (like the spined dragon) that I buy I always pay to get them tracked, so I am glad to say that I have never really lost anything major.

If I am sending models to people and they go missing I personally feel that it is the sender's responsibility to offer something in return. This is my personal belief and one I had to put into practise a few times, most likely due to thefts from the Postal Service here in the UK. I always offered alternative models. Some people decline the offer, while others accept. I never felt like anyone I was dealing with was taking the piss. One problem with Paypal and eBay is that it always favours the buyer, so claiming a refund is very easy. By offering something in compensation, it avoids the need to involve these companies.

2) How much should you charge for postage and packing?

What is the best way of protecting the models you send from damage? Wrap them up securely in bubblewrap and place them within an envelope is probably foolproof. My spined dragon appeared like this, only it had be attached to large pieces of card to prevent the wings bending. Personally, I see little need for large boxes to house miniatures. But then again, the bigger the box, the more can be charged for postage. Metal single cast models are pretty indestructible and there is little need to protect them under multiple layers of packaging or encase them in hefty boxes. When I am dealing overseas I always get a quote for a shipment by getting the parcel weighed at the post office before completing the deal. On several occasions I have been surprised how cheaply items can be sent abroad, though this was before the recent changes to the postal charges here in the UK. 

3) How should I approach resolving issues that I have with online sellers?

With respect really. And if in doubt approach an impartial moderator to help resolve things. This is very easy if you are buying or trading within the community. Both the FB Trading Group and the Oldhammer Forum have respected members who will act on your behalf. It is perhaps because of this that trading within the community is probably the better option, especially if you are a seller, after all, eBay and Paypal favour the buyer each and everytime. A bad reputation can do you great dis-service within a community like our own. Not that we have ever needed to blacklist anybody for shady dealing of course.

This is not the experience I have had on eBay which in my opinion is full of absolute fools. Their typical response to any issue you may have is to just block you from bidding on their items which seems utter tomfoolery. There are a number of sellers who have banned me, though I will refrain from naming them. The first banned me because I didn't pay quickly enough for a small item costing a few pounds - this was when I was rather unwell with a dental abscess the size of a golf ball on the side of my face. He was surprised that paying for his chaos warrior wasn't at the top of my agenda while I was recovering! Fool!

Another one sold me a series of models that he claimed were painted by Aly Morrison, only they weren't  and when I gave him neutral feedback, not negative mind, for not actually checking what he was selling he bombarded me with abuse and even tried to get eBay themselves to resolve the issue. Only there was no issue, I was just expressing my opinion of his item and the way he handled it. The fact that these people ban you from their sales further shows how daft they are because they are effectively loosing money. One such character frequently puts up BINs which I have tried to buy several times only to be told that the seller won't accept my bids. And guess what? The items are STILL for sale! Secondly, if you really wanted to you could just use a different account and make your purchase making the banning process nothing more than a game for the unpleasant.  I have wondered for sometime if we should start running a list of the more dishonest individuals that we have dealings with to help advise other members of the community. What you other people think?

What can we do about ridiculous 'Buy It Now' prices?

Don't buy them, frankly. Oh, and don't use the prices they set to inform your own. Speak to someone who has experience buying and selling items. The Oldhammer Forum and Trading Group on Facebook are excellent places to do this. Sometimes we can all be tempted, and fall for that temptation, with a BIN. usually, its a model you have been after for a while and don't see often. It appears online for slightly more than you should really be paying for it but you just cannot help yourself. And you buy it! Whether or not behaviour like this fuels the process further but it cannot be denied that some of the more pricey piece are snapped up by recasters (not a problem to me as long as the work is good) or re-listers who chuck on an additional £50 each time and only add to the price armsrace in the first place. 

To conclude, if you are in doubt seek advice. Its fairly easy to achieve in any of our groups and you have the bonus perk of taking advantage of the HUGE pool of knowledge that the community can offer you. If you are a seller, be honest and do your research before you sell. If you are using eBay you also need to remember that it is an auction site and that sometimes auctions fall flat and don't reach the price you are expecting. If this is the case, be honest with yourself and others and honour it. The number of retractions I am hearing about from sellers who fail to get the cash they want for a model is increasing. That is was a reserve is for!

"Can I interest you in some genuine Asscannon?"


Orlygg.
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Orlygg Builds a Full Scale Gaming Table Part Three

August 5, 2014, 10:07 am
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Hello again everyone. It seems that the long run of summer weather we have been enjoying here in the UK is beginning to end. Rain is forecast in the next few days, and will no doubt persist until its time to return to work in September. Thankfully, I have made good use of the the power of the sun to dry much of my gameboard. If you have been following this project, you will know that the last time we spoke I had just finished the carving of the polystyrene I was using to create the surface of the board. Well, since leaving that to dry for a few days I coated the lot in PVA glue and covered the boards in sand (as can be seen in the photograph above) before coating the dried sand with a liquid wash of PVA to help secure the sand in place. 


Once this had dried out enough (only a few hours in the summer sun) I was able to basecoat the sand in a nice brown tone mixed up from the kiddie friendly paints I found in the garage. I even had a few chaos spawn appear to help me get the first coat finished! 


Once the basecoat was dry, I build up layers of highlights simply by adding yellow and white to the original mix. I found that by adding the yellow as well as the white the highlighted shade became more natural looking. For a while I pondered exactly what my board would look like but then I considered my materials. They were designed to show the chalky landscapes that I grew up on in Dorset and Devon, so I opted to create that style of surface. 


I used a spare piece of polystyrene to help mix up yellow and white in increasing amounts as I drybrushed the surface up and you can see the finished result in this photograph. I hoped to achieve a chalky clayey effect and I think I pulled it off, despite my limited materials. 


