Drive it like you stole it Pt 1

Lets move from infantry models to something with a little more umf - tanks!

With the 7th Ed codex, many of the Ork vehicles got kick-ass new kits.  Sadly, the Looted Wagon wasn't one of them and, in fact, would eventually be removed entirely by the time we got to the 8th Ed book - fortunately, it did reappear in White Dwarf a few months later.

So I was super excited when I found this on MaxMini  - the Scrap Tank (this was long before it was re-purposed as part of their Green Alliance Kickstarter).

It's roughly the same size as a Leman Russ and is a beautifully detailed resin kit that works just perfectly with the new Ork look (as if it was designed too).  Its super easy to build, consisting of a just an handful of parts but still has a fantastic level of detail.

Now, as awesome as this kit is, it did need a little work to allow for all the Looted Wagon wargear (e.g. Big Shootas/Rokkits, with and without a Kill Kannon, Deff Rolla, etc).

I started with the Big Shoota options.  Instead of using the assault cannon that came with the kit, I magnetized a Big Shoota in its place.

I also added another magnet on top on the turret.  It has my 'Longteef' banner to identify it as part of my Blood Axe clan, but it can be replaced with a cupola mounted Big Shoota (not pictured).   That gave me two Big Shoots but I needed a third.  So I used the big flat area on the front armour, added a third magnet and built a mounting bracket out of plasticard.  I then magnatized that and added the Big Shoot from Kromlech.

Given the mounting point and the guns are all magnetized they can be removed/swapped, so I naturally added the other Kromlech guns (Skortcha, Rokkits, Kannon, plus Big Shoota) - just to have options :)

I now needed three Rokkit options.  I used 2 of the existing magnets and added one more magnet in the smoke launcher (on the other size of the Kill Kannon).

But just to keep things interesting, what it the Rokkits were firing!

The Rokkits where made using the old Forgeworld Ork vehicle weapons kit.  The Rokkits were cut free of their launchers.  I took a wire and bent into a somewhat haphazard flight path and put one end into the Rokkit and puttied a magnet to the other.  I then rolled a ton of green stuff balls of varying sizes to represent smoke blooms and built up a smoke trail, starting with the larger ones at the end working up to the smallest.  The 'bubble' effect gets mitigated when they are painted and the cracks get filled up.

Next post the conversions deviate from just wargear and go slightly off the rails.

Some Like it Hot Pt 4

Ok, here is the final post for the Ork Burna unit with the inclusion of the leader, Mekboy Gear'ead Gazlugg.  Gazlugg, like all of his ilk, has a desire to construct and deconstruct in equal measure.

 

He's really just the old stock plastic Mekboy with a bit of a fancy base.  I've put him on 32mm to help distinguish him as the squad leader (that and his big shinny gun!)

 

And finally, here is the shot of entire 11 man squad.  Not bad given 60% of the squad is based off 2 models.

Some Like it Hot Pt 3

A few years ago, in an effort to use up some long ignored minis, I found I still had two of the original metal Burnas.  Having only 8 in my Burna squad it seemed like a good time to boost their numbers.  

Of course I needed to convert them given I had already used these guys twice (so much for my original plan of no dupes!)  

Nothing too complicated here - head swaps from Spell Crow, weapon swaps from the plastic Burnas.

 Then came the hard part - cutting out parts of the metal back-packs and adding different fuel containers to each to change them up a little.  

Next up is the Mekboy, who technically was done ahead of these two, but seamed like a better mini to end on. 

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Some Like it Hot Pt 1

Some Orks just want to watch the world burn.  They are cleverly called Burnas.

During a Waaaah, these flame loving fellows are fearsome flamethrowers reducing all in their wake to molten slag or crumbling ash.  Because their weapon of choice is also a powerful torch, they often join boarding parties where they can cut through the thickest bulkheads to gain entry or assault large warmachines to slowly dismantle them.  In 'civilian' life, Burnas are often employed by Big Meks as welders in their construction projects or in scarp and salvage work.  

My Burnas originally started out as heavy weapon options for my boyz mobs (as was the option in the 3rd ed codex).  

I needed 4 Burnas for my 2 squads but GW only produced 2 single piece metal models (remember metal).  Never wanting dups, I built two others using 2 standard Ork boyz, Burna mask heads, Scortchas from the old (metal) dreadnought and a few Skaven Warpfire Thrower backpacks.

Next up: more Burnas and what happens when Burnas become a squad of their own!

Lowest of the Low Pt 4

We come to the last of our Grot posts - the command squad - in true IG fashion, the Grots of Da Longteef have cobbled together a command squad of sorts, including a Lieutenant, Kommisar and a few 'special' weapons.  These particularly intelligent, brave, ambitious or willing Grots bark orders (a few even correctly) and generally try to keep the squad moving in the right direction.

The Lieutenant is built in same fashion as the other grots, though this time with an officer cap (again from Basicks), a grot-sized chain sword and a las pistol - a fancier weapon, as befitting his rank, than the crude pistols the other grots use.  Finally, a fur half cloak from the Empire White Wolf upgrade sprue makes a nice cape and gives him just a little more 'authority'.

