Orkheim Ultraz: Growing painz…

I recently played my second game of Blood Bowl, giving both the Orkheim Ultraz and myself some much needed practice. My opponent was my colleague Annie with her brilliant Lustria team (more on that in a minute), and in contrast to her husband Mike, she certainly didn’t pull her punches this time around.

Which was really all for the best, since I really need to learn this game the hard way. That said, she was still nice enough to point out some of my more imbecilic tactical decisions before it was too late, talking me through the different game moves and explaining what did and didn’t make sense.

One of my Blitzers swinging a right hook at a Saurian — doubtlessly in frustration…

All of this didn’t stop me from getting thoroughly annihilated on the pitch, however: The Orkheim Ultraz spent most of the game knocked onto their asses. Not all of this was due to my dubious tactics, however, I just seemed to have a knack for rolling ones for the entire duration of the game: often several of them in a row, in fact…

A rare moment of triumph: One of my field players has managed to catch the ball. His buddies are preparing to shield him from the oncoming lizards. Shortly after this picture was taken, things got rather ugly…

The game ended with my team failing to score a single touchdown, while Annie’s lizards had managed to score two. If I hadn’t been so slow during the game, I might have lost even harder.

My utter annihilation aside, it feels like I am – slowly – coming to grips with the game. While there’s quite a lot that does not yet come naturally to me, I believe I am beginning to understand some of the underlying mechanics and getting an idea of what to do and when to do it. If this all sounds extremely cautiously optimistic to you, bear with me: I am not a rules guy, and it takes ages for me to learn the intricacies of basically every tabletop game (except maybe for HeroQuest — I think I have that down by now ).

Anyway, I’ll need more practice, of course, but I may be starting to understand what I am actually doing during the game, which is a pretty good development, all things considered.

A typical scene from the game: Almost my entire team lying around on the pitch, groaning in pain…

So, instead of putting you through more of my lamentations and tactical ineptitude, I thought it would be nice to spend the second half of this post to show you more of Annie’s Lustria models, originally conceived as the Raakmoor Venom Vipers. The team is full of great little ideas and beautifully painted, so you’re in for a treat.

And since you already got a look at the regular players in my last post, I’ll be focusing on the supporting characters this time around, since they are really something to behold. Because Annie has this habbit of spending at least as much money and work on her support staff as on the team proper. It’s madness, to be sure, but it’s a good kind of madness, if you ask me

Disclaimer: Just to be perfectly clear on this: None of the following models were built or painted by me, and huge thanks must go to Annie for allowing me to post them here!

So, with that out of the way, let’s take a closer look:

First up, the trainer of the team:

I already showed you this guy previously, without his floating chair. But now, finally in his true seat of power, the model is even cooler. For some reason, the bloated, froglike Slann immediately seems like a great trainer or manager.

And you can almost imagine the skink at his side whispering recommendations in his ear, evaluating certain players and the like. The model has lots of detail and different textures, and I think Annie has really managed to do it justice with her paintjob:

And that dapper little cap, done in GS and painted in the team’s colours as well as featuring its initials, still has to be my favourite part! A great addition that instantly transforms an otherwise unconverted model into a suitable piece for Blood Bowl:

Then there are the cheerleaders:

A very clever little conversion, involving some stock chamaeleon skinks and a bunch of pipe cleaners. I also love how Annie managed to paint the beady little eyes, complete with pupils, no less!

Now, what happens when the Raakmoor fans have to accompany the Vipers on an away match? Not to worry, because they have their very own fan bus to take them wherever they need to go:

Using that huge metal model just for the heck of it is totally nuts, of course. But you just cannot ignore the brilliance of the idea: The fans commandeering a huge dinosaur to take them to each game of their team. Plus the model is, once again, very nicely painted! Check out the flags with the team logo! Brilliant!

And finally, possibly my favourite of the bunch:

Whenever one of the Lizards get beaten to a cold-blooded pulp, no need to fear, because the team has a flying medic on standby at all times.
Now the idea in itself is already fantastic: Just imagine that terradon swooping in every time one of the players gets hurt. But the little details are what really takes the cake here: The terradon has a flashing blue light modeled on its head, and the skink has a flag and a bag of medical supplies. Brilliant!

All of these were made from stock Lizardmen models and a whole lot of creativity! And all of this showcases both Annie’s creativity and prowess at painting stuff, but also something I think is great about Blood Bowl in general: You only strictly need a dozen models to play the game, but there are all kinds of occasions for additional models to accompany your team. And there’s so much potential for adding humourous little tidbits to your collection of models: Have an idea for a funny mini-diorama? Heck, you may as well throw it in: Chances are, you’ll actually be able to use the model in some capacity, if only as some kind of cool turn marker.

So with that, my exploits in the wonderful world of fantasy football continue. Thanks again to Annie for letting me show these models! And, as always, thanks to you for reading and stay tuned for more!

Inquisitor Titus Alvar, Ordo Xenos

I already mentioned in my latest Desktop Roundup post that I had continued working on my model for Inquisitor Alvar, of the Ordo Xenos. And after spending quite some time to make this model look just the way I wanted it, I can finally show you the finished model today.

