JohnR's Month 5 - Rank and File (633 points)

Just 10 minis done this month. They were originally going to form part of my Boss's retinue but since I didn't get him finished I guess they can be an elite pirate squad instead :)

 

They're a pretty mixed bunch: mostly GW and Iron Claw with a few Stargrave thrown in.

I must confess I haven't put a lot of personality into my entries so far - between traveling and work it's all I could do to stay on the painting. So I decided to go ham and give everyone names this month 😁 

 

 

Fobba Bett the ex-bounty hunter and Margo the Space Amazon

 

 

Siddartheous the rogue astropath and 'Zeno' the Pirate Hero

 

 

Docia 'Doc' B'fra and Hans the goon

 

 

 

Zhu Khung inscrutable alien psyker and 'Cybergirl'

 

 

 

Altun the Alien Giant and Glaxo, Space Pirate of Ventolin

 

 

Got to admit making up the names was great fun. You can probably guess where most of them came from, I'm not the most original I'm afraid.😅

They're very much a team of individuals - think Guardians of the Galaxy / Dirty Dozen / Ice Pirates etc.

 

Everyone gets frag and crack grenades (30points) plus the following:

Fobba Bett - Human Minor Hero, Carapace Armour, Plasma Gun, Laspistol = 43.5points

Margo - Human Champion, Refractor Field, Lasgun, Laspistol, 2 Plasma Grenades = 12.5points 

Siddartheous - Human Champion, Level 1 psyker, Refractor Field, Laspistol = 44points

 'Zeno' - Human Major Hero, Flak Armour, Refractor Field, Melta Gun, Laspistol = 93.5points

'Doc' - Human Minor Hero, Conversion Field, Laspistol, Med Kit = 43points

Hans - Human Champion, Flak Armour, Autogun = 9points

Zhu Khung - Elder Major Hero, Level 3 psyker, Carapace Armour, Displacer Field = 247.5points

'Cybergirl' - Human Champion, Flak Armour, Heavy Stubber, Bionic Targeter Eye = 57.5

 Altun - Human Minor Hero, Mesh Armour Neuro-Disruptor = 42

Glaxo - Human Champion, Carapace Armour Lasgun and Laspistol = 10.5

Total Points = 633 

 

Well, that's as much as I got done this month - hope everyone else was more productive and see you in 4 weeks time for the finale I guess!

JohnR's Month 4 - Rank and File (71 Points)

 Another month long on traveling and short on painting but I do have the Grenadier civilians done!

 IIRC these were sculpted by the legendary Mark Copplestone in the before times, long ago. Mark is one of my favourite sculptors and I have miniatures by him from Grenadier, foundry and GW as well as his own recent ranges. No doubt this doesn't come close to doing his extensive career justice and I'd be interested to hear who else he has sculpted for if anyone knows?

 

The civvies join the pirate army. They're a poorly equipped bunch with no clear 'leader' model and the points reflect that. I like the idea that they're simple citizens of the Imperium caught on the wrong side of a factional power struggle or bureaucratic SNAFU and forced to fight for their lives in a situation they don't understand. (Think Jonathan Pryce's character Sam Lowry from Brazil, one of my all time favourite films.)

 April Points:

12 Basic Humans: no armour, 6 stubguns, 5 autopistols and 2 autoguns to share between them: 71 points 

 

Finally, while continuing our European road-trip, we happened across the hot springs at Saturnia and I was struck by what a chaos tainted landscape it seemed to be. The photo's don't capture the stench of sulfur, but you can see the steam rising from the water which gushes out of the ground at 40 degrees. 

 

We also found a Bretonnian Castle, just up the road from fellow OWACer JamesP's house :) 

 

So, that's it for this month, hope everyone else's challenge is progressing well !

JohnR's Month 3 - Rank and File (97 points)

 Just a short update this month. We've been abroad since the 21st so these minis were actually painted and photographed before then ready for uploading, I just didn't get around to it before we left!

Rogue Trader goodness. These are some of the minis that originally pried me away from 3rd edition WFB waay back at the release of Rogue Trader. Other people love the beaky Space Marines of RTB01 (and don't get me wrong, Space Marines are cool and all) but I always preferred the quirky uniqueness of the Adventurers and Space Pirates. 

