I've actually managed to do some photography for once. As I mentioned yesterday (I think it was yesterday...), the main reason I'd not posted in ages is that I've not based a lot of the things that I've been painting recently. Does this post mean I've actually gone and done that?
No. No it doesn't. But anyway, we can't let that excuse go on forever, otherwise what would be the point in me having this blog?
So, todays first entry are a bunch of marauder orcs, from around '91 according to the first link i checked. I first started playing GW games when I got the 2nd edition Warhammer 40,000 game at Christmas 1994 (though we'd had Heroquest and Space Crusade for a while before). As such, the orcs I remember from that time have the same lantern jaws, tiny noses (note: they did actually have noses back then. None of this stupid flat almost skull-like stuff that counts as an orc nose these days) and goofy expressions. I don't actually recall seeing this lot in particular, not sure if they made it into the O&G army book, which I think was released in 1993, or into anything else after then. In any case, these guys just don't fit in with the plastic fellows that they introduced part way through 5th ed, and that still haunt us to this day. They do, however, fit in quite well with the fellows from the 80's that I have. I've already posted a few "arrer boyz" from Harboth's Orc Archers, so the next step is to show one of the other famous regiments, Rudlug's Armoured Orcs.
"The Crooked Eye Orcs had travelled many miles westward to the Old World, suffering the sniping of mountain Goblins, incessant rain, and the endless whining of Bambrag, their incontinent shaman.
Once, they skirted a ruined Dwarfhold. Fear of spirits kept them from sheltering inside, but, a single Orc Hero named Ruglud had dared to enter. He returned unharmed, but had not spoken since, and stated blankly into space.
The Orcs huddled in the rain before a rough stone wall across a narrow pass, while Chief Gudruk Bonechewer yelled at a figure on the battlements.
'Stoopid!', he screamed, 'Do we look like Chaos boys?'
'Zog off!' echoed the reply.
Gudruk returned to the tribe, dodging the hall of stones and garbage that accompanied this witty riposte.
'Lissen,' he said. 'Them kak-'ead Gobboes reckon the Chaos boys took ev'ryfink over. They ain't comin' out an' they ain't lettin' nuffink through. They got bows an' rocks an' spears an' stuff - if we was to try and get 'em, they'd crump us to bits.' He thought for a while.
'We needs volunteers', he announced at length. His warriors developed a sudden and compelling interest in the ground at their feet.
'Or armour', whined Bambrag, 'Couldn't touch us if we 'ad cans like real Chaos boys.'
'We ain't got cans, 'ave we, Trickle-legs?' snarled Gudruk.
'Cans... jus' lyin' where they dropped... all black an' spiky.'
It was Ruglud who spoke. Gudruk gave him a good shake to speed the recovery of his senses, and he continued dreamily.
'Down this Stunty-hole... lotsa rooms ... lost... big room... big enough to stand up in ... big pile of bones an' gear... spiky Stunties an' reg'lar ones... wiped each uvver out...'
'Yerrrss!' cried Gudruk, 'We'll 'ave some o' that! Come on, boys - it's Goblin-gizzard for supper!'.
A swift expedition returned to the Dwarfhold. The ill-fitting plates were roughly hammered into shape and held
together with whatever came to hand. By nightfall, a small unit of armoured warriors was ready.
As the gear's discoverer and the bravest, meanest and certainly the most stupid Orc, Ruglud was made leader, At Gudruk's suggestion, Bambrag became the regimental musician on the Xylobone, a traditional Orcish instrument, and Maggot - Gudruk's youngest and most irritating whelp - joined the ranks as standard-bearer.
The tribe feasted upon Goblin-flesh long into the night - all except for Ruglud, who couldn't get his helmet off, and was reduced to sucking broth through a straw."
As the armour is supposed to be gathered from a pile of stunties and spikey stunties, I decided to go with nice, bright red plates covered in chaos symbols and maws. Bit different, though I know not everyone likes the bright red look. However, in this case, it works quite well, as otherwise the (equally bright) green skin pulls a bit too much attention away from the armour.
This unit isn't actually complete yet, as some of them are still languishing in dettol. I don't actually have the musician for this lot to my knowledge, so I'll have to track him down on ebay at somepoint.
So, having paiunted a fair few greenies, I thought it might be time to do a group shot.
Fine looking bunch, arn't they. The bases'll be done at some point in the near future, though whether it's before or after more orcs get painted I don't know.
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