But before I do that, let’s take a look at the model’s evolution:
Everything started with my desire to convert the trenchcoat wearing cultist champion from Dark Vengeance into an Inquisitor — as a matter of fact, my original plan was to build a second version of Inquisitor Antrecht.

So that’s what I tried to do when Biohazard was kind enough to let me have his DV cultist champ. But it didn’t work as well as I had anticipated, so my plan B was to transform the model into an Ordo Xenos Inquisitor, seeing how this was the one major Ordo I had not yet built a member of.

This was the original mockup for the model:

The most involved part of the conversion was to replace the cultist’s bare arms with uniformed arms from several Cadian kits, and it quickly became obvious that some GS work would be necessary at the seams. What’s more, the cultist’s bare and branded chest needed to be covered as well. While working on the model, I had the idea for an Inquisitor who was also a bit of a snappy dresser. That’s why I went for a “tie” when building the early version above. I also added a dwarven pistol that, while a bit on the big side, really looks like a reliable piece of equipment (especially when dealing with those vile Xenos…).

Alas, the different parts didn’t yet gel as well as I had hoped. Several people suggested using a different head and replacing the sword, and there was very little love for the tie I had used. I tried several heads as well as a different type of tie, and the model changed to this:

But that didn’t feel right, either: I didn’t necessarily want yet another venerable old-timer!

The turning point came when I received a fantastic head from the Celestial Hurricanum kit courtesy of my fellow hobbyist Gerner, and when DexterKong convinced me that I should give the original tie another chance. That’s when Inquisitor Alvar finally begun to take shape in earnest:

The new arms were blended into the rest of the torso using GS. Inspired by Bruticus’ Inquisitor Tsengir, I also replaced the sword with a Dark Elf sabre, resulting in a weapon  with a rather subtle Xenos look. And I started to build up a waistcoat on the character’s torso using GS.

When the time came to paint the model, I went back to my original idea of the Inquisitor being a bit of a fashion victim and socialite. Because of that, I went for a less shadowy and secretive look, instead opting for some bold colour choices:

Alvar’s coat was painted in a rich, dark red, with dark grey lining. I realise that the reverse colour scheme would have been the more obvious choice for an Inquisitor, but I am actually rather pleased with this particluar choice. His clothes under the coat were painted in various shades of dark grey to make them look subtly expensive (and prevent the model from ending up looking too busy), and I used bronze as a colour to pick out some details.

DexterKong pointed out that the googles and bronze details gave the Inquisitor a certain steampunkish vibe, and I took that on board when building a base for the model:

The base was constructed by combining a piece of plasticard (cut from an old telephone card), a gear (from a very old alarm clock), a bit of brass grating (from the 40k basing set) and some cork chaff. I also covered the plastic card in plastic glue and kept picking at it to give it a slightly pocked, warped surface texture.

Then the whole base was spraypainted, first with GW Chaos Black, then with brown paint from the DIY superstore:

And then it was painted using my usual recipe for rusty metal: Stipple on rust with a lighter shade of brown, wash with GW Agrax Earthshade, add more rust, then add GW Boltgun metal to create the areas where the original metal is showing through. Here’s the finished base:

Inquisitor Alvar was then glued to the base, and I added some final touches to the model: Some areas were tidied up, the hem of his coat and his boots were lightly drybrushed with GW Graveyard Earth to show where grime and dirt had begun to collect, and I also added a simple gem effect to his tie. And with that, the model was finished:

Here are a couple of detail shots of the model on its base:

And a look at Alvar’s “lantern jaw of justice”:

All in all, I am fairly happy with how the model turned out: I like the aristocratic quality about him, yet his equipment and the googles on his brow show that, as a member of the Ordo Xenos, he also is an accomplished fighter and possibly quite a bit of a scientist as well. All in all, the main point of critique leveraged against the earlier iterations of the character was that he didn’t look all that much like an Inquisitor. I think the finished model puts that problem to rest: At least, he very much seems like an Inquisitor to me

The last thing to do was to write a short background vignette for the character, outlining the ideas and concepts that had led to the model’s creation:

Inquisitor Titus Alvar, of the Ordo Xenos

House Alvar has been one of the more influential noble houses for centuries. As a scion of the house, Titus Alvar grew up in luxury and power, the intricacies of the Imperial courts with their waxing and waning support for one house or another a game he quickly mastered. Maybe the search for new and more immediate thrills was what made him enter that perilous region of space known as “The Veil of Impurity” time and time again, and tales of his exploration of ancient ruins, of treasures discovered and adventures survived, made him the talk of the courts he had left behind. As a matter of fact, one of his expeditions into the treacherous cluster of stars resulted in a standoff with Inquisitrix Cimbria Carscallen. Under normal circumstances, someone running afoul of the Ordo Xenos would have been executed without second thought, yet Carscallen must have seen something in Alvar that made her reconsider. And so, Titus Alvar, noble, adventurer, became an Interrogator in the Emperor’s Holy Ordos of the Inquisition and, in time, an Inquisitor in his own right.