The Army so far - seen here exploring the ancient ruins found on Ryk's World.

March Points -

9 basic Humans in Mesh Armour with Lasguns, Laspistols and Frag Grenades led by a Human Champion equipped the same - 97 points

 

The missus and I are away touring in our motorhome. I've brought a case of paints and some minis with me but whether I get any painting done is 50/50 at best!

Fortunately I have a unit from the challenge in hand (as it where) and I must admit some of the places we're visiting are certainly inspiring.

Above the snowline in southern Bavaria - Zissou the dog in foreground, Alps in background. Very evocative of the Old World (the scenery that is, not the dog).

Venice - this could easily be somewhere in Tilea and possible inspiration for a future OWAC mercenary army? Though now I just want to play Carnevale again lol

Anyway that's all - this is a miniatures blog not a travel blog!

Onward and sideways and see you all in about 4 weeks.

 

JohnR's Month 2 - Rank and File (195 points)

God I hate February - might just mulligan it next year 😜

Did get my painting quota done though :)

 Mutant Space Pirates!

These are more BigMrTong minis and were great fun to paint. I used a similar palette to January's space pirates to give the force so far a cohesive look.

 

 Mutant Troopers - armed with lasguns.

 Special Weapon Mutants - 3 boltguns and a lascannon.

 

Mutant Champions - lead by the Hero 'Butterbean'

Points:

Mutant Minor Hero - Plasma Pistol, Power Sword, Refractor Field = 49 points

Mutant Champion - Mesh Armour, hand weapon, Laspistol, Frag and Krak Grenades = 17.5 points

Mutant Champion  - Refractor Field, Laspistol and Hand Weapon = 16 points

9 Mutants - Mesh Armour, 5 Lasguns, 3 Bolt Pistols, 1 Lascannon = 112.5 points

Initially I was going to list all the mutations but they don't count for points values and are pretty obvious on the minis.

 

Finally I have my offering for this year - a Skaven plague monk - Squeeg Pussboil.

 

I always do Goblin Green bases on my WFB minis but for a change I experimented with a non-goblin green base. I don't like it and will never do it again 😅

 

That's all for this month - see you all in 5 weeks time !

 

JohnR's Month 1 - Rank and File Month 1 (177.5 Points)

 Rank and File month #1

 

I decided to start with some of the BMT minis this month so this is Jos Crabbe and his band of Space Pirates.

 

 

Crabbe and his lieutenant - Silas Reiss 

 

 

 

A couple of BMT mutants that I included to bulk up the numbers and provide some variety. 

 

 

Missile Launcher and some pirate goons.

 

 

More pirate goons

 

So that's it for this month - off to a steady start. Think I'll do the mutants next month, or possibly some of the GW minis.

January Points:

Jos Crabbe - Human Minor Hero, Carapace Armour, Chainsword, Laspistol = 40.5 points

Silas Reiss - Human Champion, Mesh Armour, Bolt Gun, Las Pistol, Frag Grenades = 11.5 points

10 Pirates - Ordinary Humans, Mesh Armour, Las Pistols, Frag Grenades. 9 Autoguns and 1 Missile Launcher with Frag and Krak Missiles = 125.5 points. 

 

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 !!"

 

JohnR's Dwarf Wrap Up Post - OWAC VIII

Another OWAC disappears into the rear-view mirror. I was very happy with my contribution this year, though my motivation went south towards the end. Still, I managed 148 figures (almost 25 a month) and put a big dent in my dwarf pile of shame.

 

Obligatory Army Shot.

 

 

Dragon Company and Lord on Snail.

 

 

Clansdwarves and General on Shield. 

 

 

Norse Dwarves, Slayer and Gyrocopter.

 

 

Crossbows and Wizard.

 

 

 

Cannon, Bolt Thrower and Hero.

Great respect to everyone who finished this year and hopefully see you all in about six months time.

 

 

JohnR's Dwarf Month 6 - Leader Month - Lord on Shield

Another miniature I've had for over 20 years. I was never that keen on the King Alrik miniature and I never use special characters so this was an easy conversion. Not sure what happened to Alrik - he wasn't in the box of dwarves; he may have ended up on evilbay somewhere in the distant past.