The one element of the IG  that remains an ongoing mystery to the Orks is why you would have two people in charge (the concept of morale being largely lost on a Ork mind).  Never the less, there must be a reason - in this case to mostly give contradictory orders and add to the general chaos that is an Ork battlefield.

The Kommissar is a goblin officer from Basicks with the most Commisar looking hat from their officer head sprue.

Finally, one of the special weapons.  This is one of the older pre-plastic GW grots, though I've sawed him in half to give him some pants and boots.  I think the blunderbuss works great a special weapon - like a crude, big blast shotgun 

Here is a shot of the entire command squad.  The dual pistols and Necromunda shotgun are really just place holders until I can find something a little more characterful.

And finally, the current squad all together.

Hope you're liking this look at the Orks.  Please comment and follow on facebook..
Next post we'll have a new squad!

 

 

Lowest of the Low Pt 3

In keeping with the more independent, more trained feel of da Longteef Grot squads, I opted to give them a command squad (next post).  But then that didn't really leave a spot for an Ork Runtherd.

So I opted for Runtbots instead (anyone remember those?).  That way the Grots could to operate on their own, but the Orks could still keep an eye on them (and 'collect' any of the squad that got misdirected).

From a modelling aspect, it was a nice retro nod to the Orks of old and allowed me to use all those cool Ork robot bits out there!

The Runtbots are a primarily Kromlech's Clanking Desytroyers with a little plasticard, random bionics and graba sticks from GW.  

The Ork in the center (who sadly has not been painted yet) is Kurgog, the Sgt Major of the Army and in charge of all the Grot forces.  The mini is from Mantic's Deadzone Marauders faction.  I just love all the medals and epaulets.  In general, I find Mantic's Orcs too different in design to use with GW,  but I couldn't pass this one up, so tweaked him a little and added a Kromlech officer head.  Mantic also has a Goblin sniper team which I think would work well.

I'm really happy with the look of them, but it evolved over several tries.  Originally there were just rust with a little black.  I then went back and added detail like that checkerboard and dags.  It took quite a few tries before I found a colour for the face that played well with everything.

The Graba Sticks are also magnetized to you can swap them out for a Grot-Prod.

And, of course, you have to have a Squid Hound.  Given the Runtbots, this seemed like a perfect place for another Mekano Squig (from Wargame Exclusive Miniatures).

And finally a shot of them together.  Hope you liked this look at the Runtherds.
I will finish this off next post (promise) with the Grot Command Squad.

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Lowest of the Low Pt 2

Continuing on with the Grots of Da Longteef, we're now looking at the close combat side.  Those Grots that prove to be more courageous, reckless (or just poor shots) end up in one of the assault sections.

These Grots are built in the same fashion, largely based off the GW Fantasy Goblin range and Basick's heads.  The guns are a collection of old Necromunda weapons, both metals and plastics, and the sword is a knife from the 40K Ork sprue. 

The backpacks are a random assortment of GW, 3rd party producers, and WWII plastic kits.  Basically, whenever I see a set of backpacks I buy them.  I find the variation provides a bit of the random, slapped together feel the Orks are known for and still gives then a "uniform".

Finally, here is a group shot.  I'll wrap this up next post with the command squad!

Lowest of the Low Pt 1

From the mighty, towering Warbosses, we now swing to the other end of the spectrum with the lowly Grot. The labourers, assistants and functionaries that make Ork society (such as it is) function, and occupy the lowest rung in the Warbands.

I avoided GW's Grot with its loin cloth and bare feet, as being too wild and not representative of the IG theme of the Blood Axe army.

I envisioned the Blood Axe's using their Grots more strategically, actually training and equipping them to serve, admittedly as unequal partners, in their Waaaghs.  After all, Grots already man the artillery and pilot Killer Kans, so not that far of a stretch.

I also recalled the Whiteshields from early editions of the IG (and I think more recently with Cadians). More inexperienced and less battle hardened recruits seemed like a thematic match with the Grots, so added a white arm band as a nod to those old Whiteshield units.

The first 'squad' of Grots is a Rifle section.  There's a fair number of components that go into these guys (totally reasonable for a 2 pt guy that you need 60-90 of, right?)

  1. The body is from GW's Fantasy Goblin range, only using the less 'medieval' legs and torso.
  2. Bare heads are GW Goblin heads, while the helmeted heads are from Basicks, one of the early (and now defunct) Polish microcasters, created after the split at MicroArts Studio.
  3. The guns are converted Lasguns from the plastic Orlock Necromunda sprue
  4. The other arm is from the GW Empire Flagellants range
  5. Finally I added things like kit from the IG sprue and a random assortment of backpacks

I've painted them in my standard Longteef colour scheme, kind of an urban camo, with bluey greys and whites and a touch of actual camo on the helmets.  I felt I needed to include some actual camo as its a distinctive feature of the Blood Axes, but too much can look muddled (not to mention its quite time consuming to paint)  so  I felt that just the helmet was a good compromise.

Hope you like this intro to the more rank and file and will be back next post with more of the Grots!