AoS: Waaagh Further

While working on projects for clients, I’ve been doing some work on my own Age of Sigmar force of Orruks and Grots. It’s mostly just adding to existing units of Ardboyz and Moonclan Squigs.

The Ardboyz are of course the old Black Orcs. At 2000 points, my Ironjawz force has three mobs of Ardboyz, so I had to build additional command models. In this case, here are one unit’s Standard Bearer and a Boss. Both use standard Black Orc bits, with some pieces from Orcs, Brutes, and some extra equipment pieces (including a random satchel from a WWII German sprue). The Boss also has a jagged sword with his left arm from the Brutes kit.

The other pic is a couple of Ardboyz from one unit. Two carry big choppaz, while the middle carries a choppa and shield. Again they have extra bits from other kits, like the head from the Brutes, with a jaw plate from a 40K Ork sprue. The other big choppa boy swings a halberd-like weapon converted from a Brute sword.

 

I have acquired more Squig models, allowing me to field a 10-squig unit, or by adding in more of the previously shown Blood Bowl Grots I can field a 15-squig unit. The mob still has a Blood Bowl player as a leader-type, and a Squig Rider for variety.

The last pic is my Moonclan arrayed before a game. At 2000 points, the army is a Warboss (with Squig), 2 Shamans, 2 x40 Grots units with spears, 20 Grots with bows, 2 x3 Fanatics, 3 Fellwater Troggoths, a Mangler Squig, 10 Squigs, 2 x4 Squig Herders, and 2 Spear Chukkas.

AoS: Time Fer Stompin’

 

Along with other projects, I’ve finished up my second unit of Orruk Brutes for my Ironjawz army for Age of Sigmar. Just in time for the release of the General’s Handbook II. I hope my Stormbringaz can handle the changes.

The Brutes here follow the lead of the previous unit, with a Brute Boss with club and claw, 3 standard 2-choppa Brutes, and a Brute with a giant spiky cleaver. The unit was designed to be able to field 2 units of Brutes, or swap it for a unit of Ardboyz if I wanted (same cost after all). However, I figured I could also use them to field a full 10-boyz unit. The Brute Boss for this unit would be ‘demoted’ to a standard Brute, the more decorated Boss from the the other unit leading the way.

The Brutes as pieces are somewhat limited in their posing. The bodies include the legs and back torso, with the front and arms separate. Individuality comes from swapping out the heads, arms, and shoulder plates. I managed to avoid replicating the previous unit’s members. Extra plates and some weapon swaps finished them off.

The Boss’ weapons only attach to the torso one way. Thus he would have been a duplicate to the other Boss. To avoid this, I swapped the right hand with the club to another arm and gave him the front plate with the jawbone and head with the metal jaw plate.

Once the Handbook comes out, I plan on working on my Moonclan Grots. I’ll want to use them to support the Ironjawz, or vice versa. A unit of Brutes or Ardboyz would give the Grots some real punch.

The Walking Thunder

WAAAAAAGH! Da Boss is ‘ere!

I’ve finally finished the Megaboss for my Ironjawz force for Age of Sigmar. This was done just in time for a campaign to start at my FLGS. For this campaign, the Megaboss is known as Grishnak the Walking Thunder. This is in keeping with my Ironjawz/Orcs & Goblins army name, the Stormbringaz. I know that storms and thunder are the hallmarks of the Stormcast Eternals for Age Of Sigmar, but I named and designed my Orcs 3 editions ago, and am not ceding the name for no one.

Grishnak here is truly huge, towering over everything else in the army, including the River Trolls that sometimes show up. This guy sits on a 60mm base (here a resin one from Secret Weapon, a broken temple/castle, matching the other characters in the army).

I liked the original figure, but felt that he needed a little more ‘oomph’ to show him as the true beast he is. There’s the obvious skull bosspole strapped to his back, as well as an extra club on his left side (just in case) and a helmet hanging off his right side. He might not wear it too often, but I wanted the helmet to visually tie him to the Ardboys (aka Black Orcs).

His back armor got a few more plates made of plasticard, another trophy skull got added, and even his huge choppa got a pick on the poll (the back edge). The dragon skull on his shoulder got a series of spines (plastic bits and green stuff) to break up the otherwise smooth line of the crown of the skull. He’s spiky everywhere else, best to continue that design aesthetic. A horned skull from the Brutes box finished off his left shoulder (I wasn’t a fan of the Bloodletter skull bit he came with).

Color scheme was easy enough. Even if he’s a boss, he still has battered black armor, decorated with bone white dog’s teeth, lightning bolts, and checkers. The larger size of his armor plates gave me more room to decorate, with the choppa’s head especially getting a big checker design; though being the business end of a choppa, it’s scratched, dented, and bloodied. Like the rest of his army, there is very little symmetry involved in the design of the markings, rather I added them where it might look cool. The only other colors added were various browns and a blood red, which shows up in the ragged loincloth and a trophy (ribbon/beard?) hanging off the bosspole.

Now that the Ironjawz contingent of the Orruks and Grots army is done, I can turn to adding more Moonclan models, especially characters.

Age of Sigmar: Krumpin’

 

Green is Best, it seems. I’ve been playing some more Age of Sigmar with my Orruks (with some Grots in tow). The Boyz have done well, stompin’ and krumpin’ as expected, with some surprising usefulness from the Moonclan Grots. The nets they carry benefit everyone around them, conferring -1 to hit on all enemies nearby. Great to protect the Orruks, though they’d never admit it…

These are a few additions to the army I’ve added recently. These are extra minies I’ve had for some time, so a nice cheap way to bulk out the army.

