Hobhounds Choice

If you've been following my blog recently, you'll know that I've been collecting the forces required to refight the classic second edition Warhammer Fantasy Battles scenario pack Bloodbath at Orc's Drift.

I started with the Severed Hand tribe, the orcs present at Ashak Rise and Orc's Drift. This was partly because they have the smallest number of orcs, but the numbers are made up with ten hobhounds.

The minis deal for Orc's Drift included ten hobhounds, these were solid based dogs with collars and a ring to attach a lead. They were originally part of the Hobgoblin range, back when they had a pseudo Eastern look and before they became slaves of the Chaos Dwarves (and both races lost all fashion sense).

What is a Hobhound?

I've long thought that 'hobhounds' were some Fae canine, there are many such in folklore, but the second edition rule book merely describes them thus; 

"HOBHOUND

Hobhounds are huge war-dogs, or Mastiffs, used by many races to some degree, but very common amongst the Hobgoblin of the Steppe lands".

So not a Fae creature after all, just a dog, albeit of, perhaps, large size (C.O.U.S's?)

So what to use? I've been overthinking this, as usual, and I have come up with three options.

Option one 

I do have one of the original hobhounds, and I also have four Citadel AD&D range Blink Dogs, I used these back when I last played the campaign years ago. I've also got a few other, more modern, dog minis, and these would certainly fit the bill.

L to R; Original Hobhound, four AD&D Blink Dogs, Crooked Dice Boxer and Old School Miniatures wolf

Option two 

I recently picked up nine Karmanthi Demons (17046) in the Ral Partha Europe summer sale. I'd been looking for a more exotic option for hobhounds, and these seemed to fit the bill. 

Once I'd placed the order, I began to doubt their suitability. Several people suggested they looked more feline than canine, and I wasn't sure how big they were (at three for £3.50, they couldn't be that big, could they?).

When they arrived I was delighted. They are a nice size, and the fangs and spikes remind me of the D&D third edition 'dire' creatures, all spikes, horns and fanged evil versions of normal animals. 

While I only have nine of these, I'd feel honour-bound to include the actual hobhound.

**EDIT** 

It has been pointed out to me that without the spikes, these make very good, if large, Schnauzers. If I removed the spines, they'd fit in with the previous lot, which are based on real dog breeds.

Option three 

This one moves away from traditional Old School. I was browsing through the Dark Alliance 1/72nd scale plastic fantasy figures. If you don't know them, many of them are very very reminiscent of minis from a well known series of fantasy films, based on a well known trilogy*. They include several packs of half orc cavalry, and one pack of just the mounts, Wargs. Suitably fierce and canine, and at 20mm shoulder height, suitably imposing. There are two problems, the models have full harness and saddle (they are exactly the same as the ones supplied in all the half orc cavalry packs), and, as Wargs, they are quite distinctive. I'm assuming I could shave off the worst of the tack, and I'd leave the bits around the muzzle anyway, Grashak Kra needs this to control them.

So, dear reader, what do you think? I've a few thoughts, and one option is definitely in third place (but still something I'd be happy with, otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned it).

Please leave a comment  about your favourite, or have you any other suggestions?

Thanks.

** ADDENDUM **

I've compared the second edition stats for Hobhounds, pack wolves (pretty much ordinary animal type wolves) and  (giant) wolves. Pack wolves are the weakest.  Wolves are faster than Hobhounds and have a higher WS.  But strangely, Hobhounds have considerably better Personal Characteristics, matching the wolf with 4 Int, but having 8 for Ld, Cl and WP, as opposed to the Wolf having 3 or 4

*Dark Alliance do other stuff too, generic goblins, centaurs, minotaurs etc, some of which could very easily be used in 28mm games.  Plastic Soldier Review has a pretty much up to date look at the range