After thinking for a couple of years, I have finally taken the plunge and started a Chaos Dwarf army. I had some of the minis for a year or so, but have decided to take the dedicated effort to build up my army. I have been playing Orcs and Goblins for 10 years, even all through 7th Ed! I had a good track record where I won about half my games, even with a bad book. I got tired of an uphill battle and my own army list defeating me. I played at the Southern Assault Grand Tournament in North Carolina (as heard on Garagehammer) and only did 1/2/2.
I was two votes short of Player’s Choice for Painting with my army, though. I think it’s because I had the army mostly already done and won two Best Painted at some one day events. So, I think everyone got sick of voting for it. I do hope to do something exciting with this army.
I had originally thought I would just use my own Goblins for Hobgoblins. I’m cheap and ever since I bought a sail boat, my Warhammer fund has been practically empty. I did just have a birthday and receive some unexpected cash! So, I ordered Mantic Orc bodies from Hoard o’ Bits on eBay. I bought the bodies for 60 Orcs, 50 bases, 20 hand weapon & shield, and 40 Plague Monk arms (w/ swords) for under $50 (that includes shipping!).
After I finished my last GT, I talked to one of the organizers about me doing Chaos Dwarfs. He stated that he hates the CD’s that castle up in the corner and use blunderbuss & war machines to blast you while charge at them. I have to admit that that sounds boring. I played one game as CD’s and some criticism I got was for not castling in the corner. That sounds boring. Well, there is a GT in the spring that is thinking about going 3000 pts. I instantly thought I could go with 2 K’Daai Destroyers and no war machines! With that, I also thought about a list that was 2500 with no war machines (but one K’Daai). That’s what people play in my local area, so it’s good to have one like that. Here is the general list that I want to take:
lvl 4 on Lammasu
BSB
Bull Centaur Hero
30 Infernal Guard
40 Hobgoblins w/ 2 hand weapons
20 Hobgoblins w/ shields and bows
6 K’daai Fireborn
3 Bull Centaurs
maybe 5 Wolf Riders (if I can fit them in)
I’ve got the heroes. I have the Chaos Dwarfs. I’m mixing Mantic with Big Hats. I’m using the Mantic Orcs with Goblin GW heads. I have seen some mock ups and they look good enough. Yes, Gnoblar heads are better, but you can’t buy them from the bits people. I had a hard time finding Goblin heads, too! I had to pull out of my own bits. I’ll take pics when they come in.
I have already posted on my Bull Centaurs. I really like the Big Hats and want to use them. The bodies are just too small. I used a gift certificate I got as a painting prize and bought a box of Chaos Knights. I used the horse bodies, but the Dwarf tops were too short. I used the Knight legs to make torsos that were longer. I am highly impressed with how they came out.
I might as well show the pictures of my Hellcannon I finished, too.
I can’t afford to buy new K’Daai Fireborn from Forgeworld. So, I looked at what I had. I went to Adepticon 2 years ago in Chicago and got a free starter set for Warmachine. I don’t want to play, but used their warjacks for 3 K’Daai. I like the steam punk type look. I like the idea of machines powered by demons. So, I found some Mage Knight minis that looked like they would fit in. I just got them in the mail and based them. One of them was a lot smaller than I thought. I put it on a rock and gave it a head from a Chaos Knight. It still looks small, but not too bad.
I’m torn how to paint them. I am not sure how to do the “burning body” aspect. I’d love to hear advice or see examples of someone else.
OK…I have more to talk about my overall idea, but I have to go right now.
Now, I had painted the bases brown as I thought I was going to use my Goblins from my OnG army as my Hobgoblins. With a bunch of things already painted, I had to think if I wanted to redo them. I came to like the idea of having brown sand on them. Most like to have the black sand and I am a bit tired of lava on the bases. So, I am sticking with the brown sand.
I thought long and hard about what type of display board to make for the army. It’s the type of thing that can win you a painting trophy. I asked Twitter and even posted here. What I came up with was a combination of the two best options. I figure that the army will be set in the Dark Lands, but it doesn’t have to be the Plains of Zharr. So, no ashen plains. I was also reading one of those bits where GW writes how to get CD’s out into the world to fight armies. There was a bit about Hashut showing priests where treasure hordes are buried in the world. So, I thought about making something on the display board where there are some Chaos Dwarf ruins and some industrial wastes with the Chaos Dwarfs around it.
The centerpiece will be a ruined temple that is half buried in sand. The center flagstones will be ripped up and a treasure cache underneath. The Prophet on Lammasu will be behind it. I want to get some Hirst stuff to make the floor and some pillars, walls, etc. I then want to get a Scibor resin base for the Lammasu.
The only problem is that I can’t find it in stock at any online store. I can buy it from Scibor, but it will cost $18! That’s a bit for just a base. So, I’m not sure what to do. I think the base can be really cool.
I also want to make an oil pump and some industrial waste on the display board.
To fit it in the fluff, there is that insanely large Dragon that has destroyed large swathes of territory through the ages. There are also lots of nasty stuff in the Dark Lands. Perhaps some old Chaos Dwarf outpost has been destroyed and some treasure hidden. The Fires of Hashut have shown my Prophet where they are hidden. To move quickly, he leaves all war machines at home. He doesn’t risk too many Chaos Dwarfs on the mission and brings lots of Hobgoblins. The Bull Centaurs are servants of the temple and go along with a vision from Hashut. The Prophet creates the various K’daai for the army, too. So…I have some fluff! And it fits with the army idea. Also the display board. Sounds good to me! I just have to make it work… :hat
I’m really unsure about the Fireborn. It’s the whole Blazing Body rule. Do I just make them as a regular “warjack” thing? A steam robot powered by a fire demon? Or do I try to show the flames and such on it. I would have to learn how to scuplt flames to put on it. I could go crazy or not. How would it affect the lighting? If I did enough flames, I could really almost just have a blackish outline for the main part through the flames. I’m quite torn about how to do it! Even if I did just the warjack thing, I should probably make it gritty and soot covered, right?