Packets of high quality German flock had resided in my garage for some time (though one was supplied by Stuart the other day) and they were just waiting to be used on a project. The colours would be perfect when recreating the type of landscape I was looking for. The picture below will give you some idea if you are unfamiliar with the area I am speaking about. 


In the future I hope to add further lines of static grass and flock to create that rutted, pathway look these paths have. 


I coated the entire board with PVA, save for a few areas that would remain dead and the crossroads I decided to include after discounting my river idea. I then sprinkled on the static grass starting with the lightest colour and working up to the darkest. I ensured that I mixed the colours somewhat to avoid that dreadful 'single tone of green' boards you see kicking about. Once dry, I stood each board up on end over a large plastic box and knocked off the left over static grass. I used about two bags to cover the whole board and easily reclaimed a bag's worth by doing this. Re-cycling static grass after a project like this makes good sense in my opinion. 


To create the chalk effect, I simply used an Army Painter can of spray to highlight the road surfaces. At the moment I feel like its too white, and should perhaps be darkened down with a yellow ochre wash but we will see how things look like in the morning. I certainly need to make the edges of the road more natural and less straight. I shall be using that mix of static grass I saved by tapping off the surfaces to do much of that. But considering I have spent practically nothing on this board I am pleased about how it its looking at the moment. What do you guys think? Any comments or ideas to share?


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Orlygg's Completed Wargaming Board

August 6, 2014, 9:24 am
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With the weather turning, BOYL just around the corner and the fact that the wife and I will shortly be taking the kids to Disneyworld for a few days I needed to invest some time today into completing the gaming board that I have been working on. If you recall, I was using materials that I uncovered in the garage after spending the day clearing it up last week. I had to buy a few pots of paint to get the job finished, but these cost no more than about £10. 

I spent the day weathering the road which had been left overnight to dry after being sprayed white. I mixed up a yellowy brown wash using my posterpaint, PVA and quite a bit of water and just dabbed the stuff over the white. This weathered the road surface nicely and brought the tones down alongside the soil elsewhere on the board. Once this was dry, I used PVA straight from the bottle to splodge and dab along the edges of the road to ensure that they looked more natural and overgrown. It edged the board with Duck Tape left over from an electrician's visit. 

What do you think of my efforts, eh?


The next step is to finish off the construction and painting of the buildings that will be used to create a little farming hamlet here. The little cottage you will have seen before and was built using Phil Lewis' old plans from White Dwarf. They other two buildings are variants on this design. The central model is ready for painting while the main farmhouse needs to be timbered and tiled. I reckon that I shall be building a few barns to give the place a rural feel before moving on to the fences and hedgerows. More on the construction and painting of these buildings after the Oldhammer Weekend. 
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Chaos Centaurs of Slaanesh: More re-enforcements for BOYL

August 7, 2014, 8:09 am
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Well, all the miniatures I need for BOYL are now painted and packed. I had my unit of Centaurs to finish for the Slaanesh army and took advantage of the fact that my wife and kids were out today to just crack on and get he models done. With some hardcore painting (no food, no water, no toilet breaks) over a five hour period I got them completed. 

And here they are! One of the models (far left) will be familiar to many. I painted it as part of my Warhammer Bestiary project and used it as a basis for this unit. 


This was the first model I completed, though it was painted alongside the next model down the list. I followed on with the colour scheme I used when painting the Slaanesh thug regiment - plenty of pink and green worked up using white. I maintained the white pony patters for the horse body that I had used previously too, largely due to a lack of inspiration. Most of this miniature was completed yesterday, and I just had to paint the chainmail and armour today, oh and add the eyes. 


More of the same here as the model above. Painted mostly yesterday with a few finishing touches here and there done today. I was feeling pretty weary at this point and still had two models to complete so decided to abandon the colour scheme and just go experimental and see what came out. 


Despite not spending the same amount of time on this model as I did the other three, I feel that this one has come out really well. A great mix of tones on the horse body and the highlights came out beautifully. I am particularly pleased with the blue hair and the way it lifts the face of the miniature. Completed today. 



The final model I painted for the unit. Completed today. Again, I was really pleased with how this model came out considering how little time I spent on it. I feel its the best of the five and so made it the unit leader, though this photo doesn't do the painting justice in my opinion. Still, I am glad all the models are finished and I am ready to get packing for the Oldhammer Weekend. 

Better get the army-lists written up now! 

Orlygg
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Showcasing My Realm of Chaos Armies for the Oldhammer Weekend

August 8, 2014, 4:54 am
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With the packing complete, all I have left to do is write up the armylists Stuart and I will be using in our Realm of Chaos game. I am planning on including as many models as possible, but it will ultimately depend on balance. I don't want one force more powerful than the other so we have a fair game. Personally, unbalanced games are neither thrilling nor rewarding to play. Though, of course, balance isn't really the point of a RoC game. As you can see, my new wargames table is just the right size to accommodate forces of this size, though its plain to see why next year's board will need to be twice this size! 


In preparing these shots, its was the first time I had actually fielded everything from the Khorne and Slaanesh armies at once and the sight was indeed satisfying. One questions I get asked a lot is 'how long did  it take to collect and paint two old school armies'? Well, I worked on the two armies here and there over period of about three years. At the basis of both armies are the small warbands that Dan and I used during our Realm of Chaos campaign in 2010-11. Back then, we had about twelve models a side. Now, the armies consist of much larger numbers. The Khorne army has about sixty models in it while the Slaanesh one has about forty. 


I am so pleased with the 'look' of my board that I shall be using exactly the same method and resources to build by larger table next year. With this in mind, I shall at some point start adding flock and grass to my miniature bases to help things blend in a little better. Not that its a huge problem, as you can see the old school style of basing I use fits in perfectly with the board at the moment. 


