I am a bit of a fan of the writer L. Frank Baum after discovering a few years back that ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is actually the first in a major series of books.
If any of you haven’t read them, the books are a bit darker than the image you probably have of ‘We’re off to see the Wizard’ and singing munchkins. Despite being a collaboration of a couple of his later books, the 1980s film ‘Return to Oz’ with ‘Beware the wheelers’ is actually closer to what the books are like.
After years of playing and collecting different armies without ever having any cohesive themes as such, I have decided to go back and redo all my armies and am starting with an L. Frank Baum inspired Chaos Dwarf Army.
I have many ideas already and working on a few projects, which I will show through my blog but need some help from you guys.
I know what I am having most of my units representing - (Munchkin Militia = Hobgoblins etc) but not sure what to do with the Hellcannon.
Does anyone have any ideas? Nothing springs to mind instantly but thought you might be able to help as maybe I am over thinking it too much.
I have never read them …only seen the movie lol … Maybe an emerald city inspired Hellcannon ? Are you any good with green stuff or converting? Maybe do all the skulls in the Hellcannon like gems coming out?
The Munchkins are actually only some of the inhabitants of OZ - They come from Munchkin Country and I wanted to try and get all the different races involved somehow - like the Winkie Guard (The green-skinned guys with the tall hats that protect the Wicked Witch of the West in the film). As the poorest fighters, the Munchkin have to be my hobs I am afraid.
The Emerald City Cannon has possibilities though - I am liking the jewels set into it and if I did it, the Necron idea would be perfect. I shall go and do some sketches and see what I think. Infact, your idea has reminded me of something else in the stories which may work better - Thank you and watch this space!
@ Willmark
My apologies, this is going to be a painting blog, just thought Id ask for some help with ideas before whilst I got my first pics ready. I am hoping that the incentive of having to get pics up on here may speed up my painting. I will endeavour to get my first pics up as soon as I can.
My apologies, this is going to be a painting blog, just thought Id ask for some help with ideas before whilst I got my first pics ready. I am hoping that the incentive of having to get pics up on here may speed up my painting. I will endeavour to get my first pics up as soon as I can.
My apologies, this is going to be a painting blog, just thought Id ask for some help with ideas before whilst I got my first pics ready. I am hoping that the incentive of having to get pics up on here may speed up my painting. I will endeavour to get my first pics up as soon as I can.
I have decided to go back and redo all my armies and am starting with an L. Frank Baum inspired Chaos Dwarf Army.
Does anyone have any ideas? Nothing springs to mind instantly but thought you might be able to help as maybe I am over thinking it too much.
thewizardofoz
An interesting idea, but perhaps you should look at the Oz theme more from an aesthetic view as opposed to a more literal translation?
By this I mean, just because the Munchkins in the books were always the poorest fighters does not necessarily mean that they have to be the Hobgoblins (the CD poorest fighters), etc. By such a definition, your army general would have to be the wicked witch, since she was the most powerful villain who sent forth her armies.
Nothing wrong with any of that...but how about witches as Hobgoblins? The Oz witches have green skin, long hooked noses and are dressed in ragged robes...sounds like a hobgoblin to me :h
Your CD warriors could be the Winkie Guards, the Winkies are depicted as very tall in the books...so how about them being Dwai Zharr with nice tall Big Hats to give them the tall appearance? Flying Monkeys could be your K'Daai, etc.
Your bases should be yellow bricks and naturally your general should be the Wizard himself...with silver shoes ...since the silver shoes were powerful magic items.
I would also suggest an Emerald paint scheme...lots of possibilities for such a themed army. But again, I personally would go with a "look" as opposed to a literal translation...whichever direction(s) you go with it, I look forward to seeing it...and please share some pics with all of us :hat off
This is a great idea. I’m with Fuggit on this one, you’ll have a hard time finding every unit from the armylist in the Oz books - but you can hit the theme. No one will be in doubt what was your inspirationn.
You could make some nice heroes (or pehaps just unitfillers), putting some of the characters in the unit. Small, but effective hints to the theme.
Putting Toto in a regiment somewhere would be easy. Or the Tinman hidding somewhere in a unit of heavy armoured ironsworn.
Your CD warriors could be the Winkie Guards, the Winkies are depicted as very tall in the books…so how about them being Dwai Zharr with nice tall Big Hats to give them the tall appearance?
Fuggit Khan
Hahah. Every chance you get at spreading your Big Hat propaganda, eh?
Your bases should be yellow bricks and naturally your general should be the Wizard himself...with silver shoes ...since the silver shoes were powerful magic items.
Fuggit Khan
Weren't they ruby shoes? Or is that just the movie?
Some fantastic ideas and many I am already going with - Wizard Head as my Destroyer.
I think you are right, it desnt have to be a literal proxy - just the theme. Thanx guys!
The shoes in the book are silver but when they made the film, silver didn’t show up brilliantly and they wanted more colour to show off the whole Technicolour thing so changed them to ruby.
My Dorothy on Toto - Khan on Wolf, actually has the ‘Ruby Slippers of Ruin’ - lol - couldn’t pass it up.
Actually the more I think about what you guys are saying, the more convinced I am. I have been stressing trying to find a way of getting certain units in that just don’t fit - no guns in Oz so who do I do fireglaives etc.
My ideas to date are as follows, C&C welcome:
Sorcerer Prophet on Taurus - Wizard in Balloon
Daemonsmith of fire (WM Babysitter) - Wicked Witch of West - (Im giving her carpet too so should WM die, she can fly off)
Infernal Guard with fireglaives/Blunderbusses (points dependent) - Winkie Guard
Hobgoblins - Munchkins (Not just for the crap fighter thing, they fit with the whole being enslaved thing)
Khan on Wolf - Dorothy on Toto - (Wait till you see the model I am using!)
Infernal guard with G/W - Guard of the Emerald City (Very Green Armour)
Ironsworn - The Royal Army of Oz (TIK TOK from ‘Return to Oz’) - thinking I may use those metal beards when they are ever made
Kdaii Fireborn - Flying Monkeys - am currently looking for Big Metal monkey models if anyone has any ideas
Renders - Lions and Tigers and Bears (Oh My) - Unit Champ will be the Cowardly lion and they will have gleaming Pennant (; p)
Kdaii Destroyer - Wizards Head
Siege Giant - Tin Man - complete with gaping chest wound.
I am trying to think of ways of making my BSB/Scarecrow but not sure whether to make him the scarecrow or wheher to make the scarecrow into his actual banner so he is hoisting him up and then the scarecrow can be struggling to break loose.
For Dorothy, I wanted to move away from ‘Little Girl Dorothy’ onto something darker - (It is Chaos Dwarfs after all). A friend sent me this pic, although it is a little more ‘adult’ than I actually want, I like the idea of a Dorothy that can handle herself.
