OWAC V June's rank & file month - the might of the Dragon Company

Rank & File Month

 Who need a dragon when you have an entire Dragon Company.

Ulther: We will be eternally in debt for your kind help and guiding our company in such a dangerous adventure.

Snow White: I accept your gratitude and there is no need to worry about the perils of our journey. I am very happy to help my friends, your brave companions… and abandon such a boring fest. You know, I love my husband but do not expect me not to run away after four days of such boring court fests.

Ulther: Well, lucky we were there during the fests when the news about the orc advance reached the castle. Without your assistance, we didn’t know this path to the valley and probably won't reach our friend Lord Kazador in time. 

...About your friends… we will avenge those seven brave engineers, my lady.

Snow White: Do not worry also for my friends, if I am also showing you this path is because maybe we need to reach fast and help king Kazador even more than my friends. Specially if they have deployed one of their… how to say, creative solutions. 

Remember that story when my stepmother tried to poison me?, my friends chased her along the valley and in the end a rock fell by accident over her... Let’s say that I knew very well our home deep in the forest and I do not remember having a trebuchet in the garden before I fell asleep.

 
Ulther: Do you think that they may have repelled the mighty and unglorious orc warlord Gorfang?

Snow White: I suspect more than you want to know. I hope there is still a mine shaft and not a giant crater instead when we arrive there.

...

King Kazador: We must start to retreat to our lines. We can barely resist their massive waves.

“Doc”: My lord, but if we retreat now we cannot bring with us the part of the treasure that has not been sealed in the lower levels.

King Kazador: And what exactly do you expect me to do in order to stop these filthy orcs? Bring a dragon to burn ‘em all??

[bang bang bang]

A dragon! A Dragon!

King Kazador: Well, Doc, that’s your dragon. Now let start loading that frigging gold and run away from this damned hill.

Ulther! My friend! Your help is more than welcomed! Now show those beasts how does a proper dwarf shieldwall work!

 
The last month requires a final bang before saying goodbye to the current edition of the OWAC. And this unit was the perfect candidate for such an honour.

Thanks to Mariano, this unit was my introduction to the oldhammer community. It has travelled (almost) all around the world before settling into my desk. Probably 5?Even more years ago? Unfortunately , they were still in their box, untouched, eager to be deployed.

Let’s finish the OWAC with a regiment of renown.

Besides of the legendary miniatures, the Dragon Company awesomeness allows me to completely break my previous painting scheme, like I did with the Jes Goodwin's eldar pirates from the last year.
I will probably follow this strategy in order to not getting burned during a challenge/painting schedule.

I got catch by The Lost and the Damned painting of the Dragon Company and tried to replicate the approach to the shieldwall heraldry, but with a not-so-small twist. Adding an patterns to their imperial dwarf tabards and armour styles too, so almost every dwarf is unique.

I loved the opportunity to paint checkers, halved patterns, etc. and bring out their armour. The repeated sculpts are not so easily recognisable and therefore not a problem at all in the final result.
So, less talk and show you the migh of:

Prince Ulther (dwarf hero) and 14x Dragon Company with full command (count as Iron Breakers) - 430 points

Yes, yes, the last month I was 100% legal and didn’t claim the slayer hero because I didn’t paint him in the leader month. But Ulther needed to be with his fellas, doesn’t he? I am not cheating, did I?

I am not totally proud of the banner because at this point I was running out of time as I needed to finish everything one week ago!!

Probably I will touch it again in the future. Improve the dragon and add several motifs.

At least I had spare time to bring to the ranks this little friend that was magically recovered when me and his proud seller thought it has been lost in the UK mail system. Two months later it pops up, returned to the sender! So I wanted it anyways and in time before the challenge ends.

Also, there is now Seven Dwarfs without Snow White. Another year, another great idea by Lissane in the comments that I NEEDED to include in the army. I had this civilian laying around and thought, spot on for the cause!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the freehand on my dwarf warrior banner, a personal shame that I should finish when I improve the Dragon Company banner or else take the slayer oath!

And with those words, let’s see you in the recap.
Until then, Adrian’s out!

OWAC V May's slayed rank & file month

Rank & File Month

 

Instead of troubleshooting, we called the troublemaking department.

It is not a proper dwarf brawl until the orange angry naked guys appear.

 

Oli: Do you think that this is the right direction?

Plissken: I cn assure you that I already smell those orcs, we're near them.