So this is Dwarf King Skarrengrim. One of the leaders of the twin holds of Stannaheim and Zimmerpeak. Born aloft on his shield-bearers.

 

Obviously the shield-bearers don't appear in 3rd edition, but I reckon the rules and points can be ported across without any changes; they're pretty simple and not terribly powerful.

Stannaheim and Zimmerpeak are relatively recent dwarf-holds, founded by refugees from Karak Eight Peaks around the time of the fall of the city in -513IC. Skarrengrim can trace his lineage back to the royal houses of that magnificent but doomed metropolis. 

 

 

King Skarrengrim - Level 25 Hero - Heavy Armour, 2 Handed Weapon, Shield-bearers - 263 points.

Well, that's it for another OWAC. I lost a lot of motivation for this one part way through May and never really got going again! I still have a chunk of Dwarf minis left to paint, maybe they'll make it into a future OWAC but for next year I reckon I'll return to 40K. Or epic 40K. Or maybe BFG.

Or Bloodbowl... 

 

JohnR's Dwarf Month 5 - Wild Card - Lord on Snail. (396 points)

I went into May with the best of intentions and the Ironbreakers lined up neatly on my paint station.

A few weeks in, however, it was very clear that I wasn't going to get them done. So I decided to go easy on myself and paint a mini that I've been looking forward to since deciding on the Dwarves for this years challenge: the Lord on Snail from Black Scorpion Miniatures.

 

Known affectionately within his clan as 'Olaf the Old', Olaf SnegleHerre or Olaf the Snail Lord is one of those most rare warriors - a mythical Dwarven Snail Rider. 

 

The mighty War Snails are hand raised from eggs by the Dwarf Sneglemesters and selected from their siblings for their exceptional speed and aggression. However only the most mighty dwarf lord can bend the truculent War Snail to their will and get it to submit to being ridden.

 

This miniature was a joy to paint and I recommend checking out Black Scorpion if you're unfamiliar with them.

Level 25 Dwarf Lord - Heavy Armour, Shield and lance - 214 points

Level 25 Giant Snail as War Beast - 182 points

(Obviously the snail, as a war beast, would ignore rule 1. in the Giant Snail entry in WFB 3rd edition p247. I would also recommend giving the snail +1 move in exchange for an attack so it can keep up with the rest of the army lol)

 

 

JohnR's Dwarf Month 4 - Rank and File (459points)

April was tricky this year - work became increasingly busy, there were several family birthdays and I was flattened by COVID for 2 weeks. 

So that's the excuses out of the way :) let's see what I managed to get painted:

 

Prince Ulther's Dragon Company - 25 Dwarf Warriors, Hand Weapons, Light Armour and Shields. Full Command and Level 10 Hero - 379points.

Ulther himself is missing of course as he was painted many years ago. After some consideration and helpful advice about shields I went with heater shields from Foundry (I already had some in the bits box) and dragon transfers from Etsy.

 

 

 

Four Dwarf Cannon - Light Armour - 80points.

This is the third of these dwarf siege guns I've painted and they're easily my favourite dwarf cannon.

So no character this month but I did get an army shot:

 

 

 

JohnR's Dwarf Month 3 - Rank and File (1077 points)

Well we're at the half-way mark and I'm not completely sick of painting beards yet, so I guess that's something :)

 I stuck to the plan again this month and painted a regiment, war machine and character. With those complete I had some time left so went for a few extra bits - crossbow dwarves, sappers and another hero.

25 Norse Dwarves - Hand Weapons, Light Armour and Shields, Command and level 10 Hero - 387 points

 Organ Gun - 99 points

 

12 Crossbow Dwarves - Light Armour and Crossbows with a level 5 Hero - 209 Points

 

 

6 Sappers (3 teams of 2) - 90 points

 

Level 10 Dwarf Wizard - 118 points

 

Level 20 Dwarf Hero - Heavy Armour and 2 Handed Weapon -  174 points

 

I made good progress this month and feel like I'm on track to finish everything in the initial challenge by the end of June. However work is looking busy for next month and we have house renovations ongoing so I guess we'll see!