Showing posts with label December. Show all posts
Showing posts with label December. Show all posts

Thursday, February 5, 2026

James WRR's Rank & File 1: Knights in not-so-shining armour

Hector grimaced as the grill-faced servitor aimed its ultrasonic scrubber at his bruised ribcage. Caked blood and grime of a dozen different hues fell away from his pale skin, away from the sockets that would connect him to his holy power armour. Another servitor slaved away attending to this discarded silver shell not far away. 

“And then, get this,” laughed Brother Donovan as a serf tightened knee bolts on his mechanical leg, “the thing started weeping. Can you believe it? Actual tears.”


“Haven’t seen tears for a quarter century.” said Brother Kristos, urging the other Knight to continue. “Not up close, at least.”


“It was saying ‘no, no, we’re not the enemy.' The wretch!” Donovan clapped the serf around the shoulder, forcing him to crumple slightly under the weight of one monstrous hand. “‘All the beasts are slain’, says it. Aye, ‘sure thing, witch’, I say to it.”


“Then what, brother?” Kristos asked.


“Well. We torched the lot of em. Put the survivors to the sword.”


“Mightily well fought, brother. No quarter for the unclean.”


Brother Hector beckoned the servitor to leave his side. “Clean enough”, he thought, his nail-beds still stained red with gore. He sat heavily on a pew, the metal creaking under his weight, and put his head in his hands.


“I grow weary,” he said, “of the wailing.”


Brother Donovan and Brother Kristos paused in their laughter and caught one another’s gaze. In a moment, the two demi-psykers had sniffed out an off spoor, communicated like wordless predators, and felt their righteous anger return. Donovan felt for the butcher’s blade still dripping on his hip.


“Servants, begone from us. We have knightly matters to discuss with Brother Hector.” 


_____________________


Squad Heliod, in the flesh(world)

The first month of Old World Army Challenge IX has come and gone like a flash. In that time, the world has changed fast, grown mightily scary and very real brutal forces have made horrifying manoeuvres.


Maybe a trip to the grim darkness of the far future is needed in the grim darkness of 2026. And so here are my first suitably grim Grey Knights. 


Squad Heliod is my first ever unit of RTB-01 Marines, from a revered plastic kit I’ve wanted to play with as long as I’ve known they existed.


Working with these models was… interesting to say the least. Most of these second-hand Marines came painted as Blood Angels to a pretty neat standard. Apart from some horrific mould lines to scrape off, all I had to do was give them a nice blast of Leadbelcher to update their livery. 


The real challenge was the fellow armed with the missile launcher who was, let’s just say, not exactly built or painted with the greatest of attention to detail. I had to strip him right down to bare, creamy plastic, fully disassemble him then rebuild with plenty of gap filling. The original Marine kit might have been a landmark of design, but they don’t exactly glide together like today’s plastics!


But hey, awkward posing and mismatched parts are the price you pay for versatility and weapon options. 


Special weapon troopers


The two metal models are gorgeous and grungy, perfect examples of very early Citadel sculpting, when they were still trying to find a standard. One of them is half naked, for crying out loud. You wouldn’t see that today.


Painting up the Grey Knights is proving quick and fun. I simply had to wash down the Leadbelcher with black, then build back up with drybrushed metallics until I finished off with pure silver highlights and battle damage. A bit of orange Contrast paint for rust and job's a good 'un. 


The real challenge was how to differentiate metals. Pure metallic armies are always tricky, but I found that simply hitting things like Bolters and powerpack vents with Agrax Earthshade was enough to make them appear made of a much grimier, more functional metal than the shining armour. 


Brother Donovan, real bastard


I knew I wanted these guys to look suitably mean and grimdark, so I took a few cues from Blanche by adding flames, checks and brutal litanies wherever I could. Breaking up the big flat panels this way really helped to liven them up, I feel.


