Bjorn Grendel's Dwarven Holds - July: wrap-up

 

Freky Thirsty Beard, proud young dwarf and his army.

Okay, it’s over. I feel drained.

Never before have I overestimated my abilities and underestimated the sheer volume of work I’d be facing quite like I did this season...

Sure, the idea of adding all those extra commission dwarves took a toll on my productivity (though not too much, given that I had overlapping commissions during the challenge last year). But the biggest factor was the Golden Rule: "No dwarf will be left behind." The original plan was to sell off most of the loose components from our collection to manage the workload and fund inevitable new purchases—well, you can see that didn't go exactly as I’d hoped.

What bothers me most is that I counted all the painted models and discovered they amounted to just under half the total. Seized by a sudden, feverish burst of energy, I pushed myself to the limit to paint at least the war machines, the available crew, and a handful of other scattered models... only to find out I’d miscalculated from the start and was *still* left with just under half finished! Damn it!

Dwarf i left behind. Aka the pile of shame.

Anyway, here is the report on my final month of hard work:

NARNIA DWARVES

My wife (may her infinite patience, kindness, and support be forever blessed) has long owned a Narnia-themed army built using the Wood Elf list. So, we took this opportunity to freshen up the paintwork and add the remaining models. In her version, the Glade Guards and Wardancers are represented by Dwarf Archers and Warriors from the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game. A total of 25 models (11 of which were painted from anew).

Archers

Warriors 

WAR MACHINES

I’ve never mentioned just how TRULY TERRIBLE my son Bjorn and my wife Brandy (nomen omen) are at estimating distances and operating artillery correctly. That’s why this army doesn’t include cannons, even though they ought to be a hallmark of the Dwarven race. On the upside, we’ve always owned a sizable collection of war machines (I personally collect chariots and artillery pieces and have quite a few), so out came a complete catapult and a mantlet. Both are original pieces—favorites of mine—that were just waiting for the right moment to be assembled and painted. Unfortunately, the catapult was missing a few cranks, which I rebuilt using wire, and the mantlet was missing a leg that i rebuilt using a piece of sprue. For the mantlet’s crew, I chose two vintage Marauder engineers (some of my absolute favorites)and added a few details found in my bits box.

"Where are the orcs?" "Just, yes, about... There..."

Mantlet and grudgethrower

"Grendel"

Digging equipment

Siege engeneers

I also found two ballistae on eBay—for less than nothing—but sadly, they came without crews. No big deal, though: right now, I’m swimming in loose Dwarves, characters, adventurers, and rogues who can man these machines until I manage to find the proper models.

Mantlet and ballistas

"Dont panic, we just need our BS!"

Speaking of war machines: my son (always him—my joy and my headache) has always wondered how these machines (especially the Anvil of Doom) get transported to the battlefield. "But Bjorn," I told him, "how many times have we maneuvered the cannon during reenactments? You have to push it by hand, and it gradually slides into position!" He wasn't convinced—the little smart-aleck. “Okay, Dad, but we only have to cover a few dozen meters on flat ground, whereas they’ll have to go for kilometers up and down mountains—what a drag that must be! They probably tow them with ponies, or better yet, with oxen… build me some oxen!” And just like that, I was hooked. I built him a dwarf ox-herder, sculpted in green stuff and based just in the nick of time.

Moo...

Shadespyre's gifted head 

Ballista train

Train for the Anvil of Doom

RANKS AND FILES

And here, once again, I must hang my head in shame.

