Karakh Ddukk and Blue Chorts from an old fan

[Phil]

Hi again everyone,

I have to ammend my post from yesterday because tonight, I finished up the painting of the figures for a block of 15 Cutthroats… Lots left to do, including shields (that I had to steal from a gobbo box I had ) bases and a tray. Then there’s flags - I have two units now to do (I have them planned and sketched, just not yet painted…) BUT the pile just got a little smaller and now you can just peek over the edge and get an idea of what the unit will look like. I have thought about the brighter color scheme too and am quite keen on it - I may run with an idea that there are different houses / sorcerer priests that make up this army and they each kind of have their own colors / beards or I may get adventurous and catch everything up to one scheme. The later sounds like lots of work, to be honest… The guy with the basing was my test model, and was done a while ago. I updated him and added him in the unit to avoid having two of the boss models.

Anyway, enjoy these so-so shots. The unit’s fresh off the presses, so to speak…

[Phil]

Getting closer on this - got shields and snow on the bases… I still have the tray and the flag, but have moved on to put attentions on the Bale Taurus… Anyway, I posted this to FB, thought some here might like to see it on this thread.

[Phil]

I said I got side tracked… Far from finished, but I’ve put some time in on my Bale Taurus… He has lots of work still, but I’m not shy to show a work in progress…

[Phil]

Ok, I didn’t get fancy, but I am at least freehanding… LOL Banner done for the Hobgoblins… Thought I’d share. Banner reads “One Chain” in Russian. I guess these guys like Kislev chicks…

[Phil]

The dark passages under Karakh Ddukk were frigid in comparison to the warm halls of Zharr Nagrund. The deeper they went down, twisting tunnels once carved long before by those now not spoken of, the ever closer one drew though to fires among the ice. It is why when the chaos dwarfs took back this outpost ages ago in an attempt to funnel slaves from the north to more seedy traders in the south, they buried deeper than most. With greenskin labor and moneys arranged from caravans to Zharr Nagrund and to points even farther, they gathered materials and established a fair hold on the ancient halls. The deepest of chambers were reserved for the Sorcerers. There were two great doors that blocked off that passage and only the highest of high born and the Tauruk were permitted entry, when summoned. There were times however when great horns would sound, the summons of all, even some of the hobgoblins, were then permitted to gather and wait for word from the sorcerers; it was after all word from the dark father himself.

This time, it was the horn of summons of the highest of sorcerers in all of the Karakh, Jadore Feustein, that had sounded. The troops lined both sides of the great iced hall, a once long stretch of coal now refilled and piled high again. It seems there was hope that filled the halls, though none would admit it, for fear of looking weak. Something was amiss though; Rarely did Feu as they called him in hushed talks, call all to the hall.

With a great thunderous roar, both doors flung open. Great clouds of smoke billowed from the adjacent chambers, filling the hall. The air grew dark, as if enhanced from magics unspeakable, and then at once, the sound of wings flapping could be heard! Feustein atop a glowing mount, massive and impressive flew through the smoke and with a single word, commanded the beast to light the pile of coal. It burst bright, brighter than all the lights elsewhere in the tunnels, and all could feel the warmth again rush from the flames, as the sorcerer announced to all “The Darkfather sends us his child! The fires of Hashut will buuuuuurn long in these halls once again. We will march in 3 cycles of the moon! Kislev will burn, their men will be tributes to the fires of our home, their women will cry and their tears will fill the slave markets of Araby and Ind! The Dawi Zharr, sons of Hashut, will fly our banners over all that oppose us, and we will be Victorious!”

Another model gets closer to completion! Hope you enjoy the shots and my little story to introduce it. It’s taken a bit to get this far. Some flags and some base clean up and the fires of industry march on, this time turning to an Iron beast of ingenius! The Conclave has demanded Iron machines of war!

[Nicodemus]

@Phil

I’ve had this picture sitting in a browser tab since you posted it… love the patterns!!! I’m planning to print out decals with similar patterns to apply to the blunderbuss barrels to see how it goes. I do t have faith in my feeehand abilities to make something that looks as good! I’m still probably months away from having anything to post but maybe I can work on a couple of test models during the discord hangout in Corbin’s honour in July.

~N

[Phil]

That’s pretty cool Nicodemus! If it will help your project, I’m glad to line up my guys and take shots so you can see each one’s barrel end. The technique to paint them isn’t hard, just a white undercoat and then contrast paints, first a light yellow, then orange yellow, orange, and just at the edge, a little red after everything else dries. the reason I like results with inks is because they wet blend easily…

Anyway, very cool idea. Maybe I can produce another batch of blunderbus with additional patterns (was thinking about one with triangles at the edge for ex). I have another unit of these guys to paint up. There’s a queue now though…

[Nicodemus]

That sounds like a great idea! I’d be happy to post the templates for printing to the forum here!

[Phil]

Nicodemus,

Today was kinda hectic here but I’ll do my best to get shots of the individual figures so you can have reference tomorrow.

