Sam's Orcs - it's going to get a bit savage around here

I've been on and off Warhammer collector/player ever since my ten year old self got all bright eyed looking at a GW stand in a random toy shop during the early 90s. Since then I've been in and out of the hobby, but I always had a soft spot for the golden era models and the wacky old days of Warhammer. There were just so many sweet ideas I had back then pouring over WD, or some armies book or another. Al lot of stuff that I never quite got around to (or couldn't afford, or shiny new things got the better of me).

Then along came the OWAC blog, I stumbled on it last year through some machination of FB, and my eyes straight lit up. Clicking through the entries was just one nostalgia trip after another, all the sweet old models I loved given a new lease of life and a bunch of old skool nerds like me to chat with about all of it (and hopefully encourage me to actually finish something for once). I was so tripped out I even forgot to and minimise the window and just let the Goblin Green loose on the office (luckily anyone that saw was dazed by pure uncut 80s/90s that they had no idea what they were looking at).

Prepare your retina

Anyway, fast forward a few weeks and I was down the pub with AdamH chatting about my discovery. Needless to say the effect was fairly similar and after a couple (read twenty-ish) drinks we were going on about the challenge like it was the best thing since sliced lead. All that was left was to wait for it to roll around again, and of course in the meantime beat my wallet to within a inch of its life.

Queue my army choice: originally, I was going to go with Dark Elves, but after seeing quite a few of them in the challenge, I thought for a bit of variety I'll opt for something else (it's not like I've been recklessly accumulating lead piles over the past year, honest). So Savage Orcs it is!!! .

The List

Ugg Bonekrakka - Savage Orc Warlord, War Boar (Snorka) = 158

Grog Mindbenda - Savage Orc Shaman Champion, War Boar = 130

Dagob Moufsmasha - Savage Orc Boss, shield = 46

Da Beastie Boyz - 8 x Savage Orc Boar Boys, Standard, Musician = 250

Da Boyz - 19 x Savage Orc Boyz, Standard, Musician, shields = 178.5

Da Big 'Un - 1 x Giant = 200

Sommink Undafoot - 3 x Snotling bases (maybe more) = 45

Total = 1007.5

It works out at 31 models and around 21 snotlings (assuming I go 7 to a base). Hopefully an achievable amount. I'm still waiting for a few things to wing their way to me, but for now I've got some combination of this for the first month.

Also, whenever I collect an army I always like to unify it around a (normally goofy) theme and give them a bit of a backstory. So here goes:

Ugg has Ideaz

Ugg Bonekrakka wasn’t daft. He knew what those hummies wanted down there in their village lookin’ all peaceful like. They were all the same, one trap minded as the ol’ boss used to say... or woz it one trakk?.. well, that was before Ugg bashed is brains out wiv a rock, so whatever he used to say can't 'ave been that useful anyway. Was damned good rock though, he still carried around with ‘im to this day... 

Now where woz he... Grogz Killa Brew! That’s what thoze stinkin' hummies wanted!!! 

Well they they wouldn’t get it off ol’ Ugg, not while there was any waaagh left in 'im, that’s for sure. 

The way Grog'd told it round the fire, he'd nicked the recipe off some stunties a fair few moons back, or maybe just nicked the barrels... honestly Ugg couldn't really remember. He liked Grog, but he always used too many words; and not enough krumpin'. A few swigs of the brew often helped, but more than a few... he shrugged to himself... either way it woz a damned good brew and it woz iz an da boyz, not any stinkin' hummies! So they were ‘ard out of luck if they thought they were gettin' any. And if any of 'em did just so happen to 'ave got funny ideaz, by Gork (or Mork) Ugg would ride Snorka down there, krump the lot of em and ride back wiv their lot of brew too. 

He creased out a frown at that, the kind of frown he didn't bother with too often; the thinking kind. It was as if someone upstairs in his noggin had let all the squiggs off the leash. 

Who knew, maybe Grog could work iz magic on that brew az well. Bit of shroom powder and whatever other krazy gubbinz he put in and Mork’s your father Ugg’d ‘ave another batch to keep the boyz 'appy. 

Now he’d neva been much for ideaz, in fact the last git who'd accused 'im of avvin' ideaz had found himself missing more than half his teef. No, he left all that dirty cunnin to the gobbos, all he needed was his club, Snorka and a couple of boyz at his back and he was sorted. But there was sommink about this idea, sommink golden, and the more he thought about it (and the golden bit, wiv a little foam at the top) the better it sounded. Well, he thought, best fetch that lucky rock out for another round...

Hope you enjoyed