Though the years of doing the Emperor’s work may have somewhat mellowed his once flamboyant lifestyle, Titus Alvar very much remains a socialite and a political animal. His standing as a member of an influential noble house makes him a common guest at social functions all over the sector, and the tales of his exploits have led some of his peers to suspect that he is a glory hound, first and foremost.

In truth, Titus Alvar is, above all else, a pragmatist: The trappings of nobility are as much of a useful tool to him as the artifacts he has recovered on countless expeditions or the retainers, some of them quite exotic, that comprise his warband. Meanwhile, some of Alvar’s colleagues have grown suspicious of the Inquisitor’s continued expeditions to the Veil of Impurity and some of the alliances he may have forged there…

 

As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

INQ28 Desktop Roundup III: Equal opportunities

Today, let’s take another look at my desk, where a rather eclectic collection of INQ28 characters is currently being built. Apart from the usual mix of fanatics, mutants and Inquisitorial operatives, it is my very great pleasure to actually be able to add some female characters to my various retinues. But all in good time! Let us take a look at all the different retinues in characters:

 

1.) Inquisitor Gotthardt’s retinue

Even though only the good Inquisitor himself has been painted so far, Gotthardt’s retinue is pretty far along from a composition standpoint: With Rogue Trader Iskander Gagarin, former Guard officer Esteban Revas as well as a Drill Abbot and retired Arbites Judge (which will both need some additional background), the warband already comprised an interesting collection of archetypes and narrative hooks. But then, inspiration struck yet again and made me build two more members for the warband:

Trooper Koltz

First up, looking at Cpt. Esteban Revas’ military background and upbringing, I thought it would be interesting for him to have a retainer of his own: One Trooper Salvador “Sal” Koltz, sworn to serve the Revas family because his life was saved by Esteban’s late father. I imagine Koltz as both a experienced veteran and a sly and deceptively clever person, always hiding his smarts behind a veneer of lower class joviality. Here’s a WIP shot of the model:

In addition to being Revas’ personal retainer, Koltz also serves as his master’s “packing mule”, so I gave him all kinds of baggage to lug around — I imagine him to be carrying all kinds of stuff, ranging from sensible military grade equipment to Revas’ personal smoking utensils, shoeshine, etc.

It was actually a delicate balance to maintain, since adding any more stuff would have made the model look over-encumbered and silly. Anyway, I am quite pleased with Koltz. The only thing I might change is to exchange his head with one from the WFB Empire free company. Apart from that, though, he really looks the part!

Elisha Gorgo

Finding decent bitz to build female characters is always a bit of a challenge, and especially so with GW’s range. The female models available are few and far between, and those that actually exist usually sport a very distinct look (Wood Elves, High Elves,…). So it was by a brilliant stroke of luck that I managed to pick up the three female vampires from the Vampire Counts Coven Throne during an ebay auction. Granted, these ladies also have a pretty special look, but not only does it match the strange and eclectic design of the 40k universe rather well, but I also think these models are among the best female models ever released by GW — unfortunately, the normal way of picking them up is to buy a kit that comes at 50 Euros a pop…

Anyway, thanks to the lucky coincidence outlined above, I found myself in the possession of the three models (along with some more very nice bitz from the same kit). So I immediately started to build the first female member for Inquisitor Gotthardt’s retinue: Elisha Gorgo…

…or, actually, Countess Elisha Haxta di Colasante Mordina Gorgo. My rough background idea for her is that she is the daughter of a powerful Imperial noble. She started displaying psychic powers at a very young age. Normally, that would have meant a dreary and possibly short life aboard one of the Blackships, although her influential father pulled all kinds of strings in order to keep her “affliction” a secret. Due to her powers, she has been sequestered away from other people for most of her life and grew up very shy and demure as a consequence. Her secret was only uncovered when Inquisitor Gotthardt visited her homeworld as part of an investigation. And for some reason (which will need to be pretty good, I suppose), he chose to make her a member of his retinue.

While the warband can definitely use a psyker from a rules perspective, I mainly think that she could serve to introduce some interesting character dynamics into the retinue: Esteban Revas is feeling immensely protective of her for several reasons: They both come from a noble background. They both lost their standing and home. And there’s also the fact that she reminds him of Archduchess Cyrine, the young ruler of his homeworld. I could also see the Rogue Trader Iskander Gagarin constantly trying to woo her. In any case, she could be interesting from a narrative point of view.

The model itself is a relatively easy kitbash, using my favourite upper body from the Coven Throne kit and combining it with some High Elf archer legs. I also replaced both hands with hands from the Dreamforge Games Eisenkern Stormtroopers (yes, really!), because the original hands were far too claw-like — befitting an ancient vampiress, but certainly not an Imperial debutante…

Anyway, the hands from the Stormtrooper kit (which is fantastic, by the way — I’ll absolutely need to do a detailed writeup on it, one of these days) were a perfect fit. All in all, I am really happy with how Elisha turned out, and I think she makes for a stunning addition to Inquisitor Gotthardt’s retinue!

