Rogue Trader Ork Raiders

To go with the RTB01 Crimson Fists I'm painting up a small force of the original metal Space Orks.  I had loads of these back in the day, but sold them off when I dropped out of 40K.  I subsequently bought more of the then current plastic ranges when I ran school Warhammer clubs, hence a lot of the Orks I painted here and here.

Classic Sculpts

But there's something about the early orks, especially the Ork Raiders box RTB02, that I find missing in the more modern ones (I'm ignoring the first lot of plastic Orks, horrible).  A evilbay purchase of more modern random ork bits included one of the originals, some lucky extra purchases added to that one, and now I have close on enough for the Battle At The Farm from the original Warhammer 40 000 rulebook.

Some of these metal orks were test subjects for my paint stripping experiments starting here.

The full unit of ten

I was tempted to go full old school with these, even down to Goblin Green bases with sand texture, but I decided to use my current method of orc/ork painting, perhaps with a little more detail.  After all, I'm not painting a full army, just my small collection, and I can stop buying more off eBay any time I like, honest.

Painting

I used three different skin tones as normal.  Cloth, such as trousers were basecoated Vallejo Game Color Khaki and highlighed VGC Bonewhite.  The padded armour and belts, pouches etc was basecoated VGC Desert Yellow and highlighted VGC Khaki, and the foot wraps (is there a technical term for those?) were basecoated VGC Earth and highlighted with VGC Khaki.

The shoulder armour was painted as metal (VGC Gunmetal Metal, black wash, reset with Gunmetal)  Little details were picked out as seemed appropriate at the time.  Everything was then given a wash of 50:50 Army Painter Strongtone and Softtone.  I think there must have been some issue with the wash as once dry the result was a lot darker than I was expecting.  Still, it's on now, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

Orks after the wash

Extra Details

But I wanted to go a step further with these.  They are special to me after all - these Space Orc Raiders were the first WH40K minis I ever painted.

So I added some extra highlights to bring out the detail.  Drybrushing some of the highlight colours over the wash helped a lot, and counteracted the darker colour.  I also painted the shoulder pads to look like they were taken from fallen Crimson Fist Space Marines.  I stippled some Vallejo Model Color Dark Prussian Blue roughly on the pads.  Then a little highlighting with VGC Ultramarine.  I approximated the Crimson Fist Chapter symbol, though perhaps a little small compared to the real thing.  The scratches in the pads were painted in black, then a thin line of Chainmail Silver in the gouges.

Shoulder pads stolen from the Crimson Fists.  OK, realistically, probably taken from the fallen.

Adding a Sprig of Thyme Time

At this point I liked the result, but I felt there was something missing.  On my wife's advice I put them away for a couple of months, and recently brought them out, looked more critically at them, and decided they were quite good enough.  

So then it was a case of varnishing and basing to match the Space Marines.  I mixed up my varnishes, so they got a first coat of Satin varnish.  It's fine, but I don't know if this will affect the durability of the finish.  

I based the Crimson Fists using Geek Gaming's Patchy Plains Base Ready mix, but I've mislaid it (or more likely, I used it all up).  I mixed my own though, a combination of sieved sand, coarser gravel and some flock, and I'll use this on future Rogue Trader Orks.

Future Plans

So the first batch is done. Ten Ork Raiders. Eight are from the original RTB02 box, and I've added a couple of different poses to act as squad leaders. In the original battle, the Orks are fielded in squads of five, each led by a leader*. I've got more Space Orks to add to the collection, next up will be another ten, but including some special and heavy weapons, allowing me to field two squads of ten, each including a Heavy Bolter and a Flamer.  I'm looking for a couple of particular sculpts that would allow me to have each mini in a squad unique, but I'll make do with a few duplicates for now.

One squad of five

And another squad

* If you've read my post on card counters you can just make out the counter for the Ork squad leaders is clearly based on one of these models, so I've chosen him to lead a squad of five troopers.

The squad leader from the Battle At The Farm counters

Artefacts from my Gaming Past - 3 - Card Counters

I found some more bits from early games today while sorting out my gaming stash.

These are photocopies of the card counters from Bloodbath at Orc's Drift. They aren't that interesting in themselves, but it got me thinking about the role of counters in miniatures games 

Dwarves from Orc's Drift

I mentioned these counters in my post about the scenario pack, check it out if you want to see my thoughts on the set as a whole.  The card counters were an excellent idea, and they were present in most of the early Warhammer Fantasy products essentially allowing you to play the battle without miniatures.  Even the scenarios in the Journal and Compendium had them,  I remember one in particular, The Dolgan Raiders I believe, which not only had counters for the minis, but cut out and build wagons.  Citadel even produced metal wheels to allow you to build sturdier models.  