One thing I am in two mind about is the use of gradients on a wargaming table. The slight hills I build using polystyrene and plaster look great but can be a bit annoying when it come to ranking up models. I will have to play a few games before deciding whether or not to include such things next year. 


Onwards anyway, this blog is not about my wonderful new wargaming table but about the models themselves. What will follow is a comprehensive look at each of the units I intend to use in the game tomorrow. Let's start off with Slaanesh shall we!

Slake-Sin's Throng of Exquisite Pleasure

Slake-Sin and his honour guard. His seer, Jesterspite, can be seen to the left. 
Slake-Sin lie span twists back before the founding of the Empire. Born an elf, he found himself loathing the subtle ways of his people and found joy in the hedonistic pleasure cults that existed openly in Elven culture in those days. Eventually, his desire for sensation lead him to the Northern Wastes were he learnt to serve a new master, Slaanesh. Serving in the Court of the Twisted Sodomite for millennia, Slake-Sin fought in the aeon long struggles that rage in the Realm of Chaos, caring little for the candleflame lives of mortals in the world to the South. This has changed in recent years, with his patron concerned about the influence a major rival of his is having over the Khornate champion, Ulthur Deathfist. Slake-Sin has been ordered south in pursuit of the Deathfist, and to end his reign of slaughter. 

Slake-Sin is armed with a flail and is a level 20 sorcerer to boot. He is fielded alongside 9 of his most decadent Chaos warriors and marches beneath his magical banner. 

To his left can be seen one of his chaos sorcerers, the level 15 sorcerer, Jesterspite, Slake-Sin's personal valet and seer. 

Bullnip the Wailing leads his centaur followers. These troops act as Slake-Sin's advance guard and scouts, bringing his information about his enemies. They ride ahead and torture those they find in the most depraved and hideous fashion. 
Veteran of his Realm of Chaos campaigns, these centaur have followed Slake-Sin for many years. Originally a great herb, but endless combat has whithered their numbers to a mere five. Insane and violent, these creatures exist solely to destroy their hated foe - followers of Khorne! They are lead by their champion, Bullnip the Wailing. 

Susak Lee's Slaves to Sensation- a chaos thug unit ten strong.
Susak Lee began life in Cathay. After a long career as a pirate around the Oriental coasts he fell beneath the sway of Slaanesh. Converting his crew to view his inhuman delights as the only true way of serving any god, they set sail to the North and found themselves involved in the skirmishing that rages between warbands around the boarders of the Realm of Chaos. Not long in the service of Slake-Sin, Susak Lee's original champion was Slain by Jesterspite during a small battle in Troll country. With the champion dead the carnage ceased, and Slake-Sin's seer offered Susak and his followers a position in their force. Armed with a magical weapon, Susak is a Level 10 champion.

To the left, Balndidir can be seen. She has worked tirelessly as Slake-Sin's agent among the people and lands of Empire, and his been instrumental in located the Deathfist. She lost a large part of his warband during a recent skirmish with Grimgrunt, the Deathfist's second in command, and has subsequently slipped down the rankings. She is still a powerful sorcerer, though somewhere inside her soul she suspects that she is on the slow decline of spawnhood. This is something he hopes to chaneg in the coming battle. If Slake-Sin won't notice here, then she will make sure her patron will! 

Much of Slake-Sin's force is made of of beastmen, most of which have marched with him from the Realm of Chaos. Slitherlimb, one of Slake-Sin's lesser champions, has been rewarded with charge of their lustful filthy ways. 
Sliktherlimb is one of those champions content to serve another, happy to accept the scraps or treasures that are passed down to loyal followers. He leads the large beastmen unit of 15 souls against the enemies of Slake-Sin. Level 15 and armed with a magical weapon, he sings of the joy of killing the hated foe. The unit is armed with a magical banner. 

Throgg the troll, lurks to the right of this unit. A longstanding follower of Slake-Sin and a member of his force since the very early days. Utter and totally stupid, but devoted to his master and the pleasures he offers. 

Jaketh. Sorcerer for pay. He delights in gathering chaos items and exploiting them for his own advancement. 
Jaketh is a level 20 sorcerer and in pay of Slake-Sin. Though devoted to the power that chaos can provide, Jaketh worships chaos as a whole and cares little for the whims of individual powers. He is happy to serve all, as long as the price is right, and brings with him considerable knowledge of the monsters that lurk in the dark forests. he has gone as far as to bewitch one of the giant spiders that live in the Forest of Shadows to serve his paymaster's needs. 

Grubshat. The ensorcelled giant spider. 
Grubshat is a giant spider. Jesterspite discovered this beast wounded near the Old Forest Road after it had been hunted by goblins. Healing it with perverse magic, the spider now blindly followers it master, chittering happily when ever there is flesh to be rendered from bone.

Gluttonspoor and his minotaurs. Fickle in their allegiance, these beasts could easily end up on either side. For now, they serve Slake-Sin, as long a fresh meat is provided daily. 
Finally, Guttonspoor and his minotaur killers. Like Jaketh, this beast of chaos fight for money and do not care which God they align themselves too. Having fought for and against all the major powers over these years, this terrifying beasts could even switch sides mid battle to best suit their depraved needs. 

The Host of Ulthur Deathfist

The Deathfist and his chaos retinue. Level 25 and armed with a chaos weapon and a magical axe that can destroy undead, he is a fearsome sight. Expect to see this unit in the thick of the action. 
The Deathfist is feared across the forests and scrublands of the Old World. The most successful chaos leader in one hundred years is slowly building his influence, having spent the best part of three years fighting against rivals within the chaotic community. Shamed by his defeat by the undead, Ulthar hates all undead creatures with a passion, though his hate of the feeble minded followers of Slaanesh runs deeper still. Ulthur has little interest in reaving souls amongst the weak mortal humans and elves that live around his area of operations, preferring the challenge of his own kind. He plans to crush Slke-Sin once and for all, before marching north to carve himself a kingdom in the Chaos Wastes. 