With the addition of these two characters, I believe we can call Gotthardt’s warband completed from a conceptional standpoint. Here are all the models together:

So all that remains now is for the characters to be painted (and receive their respective backgrounds).

 

2.) Inquisitor Fiegmund’s retinue

Where Gotthardt is fundamentally a rational and levelheaded Inquisitor, especially for a member of the Ordo Hereticus, the maimed Inquisitor Fiegmund is a man possessed and driven over the edge by his hatred for heretics in general and Inquisitor Antrecht in particular. His fragile mental state carries over to his warband, which comprises all kinds of highly dubious and sinister individuals: the Skull Collector, for one. There are also men who revel in the ability to vent their religious zeal and desire for violence while serving the Inquisitor, among them…

Practicals Pask and Gretsch

I begun work on these guys fairly recently, so they’ll still need some smoothing out. Pask and Gretsch are religious nutjobs who would be dead or behind bars if it weren’t for Fiegmund’s intervention: Pask is a former guardsmen whose religious zeal set him at odds with his fellow soldiers. Gretsch is just a madman and killer, selected by Fiegmund for his unquestioning loyalty and religious fervour. Both are pretty easy conversions of Dark Vengeance cultist models. But I think that, even at this early stage, both models already exude an air of gothic menace that’s a great match for Inquisitor Fiegmund’s retinue…

Death Cultist

This bonnie lass is basically a Dark Eldar Wych, transformed into a Death Cultist through the addition of a couple of bitz. The head is a Dark Vengeance cultist head, and while it may seem slightly clunky, I imagine the mask hides some horrible bionic augmentations, so it still works. I also added a flintlock pistol and tilt plate for a more gothic, medieval feel — maybe the Fleur de Lys icon on her shoulderpad even hints towards her cult having served as a recruitment center for the Adepta Sororitas at one point?

Anyway, I am rather happy with the model: She almost manages to convey a certain Blanchian vibe, and what more could I ask?

 

3.) Inquisitor Alvar’s retinue

In addition to Gotthardt’s and Fiegmund’s warbands, there is also an Ordo Xenos warband to consider. First up, I put some more work into the conversion of my first Xenos Inquisitor, now named…

Inquisitor Titus Alvar

The body of the Dark Vengeance cultist champ I had used as a base for the conversion was treated with GS to mask his heretical origins. I also replaced the original sword with a Dark Elf sabre: While it’s not too on-the-nose Eldar-ish, it still reads as a possible Xenos artifact. And I got my hands on one of my favourite heads ever (from the Empire Celestial Hurricanum kit), courtesy of my fellow hobbyist Gerner (cheers, mate!).

The addition of the head really transforms the model into a character, if you ask me:

Expect a look at the finished model soon!

And here’s the Xenos warband so far: Inquisitor Alvar, accompanied by his trusted IG veteran and Kroot pathfinder:

I also used some more female parts from the Coven Throne kits to start and assemble another member for Alvar’s retinue, a Sun Cultist:

Sun Cultist

I had had this idea for quite a while, but then I was inspired anew by Bruticus’ fantastic sun cultist character. I knew that I would really have to get my ass in gear to produce a model that would hold up to his fantastic conversion. Here’s my first inital mockup of the cultist:

The legs and arms are from the Dark Eldar Wyches, while the torso once again came from one of the Coven Throne vampires. The mask was painstakingly spliced together from a Sanguinary Guard helmet and a Wych head — I even had to touch the head up after already considering it finished, since some of the guys over at the Ammobunker pointed out to me that the facial proportions were a little off. And they were right, damn them!

Anyway, here’s the finished head:

I won’t go into too much detail about the process of getting this sorted out. Suffice to say you wouldn’t believe how fiddly a conversion it was…

The next step will be to figure out which arms and weapons to use on her. Either a more classical look…

…or a cultist axe picking up the sun motif?

In any case, I’ll take my time with this model. It would be horrible to hurry her along (and thereby messing up the conversion) after having spent such a long time on that masked face…

 

4.) Other Inquisitorial agents, mutants and shady characters

To wind this up, let me show you some additional models and mockups for various characters. I am usually doing several of these at once, which relaxes me. There’s little background in place for most of the following models, and most of them are very WIP — you have been warned…

Sanctioned Psyker

Again, a relatively simple kitbash. I tried to approximate the look of the sanctioned psyker models released by GW some time ago, only somewhat less unhinged. This guy looks like a military man and a professional to me, but there’s little background beyond that…

Mutant Bounty Hunter

I also started painting the twist Bounty Hunter I posted some time ago. Some details are still missing, but the model is mostly complete at this point:

Looks like one mean mother, doesn’t he?

I also salvaged an old Gorkamorka Orc by making him into yet another mutant which I’ll be calling “Old Vicehand” for now…

And, finally, I bought the remains of a Necromunda starter box from ebay a while ago. And while the models were all there, they were mostly in a truly abysmal condition. I started rebuilding one of the Orlock gangers with a couple of new parts, and will probably make him into a Mad Max-like NPC ganger:

Certainly not fantastic yet, but he’ll be getting there in the end.

