Ben D's Skellibobs - Intro Post

 Well Owackers, its that time of year again (take a shot,) where we pledge our axes to a cause and dedicate the next six and a half months of our hobby lives to making something beautiful. I, like the rest of the mugs on this blog, have had a whole year to think of something cool to do for OWAC 9, and I figured I’d do something a little bit different to spice it up a bit. That’s right, this year’s army will be good old fashioned Undead, bones and warts and all…

Wait…

What’s that?

Why are they so small?!

Alright, as per usual (three years running bay-bee) I’ve made it my goal to gnome it up, and this time is no different, except for it literally being different because these gnomes are of the boney variety. Some Halloweens ago, our lovely Byron made a handful of minis to celebrate the spooky season, and as the story goes, I jumped in with two feet. Originally, a number of this horde were a force I made for Dragon Rampant, but after I finished two armies of gnomes for the Warhammer system, I simply had to redo the whole thing so that they’d all match!

There’s been much talk about the Field of Bones amongst participants given the shape of the year ahead, and to make certain that I won’t take any arrows to the knee, I’ve formed a force that should be plenty easy to accomplish before the summer. Should 2026 do me dirty, I ought to be able to manage about 10 skellibobs a month, with plenty of surprises waiting in the wings in case things go smoother than expected.

Here’s the list in all its ghoulish glory.

Undead Lord - Vampire Lord on Dragon - 825 pts

2 Necromancers - 68 pts/each

20 Skeleton Warriors - Full Command and Halberds - 257 pts

20 Skeleton Warriors - Full Command and Halberds - 257 pts

10 Wights - Full Command, Spears, Shields, Heavy Armor, Skeletal Steeds - 528 pts

Total - 2003 pts

I’m personally delighted by this collection of miniatures, not just because they are a continuation of a theme, but because this force has afforded me the chance to sculpt more and use pieces from my collection that I’d been saving for a special occasion.

 

I can’t think of many things more special than our community’s annual project, so I’m proud to haul out this tiny pile of lead in celebration of the new year and the ninth official Old World Army Challenge.

 

But wait! There's a rub! This year's OWAC has an underlying theme: your project has to draw inspiration from some Oldhammer Art!

 

 

Here is the virgin cover of the 4th edition Undead Army book, illustrated by David Gallagher. Its gaudy, busy, and full of pop, so of course I had to pick it as my piece to draw from. While the undead in my army are gnomish and are beholden to their quaint sensibilities, I can at least draw from Gallagher's palette and general vibe. With any luck, by the end of the challenge you'll be able to look at the army and then at the painting, and nod sagely from the commonality of it all.

 

 

Best of luck to all participants, and a hearty thank you to our organizers! Be well, and paint wisely!