Chaos marauders and Chaos thugs. The units are unnamed but are lead by Ulthur's up and coming champions. Axelicker the Bound leads the thugs, while Jon Flamehaired leads the marauders. Both are dangerous fighters. and level 15.
Following a strict heirarchy, the youngest warriors must serve amongst the thug units in his retinue. Once they have proved their worth they move up into the heavily armoured ranks of the Marauders. The lifespan of these fighters is often short and brutal, but the glory in violence which they aspire to is welcome reward. Ulthur hopes to expand on this units in future and is always on the look out for magical artefacts to construct banners for his followers. 

Brune, a level 15 champion, and a veteran of many skirmishes. 
Few beastmen remain in the Deathfist's ranks. The psychopathic rage these creatures display is almost suicidal and they live only to bath themselves in the blood of their enemies in the service of Khorne. Their leader, Brune, is the sole remaining beastman from Blandidir's host. 

Ubba Axesplit in his chariot, a gift from his brother. Borak Splinteraxe looms on the right. His orders are to maintain the chariot and preserve the missile units.
Borak Splinteraxe is a successful chaos champion in his own right, but like all dwarfs seek a lord to serve. Borak brings with him ranks of missile weapons and maintains the chaos chariot bequeathed to Ulthur's brother, the vile Ubba Axesplit. He has his own retinue of chaos warriors. More thoughtful than meany of his companions, the dwarfs serve Ulthur to serve themselves. One day a stronger more successful lord may arise, and on that day Borak will depart and make a new contract in chaos. 

Ulthur is no fool and knows from experience that the magical fire his forces take needs to be countered. Hence he has employed a unit of dwarf projectile weapons. Their targets will be lightly armoured throops and wizards. The bazooka team also specialises in taking down gigantic creatures. 
Borak's Meatmanglers are a crack unit of projectile specialists. They prefer to kill at a distance and delight in the carnage they can create. Two small a unit to make a difference in the battle line, this troops have often been battlewinners for Ulthur. If faced by overwhelming odds, Borak will retreat. In his view, Khorne can be better served by fighting another day than dying needlessly. 

The World Famous mange is lead to battle by Ogpog from the East.
Finally, Ogpog of Mourngal, Ulthur's beastmaster. he is in charge of the chaos hounds, including Ulthur's beloved hound, Mange. This hobgoblin from the far east, specialises in finding gaps in the enemy line for his dogs to exploit. Creeping around the enemy's flanks is another favourite of this creature. 

Well, there you have it....

I am off to finish off my armylists and ensure that Stuart and I have everything that we need for tomorrow. If you have a chaos warband and you want to join the fight, please side either with the Deathfist or Slake-Sin.

See you at BOYL!

Orlygg
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Oldhammer Weekend 2014: Overview

August 11, 2014, 6:19 am
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As the final bars of the Queen track crashed to their conclusion, Stuart and I cruised our uncertain way up a rural lane. The SatNav interrupted the late Freddie Mercury to tell us that in one hundred yards we would reach our destination.  To be honest, we didn't really have a clue where we were going. Then, a solitary sign, and one I was not expecting to see, emerged from the curve in the road and we knew that the SatNav was correct - an Oldhammer sign cheerfully directing us through the gates of Stoke Hall and towards the Foundry premises. 

Parking by the church, Stuart and I disembarked from the car and strolled down the muddy path towards the imposing entrance that leads into the converted stables where the new Foundry complex is situated. We were greeted by the sight of a white marquee and hubbub of Oldhammerers in conversation. Pushing through the canvas flap of the marquee, our Oldhammer Weekend began. 

Over the two days I took a huge number of photographs and spoke to many, many people. I shall be chronicling some of these events in more detail is the coming days but for now I thought it appropriate to publish an overview of SOME of the things that happened on the day, and the day after. Using the medium of photography is probably the best bet so here goes. 


Painted dwarfs on show at the Foundry till. No pretentious aspirations here, as they were housed in what looked like a glass cake tray and stuck in place with Blu-Tak. These models really show off how vibrant the colours in those Foundry paint pots are. Needless to say, I bought more later on. 


The wonderful Kev Adams was on hand to talk us through what was on show as well as share a batch of his latest greens including an incredible standard bearer model. After the fiasco with the goblin with her boobies out at Salute, its was amusing to see plenty of 'topless' orc ladies showing their menfolk (or should that be orcfolk?) how to do 'da bashin'! These greens will be part of a future Warmonger release or possible Kickstarter in the coming days - but more on that later! 


Stuart starts shopping immediately, and begun to rummage around in many of the special offer trays that had been put out by the cashier station. Kev was keen to show off his latest work but I was far too terrified of dropping the greens to handle them much. The Goblinmaster was looking really well after his recent injuries and was in fine form. 


This is the interior of the converted stables that make up the new Foundry store. Considering that the place has only been going four months, the facilities were excellent and were much more welcoming than the previous site. The familiar tables build by the Ansells for last year's Oldhammer event had been moved inside and provided a very pleasant environment for browsing and gaming. Kev Adams, Claus Kliplev, Marcus Ansell and Tony Yates can be seen lurking in the background.


These are just some of the blisters available now from the Foundry shop. Most of the stock is housed in what were the old stalls for the horses. Bryan Ansell told me he plans to include miniature cabinets along these walls, place between the hanging stock, to show off many more models from his personal collection than he can at the moment. Not far from here is a far larger room that he intends to convert (if possible) into a main gaming room. The ceiling there is much higher and mooted plans suggest a second level and staircase. 