 

So yeah, as you can see, INQ28 always allows for many different and interesting characters from all walks of life to be worked on at the same time. I, for one, find this extremely relaxing and, indeed, stimulating from a creative point of view!

So, any suggestions for any of those characters? I’d love to hear any C&C you might have in the comments section! And, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

A Cranial Connoisseur…

Today’s update brings a character that came out of a recent INQ28 building spree (more on that soon). In this particular case, however, what’s even more interesting than the model itself is how its  background came together thanks to the input from other hobbyists.

But first things first: Everything started when I received a Skaven Packmaster model from the Island of Blood boxed set. The model came as a “bonus”, so to speak, when I picked up the Rat Ogres from that set from ebay. It did not take me long to decide that the model would become some kind of mutant somewhere along the way, but beyond that initial idea, I didn’t really come up with anything more for quite a while, and the model sat in my bitzbox, unused. I had also given away the model’s huge and ornate warpstone staff, and the rest of the sculpt is really not all that spectacular, to be honest.

My interest in the piece was revitalised, however, while looking at some of the brilliant and sinister kitbashes of fellow hobbyists PDH, Jeff Vader and Ammi. Inspired by their work, I started messing around with the Packmaster model and a cultist head:

I really liked the mysterious and sinister aspect the mask added to the model. I did not yet know what type of character I wanted this guy to be, though: Just a twist from some underhive or other? A Heretek’s twisted lab assistant? At least the model came together fairly quickly now: I added a vestigial Talos/Cronos arm from my Legion project, and for some reason I decided to use a supremely creepy crypt ghoul hand, caressing a skull…

Now when I posted the WIP pictures on Dakka, fellow forumite Dreadclaw69 had this to say regarding a possible background for the model:

Maybe we finally have the answer to the question “Where do servo-skulls come from?” His back story could be;
As a favour to the Inquisitor the Ad-Mech have dispatched this servant of theirs to collect worthy skulls to become servo skulls for his Ad-Mech master the Inquisitor. This individual was captured from a feral world the Ad-Mech were turning into a Forge World, which had a culture of head hunting and collecting the skulls of their enemies. Those indigenous people who were suitable for the purposes of the Ad-Mech became servitors, Skittarri etc. This one was singled out by the Tech Priests. Those skulls deemed unsuitable he keeps for himself, but to what end is unknown.

I loved this idea right away, but it became even more brilliant due to the fact that DexterKong and I had just been having a conversation about one of Inquisitor Antrecht’s recurring enemies, one Inquisitor Fiegmund. My rough background idea for Inquisitor Fiegmund is that he has been horribly injured during a run in with Antrecht’s daemonhost, and I wanted the model to still be showing the scars of that confrontation. I was also looking for a way to have Fiegmund be disabled in some way (blind, for example) due to his injuries. Dexter suggested having him rely on a number of servo-skulls to replace the senses he had lost, and suddenly all the pieces fell into place: The gas masked twist would become a member of Fiegmund’s retinue, tasked with the construction of his servo-skulls. And thus, the Skull Collector was born!

I tried to incorporate this background into the model’s paintjob. A generous helping of Tamiya Clear Red was all it took. Here’s the finished model:

I wanted the model to look like it had just finished “cleaning” a skull by carving off all the flesh. Hence the blood (and the bones strewn across the floor).

I remember being immensely inspired when seeing JRN’s “Servo Skull Collector” some time ago, and after just considering duplicating that idea, I am rather happy I managed to come up with my own take on the whole “Skull Collector” concept in the end. In all fairness, though, this model really only managed into into its own because Dreadclaw69 and Dexter added their brilliant background ideas! And the finished character exactly matches the gothic and sinister atmosphere I will be going for with Inquisitor Fiegmund’s retinue. Here’s a rough sketch of the character’s background so far:

The Skull Collector

Ever since being horribly maimed in a fight against Inquisitor Antrecht’s Daemonhost Zalambur, Inquisitor Fiegmund has been heavily dependent on a coterie of servo-skulls. He now employs the services of a small, masked mutant that was originally found by an Adeptus Mechanicus team doing reconstruction work on the derelict hives of the purged world St. Berthold, preparing the cities for resettlement. The mutant would have been executed under normal circumstances, yet he demonstrated an uncanny talent of constructing extremely advanced and effective servo-skulls for some reason, and it is this capacity in which he now serves the Inquisitor. He also seems to be obsessed with the shapes and intricacies of the human cranium, collecting all the skulls he can for his work. And while he uses some of them to build more auxiliary contraptions for Fiegmund, he is allowed to keep some of his bounty, though no one can say to what purpose…

 

I am actually really happy with the way the character came together! Thanks again to my fellow hobbyists for their suggestions!
As a matter of fact, another small hobby revelation happened, once I posted the model on Dakka. Fellow forumite Two Spartan had this to say:

That gas mask mutant is fantastic, so creepy. Maybe its because his robotic arm looks kind of insectoid, but I think this little guy is the scariest thing I’ve seen you make. Just imagining him focusing on the skull scraping rapidly at it with that claw, turning it round, scraping some more, examining it to see if there’s any meat still left. Then it pauses and lifts its masked head in your direction and drops the skull.

