Byron's invasion of Ulthuan - Introduction Post

Goblins. 

This project has been many years in the making. When I first started playing Warhammer back in 2004, I always loved the night goblins. But, I had the 6th edition night goblins. While 6th edition certainly had some fun metal night goblins, the rank and file multi-part goblins were always uninspiring to me. I had lots of them, but they never quite scratched the goblin itch in the right way. 

Fast forward to 2023 and I decided to sell off all of my 6th edition night goblins. Since then I have been gradually piecing together a new goblin horde. A proper goblin horde. 

This OWAC I am going to paint that horde. 

A picture of the nearly complete horde.

So what's the challenge?

There's a bit going on here, so I will do my best to explain what I have in mind. 

First, this year's OWAC theme is artwork. Challengers were invited to select a piece of artwork from the Oldhammer era and use it as inspiration for their project. 

For the background of my Ikea shelf I took some packing paper, burned the edges, glued it to the back board, and then did the same to the top of the 4th edition starter box.

The artwork I have selected is the cover to the 4th edition starter box. I plan to use this image as inspiration for my army in a couple of ways:

• Matching the color scheme - red, yellow, teal, and purple
• Grom
• Heaps of Goblins
• Eltharion

For the color scheme I got a new set of Coat D'arms paints that generally match the colors.

Craft paints and Coat D'arms

For Grom, I've mixed a handful of bits together. Not all of my goblins are Kev Adams (as much as I would have liked, I have instead adopted a strategy of just getting lots of ugly little guys together). The recent release of Bequest Minis goblins included a Grom look-alike. I like him more than the original Grom, so he has taken his place on the chariot. My Nibblet was missing his banner (so he has been converted to a Clubber boss and is happier with his new role) so he has been replaced by another Bequest goblin. The wolves were replaced with Bob Olley wolves from Ral Partha (all of the wolf riders right metal wolves from by Tim Prow or Bob Olley). 

His base is just foamcore and some caulking to smooth out the bevel. 

Close-up on off-brand Grom

For the heaps of goblins, buying the old Kev Adams night goblins was prohibitively expensive. I had to settle. This horde is a mix of harlequin nightlings, Checkpoint robin hood goblins, Kev Adams Clubbers and netters, and then most of the archers are early Kev Adams goblins from the 80s. The Squigs are also from Bequest minis - they had a very scrungly vibe about them. (Scrungly is a desirable trait for goblins and the like.)

Goblins.

More Goblins.

Eltharion - A few years back I painted up a small High Elf army for my brother. This army is mostly composed of the 4th ed monopose archers and spearmen. I plan, time willing, to pose these elves in the monthly update pics with the goblins I paint. If all goes well, I aim to paint both Eltharion and Grom for my second to last post. And, hopefully in the wrap up post I will be able to recreate the box art with the battle scene vignette. 

A banner from the High Elf Army

Monthly goals

This OWAC my goal is to fill up the entire shelf with goblins. To do that I have to pace myself.

I have placed rough intervals of painters tape with the months on my shelf. I hope to fill up the entire shelf by the end. 

During October and November I was busy converting goblins and readying them for the challenge.

The final assembly of goblins on the shelf. 

The army contains a lot of minor conversions. All of the goblins from the various ranges had their spears chopped off and replaced with 6th edition goblin spears and were mostly given 4th edition shields. I hoped that these minor conversions would make the goblins feel more cohesive.

I did a little bit of conversion work for the doomdiver catapult. In 4th edition most of the war machines are crewed by orcs. It felt appropriate that orcs would also crew the doomdiver catapult and load the "ammo".

The Black Gobbo. I have wanted my own Black Gobbo for 20 years. I finally got around to converting him. He is nearly identical to the conversion guide from all those years ago.

The Points - 2220ish points (excluding command models [because I am lazy] and non-essential magic items [because OWAC rules])

Grom - 257 pts

Black Gobbo - 33 pts

A few bosses - 45 pts

Goblin Shamans x2 - 166 pts

Wolf Riders with Spears and Shields x 15 - 165 pts

Goblin archers w/ light armor x 35 - 140 pts

Goblin Spearmen x 60ish - 210 pts

Squigs x 11 and Hunters x 4 - 252 pts

Netters and Clubbers x 25 - 87.5 pts

Fanatics x 6 - 180 pts

Trolls x 6 - 390

Doom Diver Catapult - 100 pts

Wolf Chariots x 3 - 195 pts