Oli: We shouldn't have gotten into that fight with the giants, maybe the main orc army has reached the mine! Or they're fighting and overnumbering our lord Kazador retinue!

Plissken: tsssh, then we're now on an infiltration mission to save the presid.. I mean, the King.

...

Look. Orcs.

Oli:We must kill them silently before they make any nois..

 

AAAAIIiiieeeh! ORCS! ORCS!

ONE IS MINE!

*extremely loud drum noises* I'LL SMASH YOUR 'EAD!

BRING IT ON!

OOOOOORRRCsssssaaAAAAAARGH!!!

Plissken: Fine, probably all the valley knows we're here!

Snorri: Don't worry, they're just ahead! We've caught them by their backs! TROLLS! Plenty for FOR EVERYONE, GUYS! KILL 'EM ALL!

I imagine that most of the time the slayers are something like the Gutbuster brigade from Forgotten Realms. Tragical and suicidal warriors ruled by their death-oath, yet silly and unruly, as you can't really take too seriously a bunch of orange haired kamikazes.

This month updated comes with

Snorri and his troll slayers (x10 Slayers) - 141 points

I do not claim the points of the leader as Giant Slayer because I didn't paint it in the month leader, so basically he's just a cool dude.

 

As I said in the intro iirc, this special slayer came without the dragon head, but Drew's unused troll heads from my orc and goblin army came to the rescue and are a pretty good substitute.

To my surprise it fits the 20mm base with the troll head. So I am quite happy with the result.

The unit overall was pretty fun to paint, with lots of options for tatoos, body painting, details in the clothes, etc.

 

 

Berserk tatoo!

 

 

 Svend D. "Snake" Plissken, of the special slayer forces of Karak Azul

I liked the idea of different races or skins for my dwarfs but too often there's nothing but small tonal changes like in WoW, and few to none real cultural changes. This slayer came from the very south karaks of the Old World, even farther than Karak Azul.

Not only I played with skin variation but also changes in the tattoos. The southerner has a slightly more central african "dwarf-ish" tattoo than the others (sadly I didn't check my photographs because the half angry face in his belly is hardly seen in the lot).

Whereas the most pale skinned dwarf has a traditionally viking-looking tattoo and freckles.

Again, didn't check that I had no good picture of him, the guy with the spiked ball, with the macro lens as I had to make the photos on the go. I can blame my assistant for not pointing out the quality of some pictures during the session.

Always blame the assistant.

Now, for the last batch of miniatures and the recap!

Until next month

Adrian’s out.

OWAC V April's leader month - Meet King Kazador!

Leader Month

King Kazador stands proudly atop of the dwarf mine while his enemies rout in fear .

Time for the army characters (most of them, I coudln't get Uther in time, but it is probably good to shine with his mighty regiment of renown)

The king slayed one giant orc and finally climbed the small hill where the mineshaft entrance opens. He blowed the mighty horn of Karak Azul while the surviving orcs ran in fear for their lives. 

Another wave have been destroyed, and the dwarf miners and his new allies stood firmly. 

 

"Doc": My lord, the orcs are retreating… there is a large one in the base of the hill, a warlord… Sir, I think I can see Gorfang! 

… 

But he, he’s starting to walk to the rear of the encampent. He seems to be giving orders to a large mob of armoured orcs and trolls while he’s going back.  Is he withdrawing?

Kazador: That scoundrel is getting away! I knew it, I KNEW IT!! ...He will not stand and fight against me, again. 

The king changed from his sudden rage to a sad stance. 

Kazador: Ahhh, forget it. Well, we will reduce that bunch of trolls to a pile of smelly meat. But I will need everyone ready… 

[He stares left and right] Wait, where are Snorri and his lads? That group of thugs and bruisers will come handy and yet they’re loitering somewhere else? 

- My King, they were right before us until we passed that valley where the giant sheepers were, I think they tried to get into a fight with those poor people. 

Kazador: Nevermind, I will blow the horn until they come. Then if they’re not deaf enough they will hear me again for such reprehensible behavior. 

 Vudrimm: My lords, it is not necessary to stress further such magic and ancient artifact, I have a method to call them here in no time. 

 

Let me use some runic magic to bring those thugs here. 

Kazador: Well, then show me. 

[The runesmith opens a portal]

 

[A sudden burst of uncontrolled violence, gunshots and screams!!]

Kazador: Wait, WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON! STOP YOU IDIOTS! 