I initially wanted to reply that this guy would never ever drop a skull, seeing how he is absolutely fascinated with them as objets d’art. But then I started asking myself what would have to happen to actually make him drop a skull. Cue Fridge Horror…

In any case, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

Orkheim Ultraz: Da Star Playa

After my first game of Blood Bowl, I felt the need to reward myself with a new model for my team. And since I had wanted to do something with GW’s plastic Savage Orc Waaaghboss anyway, this was a very nice excuse to add another player to the Orkheim Ultraz.

I’ve worked with quite a few of the WFB plastic characters by now, and they are usually really excellent, easy to put together and highly detailed and dynamic. Using them for conversions takes a little thinking, however, since the parts fit together in a very specific way. Still, it’s usually possible to bend them to your will, if you’re a little careful with the cutting.

In this case, The objective was to build an orcish star player for the Orkheim Ultraz. It really was a modelling and painting project, first and foremost, with very little rules consideration in place, yet I suppose the model could be used as Varag Ghoulchewa.

Anyway, I assembled the model, basically only changing the arms: the huge axe normally wielded by the model went into my bitzbox, while the forearms were replaced with Black Orc gauntlets. This was done both to give the model a suitable pose for a Blood Bowl player and to make this guy look like he could pull some really nasty punches with those armoured fists of his. And while I wanted to keep the “almost naked” savage orc look, I also added some 40k Ork armour plates here and there to give the model at least a suggestion of armour (and better tie it in with the rest of the team).

This is what the model looked like before painting:

After taking these photos, I realised that I would have to shorten the model’s left arm by a notch, so that’s what I did: This guy may be an Orc, but that arm did look too long even for a race of malproportioned green monsters.

In hindsight, I might have done something more involved with the model’s arms, of course, changing the pose into something different, but to be honest, I didn’t want to have to do lots and lots of sculpting, so I went for a rather simple solution.

Actually, the most involved part of the conversion was to cut the rock the model is jumping off of from the surrounding WFB base to be able to use it on a round base. I added the usual mix of glue, modelling sand and cork around it to blend it in and create some texture on the base.

Anyway, when it came to painting this guy, I stuck to my tried and true Orkheim Ultraz formula. Of course, the fact that the model has so much skin on display meant that Brian’s fantastic recipe for orc skin could truly shine once again. And I also added some yellow Gorkamorka decals on the armour plates.

Painting this guy was a blast, and so, a relatively short while later, the model was completed:

As you can see, I also added a generous helping of static grass again, to emulate the football pitch look.

All in all, I think the Waaaghboss makes a nice star player for the Orkheim Ultraz. And with his distinct look and imposing frame, he makes for a stunning centrepiece:

As always, let me know what you think! And, of course, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

The Hour of the Wolf

In order tp produce something every once in a while that I can use in my “regular” 40k army, I got some more work in on my squad of traitorous Space Wolves: My first test model came out well enough, but I realised that I would maybe have to pay more attention to make these models look suitably chaotic and not just like members of the 13th company who had been forced to use pieces of CSM armour to repair their gear. So my next batch of Blood Wolves maintained a better balance between SW and CSM parts, and I even reworked some of my first test models. Now it was time to actually paint them!

I decided to finish the initial three test models I had built first, which will give you a nice “before/after” comparison later in this post

So here are the new painted models:

This guy is actually my favourite so far, since that Raptor helmet just looks quite menacing for some reason, but not so overtly chaotic that you can put your finger on what it is right away. The model was painted in the same colours as the first test model, and the fur areas gave me a nice chance to introduce an additional colour to the model. I also added one of my simple OSL effects to the model’s plasma pistol.

And the last remaining test model:

This guy actually shows some skin, so I used the same recipe for pale skin that had already worked rather nicely on both my Traitor Guard and the Joras Turnpelt model. This model was in a pretty rough condition due to the bitz I used in its construction being in a verry sorry state to begin with, so I had to be careful during painting, paying attention not to slather yet another thick coat of paint on top. That said, I think I managed to salvage the model well enough!

So here’s a comparison shot for you:

This is what the models looked like before painting:

Still not easy to look at, am I right?

And here they are as they are looking now:

Quite a transformation, don’t you think? Especially if you consider the rather sorry state some of those bitz were in! As you can see, I did some slight changes to the models, adding a trophy here or swapping a head or shoulder pad there, but all in all, they still look reasonably similar to the initial builds. The new colours are much nicer, though…

So, just for fun, I also took another picture of the models alongside some chaos hounds I painted quite a while ago:

These are a great fit for both my World Eaters and their Blood Wolves allies, and if I ever add daemonic allies to the force, I believe these hounds will be used as “counts as” Bloodletters. The image of a huge pack of hounds being used by Khorne’s Eternal Hunt to run down their prey really appeals to me!

