Bloodbath. The Vile Rune Orcs

Orctober is upon us and it is enough of an excuse to open up my Bloodbath at Orcs Drift project box and try and get a little further along.

I have previously posted the start of the Vile Rune Orcs and the other characters completed for my  first command sheet. The remaining 30 Orcs have finally been completed and I was down to the banner. Numerous failed attempts later , I settled on a scaled down version that the unit will carry and plan on printing a copy of the originals and mount them on their own bases.

Going for old school Tomato puree, the last best attempt before I gave up in disgust!

Settled on a simpler version with each of the Vile Runes

The full forty...

The unit is made up of metal miniatures from several Citadel eras and also a unit of spears I picked up from Black Tree Designs. 

Bloodbath features three Orc tribes and although i could reuse the one unit for all of them i want to be  able to give each tribe its own character and colour scheme.

I also need to pick up some regiment bases and will probably run them as two 20 boy units rather than as one big mob!

One big Mob

Vile Rune standard and Sticka guards

The Vile Rune Tribe led by their Chieftain Fangor Gripe and supported by the Rock giant Guthrum Mane and the Half-Orc spy Silas Meel

One down...

Black Tree Designs

Bloodbath. Orc extras

I have not had much time recently to post and even less to paint but between finishing off my Vile Rune Orcs I have finished off one of the three vintage Bolt throwers and team which can be used to support the Orcs when I play them out of Bloodbath. I had originally picked them up with the intention of mounting them on ships for a Bretonnian Fleet project but feel the Orcs might need the support sooner and part of a recent batch of Ebay Orcs had some crew for them.

The Bolt throwers were originally released as Notlobs Orc Artillery and then later as a generic War Engine.

The Bolt thrower was also used as part of an Dwarf team as well.

Crew in Vile Rune Colours

Bolbosh and Slaghead from the original crew and the bolt holder from reworked 1988 Bolt Thrower crew

I have added the cable and pegs to the corners of the platform as if its been hammered into the ground

Now back to the troops...

Bloodbath. Vile Rune arrive

Fangor waited, the tent lay in shreds and broken barrels and other debris surrounded him in a wide circle while his guards stood far away and tried to avoid his attention.

He was not good at waiting.

The Vile Rune Tribe had answered the summons of King F'yar and were gathering in the mountains above Kachas Pass. Fangor and his bodyguard had arrived ahead of the main army to enlist the aid of the rock giant Guthrum Mane, who was now sleeping off the effects of several barrels fang or had missed, and to scout out the area with a unit of hired Half-Orcs who had mapped the best route through the pass and also succeeded in wiping out a force of elves on the way.

Fangor sick of the sight his own boredom marched out to the edge of the camp and looked out towards the mountain pass that led back to the tribes territory, hoping to see the rest of his boyz.

His lack of patience was finally rewarded as he picked up the faint chant of the Vile Rune marching roar and as it got louder the rust tinged cloud of the column on the road appeared and eventually gave way to the red and green ranks of the Vile Rune Tribe

The first ten Vile Rune Orcs are finished and have given me a good template for the rest. along with the rusted and dirty metal I wanted to go for very muted and earthy colours, different browns and dark leathers. 

The Orcs are all metal and span across the ages, the variety and differences in size should give a real mob feel.

Hard to pick a favourite but so far it is the old long faced Orc with the gladiator style armour and torn off ear.

I had a couple of attempts at the Vile Rune screaming skull but my freehand just isn't up to it and it and the design was just too bright and stuck out compared to the rest of the figure. I had contemplated a version based on the newer Orc Glyph style but it didn't fit in with the vintage of the scenario so i have settled on using the Runes from the command sheet banner turned out well.

Completed Vile Rune Tribe and allies so far

(30 more to go!)

New Years Bloodbath!

This year I have decided to try and reduce the list of projects pending and focus on starting my Bloodbath at Orcs Drift collection. The 2nd Edition Warhammer Fantasy battle  Scenario is one of earliest memories of wargaming and I have been rebuilding the collection for the last couple of years. 

On Card sheets included with the boxed set

All of the metal figures originally available, including several figures made for the set.

When it was first released I replayed the battles and many others using the card figures included but I  have been collecting the original or close enough (to fill the massed Orc ranks!) and now have the majority of the figures and by weight alone it is over due!

My aim is to build the terrain and paint all the figures, one command sheet at a time and as I had already painted up Guthrum Mane, the Rock giant previously I am starting with the Vile Rune Orc Tribe.

 

rebasing Guthrum Mane

Fangor Gripe

next up will be the 40 strong Vile Rune Orc unit and a start on the terrain...