Crimbo Time!

It's Christmas! To quote Noddy Holder...

That means time for some pressies for friends and family. Last year my gaming chums got some sculpts, blue scribes and a space wolves contemptor dreadnought. This year I had a bit less time, but a syrplus of snotlings! So we present some personalised snotty conversions:

For my Ratman friend, a unit filler for the Skavenslaves unit... dissent in the ranks, just what every verminous warlord needs!

 For my Bretonnian colleague; Robin Snot, scourge of the greenwood. An extra chappie for an archer regiment.

For my Blood Angels pal; the Red Sparrow. An irksome jump-pack-sporting nutcase with more firepower than is good for him! Commander Dante's sidekick?!

And last but not least, my good lady gets a 2CV packed full of mushroom-munching, grass-smokin' hippie snots off to cut some weeds! Flower power y'all!

Oh, and my entry for the 2nd Golden Gobbo competition is finished... tough not to post pics on here but it has to be a surprise! Happy Crimbo everyone!

Ultimate Heroquest Part 1

We have recently embarked upon a splendid Heroquest campaign, joy! Love that game. It's given me fresh desire to create a 3D board and with the school just having acquired a laser cutter certain ideas spring to mind...

To test the plan I have produced some wooden character sheets with acrylic 'windows' for the text to be written on in OHP marker. This stays well enough to just put in a box between games (the screw heads keep the sheets separate) but wipes off easily with a damp cloth.

I should perhaps mention that the adventurers have been finding the quests a bit easy so I am upping the stakes. Using a D10 instead of a D6 for the combat die, with 5 skulls, 3 white shields and 2 black shields on each. Makes it that little bit harder to roll white shields and a bit easier to roll black. Also upping the number of monsters, stats of hard monsters and the Body points of special monsters. I've also introduced an experience points system which enables characters to acquire 'skills' which affect gameplay and given the heroes 'Spirit' points to go alongside Body and Mind. If your Spirit points fall below 5 you count as 'fallen' and have certain effects such as only being able to trade at Neutral and Evil settlements (which are also getting a detail overhaul in the campaign). If you become 'marked' you begin to flip over Spirit point counters instead of removing them, if they are all flipped over (tainted) you become a Chaos Spawn... ooh yeah! Just adds more character to the game, no hard and fast rules, just flavour! Oh, and the laser cutter has also provided me with some handy counters for various points- just like the Mechanicus icons in my Skitarrii century.

Frateris Viaferris Divisio Skitarii Legio Γ XIX MM

Getting nicely assembled with my Cult Mechanicus contingent.

The century comprises a command group and seven maniples comprised of nine Hyspasists lead by a Tessararius. They are aided by 20 Sagitarrii from Centurio LVIII (organised into four maniples consisting of four sagitarrii and a Tessararius). These are from the bags of Warzone figures, and I'm really happy with the range of posing possible, not to mention the different looks achieved by simple head swaps etc. The style of the Bauhaus Ducal Militia and the Imperial Regulars complement each other really nicely to give a uniform-looking army. I've used the Regulars bodies with Militia heads for the Hyspasists, Heavies bodies with Regular heads for the Sagittarii and a mix for the sergeants.

A selection of Tessararii showing the difference an assortment of heads makes to an otherwise static pose.

 The obligatory comic relief- shot in the eye, "my head hurts" and a guy wondering just how he's supposed to drink from that canteen with a respirator on!

Optio Centuriae Rubens Igneus- a grey knights conversion with guitar string mechadendrites. The leader of Centurio XIX. Surrounded by his command group including Invoxator, Biomechanic, Commissars and Veterans.

Signifer Romulus Arcana, the Archmagos in charge of the Missio Manufactotum. An Inquisitor henchman conversion with guitar wire mechadendrites and breathing tube and a laser-cut Adeptus Mechanicus logo on his staff. Still to do something with his Inquisition pendant.

 

Vexillarius Sepulchrade, in progress! A psyker imprisoned in a mechanical cell created from a grey knights daemonhost, Ghazgkull Thraka and a lot of cogs. The romanesque signifier is surmounted by a laser-cut acrylic logo which I have drilled into to insert and LED so this bad boy will glow green thanks to a watch battery in the base.

