Jaakko and Rugluk - Leader month

Morrslieb was full and seemed to smile as Rugluk's warband crept from the trees.

The dwarfs had made themselves comfortable. Some still drank beneath The Owl's sign while others snored beside dying campfires.

Rugluk raised a clenched fist in silence.

Goblins slipped between the wagons while a group of boyz crept toward the sleeping guards. Even the trolls, after repeated threats from Rugluk, managed to stay almost quiet.

Then Rugluk dropped his hand.

"WAAAGH!"

The night exploded.

The dwarfs fought hard but the surprise was complete. Before long the survivors were retreating into the darkness, dragging their wounded with them.

Rugluk climbed onto an overturned ale wagon, looked over the wreckage and bared his teeth in a satisfied grin.

"...Maybe da old ghost knew a fing or two."

Welcome back! I'm in good spirits as I write this post, as I came very close to not finishing anything this month. There was never any fear of dropping out of the challenge, though, since I had already painted a half-orc shaman back in January. Byron shared a picture of the chariot riding Grom he was working on, and it gave me the needed inspiration to paint my version as this season's leader.

I had intended to paint more (and have a few half-finished heroes and shamans on the painting table), but I'm quite happy with these guys. I'm not sure what happens next with the army, but I might present some of the remaining leaders in the wrap-up.

I wanted to make a chariot-riding version of the original Grom the Paunch of the Misty Mountains. So I simply cut the puddle base from under his feet and stuck him on a chariot. He has grown a lot since the first two sculpts.

This sculpt is quite busy and not one of my favourites, but I wanted to include a model that could pass as a half-orc. In fact, I'd also like to include a unit of scabbies in the army, but I need to do some collecting first.

This month in points:

And that's it for now. See you again next month!

Jaakko and Rugluk - Wild card month

Keeping watch over a lonely crossroads, The Owl has stood for longer than any village record can account for. Some claim it used to be a watch-post during wars against beastmen. Others insist it began life as a small monastery before ale barrels replaced prayer books.

Its sign creaks in the wind: a wide-eyed owl painted on a fading blue board.

The Owl has earned a reputation as a safe refuge on dangerous roads. Merchants, bounty hunters, pilgrims, mercenaries, and even the less reputable folk are all welcome.

There is also a rival inn farther down the road: The Weasel. Once the two inns were owned by brothers who quarreled bitterly over things long forgotten. The rivalry became a feud passed from father to son. Coachmen swear one stablemaster sabotages the other’s horseshoes. Fights are common during market season and customers argue over which inn serves better ale.

Still, when winter storms close the roads and the howling begins in the woods the hatchet is buried. Because whatever feud exists between Owl and Weasel, both know there is something worse waiting in the dark.

-------

A large dwarf camp sat beside the old roadside inn. Lanterns glowed warmly in the windows, and the smell of roasted meat drifted across the fields. Dwarfs crowded the yard, drinking from tankards, their armour stacked nearby in piles. Laughter rumbled beneath their thick beards.

From the trees above the road, Rugluk and his scouts watched in silence.

An orc beside him grunted, “We hittin’ ’em tonight, boss?”

Rugluk stared at the camp. Warm firelight. Full barrels. Fat dwarfs laughing.

”Yeah,” he muttered.

”An’ I want sum ale.”

Hello! I saved the wild card month for May in order to have a bit of a change of pace before the final push in June and July. The theme of this year’s wildcard month was determined when Graeme very kindly sent me a copy of White Dwarf 143. The issue includes instructions to build the Coaching Inn and stables, and I simply couldn’t resist having a go at it. This is the biggest single terrain piece I’ve done, and it ended up taking a large part of my hobby time this month, so no miniatures this month. Anyway, here are more photos:

Tom is actually also making a Coaching Inn and stables as his wild card. We thought it was a really fun coincidence and decided to name them as a pair after the Owl and Weasel. So, here’s The Owl-you’ll meet The Weasel a bit later.

I tried to be faithful to the original in most parts, but I did move the walls a bit so there wouldn’t be a gap between them and the inn, and I forgot a window. I also opted to make a gate that doesn’t open. I figured it would be a bit more sturdy this way.

I did some googling to see other people's versions of the build. The Lost and Very Damned blog (link) had a really nice version of the smithy and I copied some details from there while adding some further items. I might add a similar removable wall to the build later too.

A close-up of the stables. I rather like the look of the plastered walls and might make more buildings in this style in the future.

