The Prowling Forest, Part 6

First Interlude: Braggoth Blackpelt

Braggoth Blackpelt surveyed the most recent haul of weaponry and equipment brought by his Gnoblar attendant, Fetchit. The orruk choppa would have made for a nice dagger, in the meaty fists of the Maneater. The scareshield was an excellent replacement, should his bellyplate or a shoulderpad got damaged. And the club, well, it was perfect as it was to hammer some sense in anyone stupid enough to face the Maneater.
Having joined the Skyguard of Barak-Drak had proven a profitable enterprise. The fight and the payment in gear and food had been good, and when the Skyport finally took flight again Braggoth had stayed back to plunder the remains of Ghalbakk's Company's encampent. He was now undeniably rich, having added plenty of gear and trinkets to his collection.
Yet, he longed for some more action and, most importantly, for the company of other ogors. There was something unique about sharing a feast with your own kind, and that had been missing while serving with the Skyguard. But if the rumours he had heard were true, there was a band of ogors making quite a name for themselves in the Prowling Forest. It was time to find out if that was true.

Braggoth Blackpelt is the final addition to the Ironforged Ogors, giving me even more warband building options in Warcry and making the Maneaters a valid unit in Age of Sigmar. It has been my most extensive sculping project so far, as I started from the legs of the Ironblaster gunner. For unknown reasons, somebody had filed off the upper body, and the legs had winded up in my bitsbox. I thus had to resculpt it, starting with a rough base made of modelling clay, on which I had impressed the shape of the joints of ogor heads and arms. At the same time, I sculpted the boot sole, which was also missing, with Greenstuff.

I then sculpted a brest plate with Greenstuff and coated the rest of the body in liquid Greenstuff. I also converted a Gnoblar from the Leadbelcher kit. I clipped away the half barrel it was carrying, and replaced it with a pile of weapons from the same kit, sculpting a bag with Greenstuff.

At that stage, I've also added a sword in his scabbard (from the old Empire Knights kit) and a pistol (from the old Dwarf Quarrelers/Thunderers kit) to the sides of the belly plate and Freeguild shields as thigh guards. The intention was to make a Maneater that has fought for one of the Cities of Sigmar. I reinforced this by glueing a panter icon (again from the Empire Knights kit) to an Irongut head and a flag and laurel (from the same kit) to Braggoth's spear. This is a combination of Ogor Glutton and Orruk Ardboy arms, with the blade from the old Orc Warboss kit. The left arm is from the Ironguts, but with a hand from the Gluttons after having clipped off the club.

I then put everything together and added a shield, made with the one from the old metal Archon's model, after filing off the Chaos star and replacing it with a Freeguild icon. Another laurel and a dagger from the Freeguild Guard were also glued to the shield. The flat shoulderplate is from the Ork Nobs kit, while the sculpted one is again from the Orc Warboss. As final touches, I've added a wolf pelt and a roundel, again from the Empire Kinghts kit.

Since I was at it, I've also put together Warcry deployment markers, using a choppa from the classic Orc Boys kit, the shield from the Orruk Warboss, the club from the Ogor Gluttons and skulls.

Paint-wise, I've stuck to the red, yellow and dull metals used across both the Ironforged and the Free Companies of the Gilded Handed, especially Aurellian's Aurpards. In this way, Braggoth can serve double duty as a Maneater with the Ironforged and as a count-as Brutogg Corpse-eater in a Cities of Sigmar army.

The deployment markers got a grey base rim and ochre sand, so that they fit with both the Ironforged and my other Destruction warbands on grey bases.

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