This photographs is a shot from the second day of the gigantic siege game. Have you ever seen so many Mighty Fortresses together? This really was an epic struggle that I kept popping over to check out and was easily the biggest game of Warhammer Third Edition in over twenty-five years! Of note in this shot are the awesome visages of Erny (Oldhammer t-shirt) and Snickit (green t-shirt) whose collections made up a very large part of this spectacle. 


A closer look of the some of the many models that made up the siege game, including the amusing bottom of a giant. There was a great range of models on offer here, from many periods and manufacturers, which just goes to show that Oldhammer doesn't need to be expensive vintage Citadel!


One of the gaming areas inside the stables a few hours later. Packed with gamers playing a multitude of systems. LegioCustodes (chequed shirt) and his team play epic Space Marine at the back of the photograph. Garth (Warhammer for Adults) ponders over which units he will use to crush my chaos forces in the foreground in a manly pink shirt.

The unmistakable form of Chico rises from his pit of darkness to get stuck into his Judge Dredd game. Plenty more pics are to be found on his blog. Oldhammer veteran Paul Golgfag shows us how to throw a die. 


LegioCustodes and his team warm up for their massive epic battle on the Saturday. These old epic scale models were welcome sight at this years BOYL, with fantasy and RT predominating the community. I expect to see a great many more games of epic in the future, and I predict a growth in the part of our community in the coming months, largely due to the efforts of Legio and his excellent blog, Oldhammer 40k.


A shot of the packed out Marquee taken at lunchtime on Saturday. Hot and cold food, drinks of varying strength and quality service was provided by Diane Ansell and her staff on both days, all at very reasonable prices. And to think, she fed over a hundred battlefield walkers as well as us! I am sure that many other attendees will agree with me when I say the food and drink on offer was the best I have even seen at a wargaming show or event, so thank you very much! 


Inside the marquee on the Saturday. A Chaos warbands game was fought out surrounded by old school homemade scenery. I spent quite a bit of time photographing the models here as the range of painting styles and miniature choices was broad and exciting. More from this game in a future post. Some of you may well recognise this board, it was the one we used for the warbands game last year, as well as the game we played at Blog-Con. 


Kev Adams brought out some of his latest greens fresh from his workstation to share with us. Here we have a close up of one of the female orcs he is producing at the moment. These are great, great fun and will no doubt make up many a regiment when they are released. 


Bryan brought out a real curiosity on Saturday, the metal version of the Mighty Fortress. Each weighs a ton and really is a sight to see. Mr Ansell went on to explain a little about how it was produced, being built from wood, with the detail sculpted on by Trish Morrison. 


Tony Yates, whose blog is always worth a visit, as also on hand to talk about his work illustrating and creating miniature concepts. He had some interesting illustrations of elves to share and was happy to sketch pictures for all who asked. He did a quick chaos warrior for me which I shall share shortly. 


Somebody (please up date me so I can put the correct name here) brought this hand made Heroquest board, complete with laser-cut character boards. By all accounts a great game was had using this. We discuss the game with Bryan later and he spoke about the game selling over TWO MILLION copies back in the late '80s. And as someone quipped, the next time you see a BIN version for sale you can inform the seller just how many were made and sold. 


Bryan also brought out many of the more recent miniature concepts designed by himself and Kev Adams for forthcoming Foundry fantasy ranges. These were very interesting to see as they were often sketches and ideas rather than the high concept work we are used to seeing. We spoke about beastmen at length and tried to persuade Bryan to produce a range with a greater emphasis on variation and mutation, rather than just the generic 'goatman' norm. Hopefully, we will see such a selection from the Foundry in future years. 


The Mighty Avenger also brought out recently discovered greens and communications between himself and a range of sculptors. Like the concepts these were fascinating to look at and were from all kinds of ranges and places. The Tim Prow robot was perhaps the highlight of a very impressive selection.


This figure was given to me by the Foundry for winning the 'Best Army' award at the event. This was a fantastic touch and a quite unexpected one. As some of you will know, there was a painting competition on the Saturday, judged by Kev Adams and myself. We decided on three categories; 'Group', 'Single' and 'Large' and I must say it was a very, very difficult decision. One of the winners was Graham Applerly. Each of these got to select unreleased Marauder models as part of their prize. It was very humbling to be selected for a similar prize for my Chaos armies, alongside Garth from Warhammer for Adults, and I had the very difficult task of choosing a model from the unreleased selection. In the end, I chose this unreleased Citadel/Marauder? wizard the Bryan says was sculpted by Aly Morrison of all people. 

A fine physical reminder of a fantastic day. 

There is plenty more BOYL coverage to come from me in the coming days, just as I expect there will be on many other blogs in the Oldhammer Community. If you don't blog, and you have a great photo to share from the day please do email me at realmofchaos80s@yahoo.co.uk and I will include it in one of the forthcoming articles. 

Orlygg
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Oldhammer Weekend 2014: Bryan Ansell's Miniature Collection

August 11, 2014, 10:24 am
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One of the big draws of the Oldhammer Weekend are the painted models. Now, these aren't just ordinary painted miniatures.... No, these are figures painted by the '80s 'Eavy Metal team, many of which appeared in print across White Dwarf and the many publications put out between 1984-1992. many of the figures didn't even make it there, and have remained unknown and unseen until discovered by Steve Casey or Bryan during their rummages. 

As always, there were plenty of models on show in the cabinets in the actual Foundry store. I spent sometime studying them during the Saturday, and Bryan was kind enough to open the cabinets up for a closer inspection. I took the opportunity to take plenty of photographs for our international Oldhammer brothers. 

What follows is my simple guide to some of the interesting pieces that my camera managed to capture. Some are a little blurry here and there but I am sure that you will see some little surprises among this collection of models. This first photograph has a nice group of Rogue Trooper miniatures as well as a few Judge Dredd Citadel pieces. 