 Battle Brothers Julius and Aristophicles, Sepulchrade's minders. Barely modified techmarines.

 A star wars tank droid I just couldn't resist adding to the army. What he'll be I don't know, some kind of dreadnought maybe, or a support weapon (though he's a bit tall for sightlines!). He's cool though, although the moulding has gone a bit awry on the back and his plating is a bit wonky.

My first tank is sitting in its box at the back there. Hopefully I can get two more at a similar price to make up an Equitata from Centurio LXIII, Ala A, Pax Quirina (counting as Leman Russ). I was hoping for WW1 tanks looking a bit Land-Raideresque but they go for crazy money, so I'll take the Japanese tank! Also need to put together a few support weapons. Will have to scrutinize the Imperial Guard codex. Was using the Tempus Fugitives Cult Mechanicus codex but if I can make the list a legal, official, guard list that's probably better.

Kittus Constructionus Mechanicus

After many hours of sprue surgery I have extracted the components of the warzone minis ready for assembly. Quite a mighty horde of parts! So far these are the bits I have collected to make up the Missio Manufactotum arm of the Brotherhood of the Iron Road. Most are from the Warzone Mutant Chronicles bags but there are also a couple of techmarines, inquisitor figures, Ghazghkull Thraka and some spare gears etc. from my Steampunk propmaking. I'm hoping the Steamy vibe will carry through into the Mechanicus, it may even serve for the inspiration for ny garb for the Asylum festival next september. Now to scavenge through my bits box for any nice additions and get busy with the glue. Oh, and incidently Evostick PVC Pipe Weld I have found to be effective for sticking this hard plastic together, probably because it is PVC! Hopefully it'll also work on the Tamiya velociraptors which are winging their way to me....

Getting a bit Skitarii...

An exciting box arrived today. After my Eldar once again lost spectacularly to a force of Space Marines I decided it was time to make a change and get round to building that Adeptus Mechanicus army I've wanted for a couple of years now. The Eldar can come out again once their new codex hits the shelves. The Eagle-eyed among you may already have spotted a page being prepared for the Martian Machinists at the top of the blog. I had thought of making the Mechanicus army a variant on the Grey Knight/Daemon Hunters list, but seeing as Tech Priests and nice old school terminator/marine models go for silly moneys online I was having a rethink. Wanted to sculpt a few key characters but not go the whole hog and scratchbuild an entire army. Then I stumbled upon a lovely little Cult Mechanicus codex (it's not little actually, it's very comprehensive!) by the indomitable Tempus Fugitives. This is a variant on an Imperial Guard codex, with some Mechanicus rules by GW staff and some originating from their own campaigns built in to what looks like a very fair and gameable army list. Shortly after I discovered this I spotted on ebay a bundle of 80 Warzone figures for about £20, then I discovered a review of the product which says the same bundle costs £17 at Prince August. Every little helps so I trotted off to their site and sure enough there was probably the bargain of the century. And it arrived this morning....

Now that's one big packet of plastic! And to make things even more exciting I decided to buy two, thus making the postage ratio a bit cheaper. So here's my lovely box of Skitarii:

160 minis for a little over £40, that'd buy you about 20 at Games Workshop. And these figures aren't at all bad quality either. They are from two different factions, both gas-masked and armoured, and divide up into 8 squads of 10 figures from each faction. Each squad has a sergeant and heavy weapon figure and 8 troopers. The heads and arms are separate and there are two body options for each faction's troopers, so there's really a lot of scope for variation. Because the way I'm organising my Skitarii I'm not going to follow their assembly guidelines exactly. The Bauhaus Ducal Militia I am going to use as my Hyspasists, removing their heavy weapons and replacing them with weapons from the Imperial Regular figures. Some Imperial Regulars are going to become Sagittarrii and be armed with the heavy weapons from their own and the Bauhaus sprues and the remainder of the Imperials are going to be put aside for future units. So first task is to sort them into components, second task is to find a glue that will stick them, I hear they're notoriously difficult to bond together! Loctite superglue has been recommended...