[Phil]

Nicodemus, I got some shots for you earlier today… Hope they help to turn these into decals…

[Phil]

I mentioned that I was working on a project that I said was going to take me more time than does me good on the War Machines Contest. I tabled it once I kind of figured that out, to get my submission in, but now that that is sorted, I have time to come back and play engineer again. I call this project “Operation Chorf Choo Choo…”

As this is a scratch build, I’m just going to give you guys an idea of where I am at this point, with hopes that it will make sense.Any feedback or ideas, complaints, critiques, what have you is welcome. I’m kinda winging it from what’s in my head, glad that I’m working with materials that I can alter, carve, cut, chop, grind and otherwise mutilate.

Have fun with these shots!

[Jasko]

Hah, nice! Very promising start. Shame its not done for AC, but yeah some work needed still. Keep us posted!

[Phil]

Yeah Jasko, You can kinda tell that the piece won’t work for a short term build when you have 20 hours on it and it’s just a core structure. I said though either way, I’d get it finished. I’m definitely thinking that the front will need lots of work - I’m thinking plasticard blades and some sort of sculpting. I’m kinda favoring the idea of a beard, but we’ll see. Sides too are going to get a bit of clay. I’ve got a few ideas about the guns. I have a turret I’ve made from the empire turret and the dwarf Organ gun. I think it has another Steam tank bit in there too. I thought it might work on top, but then I saw a hoodah idea and like it more. Maybe with some side gunners, like two blunderbusses, one to each side. All just thoughts at this point, not more. I let the winds define things as much as anything… right?

[PawocK]

This is the 6th ed steam tank down there ? Full metal model, I remember when I got it back in the day, the sheer weight of the model felt amazing.

[Nicodemus]

@Phil

m kinda winging it from what’s in my head

Fantastic start, and the choice of crew are perfect!! Especially the armoured Dwarf at the back - perfect for toiling in front of the hot engine box!! Can’t wait to see how this comes together! Keep us posted… don’t give up!!
~N

[Phil]

All metal parts Pawock, from the steam tank, the dwarf fire cannon, and a few other models. I guess I’m dating my collection… I haven’t really bought any bits for years.

[Phil]

I’m working on it little by little Nicodemus. It’s a lot of fun to do that. Of course rl gets in the way of me making my plans to take over the known world with my legions of angry little men, but I don’t let it do that too much…

[Phil]

Well, not a bad week in terms of painting. I started work on a unit of Sneaky Gits - plan to put together 2 groups of 15 + eventually, got the first 5 done and then realized I need more yellow… Paint has been ordered, but it takes a few days, so I began work on other stuff. Will post that in the “other stuff blog.”

Anyway, the first 5 Sneaky Gits, not yet based, but it’ll give an impression of what the unit will look like:

[Phil]

There are rumors of a bone piece found in outskirts of Altdorf, with odd, darkly cut runes cut into it. Those same rumors were curious enough to transliterate the words on them at the local scribery. They came to read in Norsca, in a dialect closest to that heard by those that have faced raids in the past. Few in the Empire know this dark tongue, but I would still scribe their words, because the foretell of a darkness that is indeed menacing.

Myrkfall braut á hamrum,
blóðvindr gékk með gnýi;
upp stigu Dawi Zharr,
brennd‑ætt, eið‑brotin.

Uzkul‑Dhrath‑Zharr nefna,
eldtungur, steinraddir;
járnhugr þeirra gnýr
undir dauð‑himins skugga.

Zharr‑Naggrund stendr grimr,
svart‑smíð fjallborg;
þrælfolk hrópa, deyja
í Urox‑elds kviðu.

Hashut, Hornfaðir,
drekk’r mann‑dauða rǫddir;
myrk‑hiti hans gleypir
alla sem veikjast.

Austurlǫnd brenna rauð,
forn dýrð fellr í ösku;
Norskar menn spýja böl
á nátt‑brand Dverga.

I found an old man who mostly spoke Reichssprache, and he was able to sort a translation. I will share his words with you, ominous as they might be:

Darkfall crashed on the high crags,
blood‑wind howled its hunger.
Up strode the Dawi Zharr,
burnt‑brood, oath‑shattered.

Uzkul‑Dhrath‑Zharr they name,
fire‑tongues, stone‑throats;
their iron‑minds grind deep
beneath death‑sky’s shadow.

Zharr‑Naggrund stands cruel,
black‑forge mountain‑stronghold;
thralls scream in bronze‑flame,
lost in the Bull‑God’s belly.

Hashut, Horn‑Father,
drinks men’s dying voices;
his dark‑heat swallows all
who falter in his gaze.

Eastlands burn red‑bright,
old might breaks to ash;
and Norscans spit curses
at the night‑fire Dvergr.

I need to return to Altdorf, to report this find, for if these words are true, there is much to be concerned about.

(Just having fun in Old Norse… I figure someone might think it’s fun. We have some Scandahoovians here on the list! )