 

+ Oh, my… my apologies. We thought you were daemons assaulting our ship from this portal. It suddenly appeared in our deck. 

Kazador: DO I LOOK LIKE A DEMON? Who are you? 

+ We are the crew of rogue trader Mrrmalon. Known thugs, mercenaries and pirates in four subsect..[watching how Kazador’s face is getting more and more red]

… I… I think that there is no business for us in here. Have a good day, sir. 

Kazador: OFF WITH YOU! 

 

Vudrimm: I think I did not specify correctly the thugs we were looking for during the invocation. Let me try again, my lord. 

Kazador: No, no, no more portals my dear runesmith or I fear we will lose our minds…and probably our heads too the next time. Keep your forces for the battle. 

I will toot as I please.

And that’s all. 

Two commanders for my force. 

Vudrimm Rumblebrow, Runesmith - 78 points

The dwarf runesmith/scribe came from the recent Ral Partha dwarf range and fits perfectly with aesthetics and size of 3rd ed dwarfs. 

It was a replacement for the missing dwarf warriors as I lost a parcel. Funny enough, the shipment was found several months later and I inted to paint the dwarf warrior before I end the challenge!

 

Pretty fun to paint, especially the old book pages. 

 

King Kazador - 494 points

 

King Kazador in all his glory. 

Nothing else special beside the back banner and drilling a bit the horn. I am not completely happy with the back banner material, as it doesn’t fit perfectly (but the pictures do not capture the back flaps so people do not see the mistakes, haha!). 

I couldn’t get it work if I wanted to paint it separated so it was easiery to make the freehands. 

I will try to something else for back banners for a future project… maybe an OWAC project! [thriller movie music] 

Sadly I couldn’t finish the freehand banner for the dwarf warriors on time as I initially wanted. 

Until next month! 

Adrian’s out.

OWAC V March troop month - It is Hammer Time

Rank and File Month #2

Another month bite the dust. 

Today it is the turn of the heartguard of King Kazador. His hammerer unit, the Hraesvelgr Guard. Or what it is left after the disastrous siege of Karak Azul. Reformed after the massacre of the Throne Room during the brief occupation of the hold, they want to seek vengeance for their King, the king's kidnapped heir and their relatives killed in the assault. 

When Kazador seeked to launch his vanguard in a mission ahead of his army in the valley, they were the first to respond and to arrive next to the clansmen of Hammergrim.

The orcs launched a fierce attack, with several big ‘uns sperheading the assault. They thought that the seven dwarves have spent their last ammunitions and would be, at last, an easy prey. 

They did not expect such a strong defence and counter attack with the king’s guard leading the carnage. Wave after wave crashed again and again against the dwarf defences, unable to reach the mine shaft. The orc commanders wondering what have gone wrong with the initial plan. Yet again.  

March was a bit more treacherous than February as I suddenly had less spare time to get to the brushes. It was a productive month nonetheless. 

9x Dwarf Hammerers -  217 points

The selection of old models I chose for the hammerer unit was pretty easy to paint, even more than usual dwarves. They are pretty much covered in mail armour with decorated plates, usually in gold or bronze. 

 

I added some tone variation using blue and red washes instead of the black/smoke tint. But that’s it, pretty doable in the few time I had. 

Too easy to finish here. It was necessary to add some spice to this month. 

Here comes the shields, random motifs and the banner. I came first with the winged hammer design before searching for a proper name to the unit. For the moment there is no champion, so it is not “someone’s regiment of renown” apart from Kazador’s guard. 

 

 

The name comes from the viking myth of the giant eagle that makes the wind when it takes off. It also fits the norse look of the hammerers, especially with those Marauder norse dwarves in the mix. 

Aaaand, I decided to paint something else. Both in the “spice up the month until I’m in trouble to finish it on time” mindset and to have at least 10 models. I didn’t want to cheat with the 9 man (dwarf) unit lacking Kazador, so what other model would I paint? 

Of course, the largest one. 

Here comes

The baggage train - is this thing worth any points??

 

Spoilers, Gorfang will not get this juicy cart of gold, gems and other dwarf goods. 

And that’s it. Next month King Kazador will show, routing the wave of orcs that tried to push when the engineer's artillery went silent. Probably finish the clansmen banner too, I did not forgot that, now that I am eager to paint more motifs after these shields and banner. 

Until then, Adrian’s out.