Project Backlog - Part 15

Of Strange Creatures, Large and Small

Over the last few months, I haven't played any game or done much hobby. Let's just say real life interfered with it. Nevertheless, back in January, I rummaged through my pile of shame thinking about realising some strange creatures coming from the remote corners of the Mortal Realms. The sort of thing mentioned in the AoS lore but never seen in illustrations or models.

I spent a few good hours dry fitting bits and working out ideas based on mythological creatures from different traditions.
In the end, I settled for some large creature based on the Greek-Roman myth of the Blemmyes. These were humanoids lacking a head, with their facial features on their chest, that lurked in the wilds at the edge of the known world. The idea for them came from dry fitting old Glutton heads onto the chest cavity of Kurnoth Hunters bodies and imagining how various Ogor weapons would look onto the Kurnoth Hunters.

I started by making one model with two hand weapons. I filed down the Kurnoth Hunter neck joint, clipped away the hands and the Lamentiri from inside the chest, and then glued the Ogors bits in place. To further alter the shape of the Kurnoth Hunter, I didn't glue the shoulder pads on.

Finally, I filled all the gaps and covered the filed area with Green Stuff, followed by a texture paint made of PVA glue and dried coffee grounds.

I was really happy with it and decided to make two more, one with a great weapon, the other with hand weapon and shield.

The shield is made with an Ogor ironfist and Kurnoth Hunter shoulder pads glued all around it. You can also see them primed in a 3-stage zenithal going from dark brown to pearl white through grey.

Another idea that came up as I was dry fitting TOW Night Goblin bodies with Plague Mok heads, was that of some small, mischievious but at times helpful creature, like the Kobold from Germanic traditions.

Of these, I made four: two with bows from the Empire Militia, two with spear (Plague Monk staff with Plague Monk blade glued on top) and shield (TOW Goblin shield on Plague Monk arm).

I also clipped away the skaven snouts and replaced them with carefully shaved off Gnoblar noses, looking like hooked beaks pocking out of the cowl. Finally, to hide the skaven hears, I glued horns from the TOW Khemri Skeletons over them.

I've already painted all of the Kobold-inspired models and the test Blemmyes-inspired model, but let's not make this post too long. As soon as the other two large models are painted, I'll share them.

Animosity VII, Azyr Asunder - Part 3

Underguts Gnoblars

Vyzorak listened carefully to his spy's report. The Acolyte had located an entrance to the Gilded Manor, but it was crawling with gnoblars piling all sorts of stones, scrolls, coins and other trinkets outside the building, next to a Boltbreaker Union's propaganda sign. The Ogroid pondered. Whatever they were collecting, it was better in his hands, so that any knowledge it may be gleaned from it could serve in the destruction of Eklysium. But if gnoblars were there, surely some ogors were overseeing them. It would have been better to attack in force...

As I collected bits for my Underguts, I also got half a box of gnoblars. They would have been more than enough for a Warcry roster, but since a whole unit of 20 would have made my Underguts a valid Age of Sigmar army, I looked for more.
Between those from the Gluttons, Leadbelchers and Ironguts sprues and those from the Ironblaster/Scraplauncha, I already had enough, but then I stumbled onto an old metal Gnoblar Trapper disguised as a dog. I just couldn't let it go!

Painting them in the same colours as the ogors was more than enough to show their allegiance, but since I had two pistols from the Long Drong Slayers metal set, I selected two gnoblars with open hands and checked if they looked right on them.

They did, so besides the paint scheme, I have another little nod to their belonging to an Underguts Warglutt.
They, and their masters, will soon see action in Eklysium as opponents of my Tzeentchian coven.
Stay tuned!

The Prowling Forest, Part 1

Prologue

"Now what, chief?" Barag asked, lazily picking a piece of gristle from his teeth and flinging it away.
Skargat's reply was announced by a thunderous belch followed by Cargo's rumbling laughter of appreciation.
"That Bleed thing has dried out all right. So no way back to Chamon. But there's plenty of loot and food to have in these Scarlands, don't you think?"
"Aye, capt'in!" came Cargo's reply, grog dripping from his chin. "And those orruk messing around are good sport too! What's their name? Cleavermaws and Swordfyshes, in'it? Poor sailors, though!"
"You tell me that, Cargo! Sailing never been my thing. Much more for a good treck myself. And treck we will! Have you heard of the Prowling Forest?"
"That hungry forest grown around some old human city?" asked Barag.
"That's the one! I sent the gnoblars to do a bit of exploring there. They've found a nice gorge where we can set up our larder, just on the edges of the Forest".
"And then? Who's there to hire us, Skargat?" Barag asked in disbelief.
"Nobody. The big cat turned into some kind of lizard, the sneaky orruk went back to his paymasters and the stunties' city has taken back to the sky. So we start our little Mawpath and grab what we want for ourselves".
"Freebooting, eh?" chuckled Cargo.
Laughters and burps came as a reply from both Barag and Skargat as the three ogors loudly resumed their feast.

After a bout of Open Play while waiting for the release of the second edition of Warcry, Saul and I are ready to start a new campaign. We decided to play it out of the book, each of us picking Quests and then building the story as we play game, rather than having a plot to flash out through the games like our previous ones. The only change we are making is locating our adventures in the Prowling Forest rather thn in the Gnarlwood. This will link our story to the aftermath of the last Animosity campaign.
I had tried both the Arcanites of Tzeentch and Ogor Mawtribes warbands in those Open Play games and really enjoyed the Ogor Mawtribes, so I painted a few gnoblars to have more list building options.
Here they are, the Ironforged, infamous ogor mercenaries from Chamon, now stranded in Ghur, and their gnoblar attendants.

Skargat Brainglut, the Tyrant. Heroic Trait: Resourceful

From the left: Cargo and Barag, the Maneaters

From the left: Growt, Hrothgur Bloodgulper, Marg: Gluttons with two clubs and Crusher

The Explorers, gnoblar scouts. From the left: Finga, Skreecha, Watcha

The Manbiters, gnoblar warriors. From the left: Poka, Basha, Sneeka

The Raiders, gnoblar plunderers. From the left: Burna, Loota