First is the Warchanter for the Ironjawz. This is a conversion, since I had extra Black Orcs and lots of bits. He’s a plastic Black Orc (aka Ardboy for AoS), with a bare Orc head, a drummer’s right arm with skull drumstick (and extra spiky bit on the gauntlet from the Brutes box), and a left arm made from an arm from the Brutes box and a Black Orc hand. I swapped the mace head it came with to a skull to match the right arm. He got the typical snazzy black armor, with lots of checkers and dags as per usual, with a few lightning bolts scattered over his armor and even forehead. I mounted him on a chunk of cork on a 40mm base to match the Brutes and elevate him for emphasis. He needs to be a center of attention after all. The skulls have a glowing effect in their sockets to show the power of the WAAAGH! A trophy demon skull and jaws on his left shoulder completes his snazziness.

The other pic is a bunch of Grots from the Moonclan (aka the Night Goblins). I’ve added a few new Netters to my spear Grots; I used to have only 2 to show the units were carrying nets (since in Warhammer 8th and before the nets were simply a bonus to a unit). Under AoS however the nets actually have bubbles of effect on the table, so I figured I’d have 6 or so for each unit. Some nice bonuses without going overboard.

I also did a few old Goblins. The models come all the way from 4th edition Warhammer, which is quite evident from their smaller and simpler sculpts compared to the Netters (who hail from 6th I think). The Netters have the definite problem of coming from the time where a lot of the infantry plastics ballooned in size, so they match the bigger Night Goblin plastics. My Night Goblins are either 4th ed or 7th ed, so the Netters are much larger than the surrounding spear Grots. This is I suppose rationalized with the biggest members of the tribe carrying the nets for the best tosses…

I did a Standard Bearer and a Champion, as well as a Shaman. I like the Standard Bearer; he’s this dinky little twerp with a dinky pointy hat. Almost too pathetic and adorable for battle. The Champion looks a little more intimidating, with his big axe and devious smirk. The Shaman wears a red cloak and hood like the other Grot characters in the army. He has that old 4th ed caracter pose,with his arms held wide. I like his little cauldron filled with mushrooms and his magic staff, with a little puppet of himself. Again, adorable.

I’m thinking of adding more units over time, so I’m sure there’s more Orruks and Grots to come.

AoS: Brutality!

The Brutes are finished for my Age of Sigmar Orruks army. This is at the moment my only real addition I’m making to my existing Orcs & Goblins force, though I might acquire a Warchanter and Weirdnob Shaman to supplement them later.

The first two members were already posted, and here are the final members, a basic Brute, a Brute with a Gore-choppa, and the Boss.

The Brutes follow the same design as the previous members, with checkers, dog’s teeth and lightning bolts decorating their heavy scarred black armor. The Brute has a cool trophy on his shoulder in the form of a Stormcast mask trophy, his pose a nicely threatening one backed by the checkered sword. I added a back plate to his armor, since to me it looked a little exposed.

The Brute with the Gore-hacka is a good definition of excess, with a sword so big that other blades are nailed to it. The blade was a great surface for decoration, so it got a field of checkers and dog’s teeth to really make it stand out from his body’s black armor. I used one of the Boss heads with its metal jaw plate and the jaw neck decoration, since I figured he’d be the veteran behind the Boss. He is barefoot, so I felt I had to give him some Hulk pants to go with his green feet.

The Boss of the unit is a pretty mean fighter, so I wanted to make him to be obvious in the swirl of melee (and if I used the Ironfist formation, which would give him 2 extra wounds and make him a sub-commander). With that in mind, he carries a icon attached to his back plate. The unit doesn’t get a standard of its own, but I wanted some form of trophy for them to focus on. His big Boss Klaw was painted black, the blades devoid of decorations, instead scraped down to the bare metal. The klaw gets used a lot, obviously.

Looking forward to them on the table!

Warhammer: Age of WAAAAAGH!

With a resurgence of Age of Sigmar in my area, I’ve decided to dust off the ol’ Orcs and Goblins to try them out. Respectively called the Orruks and Grots now, I might as well have them hit the table- the army’s painted already right? I still used them for Warhammer 8th, 9th Age, and Kings of War, but all three are pretty scarce at my FLGS. Age of Sigmar it is then. I’ve gotten some games under my belt, and it’s a fun system. Pretty simple compared to 8th edition, but I was able to finish the games in less than an hour, which would get me through roughly the first 2 turns of a standard Warhamer game.

I don’t have to buy much for my army to get it playable for AoS, since I’m sitting on a treasure trove of extra Orcs and Gobbos yet to be painted. I plan on adding a unit of Boar Boys, adding to the Savage Orcs, and expanding my Black Orcs units so I can field 3 10-Orc ‘Ardboyz units.

These Ironjawz Brutes represent the new purchase for the Greenskinz army for AoS. I’m still getting the hang of building forces under the Battlescroll system, but I know I want some of these monsters in my army. I also figure I could treat them as Trolls or unit fillers for KoW or WHFB 8th-9th. They got the army colors of my Stormbringaz Orcs and Goblins army, with plenty of checkers, dog’s teeth, and lightning bolts befitting these elite warriors.

The Brutes are great models, with a good amount of detail- pitted and broken armor, layers of plating and leather, and nicely sculpted faces. The kit has lots of extras in the form of shoulder decorations, weapons, and arm options. They work with a rather limited range of design, being just bigger Orcs really. Interestingly enough, the Brutes have a very different sculpt than the old Orcs. They have different proportions; still heroic, but they have an erect posture and less gangly arms and squat legs. They also have smaller heads compared to their bodies. This is not a deal breaker of course, and it helps that they are a head above even Black Orcs in height.

More to come.