There are many famous painted miniatures in this collection. At the back you should be able to make out the original Space Zoats that appeared in early Rogue Trader releases and White Dwarf. Many of the Space Adventurers and Rogue Trader characters were also part of this display, including many of the models that Bob Olley sculpted. Of particular note is the Imperial Inquisitor in grey (which also appeared on the Space War Combat Card release), the original Leman Russ figure and Bob Naismith's first Space Marine sculpt. 


Further along the cabinet are more of the models from that first shelf. Space pirates mass here aplenty and if you squint a bit and peer through the blur you should be able to spot the blue chaos dwarf renegade that appeared in Slaves to Darkness and other places. 


Below were arrayed a collection of Sci-Fiction vehicles built by many hands during the early days of Rogue Trader (as well as other projects) and these were all new to me. 


More smaller scale models used for RT and Laserburn I assume. Note the mass ranks of the Sphincterbeasts!


Early prototype titans that were later published in White Dwarf soon after the release of Adeptus Titanicus. I was pleased to see these as they were featured in the very first White Dwarf that I ever bought! 


Next, enough squats to make Chico faint with sheer wanton delight! Loads of the models from their plastic box set release are included here as well as many of the metal models that required plastic arms. The gorilla model was built by Tony Yates many years ago. 


A huge number of Citadel fighters, feudals, lords of battle and so on. There were so many it was hard to taken in all of the figures. I loved seeing that many of the shields features the old Arcane Armorial transfers. Many of these models, especially the Baron's War range, are still available from the Wargames Foundry. 


Marauder skeletons stretch in a single line across this shelf and a large force of orcs, including some of Ruglud's Armoured, can be seen in the front of the image. Note the lovely goblin wolfrider on the far left of the photograph.


Behold the original chaos thug models which make up a large part of this display. Plenty of colourful banners are dangled aloft providing inspiration for those of us who seek to emulate this style of painting. The Nurglesque Rhino and Land Raider you can see in the background appeared in White Dwarf after the release of Rogue Trader. 


This shelf was adorned with many a Greater daemon, some of which you will no doubt recognise from Slaves to Darkness. Don't the vivid colours just strike you? My next task is to learn to create these colours on my own models. Karnac's Lizardmen Raider's, a rare first edition Regiment of Renown, are lined up along the bottom of the image. 


Unpainted troglodytes loom large, if a little primitively sculpted, in front of the famous 'wedding cake' ruined columns that were part of a scenery article in WD, as well as residing in many late '80s dioramas. They really are beautifully painted and presented. Inspiration indeed! 


A better shot of one of the painted Marauder trolls. 


An interesting collection here, which includes Gandalf, Nipponese Rocket crew, paladins and more recent Foundry dwarfs. Note the original cybermen and daleks in the corner! 


'The Drop'! Part of the original ork background and one of the last things Bryan was involved with at GW. One of Aly Morrison's Samurai can be also seen in this shot as well as a rather hungry looking snail! 


One of my top miniatures. The Alpine Dwarf and this one is exquisitely painted. I am sure many of you remember this model from its publication in White Dwarf. Original painted Space Crusade Android in the background. 


Bryan shares some of his more recent concepts, largely done by him and Kev Adams. Its good to know that the Mighty Avenger is designing new miniatures for us to enjoy once more. I have seen the greens to many of these and they are fantastic!


A close up of one of the concepts held in the magnificent hands of Warlord Paul. There is an enormous sense of fun about this new range and its clear in the working drawings. We were lucky enough to have a good leaf through all of the bizarre and zany ideas that have been dreamt up for Warmonger!


Unreleased sculpts by Tim Prow. Bryan even had the original letters and documentation with them.


Bryan then took us on a tour of Stoke Hall itself. We passed beneath the large gates of the stable, through a wildly overgrown walled garden into the house proper. Words cannot easily express what it is like to stand before these models and bask in their wonder. And, these are but a fraction of the collection. Hopefully, some time in the future many more of these models will be on display within the Foundry shop and gaming centre. 


Gorgeously painted Foundry Faerie folk.


The weird and wonderful! A dragon sculpted by Tony Ackland (who no-one can remember anything about), the chaos brothers and various daemonic beasties.


The Patriarch genestealer. Easily one of the greatest models of all time and part of an enormous force in the cabinets. 


The original painted Chaos Centaurs.


A chaos toilet painted by Aly Morrison.


Even the space below the main cabinets is packed with stuff. Here Bryan opens the door while Garth from Warhammer for Adults looks on amazed!


Citadel dwarfs, including a few of Bugman's Rangers. There are so many models on display in this cabinet that it is impossible to take them all in. You could look for hours and hours and always find something new. Astonishing really! 


Beautifully painted dwarfs from the later '80s ranges. 


Some of Bryan's massive beastman army. Note that brilliant shield!


Many more miniatures from the Realm of Chaos era. Observant readers of this blog will recognise many of these from the photographs taken at last year's BOYL. My chaos army is based on these models and their colour schemes. 


The original Citadel empire army, seen in Warhammer Siege as well as many other places. Remember, these models can all now be purchased at the Foundry.


After gawping at the cabinets for some time, Bryan took us further inside Stoke Hall and into another of the rooms. Something familiar was spotted on the top of a piece of furniture, though none of us dared to lift it down!


So Bryan did...


It was the Chalice of Doom by Ivan Bartlett! The first winner of the first Golden Demon painting competition. It was a very fine thing indeed to see it with my own eyes!


Steve 'The Citadel Collector' Casey and Gaj from Warhammer for Adults ponder over even more of Bryan's collection. Can you spot another major piece of Citadel history hiding somewhere in this picture?