And, of course, a picture of all the Blood Wolves I have managed to paint so far:

Both the models and paint recipe took some time to come together, but I am reasonably pleased now. While these are looking quite distinct from my World Eaters, that had been the plan all along. And I think they are doing a good job of channelling the sinister, feral side of the Space Wolves.

So, what do you think? Am I onto something here? Let me know in the comments! And, ss always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway? A look at the new High Elves

Well, time for another GW release: This time, the High Elves players all over the world can look forward to receiving some new toys. And I too will take some time to take a look at the release, discussing the models themselves as well as their possible use for conversions.

Now you may say that this release really isn’t for me: Neither do I play WFB, nor do I plan to start a High Elf army anytime soon. Still, I’ve been in the hobby long enough to be able to appreciate the High Elves’ design, I suppose, and their catalogue has some models I really like: The High Elf Prince on Griffon from the Island of Blood boxed Set is one of the most beautiful plastic models ever released by GW, if you ask me, and I also love  the White Lions of Chrace (which I stole extensively from in order to build my kitbashed Custodes). So I guess what I am trying to say is that the High Elves’ charm is not lost on me. Whether that makes me qualified to comment on the new models is not for me to decide, of course

It goes without saying that all of the following pictures belong to Games Workshop, of course.

The army book itself continues the trend of featuring evocative, striking atrwork on its cover. I cannot help but noticing the juxtaposition of the huge helmet and the character’s wee ankles, though…

Anyway, before we end up entrenched in all kinds of art class discussions, let’s just take a look at the models already, shall we?

 

Flamespire Phoenix /Frostheart Phoenix

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that the High Elves also get a huge creature to bolster their ranks. In this case, it’s a kit containing a phoenix that comes in either firy or frosty flavour.
From a visual standpoint, the inclusion of more birds certainly makes sense: Eagles and Phoenixes abound in Elven iconography, and both Phoenix types will surely make for standout pieces on the table.

The body and a part of the wings seem to be identical for both builds, with only the head, the ridge down the back and the wings’ outer rim replaced between the two elemental variations. In both cases, this makes for a surprisingly convincing look. One thing that struck me, though, was the fact that the seam between wings and torso seems to be clearly noticeable, even in those official GW photos. I suppose some GS work will be necessary to solve that problem

All in all, I think the Frostheart Phoenix seems slightly more convincing: Maybe the effect of snow crystals is easier to pull of than burning feathers:

Of course you might say that both seem a bit comic book-like — in fact, I am getting a certain Final Fantasy vibe from those top-down views. But then, GW’s High Elves have always been Tolkien’s Elves turned up to eleven, so I guess that’s not much of a problem.

In fact, I am looking forward to the competition level painters getting their hands on these kits: I bet some of those people will truly make these models sing!

Oh, and if you choose to build the Phoenix without a rider, you even get an Anointed of Asuryan on foot out of the deal:

However, the problem with the model is that the ornate and ostentatious armour on its upper body works when it’s riding a Phoenix. On foot, this guy looks a bit top heavy, if you ask me…

 

Lothern Skycutter

This model seems to be getting tons of flak online for being, well, a boat pulled by an eagle. Most people seem to think it’s too unrealistic for the setting, which, once again, I think is a rather silly point of contention: These are High Elves, people! They live and breathe magic. Cooking up a means of transportation as unabashedly silly as this is fully in character for them. Plus I also think the construction of the model, with two discreet airborne components, is rather ambitious.

The kit gives you all kinds of options for several configurations, including different poses for the bird and different crew members. Once again, it becomes obvious that GW’s designers tend to hold back some of their nicer sculpts for random crew members hidden away in their vehicle kits. For instance, I really like this guy:

And in any case, the bird’s facial expression is definitely the star of the show here:

Pull a boat, they said. You’ll be a war hero, they said. Damned Elves…

Once again, if you play your cards right, you get an extra character out of the kit. This time, a High Elf Lord that can also be assembled as a standard bearer for your army. Luckily, while also ostentatiously armoured, this guy seems quite a bit more balanced than the Anointed of Asuryan and would certainly make a great commander for a High Elf army:

 

Shadow Warriors / Maiden Guard of Avalorn

This infantry kit allows you to build ten Shadow Warriors, to begin with. And I rather like the look GW has managed to achieve with these: While they are clearly High Elves in design, the overall shadowy nature and face concealing helmets makes them seem quite a bit more sinister, which is a nice fit for their background. In fact, I think these have an almost (Dark) Eldarish vibe to them, and they might be worth a look for those preparing for some Exodite conversions…
Definitely one of the best parts of the release!