At the start of the project, the good Shadespyre (may his generosity be recorded in the annals for future generations) sent me an envelope containing TWO DWARF QUEENS (and a head). Now, the head is a classic 2nd Edition sculpt and was put to good use on the ox-herding dwarf I mentioned earlier... but the two queens deserved a place of honor. For months, I tried to find the right opportunity and the right approach for them—and, sadly, I still haven't quite managed it; I had planned an entire regiment of female dwarves, but so far, I’ve only managed to acquire or convert a handful. However, I absolutely did not want to end the OWAC season with the ultimate disgrace of letting such a significant gift rot in my "pile of shame." So, I decided to make one final push, dedicating a couple of nights to painting Queen Helga and her personal guard. Shieldmaiden? ABSOLUTELY NOT! “Stay a while and listen. The Dwarven race is ancient and long-lived, yet sadly plagued by a chronic scarcity of females. Official lore states that only one in ten births produces a female child; thus, Dwarven women are exceedingly rare, precious, and highly sought-after within Dawi society. In ages past—when Humanity was young—many Human maidens dedicated themselves to the sword, swearing never to yield to any man save the one valiant enough to defeat them in an honorable, fair duel (much like the real-world legend of Siegfried and the Valkyrie Brunhilde). For the Dwarves, however, such a custom is unthinkable. The Dawi’s foes are primarily Orcs, Goblins, and Skaven—monsters with whom no parley is possible—and, furthermore, Dwarves regard murder of kin as one of the most heinous crimes of all (as seen with Gotrek). Consequently, those female Dwarves who choose the perilous path of war dedicate themselves to the temples of Grimnir, God of War, and Valaya, Goddess of the Hearth. They vow never to take a husband and renounce their clan ties to live within a warrior sisterhood, training to protect the Queen and the royal lineage. Yet, from time to time, these warriors offer themselves ritually to worthy young Dwarves—specifically those who have neither wives nor children of their own. Only after bearing her first daughter does a warrior fully attain her status, gaining the right to participate in the fiercest battles and skirmishes. Any male child born of such a union is returned to his father and clan with great honor; any female child is raised within the sisterhood, educated and trained until she reaches maturity, at which point she may choose for herself whether to marry or follow in her mother’s martial footsteps.” And so, the Dwarven Shield-Matrons have carried on a unique tradition for millennia.

“Like the Greek Amazons, but less evil?”

“Exactly, Bjorn.”

The beautyful Queen Helga in both her versions, kindly gifted by my mate: Shadespyre

The Matrons 

AFTERMATH

To wrap things up, here is the total haul from seven long months, followed by a selection of photos taken on the house table. The most observant among you will notice the absence of the commission-painted models; they were excluded from the challenge from the very start and have long since been handed over to my client.

Some characters and Adventurers

Artillery battery with evil dwarfs and steam guards in support 

The infamous Orange Line 

Bear riders

Rangers and cart 

Queen Helga and the Matrons protecting the Anvil 

The stone elementals rising from the Mountain 

Finally, the Umberogenes join the Battle 

Slayers and Gaesati on the front line 

Proud elder 

The queens: Ravenna and Helga 

The Gods of Dawi and Men be blessed

Sigmar and Kurgan Ironbeard fighting side by side 

War hounds unleashed

Man and Dwarf together, as Always as Forever 

My little Dwarf is absolutely proud and happy: Not many boys his age possess an army like that.; many battles lie ahead, and soon—step by step—every remaining dwarf will be painted and added to the army:

NO DWARF WILL BE LEFT BEHIND!

Björn Björnsson. Showing true norse happiness 

That is why I intend to

KEEP PAINTING, STAY OLD SCHOOL.🤘🏼

Bjorn Grendel's Dwarven Holds - June: rank and file. Month of the Bear

 

Finally... They are here!

Month six.

A living hell.

June coincides with the end of the school year, and any parents among you know exactly what that entails: an incalculable number of extra commitments for the kids: plays, recitals, rehearsals, shortened school days, final afternoon sessions...

Then, of course, the first days of vacation for the children (though not yet for working adults) and the first outings... but also the need to renovate the house and redo the rooms for the growing kids...

...plus an unseasonable heatwave in my region that hit record-breaking highs.

I’ve never seen acrylics break down and dry out so quickly on a wet palette!

So, having just had to declare a "Mulligan" last month, this June I’m forced to scale back the workload and bring a very limited number of models to the challenge.

Let’s break it down.

COMMISSION

Crappy pics, i know. I took them in a hurry befor delivering the commission.

A regiment of 20 Dwarf warriors: a commission piece, as evidenced by the rocky-themed 25mm bases. Most of the models have been modified and converted: some feature weapon swaps from an old MOM Miniaturas resin kit, while many others have had fur added to their shoulders using green stuff; the shields are recasts but feature understated, thematic freehand designs. Once again, I used a printed paper banner—for the sake of my own sanity.

RANKS AND FILES

The most observant among you will have already started to spot a pattern here...  

Dwarfs Bear Riders! I’ve owned these beauties for a long time; they are (as is often the case with me) Mirliton models that are still in production—thankfully, as I had to order three new ones to reinforce the unit. Of course, we are fully aware that nothing of the sort exists in the rulebook or the codex, but we followed the "Rule of Cool" and included them anyway. Fortunately, the third edition allows for the creation of custom units, and since bears appear in the codex, it works out perfectly. 

