Farewell Bad Moon Orcs

Fail to Plan...

If you've been following my recent posts you'll know that I started out painting up my remaining Old School orcs. This then expanded to collecting and painting sufficient for a Dragon Rampant unit or two as part of Team Evil.

Three Tribes go to War 

More recently, I decided to go big and collect the orcs for the classic Warhammer Fantasy Battle scenario pack, Bloodbath at Orc's Drift. This calls for three different tribes.

I painted up some nice old Fantasy Regiments orcs (you can see them here) before I decided on the Orc's Drift project. I used the 'Bad Moon' shields, partly as a tribute to my long ago orc collection. However, the Bad Moons don't really fit for Orc's Drift. Each tribe has an established symbol, though I'm giving them my own interpretation of them, painting their symbols on top of enemy shields taken in battle. 

So, no Bad Moons. A good bit of painting with no current purpose. Ah well, at least I haven't just converted a nice standard bearer for them, complete with Bad Moon topper (this statement is incorrect).

Sigh, I guess that's what happens when I dive headlong into projects without planning ahead.

The original Bad Moon symbol was used by orcs and goblins alike.  In WFB it became a goblin, mostly Night Goblin symbol, whereas in WH40K it became the name and symbol of an Ork clan.

Unless...

I was looking through the Orc's Drift pack at the campaign map of Ramalia. This lovely bit of Gary Chalk artwork is a nice addition to the set, but you don't need it to play the scenarios, so it's ages since I did more than glance at it.

The header has portraits of Brommedir and King F'yar, and between them several orc warriors.

Lovely Gary Chalk artwork

Look closely at the shields. It's the Bad Moon symbol, but reversed, with a black device on a yellow field. Given that they are pictured next to King F'yar, I'll assume that they are from his original tribe, the Kwae Karr Orcs (one of several awful puns in the pack).

Kwae Karr orc with shield from the map

Result!

All I need to do is keep this colour scheme going forward, and I may repaint the devices on the ones I've already done (with maybe a bit of repainting of some of the background where relevant).

But 

I have to admit that the Command Sheets give a different device, but I'm never going to be able to copy that, and this justifies my Bad Moon choice.

Kwae Karr Orcs from the Command sheet

The official official Kwae Karr orc symbol, repeated in full on their banner, also pictured on the Command Sheet. The head is of some strange bird-like monster (standing over a dead human on the banner).

The Perils of Research

Iconographic research is filled with many pitfalls.  I see it in Early Music research frequently.  

We have two different symbols, I suspect the Command Sheet orcs are closer to 'accurate', they are spear armed, matching their stats.  The orcs on the map could be just any orcs there for decoration, and they don't have spears.

Of course, it doesn't really matter, I know I can paint what I want, but its's nice to be able to justify keeping the Bad Moons and finding a place for them in the Orc's Drift project.