Wayne England's incredible painted designs on the walls of Stoke Hall. The whole project took him about a year and was done in Foundry paints! The designs come from Pompeii. 


And finally, a recent discovery of Bryan's... A greetings card produced by one Ian Miller. Disturbing indeed!

Hope you enjoyed this little wander through Bryan's collection. I was a great honour for me to be shown around by Bryan himself, and is such great company with other Oldhammerers. An experience that is very hard to forget I can tell you!

Before I go, let me direct you once more to the work of Steve Casey. Over the last few years he has been slowly photographing Bryan's vast collection and sorting it out. Many, many high quality images from this project can be found here at Eldritch Epistles.

Go check them out.

Eternal thanks to Bryan Ansell for welcoming us into his home and allowing us access to his fabulous collection. 

Dream come true!

Orlygg.
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Oldhammer Weekend 2014: Painted Miniatures

August 12, 2014, 11:08 am
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A quick post today about some of the painted miniatures that caught my eye over the two days I was at the Foundry. It was great fun to stroll the many tables snapping away, though the light conditions were not always perfect, my iphone managed to capture plenty of Oldhammer goodness. I have whittled my snaps down to what I consider to be the very best work that I saw. The trouble is, I have no idea who actually painted some of the stuff I have to share with you, so if you happen to know who's work is displayed in these images then please comment below so I can put names to models. 

Thanks!


First up, we have this shot of these superb Slann and Eldar jetbikes. I spotted these all alone on the Saturday and there didn't seem to be anyone around to ask about them. So if they are yours, please say! It was the richness of the colour that initially drew my eye, as its this kind of tone that I am trying to bring into my own work now. Not adding white to highlight seems to be the trick, though high pigment paints will also no doubt help achieve this look too! Many of you will know that I am not a big fan of identikit paint jobs on miniatures. The idea of painting up thirty to forty models in exactly the same way is my idea of torture. Here, the slann are presented in varying colours and this really helps make each model an individual, but together they make a fantastic looking army. The basing really helps tie this together, and the naturalistic tones offset the alien vividness of the slann. 

Great stuff!


You've got to love the Mighty Fortress! Something about the polystyrene makes it look more realistic, certainly when compared to the plastic kits I have seen in recent years. Its still a great kit, but one whose value has soared in recent years. If you wanted to get your hands on one of these online you are probably looking at about £50, though Bryan Ansell thinks this is a fair price as its pretty equivalent to what you had to pay for it in the 1980s. This example has been beautifully drybrushed and really 'pops' to life. The doors too are worthy of a mention as they have been perfectly finished in bronze. One day I will paint up my castle and when I do, this image will be consulted regularly! 


This shot is from the Chaos Warbands game inside the marquee. Now, I know for a fact that these are the work of many, many hands but I cannot recall who those hands belonged to. A lot of the miniatures you can see here are classic Citadel, but a few more modern sculpts lurk within their ranks too, and you know what? They fit in beautifully! Still, these forces follow that all important criteria of miniature painting - the need for the models to be varied in both shape and colour scheme. Its hard to pick out a favourite miniature from this photograph so I will refrain from doing so, choosing instead to select a small group of models for special praise. The five beastmen on the left of the picture are absolutely outstanding and really capture that old school painting chic with aplomb! 


For those of you not in attendance, I can tell you know that there was a rather informal painting competition organised by the Foundry. The rules were simple, pick a model and stick in the cabinet for judging. This worked really well and is certainly something to emulate in the future. With the sheer amount of models lying around it was very easy to select something and place it in the cabinet for appraisal. Kev Adams was supposed to judge the result alone but found the task too challenging, such was the range and depth to the skills on offer. I helped him make the final decisions (which wasn't an easy task at all) and we decided on three categories - large, single figure and group. What follows are the winning models in each of these categories... 


Graham Apperley won the 'Large' category with this excellent conversion that dates back to the original 1980s Golden Demon Awards! Its a great fun model that is very evocative of the era that we, of course, value and are inspired by. The trouble was, it was cased in the highest section of the cabinet and with the sun shining in through the window, it was really difficult to capture properly. Graham if you are reading this, please send me a better photograph so I can update this post! 


Chris Web won the 'Single' category with the pink and purple horror. A miniature like this needs no other word to describe but incredible! I picked this model out because I felt it could have been part of Bryan's collection and had been very closely observed from RoC era paint jobs. The rest of the daemons in the group were also superb to see. 


Paul Shorten won the 'Group' stage with this highly technical interpretation of the 'Goff Rockers' who were amusingly 'on toor' and ready to 'rok' no doubt. What caught Kev's eye was the drummer conversion which really completed the original set and he was really impressed with the idea of the space marine helmet as part of the drumkit. 


Now this is what I call a goblinoid army! This force apparently belongs to a bloke called Erny.


Judging by the distinctive bases, these fantastic elves are part of Harry's collection. Now, Harry has been a well known wargaming figure for many years and I can remember him from my warseer days. His 'Blast from the Past' thread encouraged me to start my own project log, which was the forerunner to this blog. He is also a very pleasant chap. What struck me about this force is the sheer number of Jes Goodwin bears and big cats. These things are a expensive sight online and seeing so many in one go was a treat! 


Paul Shorten clearly didn't stop with just the 'Goff Rockers' but unpacked an entire force of old school orks for our (and now your) enjoyment. 


A varied but striking sensei warband by a gifted painter who's name currently escapes me! What struck me here was the range of different models used to represent the group. Even though the source material is very broad, the concise painting holds the group together very well. The simple but effective bases reward the group with a little coherency too.


And finally, this force makes up what I believe to be a Confrontation force by, yes you guessed it, another painter who's name I did not catch. early Rogue trader models have that distinctive look that easily makes for a good painted figure, especially if you are using bright colours like these. A nice final picture to round things off with.