I like the inn part a lot, and I’m pretty sure it will be used on its own quite often.

I actually built a slightly modified version of the Fantasy Barn from WD 140 first as a test. I built one as a kid too, and I think it’s too tall. That's why this one is adjusted to fit the size of old cardboard houses.

I’m also working on a field and some fences to tie this one into it's surroundings, but I ran out of time. I’ll hopefully add them in later posts, along with some roadside signs.

Here are some WIP pictures. I’ll try to keep the explanations short, but feel free to ask if anything comes to mind.

The shape was first made from cardboard and foam core (after feeding the kids with things that come in cardboard boxes).

I followed my brother’s advice and covered the foam core parts and seams with paper. It’s supposed to make the structure tougher, but I later found out that it also helps a lot with the plastering.

Then some sticks, bits of XPS foam, and lots and lots and lots of small bits of cardboard.

Next, the walls were plastered with a mix of Polyfilla, fine sand, and water.

I happened to run into an ancient box of Polyfilla in December while emptying an apartment full of a literal ton of stuff. As far as I know, the last Rake hardware store closed in ’87, so the Polyfilla was clearly era-appropriate for an Oldhammer build. I had no choice but to save it and use it for the plastering.

And here's a final picture of the painted coaching inn and stables:

See you next month with a leader (or some leaders)!

Jaakko and Rugluk - Rank & File month #4

The camp had grown. Fires burned across the hillside while boyz laughed, fought, and argued over loot they hadn’t earned.

New faces had joined daily - hard-looking orcs, sly goblins, and even giants who towered over the camp, slow-witted and hungry, but useful enough to be welcomed.

Things seemed almost orderly.

Rugluk sat by the largest fire, chewing something questionably edible, watching his growing force with quiet satisfaction.

Not far away, goblins whispered among themselves.

“Dey say dwarfs been seen in da hills.”

“Heard it too. Whole army, marchin’ somewhere close.”

“Maybe dis way.”

Rugluk’s ears twitched.

He spat into the dirt and grinned.

“Let ‘em come.”

Welcome! I’m literally writing this post at the last minute, so I’ll keep it short. Let’s check out what I’ve painted this month!

I was relatively busy but managed to paint three Giants and a Goblin Battle Chariot. Not quite as much as I had initially planned, but that’s still a few miniatures cleared from the lead pile and enough for another Rank & File month. The Wild Card and Leader months are just around the corner, and I’ve actually already started crafting some terrain.

The first army I collected and played was Dwarves, so I’ve developed a real appreciation for anything that moves quickly. That’s one of the reasons why chariots are some of my favourite units, and I’m hoping to include more later.

I’m glad to see our mysterious wagon from last month in action. I can’t wait to steal one from a baggage train and push it up a hill in an actual battle. I’ve attached the (3ed) rules here to refresh our memory. I love this kind of crazy stuff.

This month in points:

And that's it for the month. Happy painting everybody!

Jaakko and Rugluk - Rank & File month #3

Grey dawn crept over the hills when Rugluk’s ragged warband reached the ridge. Below lay a lonely farmstead: a few huts, a barn, some fences, and a handful of humans still asleep.

Rugluk scratched his chin. “Right then. We sneak down quiet-like… nick da food… bash anyfing wot wakes up.”

Behind him a troll belched and scared three crows out of a tree.

Rugluk sighed.

“Quiet-ish.”

Just as they were about to move, a deep growl rolled from the trees behind them.

A band of savage orcs stepped out. At their front stood a massive brute with a feathered head dress.

He looked at Rugluk.

“You da boss wot bashed Gronk Skullbasha?”

Rugluk straightened.

“…Might be.”

The brute grinned wide. “Good. We like a boss wot stabs bosses. Keeps fings interestin’.”

Rugluk blinked once.

“…Right.”

The brute pointed at the farm below.

“So… we bashin’ dat?”

What followed was less a raid and more a small natural disaster.

Savage orcs smashed through the fences howling. The trolls wandered into the barn and snotlings chased chickens with never ending enthusiasm.

Within minutes it was over.

The huts burned. The food was looted. The savage orcs were laughing and mixed in with the boyz.

Rugluk stood in the middle of it all.

The savage boss slapped him on the back hard enough to nearly knock him over.

“Good raid, boss!”

Rugluk nodded slowly.

He looked at the smoking farm, the squabbling goblins, and boyz already chanting for another fight.