In our "house canon," these riders are the equivalent of the Empire’s knightly orders: rather than guarding the stronghold's inner halls, those bear-riding rangers protect the surface passes, defending them against invaders, rapidly ferrying messages between the outside world and the strongholds, and even collecting tolls and passage fees at the crossings. An ancient bond of deep friendship links the mountain-pass Dwarfs with the forest bears, and they live in a state of near-symbiosis on the surface. They are armed with great axes and small throwing hatchets; the sound of their horn echoes across the valleys, and the standard they carry has witnessed more than a few goblin invasions. An important note on the freehand shield designs: initially, the idea was a simple stylized motif representing two mountain peaks with a rune in the middle to signify the fortified pass, but then I got distracted and let my hand run wild. I wanted to redo them all, but my son (yes, him again) stopped me, saying they looked even better with all that color.

These riders were supposed to be accompanied by a garrison on foot—ten Dwarfs in a mixed spear-and-bow formation—but unfortunately, I didn't manage to get them ready in time.

SLAYERS

Banner and Trolls. Yes i wanted to show off my greenstuff sculpted custom Trolls... 

Here my favorite 

Now that I’ve finished all the models in the unit, the time has finally come to talk about the lore behind these incredible shield-wielding Slayers! First off, it’s worth noting that no one else at home likes these Dwarfs—except me. My wife and son wanted to get rid of them and sell them off, but this time (oh yes, *this* time) I MYSELF was the one who enforced the "no Dwarf will be left behind" rule. I fought to keep them and slot them into the unit to fill out the ranks. "But Dad, Slayers don't use shields." He’s right, of course, but these ones are different. “You should know that every Stronghold has its own customs; while Dwarves share a common cultural background as a race, each fortress possesses unique quirks and variations. Where these particular dwarves come from—a distant northern stronghold—warriors are scarce, and few are capable of fighting to defend their mountain. Furthermore, the staunchest warriors have always felt that dying in battle from a volley of arrows loosed from afar is an undignified end. That is why some Northern Slayers have struck a pact with their Rune-smiths to craft special shields—adorned with the rune of magnetic attraction—designed to draw a barrage of enemy arrows and projectiles toward the shield itself, sparing their comrades. This allows far more Slayer dwarves to reach the front lines and slay enemies in close-quarters combat, perishing in a glorious, furious melee rather than ending up like pincushions in an open field. Needless to say, bearing these shields is a great honor, though certainly no easy task; the chances of survival are even slimmer than usual for these volunteers.”

“You’ve convinced me, Dad!”

THE DWARF KING'S COURT

Just one model this month:

A dwarf princess. Actually, I believe it’s a Halfling cleric from the Reaper Bones PVC line, but we’ve always interpreted her as a proud member of the Dawi folk—so here she is. Freshly painted, squeezed in between other projects.

MONSTERS

Owlbears!!! We’re keeping the plantigrade theme going strong this month! You should know that bears have always been my favorite real-world animal

I swear, its a coincidence!

And—obviously—Owlbears are my favorite fantasy creature.

These specific ones were 3D printed by an old friend who knows me well and gave me a great gift: three of them, perfect for a unit of trained monsters. The Third Edition rules really help me out here, too; I can simply pay the points cost for any medium-sized creature and I’m all set—or I can always use them as proxies for Ogre mercenaries. In short, I’m never short on justifications for fielding these beauties. Even though I opted for a classic, understated color scheme, these models are hands-down one of my favorite units.

Keeping them company is a rare specimen of Kite-Bear, having descended from the highest peaks in search of food.

This fella Is Just a scratchbuilt from a chewed toy bear and a extra Griffin head

In my personal lore, these creatures aren't the result of Chaos influence, dark magic, or mere wild beasts; instead, they are an ancient, proud race—symbiotic with the Dwarfs of the World's Edge Mountains—that has maintained a very close bond with the Dawi for centuries. Owlbears and Kite-Bears are intelligent, proud, loyal, wise, and ancient creatures. Although incapable of articulate speech, they are perfectly able to understand and make themselves understood by the Dwarven race and to collaborate for mutual benefit—even going so far as to march into battle alongside the mountain folk to defend their shared territory.

I devised this lore—distinct from the classic D&D canon—because it seemed more consistent with the idea that head attributes should prevail over torso ones; this explains why Minotaurs and Gors tend to be savage and bestial, whereas Centaurs and Sphinxes possess immense intelligence, even if they are often evil.

AFTERMATH

If my calculations are correct, here is the updated total so far.

Even though I met the challenge requirements and painted a lot, I already know I won't be able to finish everything that remains before next month's wrap-up.

I feel like I’ve failed, and my morale is at rock bottom.

Pile of shame AKA "the dwarves i left behind"

BUT I intend to follow the advice I always give all of you:

KEEP PAINTING, STAY OLD SCHOOL.