Another detail setting these guys apart from modern Grey Knights (apart from, you know, everything) is their iconography. I very consciously wanted to stay clear of both Rogue Trader-era Grey Knights iconography (an aquila holding an axe and a staff) and the modern equivalent (a book pierced by a sword). Both of these are complex, time-consuming designs. But I didn’t avoid them purely out of laziness. 


Rather, I’ve gone with a big white Inquisitorial seal to suggest these guys truly are nothing but an appendage of a despotic Ordo Malleus Inquisitor. They’re branded, living weapons, not holy knights. It also gives me more flex to put them on the table as generic Space Marines in later edition games in which Grey Knights no longer fielded regular Tactical Squads. 


Squad markings and iconography on display

A final note this month is on the bases. I went in knowing I wanted these Grey Knights to exist on a field of Mars-like red. I thought this would make a nice contrast to the silver armour and white details. I sculpted a few fleshy blobs on these bases, as well, to give the idea that they’re battling through a daemon world.


I wasn’t super sold on my painting of these bases at first, having simply drybrushed up from dark, cool red to a fleshy colour. But as soon as I hit the sculpted detail with Blood for the Blood God, it all came together. The organic looking bits suddenly came alive. Horrible! Gross! Wonderful!


Graffitied armour — it was the style at the time


And so, that’s month one of my second challenge in the bag. I’ve also, of course, painted and sent our friend Jaakko the customary entrance-fee model: my second version of the infamous “big-armed administratum clerk” with some suspiciously Genestealer-shaped tattoos… where could this fellow show up, I wonder?


Possible cultist heading to Finland

Finally, it’s not lost on me that I’ve dedicated myself to painting a group of violent, oppressive thugs in an environment where we’re now seeing more and more of them on the march in our real world. I’m currently rethinking some approaches and model choices as I go to avoid inadvertently valorising any such characters. I want to bring out that classic Rogue Trader/2,000 AD punk spirit, instead — channeling that righteous anarchy to paint these monstrous soldiers in as ridiculous of a light as possible.


Because the grimdark should stay in the far, fictional future. 


_____________________


Army list as of January


Squad Heliod

Tactical Squad

Sergeant with Bioscanner and Power Glove

1 Marine with Missile Launcher

1 Marine with Flamer

275 points



Monday, January 5, 2026

JohnR's OWAC IX Intro Post - Rogues from Beyond the Stars!

 

One of the things I love about the OWAC and the Oldhammer movement more generally is that it gives me an excuse to collect, paint and play with miniatures in much the way I did as a kid.

There's no one telling me I'm collecting, painting or playing 'wrong' and no massive multinational corporation trying to get me to buy their latest thing.

If I like something, and it fits with the setting and the story I'm telling, it's in.

On the downside this is a somewhat unstructured, scatter-gun approach to wargaming. Which is fine with me.

To that end here is my entry to OWAC 9: the Rogues from Beyond the Stars. Space Pirates!

 

Group Shot.

 

Old GW Rogue Trader Space Pirates / Adventurers. These have been in my collection pretty much forever and they really deserve some paint, having waited so long.


 

Some Geedub goodness and some more recent figs. My leader model in the center is a BOYL mini - perfect as a Space Pirate boss!

 

 

 

 Space Mutants by Bigmrtong - the main inspiration for this army.

 

Old Grenadier armed civilians - suitable as space ruffians and ne'er-do-wells, at a push .

 

 

More Bigmrtong minis - privateers and space brigands. I have a few more of these but I already started painting them.


 

 

 Leader types, aliens and psykers.

 

 

 

Imperial Robots - captured and reprogrammed. These didn't quite make it into my last Rogue Trader OWAC entry - hopefully they'll make it in here.

 



 Finally the artwork that, obviously, inspired this madness.

I also have a few other bits and bobs that didn't make the photos - mainly vehicles - an RT Predator and Rhino and some Toon Tanks. I might include them, if the mood takes me, though most likely they'll wait for a MKVI beaky Space Marine army in a future OWAC.

Anyway, on to the painting. "Avast you planet-lubbers and break out the hyper-rum me space hearties, Yaaaar !!"