Part of making a blog can be frustrating. I can ask these questions, but I’m not sure if anyone reads my blog enough to answer my questions. So…do I post in the various hobby sections as well? Do I use this only as a place to post pictures?
I can’t find the resin base that I want right now. I think I’ll just mount the mini on a plane base and not paint the Lammasu now. I need to get the K’Daai Destroyer built, too. So, I think I’ll work on that first.
I would say normally you will get answers to your questions if you post them here and it would have the added advantage that answers come from people interested in your blog. But that could take a little more time. If you need answers in a relative short time I would post in the section idea and advice.
About sculpting flames there are several threads I found, just use the search tool and you should find something. Have a look at my Kdaii, the flames on the bases were my first try and it wasnt that difficult. And regarding the lighting… are you concerned about natural lighting on a daemonic body/armor? They aren`t natural, so why would natural effects apply? Go for effect, I tried for a red/green contrast.
My advice would be to not get too stuck on representing the Blazing Body rule. If you so happen to find a nifty way to add flames, sure, but don’t add flames just for the sake of the rule if that means you end up with a less cool looking model.
I guess you could maybe add some flames to their fists or weapons or somesuch, or maybe replace their heads with a flaming skull. I’m personally also a fan of adding smoke to the exhaust pipes. It helps create this image of a vile and terribly polluting machine, dunno if it really helps to represent the Blazing Body rule though
@DAGabriel: Thanks on tipping off your blog. Good job on your flames. I guess I was thinking I could try to do something really amazing if I wanted to for the k’daai. I dunno…some serious attempt at local light shading or even some crazy amount of flames that actually cover the model and I would have to paint in some shadowy silhouette of the head through a wreath of flame or something. I think if I was a much better painter, I would have some crazy ideas as to what to do.
@JMR: I think your advice is very sane and I appreciate it! I think I could go mad thinking of the different possibilities. Or stall for months with not knowing how to do something. I think I should just go ahead and paint them like I would normally and see how it goes.
I do think I should try to make them look dirtier than warmachine warjacks look. They are suppose to be extremely hot to touch and no one is going to go around with a rag wiping them off. That and all the soot should make them a bit grimy.
I was all geared to paint my Lammasu for a painting contest for the Bull City Wargamming podcast as I picked the topic of “monster”. The whole Scibor base problem is stalling me. I think I just need to work on my K’Daai Destroyer. I need to get some bricks for the base, though. I want to do it kind of rampaging through a bit of rubble. Nothing crazy or too fancy, but some stuff on the base to really make it worth while.
What you could do is practice sculpting flames on some wire glued to sprue etc then if it comes out well stick it down in patches onto the bases. Gets the idea across without “ruining” cool models (not that they would ruin them, you could just pull off the greenstuff flames if modelled on).
Well, I had some time to work on some rank and file at work. It’s not much to show, but I am plugging away on about 30 rank and file.
I did get a bunch of Mantic Orcs in the mail from a bitz company. I started putting all the pieces together, but realized the plague monk arms are too short:
Looks good with just the mantic stuff and GW head, though:
I just started working on my K’Daai Destroyer. I wanted to document the steps as I take them. I got an Arachnarok base and an Iron Man toy. I’ll have to wire the guy down to the base. Marked his feet and drilled through the base. Well, drilled into his feet, too. Using some brass rods to hold him. Stick 'em through and glued them down for support while I work with the wiring it in. Letting glue dry.
How much chain have you got? Just for fun it would be interesting to wrap it round like he's been chained up and broken free (not glued down though).
Grimstonefire
I added....more chains! Well, I didn't have enough to really wrap him up, but I thought having some where it shows he can be secured down. Also, it just looks kind of evil with chains on it. I've thought about adding a bunch more just around the thing. Short chains, but I think this might be enough. I am gluing them in place so that they don't move so much. I am trying to make it look like they are hanging. I don't think it would be as effective if I had him in motion as the Destroyer is really big. I think it would move too slow to have the chains swing back too much.
I did hang a head and a hand from some swings. Maybe I can get some wicked hooks or something?
I want to make the display board be in a bit of ruins. So, I got some Hirst mold bricks and a half a plastic Chaos Dwarf warrior to turn into a statue. I wish I had some pillars, though. I did get part of a dome that I will use around the main ruins.
How's it look now, though? I'd love some input as I think he might be ready to prime.
I admire your work even if he isn`t what I see in a Destroyer. Your rank and file ones remind me of a pile of bighats I have to paint but atm I am in love with the 2nd and 3rd ed ones so they will have to wait.
Good thing is, I always can change when one kind of CDs get boring.
I’ve been working on my Chaos Dwarfs for a bit. They are almost done as I just need to get some final stuff done. I mostly mean skin tone and beard. Though, I do have a banner dwarf and others to finish.
I’ve gotten all my bits in to build my Hobgoblins. Here are some:
One thing…the Orcs were made for 25mm bases. I’ve put them on 20mm, but the arms are making it near impossible to line up. I’m very tempted to just go with 25mm bases and not make a point of it. To be honest, I think it hurts me more than anyone else. It is not “official”, though. Any thoughts?