Now before I depart, mention must be made here of the unreleased Marauder wizards that Bryan gave away as prizes for the different painting competitions, one of which I was lucky enough to get my hands on. What follows is a catalogue of what those models were. I know there were a lot of people keen to see the models that were handed out. With a little work behind the scenes, we think we have established what was on offer. Any one reading this who had the container in your hands will know how difficult it was to choose a single figure from an incredible collection of rare figures. 

I am pretty sure that Garth James selected this figure.
I chose this model for winning Best Army



Paul Shorten chose this one for his Goff Rockers if memory serves.
Paul also picked up this unreleased wood elf for his honourable mention in the best army competition.
Did you win one of the other models? Do you know who won the other models? If the answer is yest to these questions then please let me know so I can add the captions to the photographs above. Thanks. Mention must be made here of the CCM group from which these images were taken. Probably the best resource for identifying your lead. 

Au revoir, until next year's painting competition!

Orlygg
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Orlygg's First Commission: Chaos Champion of Nurgle for Stuart Klatcheff

August 13, 2014, 11:20 am
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Stuart recently asked me to paint a miniature for him, as part of a trade deal and I was more than happy to do so. He had selected the famous 'pointy skeleton' example from his collection, with strict instructions to Nurglify him up. He wanted something a bit different for the shoulder pad and I suggested red, knowing from experience that a dark crimson works wonders with the plague lord. 

I used my now normal method to prepare the model for painting. A white undercoat followed by the base colours. Over this I liberally covered with my own homebrew ink wash, which is made up from chestnut, dark brown and a little red, and set aside to dry. This was the day before BOYL and I have spent the last couple of evenings working on him. The model was a bit of a departure for me as it was the first time I had used Foundry paints as I have to say, they are easily the best paints I have ever used. Gradually, I intend to move over to their system as my older pots run low. 

I bought the bone triad of colours and used them to work up the detail on the top half of the model. I found the paint to be quite fluid and didn't have to include as much water as I normally do to get the control I was after. Using each shade in sequence made things easy and the bone was soon worked up nicely. 

The shoulderpad was base coated in a red/brown ink mix and them highlighted up through adding additional blobs of red paint to the mix. The final highlights are pure yellow though, and I find that adding yellow in this way gives a very striking colour indeed. 

The cloak was an exact copy of the technique I used on my recent evil sorcerer model, only I used a different shade of green as my basis and worked up the highlight by adding the brightest bone shade in the Foundry triad. 

The sword was easy too, just a gold and silver basecoat washed over with a couple of layers of brown ink. I drushbrushed over the blade with progressively brighetr shades of silver but chose to leave the gold untouched, save for a fine bright silver highlight on the hilt. Over this I added my homemade verdigris wash to help age the weapon and give it that Nurgle look.  I added a couple of gemstones to the pommel using the standard method for such things. 

I wasn't sure whether to do just my standard base or to add static grass or flock, so in the end I opted to do both. Overall, I am very pleased with the result and I hope that Stuart is too. I have a section commission to do shortly, as soon as a suitable figure can be found, for Steve 'Citadel Collector' Casey, which will be a little more ambitious and involves something I have wanted to do for sometime. Keep your eyes peeled for that when it comes! 

Orlygg
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Acceptable in the '80s: Marauder Ogres and Orc Battle Chariot

August 15, 2014, 4:23 am
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Welcome back to my series that charts the history of  Warhammer Third Edition through its releases. Today we will be taking a look at a single page of Marauder miniatures, namely the Orc Battle Chariot and the excellent ogres.

Starting with the Orc Battle Chariot, I must say I have always been quite impressed by this model. It's chunky and brutal but not ridiculous in its dimensions. The wolves are small and spiteful and the construction of the chariot seems plausible enough. What is worth pointing out are the choices of crew available in the set - a driver, an archer, a champion and a warlord. This allows the collector or old school gamer a choice about how to portray the chariot. 

The ogres are probably far more famous and easily match up against the iconic Jes Goodwin examples. Where Jes's work is rich in variation, the Marauder set is more uniform, most likely because they are actually in... Well... Err... Uniforms! These models are well sculpted and more realistic then the Citadel set. Special mention should be made over the renaissance clothing, which is really interesting and original. This look makes across the dwarf and human range and would make a fine army all on it's own.

A fine collection of models in all. The ogre with the cannon is probably the best ogre sculpted!

Orlygg
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A sneaky look at some Warmonger WIP greens from Wargames Foundry

August 19, 2014, 12:50 am
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The Goblinmaster with his creation - The Oldhammer Goblin! He has the unofficial name of Boyldrick!
All hail the Leadheads and Oldhammerers! A bit of an exclusive for you today, a closer look at some of the greens produced by Kev Adams for Wargames Foundry: shared with you via Bryan 'Dark Winged' Ansell. As many of you who attended BOYL this year will know, Kev took time away from chasing the goblins only he can see and spent time chatting with fans as well as showing off many of his forthcoming greens. As some of you will know, Wargames Foundry are developing a new range called, Warmonger! This range deals with the many goblinoid sculpts that the Goblinmaster has done over the years as well as all of the new greens he has been producing of late. 

To quote the Mighty Avenger himself: "Kevin may have done a hundred heads so far: there's no stopping him now.  They are vaguely derived from the rough concepts that were knocking about last weekend."

None of these models should be considered complete and Bryan went on to tell me that many of them will receive additional layers of clothing and other gubbinz that orcs require to feel contented with their lot in life. 

Let's have a look then!







And now for something completely different...

In case you haven't seen this image on the Facebook group, here are the assembled Oldhammer Boyz on the Saturday afternoon. I am the plonker looking the wrong  way just left of the middle! 


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