For the first time in a long while, Rugluk allowed himself a proper grin.

Hello again! Another month has passed and another batch of miniatures has been painted. I decided to paint some of the miniatures left over from the past months, along with some extras to avoid monotony. I'm behind from my initial plan, but miniatures are painted and progress is being made.

I managed to paint 10 Savage Orcs to complete last month's unit, as well as a troll, a giant, and a wagon. The purpose of the wagon will be revealed next month.

For some reason, the wagon draws the Giant's attention. I wonder what he's up to.

This month in points:

We also had the chance to play a game of 3rd edition Fantasy Battle with a group of friends. Rugluk’s orcs clashed with my dwarf army. The battle was neck and neck until Rugluk defeated the dwarf king in a duel, and the green tide swept over the remaining dwarves.

The hill in the middle has been in use since the ’90s-back when it was pretty much the only piece of terrain we had. I’m making new ones to match my current basing style and mat, but I’m sure this one will always see play.

Goblin Fanatics wreaked havoc among the ranks of gnomes, dwarves, and goblins alike.

And that’s it for the month. I can already feel the pressure lifting as there’s not that much mandatory painting left. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the challenge, as the final stretch has been the most enjoyable part in previous years.

Jaakko and Rugluk - Rank & File month #2

Night lay heavy over the valley. Trolls snored. Snotlings squeaked.

Rugluk squatted by the fire, gnawing a bone, when the flames twisted unnaturally. Smoke coiled, shadows stretched… and a towering figure emerged: Rugluk’s father, battle-scarred and ghostly, eyes blazing like forge fire.

“Rugluk,” the ghost’s voice rumbled, echoing across the valley. “Da path ya walk… leads only to ruin.”

Rugluk froze. “Father?”

“Da ambition in yer heart… it will devour ya if ya walk blind,” the ghost hissed. “Yer boyz, yer trolls, yer snotlings… chaos follows every step. Watch it. Trust none. Not even yerself.”

Rugluk tightened his grip on the bone. “So… what should I do?”

“Do?” the ghost spat. “Remember da blood ya spilled, da tribes ya crushed… and know… every choice… feeds da fire dat eats ya.”

A snotling peeked from a bush. The ghost’s eyes flared. The snotling squealed and ran.

The ghost drifted higher, silent now, its eyes burning like dying embers.

Rugluk’s gaze fixed to the ghost’s fading figure. “Dat made no sense... but I fink dis ain’t done. Dis ain’t over.”

Somewhere, a distant howl cut through the valley.

The ghost was gone. Only the fire and the whispering wind remained… and the uneasy knowledge that destiny had just spoken.

Here we are again! I had a lot of time at the beginning of this month and decided to start working on one of the largest units in the army. I ran into some unexpected trouble during the month, including a thumb wound that kept me away from the painting table for a while, and ended up ten models short of completing the full unit. The silver lining is that I have ten nearly finished models on the table, promising an easy month to come. But no more rambling-here are the models!

I managed to paint a unit of 20 Savage Orcs. They were pretty quick to paint, as many of them are equipped with just a loincloth and a blade. I loved all the sculpts and really enjoyed painting them.

I see the Savage Orcs as an orky version of the Dwarf Troll Slayers. That's why I wanted to take something from the dwarven death cult and turn it around, and decided that this tribe bleaches its hair. The original concept also included white body paint (ash?). I didn’t have time to experiment with it, so I skipped that part. I also have a unit of Savage Arrers, and might try the body paint idea on them though.

Da Boss

The month in points:

On the green skin

I’ve been painting models for Heavy Metal Hordes for their upcoming Kickstarter project as a side quest. They asked me for pictures and some explanations for a painting guide. I’ve also received some enquiries about the orc skin recipe I use, so I thought I’d share the pictures with you along with a few words about the skin painting process.

Start with a base colour of Elysian Green. Then apply a wash of watered-down Druchii Violet with a dash of Agrax Earthshade in it. Add small amounts of Druchii Violet to selected areas, like the eye sockets, between fingers, etc., for a more dramatic effect if needed. Highlight with Elysian Green, and add Ogryn Camo to selected parts of the skin on the face. Knuckles, knees, and elbows get Ogryn Camo with dots of Kislev Flesh.

And that’s it for February! Next month, I’ll paint a few more Savage Orcs, but I’ll try not to stop there. That might mean something a bit darker, something much bigger, or maybe some fast-attack choices.

See you later!