Grimstonefire:
So, looking through the T:ToC book and all the models it’s clear that their vision of the CD armour is very… plain? Even for characters.
My benchmark for what is possible is looking at the guy on the front of WoC. Clearly that is something the CD would be capable of manufacturing, although it could also be a gift from the chaos gods.
So where is the more fancy CD armour?
Looking at the BC it is even more apparent because they have large areas of armour.
Thommy H:
Chaos Dwarfs are pragmatic - their armour would be primarily functional, so they get the greatest return on the investment of making it. The armour they sell however can be more embellished because their clients (savage Northmen obsessed with plunder and glory) will pay more for something that looks better while actually offering no appreciable benefit. So it may be worth the time spent making it fancy, which wouldn’t be the case with their own armour (which doesn’t get sold).
Also, the Legion of Azgorh are an army of outcasts and penitents, so there may be something going on there - they wouldn’t dress up a regiment of penal troopers.
GRNDL:
Clearly, they value the embellishment of a Hat. That is the only thing worth embellishing for their own use. 
Kera foehunter:
pfffffffff Who need armor… you think by now some evil sorcerer would empower a demon skin
to be used as armor
khedyarl:
See, that’s something that bothers the hell out of me about fantasy harnesses. Blackshard armour IS incredibly ornate. Look at the chasing along the shoulders, the flaring of the shoulders themselves. Then look at the Prophet-Sorceror and the Castellan minis. They have the same ornate chasing, but they also have fluted plates.
Armour never looks good when it has all sorts of crap piled on top of it. That’s what fantasy artists don’t get. Generally accepted as the most spectacular, beautiful, and impressive harness ever created is the Sigismund Gothic Harness by Lorenz Helmschmid:
That harness is incredible. Its functional, beautiful, elegant, easy to move in, and above all else provides virtually absolute protection (if you wore a gambeson underneath in a hardened gothic harness, there was very little chance that even a kill-zone longbow shot, or a black powder weapons would penetrate).
I guess the point of this is that the Chaos Dwarf armour is ornate, it just isn’t gaudy and stupid (though, those shoulders are pushing it, but I’ll accept that its a fantasy trope). It’s brutally functional, actually looks as if you could put somebody inside of it (the belts and latches are all in the correct places, so either they got lucky, or Forgeworld did some research beforehand), and still has a lot of chasing and etching all over it. Blackshard armour is (aside from the harness most of the greatswords are wearing) probably my favorite looking out of the warhammer entries.
Discoking:
Also, those Metal Boots are to die for 
Ishkur Cinderhat:
I disagree - Chaos Dwarfs are the best blacksmiths out there and it would only be natural for them to show that off whenever they can. Cheap, industrial, stamped armour would be something they might make for Hobgoblin henchmen, but their own armour surely would be quite exquisitely crafted. I just don’t see them doing things half-heartedly. Also don’t forget Chaos Dwarfs are inherently all about status and hierarchy.
Thommy H:
Hence why the dregs of their kind - the outcast Infernal Guard - would have relatively plain, utilitarian stuff.
Kera foehunter:
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo no you did e n t
Let not start a topic you can’t WIN Richard
these are the boots
Mad Dave:
Oooooo suit you madam!
RichardC1967:
Looks like I win...Booooyaaah
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo no you did e n t
Let not start a topic you can't WIN Richard
these are the boots
Kera foehunter
CopperPot:
Also, those Metal Boots are to die for ;)Wouldn't like one of them in the shin.................ouch
Discoking
Do you own these boots Kera.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo no you did e n t
Let not start a topic you can't WIN Richard
these are the boots
Kera foehunter
Hashut’s Blessing:
Split the boots thread into another topic guys and gals, this one is for discussing armour stylisation.
blackwolf.scortch:
Before I make my comment on armour, just a quick point as one learning the craft, it’s not blacksmith it’s either armourer or just smith.
As to the plain vs fancy question, I’m on the side of plain and functional for combat, fancy for Sorcerer/Prophets. But i am biased, one of my old nicknames was the Wrought Iron Knight, ie plain bordering on ugly, but gets the job done. And that is how I see CD for non-ceremonial/non-religious armour.
khedyarl:
I wonder how many of us on CDO dabble in armouring. I’ll toss a post up later on the off topic and see if we can’t get some discourse going.
AGPO:
I agree that most of the armour is outlandish, but then that’s part of what makes Warhammer a fantasy setting. I’m actually a big fan of the functional look with human troops in the game, as I really like the idea of ordinary men taking on these monsters. However, GW have clearly decided to take the Empire and Bretonnia in a direction which fits the rest of the setting, which is also pretty cool.
If you want a more realistic look to your human soldiers, check out Perry miniatures, which do some great plastics which would proxy well for Empire or Brets. If you want more realistic Dwarfs, Lizardmen or Chaos then maybe you’re collecting the wrong army!
IzNoGood:
I agree with GRNDL. The status/importance of a chaos dwarf is directly proportional to the size and ostentation of their hat. Imho their chaotic evil nature derives not just from the bitterness of betrayal by their former gods and their relationship with Hashut, but at same time they got the hump about being short too…
:hat off
