Tom's Orcs and Goblins - Intro Post

The Old World Army Challenge 8...

Holy moly it's come round quick!

I had quite a few armies that I wanted to do this time round, not least being to add to my Dwarfs from way back in OWAC 2 (link). I was so enthused with this that I couldn't wait and painted up a unit of marauder clansmen, some imperial dwarfs, a bolt thrower and a few extra things. This now equates to the most amount of painting I have done outside of the Challenge itself! I've a few more Dwarfs things to paint up, but as is always the way, the motivations waned and the enthusiasm dried up. Maybe next year!

Anyway.

Whilst in the process of moving house last year (everything's settled in at my new home now), I sold all my orcs and goblins as I had too many from the WFB days mixed in with the 3rd ed Kev Adams classics. I thought that I'd never get round to them, so I sold them on. I am deeply regretting selling my old WFB orc boar boys. 

I did keep, however, a regiment of each of the monopose plastics and a few metal models to flesh out an army JUST IN CASE! A prime motivator for this was that a previous OWAC challenger (who's name escapes me now), gifted me a unit of goblin spearmen with the caveat that they were to be painted as part of an OWAC. Many thanks to this donor, who's models are pictured in amongst the others below! 

I've pumped for the old BattleMasters ogres for that monopose vibe (and they were much cheaper than metal ones!). I had an old Drew Williams/Satyr Studio 'remastered' Cloud Giant, based on the original (which is still available via Ral Partha (link)), who I thought would add some flavour. To be fair it was a toss up between the giant and the classic wyvern, and after consulting a friend, pumped for the giant.

The army general is the Goblin on Gigantic Spider, in homage to the Orcs vs Dwarfs battle report in the Dwarf Army book. The dream will be to eventually recreate this army on both sides, and quite a few of the planned models will go a long way to making this a reality, although the sticking point for me is trying to source the orc boy regiment... Why oh why did I ever sell my old minis 😂?

Here's my army list, with points. I always initially hand write it out, so I thought I'd just snap a picture and post it

The points are taken, naturally, from this Orc and Goblin Army Book 👇

And I'm aiming to follow the paint guide contained within.

I have memories of me pouring over this image and trying to equate stage 3 with the previous stages 😂

Anyhow, here's my best effort at it, without the digital background👇. I am lacking shields - they seem to be too pricy/hard to find, but they'd be easy to add at a later date... I am also betting on the fact that my paint will simplify down over the course of the batch paint. I might try and do the old trick of just painting up the front row to a good standard, and then just basecoats for the back ranks, but we'll see how we go.

Note that I've gone for a brown base trim. No real reason. It'll probably grate at some purists 🙂👌. The brown covers a lot better than the green, so that's a plus. 

Here's a quick breakdown of paints used (primarily so future me can look back and try and match the paint if I add more!)

Skin: GW Moot Green / GW Warp Lightning Contrast / ProAcryl Warm Yellow / ProAcryl Bismoth Yellow / Pro Acryl Light Ivory / GW Leviadon Blue Contrast

Tunic: ProAcryl Orange Red / GW Flesh Tearers Red Contrast / ProAcryl Warm Yellow / ProAcryl Bismoth Yellow / ProAcryl Light Ivory

Metals: Vallejo Metallic Black /  Vallejo Model Colour Silver / GW Black Templar Contrast

Bone: GW Mornghast Bone / GW Skeleton Horde Contrast / ProAcryl Light Ivory

Black: GreenStuffWorld Black Stallion / GW Black Templar Contrast / ProAcryl Warm Ivory

Grass: AK Grass Green / ProAcryl Camo Green / ProAcryl Warm Yellow / ProAcryl Bismoth Yellow / ProAcryl Light Ivory

 Base Rim: GW XV-88

There's a good chance I might switch the base rim over to Steel Legion Drab. That seems to be the one everyone uses and I've yet to pick up a pot. The Leviadon Blue used in the skin is just like a blackline around the teeth, eyes and fingers.

The models are all undercoated white with Halfords rattlecan (UK). Based with a fine sand which is glued on with Gorilla Wood Glue, and then a soaking of Woodland Scenics scenics cement when dry to fully stick the sand down. Water and pva work for this too, but I had some scenic cement to hand and wanted to try it out! 

The bases have a magnet underneath which is a N52 neodymium magnet measuring 5mm x 2mm, which is stuck down in a kinda greenstuff/super glue sandwich. Base, super glue, blob of greenstuff, superglue, magnet. Pushed down flush with the back of a wooden paint brush handle. Having the bases magnetized really helps me undercoat them, as I can line them up on a metal ruler without fear of them falling off. Storage and transport is much easier too.

I'm going to varnish these with three thin brush on coats of Vallejo Mecha Satin.

Here's a few prep pics, for the pic god:

This is the workspace👇. As ever, pushed by the mess into a few inches square to do actual work! I'm about to do the base magnets, so the magnets are stuck up like that so that I know which way up they are 

Magnetizing! 

Wet the blade before cutting the greenstuff - it makes it easier 👇

And then I thought I really should do something about the gaps in the troll miniatures, so a bit of the leftover greenstuff is smushed in there👇. The integral bases of these models have been glued down ontop of another base, and then leveled out with plenty of milliput. I couldn't face delicately cutting away the original base 😂

And it's been a while, adding sand to bases. After a while I realized that wiping the base edges with a finger after applying glue (but before adding sand), helps with having a nice crisp edge. I left the rogue sand on the feet - removing it seemed like a detail to far for me...

Extras. 

Just in case I manage to paint more than I've planned, I do have a few extras of all the monopose...

I'd also like to paint the shaman from Warhammer Quest's Lair of the Orc Lord, but first and foremost is that I'd like to make some era appropriate terrain. Think flocked battlefield with trees and hills. There's a slim possibility of a few houses and fences too 😬🤞

Here they all are in their storage box, ready for their paint! 👇

And that's me done. Just got to try to stay on target now and not get sideline by any other hobby project! 

See y'all in Feb! 

🤘