The Squats of Grimshaft - George's Introduction Post

For the dwarfs of Grimshaft, the Age of Isolation was golden. Left to explore the vast mineral wealth of their mining planet, they discovered that it was seemingly limitless. They built a vast underground civilisation and as memories of the Emperor faded, the power of their kings grew. Combining the imperial cult with ancestral faith, the kings and their noble hearthguard ensured that the dwarfs remained united, despite the rivalries and arguments inevitable among such grumpy folk.

Then the orcs arrived. The Age of War was devastating for the squats, and Grimshaft was no exception. Shaken rudely from their isolation, the stronghold mustered the brotherhood to their defence. Their armouries had been long forgotten, but inspired by the wisdom of their living ancestors, the warriors held against the alien onslaught.

And as they dug deeper into their vaults, the dwarfs discovered the armour they needed to fight back. Ancient vehicles brought by the first colonists lay silent, but the masters of the engineer guild fired them back into action. 

Tunnel by tunnel the dwarfs regained ground until finally punching through the orc lines.

Civilian and brotherhood losses were beyond calculation. And as the dwarfs looked upon the ruin of their homes they called for one thing: revenge.

The king summoned his son to lead an expeditionary force into the stars. Their mission was simple: destroy the orcs.

 

As a youth I loved squats. Lurking in Games Workshop stores in the late 80s and early 90s, it felt as though this glorious range could only get better. The potential was clear: the amazing EPIC vehicles, superb metal and plastic figures… then they vanished. No explanation, just no longer available.

I’d pretty much forgotten about squats until I stumbled upon some of the brilliant indie companies producing space dwarfs now. Inspired, I started building an army that would reflect my childhood dream of a full blown 28mm squat force equipped with a full array of vehicles and troop types.

I also love a bit or narrative, so brace yourselves for lots more Grimshaft fluff!

With a core of original Games Workshop space dwarf miniatures, I have added troops and vehicles from companies including Ramshackle Games, CP Models, Ironclad Miniatures, Old School Miniatures and Macrocosm Games.

And now it’s time to paint them! I am a very, very slow painter, and haven’t painted an army in 25 years. So this will be a challenge. But heck, if the Old World Army Challenge isn’t a challenge, what’s the point?

This is my first OWAC. It’s an honour to be involved, and I can’t wait to get stuck in!

As the Squats lacked an official codex, I’ve used my trusty copy of White Dwarf 111 as a guide. There are a few guestimates in there based on the alternative models I’m using!

1 x Horse mounted Warlord & 4 x Hearthguard –120

1 x Guildmaster with jetbike – 90

5 x Trikes - 525

3 x Brotherhood Combat Squads (5 x warriors in each) – 430

1 x HQ – living ancestor, commissar, medic, 2 warriors – 150

1 x Rhino – 350

Total – 1,665

I handpicked an offering to the overlord. But he has been lost to the void of chaos (ie. Royal Mail!) Shuffling forward to offer himself up, and very much in the spirit of this special edition OWAC, a Heroquest zombie is ready to make a final voyage across the Atlantic.