I did actually get 161 figures, I also bought this chappie, thinking he might be a good basis for my Archmagos. Not sure now I see him in the metal, he looks like something out of the Mighty Ducks crossed with Star Wars! Ah well, he'll find a space somewhere I'm sure!

I'm someone who has always gone for small numbers of expensive troops (High Elves, Fimir, Eldar, Space Marines) in order to cut down costs of buying the stuff and time painting it. Now I seem to have two mighty forces on my hands, the snotlings with about 500 of the little blighters and this chunky contingent of guardesque infantry. Hope there's room on my painting desk for all these little guys!

The Golden Gobbo

I am proud and humbled... a contradiction I know! That my offering has been voted first winner of the probably-soon-to-be-prestigious Golden Gobbo award on the Oldhammer BLOOD forum. Here he is, one of my favourite Goblin Fanatic figures from the glorious 80s, the Olympian Angus McHammer:

Angus McHammer- Goblin Athlete

Oi! Bigjobz! Dat’s not an ‘ammer, dis iz an ‘ammer! Pint a ol’ bogwartz sez yooz cannae squish a snot in a sack wiv dat puny fing. Wotch me clobber a stunty git at fifty paces wiv bofe me eyes shut, yoo juss see if I don’t. ‘Ere we go den... ah rat dung! Got me ‘and caught in the chaaaaaaaaiiiiiiinnnnnnn!

Goblin definitions of “war” and “games” differ only slightly. A game usually involves finding a bunch of other guys, preferably smaller than you, and beating them to a pulp before running off with all their money, equipment and pretty goblin ladies. War is much the same, except it usually starts with comments about someone’s mother. To be good at goblin games you really have to throw your whole self into the action, Angus McHammer does so with gusto. Not usually so good at extracting himself from the ensuing crater he nevertheless makes the most of his one moment of participation, hurling himself into the fray, scattering friend and foe alike in a spirit of joyful abandon. Occasionally he hits his target, more often than not he ends up wrapped in his own chain, reduced to a spectator of the great goblin games.

Alignment: Competitive, malignant but not necessarily evil.

Base size: 20mmx20mm

M	WS	BS	S	T	W	I	A	Ld	Int	Cl	WP	Pts
4	2	3	3	3	1	2	1	5	5	5	5	30

Special rules:

Angus is a goblin fanatic and subject to the special rules printed in the Warhammer 3^rd edition rulebook (p98).

Angus McHammer costs 30 points.

 

Congratulations to the very worthy second places. So many wonderful entries, so much evocative character, such splendid fluff! The guys on the Oldhammer forum perfectly sum up the creativity, sociability and fun of old-school warhammering from before it got all glossy, corporate and mass-produced. I hold their work in high esteem and can only hope to aspire to work towards the standards of their modelling and painting, keep up the inspirational work chaps!

Resistance is useless...

You could resist Goblins no longer! Well, actually I couldn't resist them back in July, but they only turned up a couple of days ago. These Caesar goblins seem to have been hard to get hold of, the UK stockist was out for ages but, surprise! There they were on the doorstep on monday.

Worth the wait? Well, they're plastic and the spears are a bit bent (not really able to straighten them) but for £6 for 36 models (I got 2 boxes so £15 with shipping for 72) they work out pretty cheap.

 

There's anot a great variation in poses, but it was pretty easy to snip the hands off some and rearrange them, the effect was greater than I expected for such simple conversions. They did have quite large chunks of sprue attached (came in a jiffy bag) but since I need to base them up anyway this wasn't as much work as I initially thought.

Some altered poses

As to how they compare, they're a bit taller than the citadel snots- but in an army which has both Warmaster goblins and an Uglyn Lovelord as representative of the same race scale doesn't matter quite so much! I love their comical gremlin ears and cheeky faces and while their features are as pronounced or rotund as the snots they have a cartoonish feel which fits in nicely. These guys are largely going into the tribe, although 16 spearmen are heading to join Mikey's Pikeys, the 16 with bombs (some bomb hands put on new bodies) and axes are providing muscle and Fuzes for my sawmasters, 8 with bows are joining the Stunty Stikaz and a few are off to don bells in the morris.

