Admiral:
Interesting read, Nicodemus, and good call-out. Cheers!
As tjub points out, there is some future for forums like CDO if handled right, given Facebook’s abominable archive mode. You can find old stuff on forums, but will be hard pressed to do so on Facebook for the most part: It’s just a news flow. So it’s very much about managing and expanding and reaching out with that library of resources, and draw people in if possible.
There is still room for the Chaos Dwarf community to reach out and be inventive, spearheading independent hobbyist creativity and army book building just as we’ve done before: Note that we’re still a creative hobby hub, with an abnormally high percentage of artists and professional sculptors among us, and a healthy dose of converted miniatures going on at all times. CDO never lost its creativity, so there’s good fuel for making a splash again if the efforts be made. The below artworks will serve as proof of active creativity.
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By Hunter, illustration for this story.[/align]
As the events of 2015 have shown, a great many people have been completely dependent on one monodominant company for their hobby, so that the changed scene struck hard. If one take a step back and look at the fractured massed fantasy wargaming community, one quickly realize that there’s nothing special about it and little reason for deep pessimism: The new state of affairs is just a repetition of how historical wargaming has looked like for years on end, without any one company dominating an entire niche, and with multiple miniature companies producing for a plethora of different game systems, many of which are free and community-driven. Historical wargamers have done just fine, swimming in these waters, and there seems to be no reason why fantasy wargamers couldn’t do the same, even though the fantasy wargaming niche is much smaller.
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From this story.[/align]
In fact, those parts of the Warhammer community which has not followed Age of Sigmar has found themselves in the same spot which we Chaos Dwarfs were in for years on end: Left out in the cold.
Adapting to this brave new world and putting the Chaos Dwarf footprint out there, would entail a multi-pronged assault. We’re already quite well established in the Ninth Age, Age of Sigmar and Kings of War, but how about also putting the cloven hoof and our handsome beards into new games where we doesn’t have a true presence? I’m thinking of such things as Oathmark, Frostgrave, and even A Song of Ice and Fire wargame if anyone feels up to a cross-over. Pappa Midnight have been toiling away at tailoring rules for his Chaos Dwarf creations in Dragon Rampant (a rules system which lets you build your own unit rules). How about new 3rd edition rules and Chaos Dwarf units? Maybe a rampant asscannon? Maybe new Warhammer Quest scenarios? There’s lots that could be done, particularly in systems not graced by our hats and masks before. And nowadays we’re not only represented in 28mm and smallscale naval Man o’ War/Dreadfleet, but in 15mm and 10mm as well!
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By Helblindi, corresponding to T9A Disciples of Lughar: Daemonically possessed berzerkers on fire.[/align]
Games Workshop and Chaos Dwarfs Online between them have hammered out a truly distinct evil dwarf archetype for fantasy, one of mass slavery, cruelty, baleful industry, fire worship, Daemonforging, dark sorcery, ostentation, fanatical worship, cult of power, sheer madness and monumental megalomania. We’re Blacksmiths of Chaos and Craftsmen of Hell, a dark and stark echo of the Norse saga Dwarves who forged mighty artefacts for whoever could pay for them. This archetype (for I think it is a new archetype of sorts) can be made to resurface in setting after setting. We’re not as fringe and fresh as we used to be, but the pull of Chaos Dwarfs which make us return to them again and again have little to do with novelty and everything to do with fantastic imagery.
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By t5p1y.[/align]
So, yes, army books, rules for various systems, evil dwarf background for various settings and new Word of Hashut issues would be most welcome. There is however one hurdle to getting that professional finish that make someone pop: It’s time-consuming (just ask Willmark and Thommy H), and requires knowhow. We have a wealth of material gathered for WoH#13-14, but I cannot ken the complicated editorial programs (they’re not fool-proofishly simple, so to speak). Will and material is not lacking, but knowhow is. Darkmeer kindly volunteered to get Word of Hashut rolling, but real life has understandably kept him busy up to his ears.
Word of Hashut aside, Thommy H has kept churning out rules in a polished package. If anyone have the knowhow and tools required to put out a sleek publication with rules and background and other hobby stuff, then please know that this in high demand around these parts. 
While full-blown Word of Hashut issues would be most welcome, any polished PDF with little work on warband rules, or roleplaying campaigns, or skirmish scenarios, or new massed fantasy wargame units or whatever one feels like, for whatever system(s) one wishes to grace, will be great to have, and great to spread.
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By Forgefire, illustration for this story by Beloss.[/align]
I cannot help with anything involving wargame rules (lousy at them) or editorial programs, but I can help with stuff like sculpting tutorials, storywriting and some doodling if anyone has a use for it somewhere.
Looking forward to see what ideas, and projects, this call-out may spawn. :hat off
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