Now the kit may also be assembled as Maiden Guard of Avalorn, and this is where the kite falls flat for me, because these bonnie lasses just look quite off for some reason:

I cannot even put my finger on what I think is wrong: It’s certainly not the magic bows, I can appreciate that detail!
The faces are not that great, for one. GW can do killer (female) faces when the designers put their mind to the task, but these are just subpar, if you ask me:

For some reason it just seems that the fact that these had to be part of a combi-kit served to compromise the look of the models. I am just guessing here, of course. I don’t know the truth of it, but I think these are not as cool as they could have been by far.
So, with the bigger kits out of the way, let’s take a look at the characters:

 

Loremaster of Hoeth

Another plastic character, which is a plus. But I have to admit I’m really not sold on this guy: The pose just seems very awkward: Does that sword really look like you could hold it in one hand while running? And while turning your upper body at a 90 degrees angle to the direction you are running in? In fact, it almost seems as if the upper and lower body were designed independently from one another and then combined at the last possible moment. And while I can see what they were trying to do with this (swordmaster who is also a mage), it just doesn’t add up. One commenter on Faeit 212 said the guy was looking like he was throwing a squid at the enemy, and I have to concur: That’s exactly what it looks like. All in all, I am prepared to call this the weakest of the (fantastic) new WFB plastic characters so far.

 

Alarielle the Radiant

Sorry, but I don’t have too many nice things to say about her either. The pose is nice, but that staff seems so clunky against the model’s slender silhouette. Then there’s that crazy hair. And all those hearts. All in all, she looks like a cast member from She-Ra, Princess of Power…

 

Handmaiden of the Everqueen

Now this is a great model! The spear’s a little too clunky once again, and there may be the odd heart, but I really like this lass. The face is great, and I would really like someone to take her and transform her into an INQ28 character, and Eldar Autarch or some crazy Exodite Princess. Possibly the best model coming out of this whole release for me!

 

Chrace Shield pack

Another shield pack players can use to customise their army. It’s great to have the option, and the purchase is obviously 100% optional, so a bit of added variety is always a good thing.

 

What’s missing…

Once again, the unit types that didn’t get new models are nearly as interesting as those that did: I think we can all agree that the Spearmen and Bowmen were in some urgent need of attention, being two of the earlier WFB plastic regiments. Just compare the Spearmen and the White Lions to see the jarring difference in scale and facial detail. As a matter of fact, they even use White Lions in the new WD to kitbash Spearmen that are actually pleasant to look at! Granted, it’s for a themed Chrace army, but if that doesn’t tell you the core units need a revamp, what does? At least, by the look of it, that kit of kitbash seems to be a viable stopgap solution to breathe some life into the old Spearmen kit, but still…

Let me tell you what would have been brilliant: Two plastic combi-kits: one for Spearmen and Shadow Warriors, the other for Bowmen and Maiden Guard. That would have killed two birds with one stone. And the – highly different – male Shadow Warriors and female Maiden Guard wouldn’t have had to share one set of sprues. Now I know nothing about miniature production, of course, and can cheerfully post all kinds of demands without ever having to meet them. Still, that would at least have been a solution worth taking a look at, surely? Plus the resulting kits would probably have flown off the shelves.

Instead, they are repackaging all the really horrible stuff as a battallion set now. Way to go, GW…

 

Conversion potential

So, what about all the converters and kitbashers among us? What do we get out of this release? Not unlike the Tau, the High Elves have a very strongly defined design, making most of the parts look decidedly elven — certainly a challenge for anyone trying to make them look completely different.
That said, I believe the Shadow Warriors and special characters may be worth a look for INQ28 aficionados. Like I said earlier, I would love somebody to tackle a conversion involving that Handmaiden…

Some people suggested the Phoenix could be used to create a Tzeentchian Greater Daemon or DP. I remain slightly skeptical, however, since I imagine a Tzeentchian character to look far more twisted and ruffled — but feel free to surprise me, people!

The most obvious conversion potential certainly lies in using these kits for all kinds of Eldar-related projects: With the new Eldar release rumoured to be only a month a way, I could see several uses for the High Elf models in a craftworld force: The Shadow Warriors and Maiden Guard bitz could be great for adding some real spice to Eldar Guardians and Aspect Warriors. Or they could even be used to build some Exodite models. And the new characters could be an interesting base for Autarch and Runeseer conversions.

 

So what to make of it all? Though the models are well designed, I am sad to admit that this release just seems a little thin to me. For one, GW’s release policy just seems slightly formulaic by now: One combi-kit for a huge creature, check. One slightly hokey vehicle kit, check. One combi-kit that’ll give you two kinds of infantry, check. One plastic character and two Finecast characters, check. Oh, and while we’re at it, let’s throw in some shields and bonus plastic characters in the huge kits!

Of course it’s probably not as easy as that, and even if they’re not at their most inspired, GW’s designers can and will still produce a certain level of quality. But out of all the releases I have talked about so far, I’ll have to call this the weakest one. Maybe it’s because I don’t play WFB. Maybe it’s because I don’t play High Elves. Maybe it’s because the relentless, breakneck speed at which new armies and model waves have been released for the last year or so has begun to take its toll on the design team.

I certainly hope it’s the former rather than the latter…

 

So what do you think? Am I just ranting and raving? Is this all just a matter of differences in taste? What are your favourite models from this release, and what are you going to use these kits for? Let me know in the comments section!

As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!