 

Paul's Dwarf Army - Intro Post



Hi, I'm Paul and this is my first time taken part in the OWAC and I'm very excited about it, especially after seeing the amazing armies that are created each year. I used to play 8th Edition and have Empire, Tomb Kings, Burgle warriors of Chaos and Bretonnian armies. I've always liked Dwarf minis and have been collecting metal sculpts for a few years now. I thought I'd try and mimic the fabulous Paul Sawyer and paint these guys up in yellow and black as I think that's a great colour combo. The photo is a test model for the colour scheme I have in mind. 



Below are a few shots of the models I've cleaned up ready for priming. There are some others including a general, gyrocopter and some clansmen but they will be shown in future posts.







The army composition hasn't been based on a tactical, game playing process but purely on the models that I have managed to collect for this. I would like this to be a full metal army so I'm limiting myself to the models that I can get with this constraint in mind. I have the general and hero to purchase.

Using the 5th Edition Army book it breaks down as follows




1 General                            160 pts
1 Hero                                 104 pts
10 Thunderers                     130 pts     
10 Thunderers                     130 pts
10 Thunderers                     130 pts 
15 Miners (plus                   204 pts
standard and musician)
12 Slayers                           132 pts                         
10 Warriors                         110 pts
1 Flame cannon                  119 pts
1 Cannons                          110 pts
1 Gyrocopter                      100 pts
1 Bolt Thrower                    54 pts

Really looking forward to this so here goes...............

Sunday, January 4, 2026

Jaakko and Rugluk: Season II - The Reinforcements - Introduction

Rugluk Backstabba stood on a ridge of broken stone and looked down at his army.

It didn’t take long. There weren’t many left.

A handful of orcs leaned on chipped axes, arguing about whose fault it was they were hungry. Goblins huddled near a fire that wasn’t really burning. A pump wagon sat on its side, crew gone, probably eaten.

Rugluk bared his teeth. “Dis ain’t an army,” he growled. “Dis a bad joke.”

No one laughed.

The siege, the mutiny, the empty fort-it had all taken its toll. Some had wandered off. Others had challenged him and lost. A few had challenged him and won, at least enough to run away afterward. Fear carried only so far when there was no loot and too much marching.

Rugluk clenched his fist. He was still alive. Boyz will always find the real boss.

“Dey’ll come,” he muttered. “Dey always do.”

A goblin scout scurried up the slope, panting. “Boss! Found tracks”

Rugluk’s eye twitched. “Orcs?”

The goblin hesitated. “Uh… not exactly.”

Rugluk grinned anyway.

“Well, I ain’t picky.”


And so another season of OWAC is about to begin! And, as promised, the second season of painting Orcs and Goblins for the Horde of Rugluk.

The theme of season IX is to draw inspiration from Oldhammer artwork. I knew this beforehand, and since I’m working on a multi-season project, I already snuck this picture into the introduction post for season VIII:


Or rather, a part of this larger artwork from Warhammer Armies:


I love everything about it and hope to capture the style of this orc horde in my slowly materializing army-to-be. I’ve also snuck in some smaller details that fit this year’s theme into last season-but there will be more of them next month (as I’m not writing this from home and forgot to take pictures). More small surprises are also hopefully still to come. Anyway, here are some photos of the unpainted models waiting for their turn!



This unit will feature two banners, so the fellow in the middle seems to be a rival of Rugluk.





I painted some Goblin Fanatics last year, but I saved my favourites for this season. As far as I know, all the different pre-slotta sculpts will be featured. I can’t imagine a scenario where I’d actually need so many Fanatics, but I enjoy painting them.




And here they are in a list:





That’s still more than I can manage to paint in one season, but we’ll see.

If I have time, I might also finish these Goblin Wolf Riders that I didn’t manage to complete last season. They won’t be included in the model count or points, of course, since they already have some season VIII paint on them.

Good luck to all of our challengers! See you next month!