Some of the counters were coloured, which helped with paint schemes. They were even supposed to represent specific models. You may recognise the bottom left counter as C06/08 Decrepit Wizard (you can see the actual mini here).  Of course, being a miniatures manufacturer, Citadel hoped that you would go out and buy the minis eventually. I wonder how many gamers back in the day used them? If you did, why not leave a comment with your thoughts.

Even the new Warhammer 40,000 rules had counters for the Battle At The Farm to copy or cut out in the back of the book.  These are more generic than the Warhammer ones tended to be, and most, though recognisable, bear little resemblance to actual minis.

Enough Marines and Orks for The Battle At The Farm.  Those Orks are going to struggle

Whilst it's tempting to comment on how GW used to provide a more complete gaming experience, don't forget that the early starter sets included many of the miniatures needed for any scenarios inside. And here we find the spiritual successor to the card counters, standees.

Fourth edition Warhammer Fantasy Battles contained multiple sprues of monopose High Elves and Goblins, but as the set was supposed to recreate Grom the Paunch's invasion of the High Elves they also included standees for the special characters.

High Elf Bolt Thrower from the fourth edition starter set

Many years later, GW included standees in their collaboration on the excellent Strategy Battle Games in Middle Earth part work. These were intended to provide stand-ins for minis that would be available in later issues.  Again, the idea was to allow play before the collection was complete. As they were photos of actual painted minis, they were also good painting guides. 

I'm not aware of any more recent examples of GW including card substitutes for minis, though I've been out of the Games Workshop loop for many years now.

Frostgrave: Another Genie, Another Bottle

After the previous game with Andy, we were keen to play again, so we explored Felgrave once more with our new(ish) wizards. We've both named our wizards and apprentices; Andy has Penn, third level Illusionist with his apprentice Teller, and I have Movostros, second level Chronomancer, with his apprentice Kerlia (though I may change those names, I have plans for some specific minis for my wizard).  Since I now have a genie mini we played the Genie in the Bottle scenario, a first time for Andy, though I've already played it against Grim.

Opening Moves 

After the first turn, both wizards have advanced their warbands towards the treasures.  We both tried to group our warbands around the wizard and apprentice to make the most of their activations.  Andy maintained this better than I did though, and was able to bring missile fire against my warband early in each turn.  My plan to have a dedicated missile detachment was flawed as they acted in the Soldier phase.

My thugs advancing top and bottom, while my missile detachment plods along in the centre.  Kerlia is hiding behind the ruin to the right.

Movostros with his Templar bodyguard, meanwhile, my Treasure Hunter has already snared a treasure.

Pen's Thief claims a treasure, while Pen himself directs the action from behind the ruined skull platform.

Teller is in charge of the Knight, Sharpshooter and a couple of thugs.  The Knight prepares to climb up to another treasure.

The Genie Appears 

Pen's Knight grabs a treasure, it's the lamp.  Unfortunately he accidently rubs it, releasing the genie.  He throws himself off the ruin and hides out of sight, and the genie is distracted by a thug who just happens to be wandering by.  Surely Teller couldn't have sent him this way as genie bait?

The genie rises to the bait and homes in on the sacrificial thug

Before Teller's mighty spell...

...and after.  He Transposes the angry genie with one of my archers

Meanwhile (top left) a face off over another treasure begins.  This became a complicated scrap, with my Templar and a thug facing off against one of Andy's thugs.  The poor Templar got Pushed off the ruin and never really did much to earn his keep, eventually being put out of action by Andy's missile detachment

A very smug looking Teller

End Game 

With the lamp claimed by Penn's Knight and the genie running amok on my side, both wizards order a withdrawal 

Final Thoughts 

Sadly we had to call the game to a close, too much chatting I suppose, but it was a great and friendly game.  As per one of our house rules, any treasures claimed but not off the table are rolled for as treasure normally, but don't grant any experience, so I only ended up with 100XP.  

It was a strange game, magic seemed hard to cast, I managed only five spells all game, three of which were Fleet Feet, one of my favourites, and a definite help in retrieving treasures. 

The stand-out moment was the apprentice casting Transpose on the genie.  He needed a 16 to cast it, and then both the archer and the genie needed to fail their Will rolls.  He succeeded, and no doubt is boasting about it to this day.  This brought the genie right in amongst my warband, and I had to use a sacrificial thug to lure it away from more important gang members with treasure.  I had a bit of luck myself, when my apprentice cast Elemental Hammer on the thug's club, and he almost killed the genie. Almost.  Unfortunately, a second attempt failed, and the apprentice was already injured from previous miscasts and couldn't boost the spell.  Bye-bye thug.

Movostros is now third level, and has taken up residence in an old library.  The poor Templar was badly injured, so will miss the next game, but everyone else is OK.  I may invest in a kennels to allow me to add a warhound, and Movostros (or more likely Kerlia - that's what apprentices are for after all) has found a grimoire in the old library shelves, which he may sell.  I have plans to buy a bit more kit for the warband.

