Qrab's Chaos Warband

Greetings from the west coast. My name is Rich, but I go by Qrab on a few of the forums I used to frequent (and on rec.games.miniatures.warhammer back in the days of usenet). I started playing Warhammer back in the late 1980s when 3rd edition was released. At that time I collected an Empire army. My local game store (Rigel Games and Books) stocked a good amount of Citadel Miniatures, but sadly Empire models were not well represented, so my army was never anything more than a hodgepodge of human models. I continued collecting models and playing intermittently through the days of Herohammer (4th and 5th editions), but I can’t say I really enjoyed those games. Tired of having my Empire destroyed in nearly every game, I expand my model collection to include Chaos and Undead (with Mummies!) armies. My interest in Warhammer was rekindled with the release of 6th edition and continued through to 7th edition. Unfortunately, that span of time coincided with 13 years of work related exile in the Mojave Desert (archaeologists gotta go where the jobs are!), which meant I only got a few games in a year. I played two or three games of 8th edition, but didn’t find it very inspiring.



HOWEVER, during the tail end of 7th edition I got bit by the Oldhammer bug and began regularly searching eBay for models to scratch that itch. Ostensibly this was to collect old models to use in the current incarnation of the rules, but the accumulation of old lead brought back fond memories of 3rd edition. Eventually, I joined Facebook and found out about the various Oldhammer groups and joined them to see what others were up to and, more importantly, acquire more models.

After several years of collecting these classic miniatures, in 2015 I cleaned up my painting table, picked up the brushes, and painted a handful of models. My intent was to paint a small 3rd edition Chaos warband, but I only got as far as completing one unit of Marauders and a Sorcerer before a series of life changing events halted all progress (grad school, new job, selling house and moving back to San Diego).

Chaos Marauders and Sorcerer

But, I was really pleased with that one unit and all through grad school I kept thinking about having the time to paint again. So, when the Old World Army Challenge was floated on Facebook I jumped at the chance to participate. I quickly grabbed my Warhammer Armies book, rooted through the boxes of Oldhammer models I packed before moving, and cobbled together a list. I actually made two lists (one Chaos, one Empire), but quickly realized that the Empire list would require stripping the paint from a bunch of models (including many of my 25+ year old paint jobs) and I knew I didn't have the time or space to do it. So, Chaos won and my list looks like this:

• Deathsteer (190 points) 
• 10 Marauders with great weapons and standard (410 points) 
• 10 Thugs with longbows and command (132 points) 
• 1 Beastmaster with 4 chaos warhounds (109 points) 
• 1 Beastmaster with 4 chaos warhounds (109 points 
• 1 Troll (65 points) 

I had removed the mold lines and sculpted bases for the Marauders back in 2015, but the others needed the works. I finished sculpting the last of the bases tonight (some of the putty is still drying) and arranged them for a group photo.

The Reinforcements

My work schedule for the first month is pretty hectic. I've got training all week next week, travel to Seattle for training the week after, and then travel to New Mexico at the end of the month, so it really will be a challenge to get my first unit painted. Fortunately, I have a plan.