Nicolas' Chaos Army of Tzeentch

As I wrap up 2025, getting the house in order to receive family to celebrate the New Year, I realize shrimp cocktails and bacon rolled sausages are not the first things to come on my mind. Nope, my mind is racing over final touches to the composition of this year's OWAC challenge. You know, priorities! 

So here they are, my chosen Tzeentch minions for this years challenge!

General - Hero on disk, leader of the Thrall Warband - 125pts

Heroe on disks - 125pts

Lord of Change - 0pts


1 Thrall warband - 200pts

1 unit of chaos warriors of Tzeentch on disks - 815pts

1 pink horror unit - 1260pts

1 blue horror unit - 0pts

1 flamers units - 1260pts

1 Tzeentch chaos spawn - 25pts

1 hydra - 200pts

I am back in the game with a theme I already visited 4 years ago. I had such a blast creating a full unit of 10 Tzeentch Flamers, which still to this day gives me that feeling of pride for building something I have not seen often. 

My main influence for this new part of my Tzeentch cult follows the idea of creating a unit I have never seen before... that yet is possible to play in 3rd edition.  There is that old image of a group Tzeentch warriors on flying disks, which I used to find odd since I grew up with 4th edition, where disks were only meant for heros.

And that is how I convinced myself to build a full 10 warriors of Chaos on flying disks! Every other miniatures in this project are sort of... justifying this main unit.

Selection of miniatures was quite a process, I wanted to get miniatures that matched the disk right away with poses that made sence, plus having fighter types and not straight out sorcerers. These ones made it to the Thrall warband!


Finaly, special mention to the hydra, the Spectral Dragon II from Grenadier, which I plan to paint in the same fiery color scheme than the Flamers. I may even add some green stuff to change the dragon heads into Flamers... time will tell!






Saturday, January 3, 2026

Pokrzyw's Empire Army - Introduction post - OWAC IX

 Hello OWACers!

This is my fourth OWAC. After WFB Dark and High Elf armies and WH40k Sisters of Battle force I will back to the Old World with Empire army in 2026.





My one and only adventure with Empire starts in 5th edition, in 1997. I borrowed army from a friend that couldn't participate in '97 Polish Championship. I won silver medal using this army first time (great pre-internet times that you cannot use forums nor armylists that won tournaments). The only stopper from collecting it was a budget. I was back to the Empire during pandemia time. I was always impressed by paintworks in 4th edition armybook - I plan to add all that units in the challenge.



halflings

flagellants

hellblasters


Volkmar


It would be great time for painting these unusual models :)

Army list (3272 pts):

  • Emperor Karl Franz on Deathclaw (425)
  • Volkmar the Grim, Grand Theogonist of Sigmar on War Altar (340)
  • Thyrus Gormann, the Supreme Patriarch of the Colleges of Magic (372)
  • Kurt Helborg, the Emperor's Champion (147)
  • 20 Reiksguards on foot (252+ 34 champion)
  • 10 Knights of the White Wolf (444)
  • 10 Outriders (280)
  • 12 Tilean xbowmans(l.amour) 140
  • 12 Archers (l.armour) (120)
  • 15 Flaggelants (150)
  • 15 Halfling archers (72 + 31 champion)
  • 15 Halfling spearmans (spears,shields) (104 + 34 champion)
  • 2 Halfling hot-pots (100)
  • 2 Hellblasters (200)

It's a lot of miniatures, but I strongly believe that it is feasible to finish that army in six months:

The plan

  1. The Moot (Halfling archers, Halfling spearmans, Hot-Pots) led by Wizard.
  2. Emperor itself with Tilean xbowmans
  3. Reiksguards with support of archers, led by Kurt Helborg.
  4. Sigmar pilgrims (Volkmar with flagellants)
  5. Urlik knights (White Wolves)
  6. University of Nuln Engineers (Outriders and Hellblasters)
Some photos of basecoted miniatures:

Gorman, Tileans and brave halflings

Ever hungry archers

Volkmar & Karl Franz

Knights of the White Wolf

Outriders

Kurt Helborg and archers

Reikguard's knights on foot

Dinner served

Hellblasters






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