Hobby update

Yes I am quiet at the moment, but I am still working on the occasional model, either for a particular purpose or just because I was looking for something achievable to work on. These varying motivations resulted in the 2 models we have here.

I painted Azhag the Slaughterer in a hurry, because I told Tim I'd get him done before the Grudge Pony battle. Given he was not even assembled at the start of the week, it was nice to get him done by the weekend in the time I found during the evenings. Much as I would love to have had the option of painting up the fancy, most recent version of Azhag that GW produced, he was always a bit steep price-wise. And I had 2 of this guy lying around. Or maybe 3, if you count one who has been having a bath in paint stripper for about a year. Your time will come, little Azhag the Third...

The Wyvern has been painted for years. Azhag himself was a little late to the show. Apologies if some of these pics are a bit blurry. My arms were a little tired and shaky from embarrassing myself at the gym shortly beforehand. Part of why I took photos instead of painting something else...

The Grudge Pony - Part 2

This is the second half of a Warhammer Fantasy battle report. You can find the first part here.

Orcs and Goblins Turn 3

Tim spent some time trying to decide whether it was worth sending Azhag into the front of the Longbeards, whilst the Trolls hit them in the flank.

The Grudge Pony - Part 1

A 5000pt 8th Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle report

Time for another game of Warhammer Fantasy. A traditional Orcs vs Dwarfs bash, with a couple of special characters and an objective in the middle to fight over. Whoever is closest at the end wins. Simple enough, right? I took photos, so I'll present the game as a bare bones battle report, with no maps or anything exciting like that. Just pictures and captions. At least that way it actually gets done...

Thorgrim scowled down from his throne at the ranger before him. Feeling the weight of the High King's displeasure, the ranger was doing his best to use his skills of stealth and concealment to sink into the stone of the throneroom floor and disappear. 

"What do you mean, 'misplaced'?" growled Thorgrim. He glanced at the Great Book of Grudges that sat open before him, and his fingers twitched involuntarily toward his pen. 

The ranger saw this, and blanched. "We were ambushed by Orcs on our way through the valley, My Lord. We were able to drive them off and guard the caravan, but it seems one of the grudge ponies must have left the path in the confusion..."

The knuckles of the King's other hand whitened as they tightened their grip on his empty tankard. "So you defeated the Orcs, and the one thing you managed to lose track of was my personal shipment of Bugman's XXXXXX?"

The ranger nodded slowly, barely daring to breathe.

"Tell me," Thorgrim spoke slowly, with exaggerated patience, "when you realised my beer was missing, why did you not go back and find it?"

"We did go back, My Lord. But the area is now swarming with greenskins. They probably have the pony by now."

Thorgrim growled and slammed his empty beer mug down on the army of his throne, snatching up the pen with his other hand. He then paused a moment, calming his breathing. The ranger cringed as the King glared at him from beneath his bristling eyebrows. 

When Thorgrim eventually spoke, it was with the same exaggerated calm. "I understand, ranger. I'm sure you did your best. I have only one more question for you. How do I spell your name?"

*****

Azhag smiled as he watched the Goblins capering around the captured grudge pony. They jeered and poked at it with spears, but the stolid beast simply stood there, stubbornly ignoring their attentions. Truly, the Dwarfs had found beasts of burden that mirrored their personality impressively.

The Goblins rummaged around in the small wagon behind the pony, and eventually one of them produced a small beer barrel, emblazoned with the markings XXXXXX.

"Yesssss," hissed the voice in Azhag's head. He could feel the satisfaction emanating from the crown on his brow. "This is the one. The Dwarf King will leave the safety of his stronghold to retrieve this wagon."

Azhag's maniacal laughter echoed that of the crown, and as usual his ladz did their best to ignore it and get on with the important business of tormenting the pony.

The Armies

Dwarfs

My army was really based around my desire to use Thorgrim Grudgebearer again. He's a cool model and had only ever seen use once before. The size of the game had a lot to do with his presence, too. A 650 point, largely unkillable lord kind of demands a larger game in order to maintain some sort of balance. I decided to go relatively light on the artillery, instead making sure it would be relatively reliable with the help of some runes. I also knew Tim would have multiple hordes, so I ensured I would have a couple to face off against them. In the end it was a fairly "elite" army, with no regular Warriors. I really need to get some more normal Dwarfs painted to give me more options in that regard.

• Thorgrim Grudgebearer
• Daemon Slayer with Runic Weapon with Master Rune of Swiftness, Rune of Fury
• Runelord with Runic Talisman with Rune of Spellbreaking, Gromril Armour with Rune of Stone, Great Weapon
• Thane with Battle Standard, Gromril Armour with 2 Runes of Iron, Rune of Stone, Great Weapon
• Thane Helga with Gromril Armour with Rune of Stone, Runic Weapon with 2 Runes of Cleaving
• Josef Bugman
• 20 Quarrellers with Full Command, Great Weapons, Shields
• 20 Thunderers with Full Command, Shields
• 40 Longbeards with Full Command, Great Weapons, Shields
• 30 Slayers with Standard, Musician, 1 Giant Slayer
• 34 Ironbreakers with Full Command
• 19 Hammerers with Full Command, Shields
• Gyrocopter with Steam Gun
• Gyrocopter with Steam Gun
• 16 Irondrakes with Full Command, Strollaz's Rune
• 17 Bugman's Rangers with Full Command
• Cannon with Rune of Forging
• Organ Gun with Rune of Accuracy, Rune of Forging

Orcs and Goblins

Tim's army was built around Azhag the Slaughterer, who I had agreed to paint up in the week before the game. It gave him a centrepiece to offset Thorgrim. He then showed admirable restraint in fielding no other Wyverns and only 1 Arachnarok. I think he sort of ran out of points after building out his army with multiple large blocks. He ensured he had a few war machines. Again, my Orcs and Goblins need a bit of painting attention in order to offer more options around things like this. My Goblin Spear Chukkas are battered about, and I don't have anything more than what he chose in ready-to-use condition. I think I have a few projects to work on.

• Azhag the Slaughterer 
• Orc Big Boss in Boar Chariot with Battle Standard, Armour of Destiny
• Savage Orc Shaman (Level 2) with Lucky Shrunken Head
• Night Goblin Big Boss with Basha's Axe of Stunty Bashin', Short Bow; Light Armour; Shield
• Night Goblin Big Boss with Seeds of Rebirth, Short Bow; Light Armour; Shield
• Savage Orc Big Boss on Boar with Dragonhelm, Great Weapon 
• Black Orc Big Boss with Heavy Armour, Shield
• Black Orc Big Boss with Heavy Armour, Shield
• 98 Night Goblins with Spears, Full Command, 3 Fanatics
• 31 Savage Orc Big 'Uns with Full Command
• 39 Orc Boyz with Full Command, 2 Choppas
• 39 Orc Boyz with Full Command, Shields
• 10 Goblin Wolf Riders with Musician, Spears, Short Bows, Shields, Light Armour
• 10 Goblin Wolf Riders with Musician, Spears, Short Bows, Shields, Light Armour
• 40 Black Orcs with Full Command, Shields
• 9 Savage Boar Boyz with Full Command, Spears, Shields
• Orc Boar Chariot
• Orc Boar Chariot
• Arachnarok Spider
• Mangler Squig
• Mangler Squig
• Rock Lobber
• Rock Lobber
• Doom Diver
• 4 Stone Trolls
• Giant

Deployment

The armies line up. Note the Grudge Pony in the centre of the table. That was the sole objective of the game. Kills didn't matter.