Kings of War, Kingdoms of Men - Speedpainting Oathmark Humans 5 - Bowmen

I've just finished the next unit in my 500 point Speedpainted Kingdoms of Men army, a regiment of bowmen.  You can see the Spear Phalanx here, the Mounted Scouts here, and the Hero here.

Preparation

I prepped these minis some while ago, and it's clear I missed some mould lines.  Still, its the overall effect I'm going for.  The Bowmen are lightly armoured, so I tried to remove the various metal studs from their leather armour.  These seems to have worked well, and gives a different look to the unit.  I also tried to remove the plates on some of the minis.  I chose bare heads or hooded heads apart from the leader to further differentiate them from the Spear Phalanx.  I found assembly with the need to get both arms in the right place while the glue dried to be tricky.  I made this point when building the Mounted Scouts, it wasn't much easier on these.  At least the next unit will be spears and shields again.

Priming

I used Vallejo Surface Primers with my airbrush.  First a black basecoat, then light grey from the sides and finally white to give a zenithal highlight.  I mentioned last time that I might just prime white, but I want all these units to match.

Speedpainting

After the Priming I painted in any metals with Vallejo Game Color Chainmail Silver.  Then I used Speedpaints in the same way as the earlier units.  

Learning from the Mounted Scouts, I painted the bags for the arrows in APS Pallid Bone, and I used APS Runic Grey for the hoods and cowls.  I gave the leader's red cloak a drybrush of VGC Fiery Orange as an extra highlight.

Varnishing and Basing

I gave the finished minis a quick spray of Humbrol Matt Varnish (because it was to hand) then on with basing.  I tried several positions for the bowmen, but the minis are really designed for 25mm bases, and, being archers, tend to be sticking arms and bows out.  I did find a layout that seemed to work, so, as with the Spear Phalanx, I glued the back row on, textured with a mix of paint, sand and PVA glue, then moved forwards.  In hindsight I might have been better starting with the front rank and working backwards, but I'm OK with how they turned out.

A quick drybrush of VGC Earth, then Bonewhite to make the small 'rocks' stand out, then I added flock and a few tufts.  

So that's another unit done, only another Spear Phalanx to do and the army is complete.  I'll get them started soon as I want to finish off projects ready for next year.

Frostgrave: The Well of Dreams and Sorrow

I had another game of Frostgrave, this time against another one of the old D&D group. I chose The  Well of Dreams and sorrow to use the well I painted here.

We both had new wizards as it was quite some time since my opponent had played, so it was a bit of a training/revision game.  These were warbands I worked out a while ago, the spell choice may not have been optimised.  I played a Chronomancer using some of my D&D prepainted minis (you can see some of them here), and my opponent had an Illusionist, and used my Sons of Empire.

The Illusionist's warband lines up to head for the well

While the Chronomancer's troops deploy

View of the battlefield.  The Chronomancer can just be seen behind the blocks in the top right corner

One of my thugs snatches a treasure by the obelisk, while my Chronomancer moves towards the well. Another of my thugs is about to take a second treasure.

While the Illusionist and his forces advance, closing in on a treasure.  His apprentice casts Wizard Eye on a ruined wall (the blue crystal)

A Minor Demon is drawn to the disturbance and attacks one of my archers.  She manages to fend it off, and killed it next turn

The Ilusionist's thief  approaches the well, whilst the illusionist himself, under cover of a building, turns invisible for a run on the well

My Chronomancer edges closer to the well taking his templar with him to act a s bodyguard/meatshield.  I'd already used Time Store to give a third action for a quick escape.  My archer climbed a ruin to shoot at the enemy and hopefully snatch a treasure later, however, the Illusionist's apprentice used Telekinesis to move the treasure

The Chronomancer's soldiers retire with their treasures

My thug and thief ganged up on the knight and took him out, but the bowfire of the Illusionist's archers followed by attacks from his thug dealt with both my soldiers

By this stage the Illusionist had already drunk from the well.  Of course, being invisible, we've only his word for it as no one saw him.  Save in the knowledge that three treasures were safe, the Chronomancer decides to go for the well.

The Chronomancer takes damage from bowfire, but manages to retreat.  miscast spells hurt too!

A turn or two later the Illusionist got three treasures off the table too, so we called it the end of the game.  My Chronomancer lost his thief, and was disappointed to find that all that treasure only amounted to gold coins, nothing arcane at all.  Still, at least he benefited from drinking from the well.  He reached second level.  The Illusionist did slightly better, making third level and gaining a grimoire as well as some gold.  I think he lost two of his soldiers though.

Another great game of one of my current favourite games.  We also discussed working out a taster scenario for new players.  If we get anywhere further with it I may post it here.