The Contingent Plan

Here's a basic layout for the Snotling army, which should make up to about 3000 points worth of snots. Some of the text has not Print Screened very well, but I think it comes across. The idea is to divide the army into contingents. Several of these may combine to make up units, but I wanted lots of variation and to be able to create 80s-style warhammer units with characterful leaders and definite style. Each base will effectively be a mini diorama of the contingent, with an appropriate label giving either the name of contingent or the leader/champion. Lots of colour, lots of variation, lots of crazy madcap fun!

Obviously there aren't 'official' rules for most of these troop types, stay tuned for the Cave Snot Armies Book featuring such glorious entries as the Snotling Blasters, Shroomies, Sawmasters, Shamen and Wierdlings.

Great Snot! A whole host of bogeys!

After a fair few months of collecting I have amassed a large enough force of Snotlings to embark upon the army! 550 of the little blighters (thanks to a generous ebayer who recently furnished me with a little under half the force!), along with trolls,squigs and steeds.

Now all this came about because of these guys:

Which I collected for a long-standing and ongoing project not yet ready to be revealed. Having fallen in love again with the miniature greenskins I shelved my Chaos Dwarves for a little while and embarked upon a tiny goblinoid horde.

The army is not entirely snotlings, I have mixed in a host of other miniatures for variety (and price!) so here's an opportunity for me to compare some of the ranges/models with their snotling contemporaries:

FIMM'S GUIDE TO SNOTTY ALTERNATIVES

 CHARIOT MINIATURES

This smiley chap on the left is a Chariot Miniatures goblin. Yup, smaller than a snot but the nose and the grin mean he fits in pretty well. The problem with this range is the poses vary little, with simple weapon changes being the order of the day. I bought these guys off ebay so have no idea how much they cost new. I also have some of their orcs in the army, less comical-looking so they don't quite fit as well but they add a bit of an extra flavour. There's also a range of bat-winged goblins which are sadly the

same model as the club-wielding gobbo but with, well, bat wings! As an interesting aside, the guy to the right is part of a war machine crew. Now, you can't tell me that with his hat and fungus ball he isn't inspired by the Citadel snotling he is pictured with!

PENDRAKEN MINIATURES

I'm using a variety of Pendraken minis in the army as they are cheap and (I think) a nice little selection. First up are these guys who are goblins. They come with swords, shields, spears, bows, clubs and a nice selection of command and musician models. Again much smaller than the average snot (right) but measure up well against the tiny little snotling (centre). at £1.80 for 10 they are substantially cheaper than genuine snots.


I'm also using Pendraken trolls, which measure up quite well as muscled snotlings. There are also Night Orcs and Squogglers in the army... more on these later on.











 WARMASTER

These Warmaster Night Goblins were an experiment. They're tiny tiny next to the mighty snotlings! Fortunately I am able to invent special background to fit them into the army, and they're meant to be a crazily assorted bunch anyway. The detail is pretty good for something so small. I'm using some Chaos Warmaster figures as well as goblins. I'd really like to get some Warmaster spider riders to be little arachlings, but they go for silly money online.

 The Night Goblins are going to form a special section of my army, along with their commander (a Warhammer Carrion Wraith, never knew why they were so small but they're a good match to snotling size!) and some Pendraken Night Orcs which bridge the two scales nicely. The middle-finger snot would fit in really nicely here, but sadly I haven't managed to acquire one yet.

 BLACK TREE DESIGN

I managed to pick up two stone trolls pretty reasonably online but drew a blank getting a third. Luckily I stumbled upon this fungus-headed troll from Black Tree Design... how appropriate! His bulgy nose, beady eyes and long, tattered ears are very similar to those of the old Citadel trolls, in fact he could be a not-so distant cousin! He even has a scaly back like the others.

 ENIGMA MINIATURES

I wanted a more fungoid specimen than the genune snotling shaman to be my 'wizard'. Snotlings are inherently suspicious of magic since it is unnatural but they do use plant extracts and other ingredients to create potions, some of which have an adverse effect on the snotling's physiology. This little chap is perfect for what I was looking for, nicely detailed and a great characterful addition to the crew.

 The shaman's Wierdling followers (who pick up where he left off in the event of a, umm, mishap) are the infamous Famous Familiars. Since the effects of potions can cause a variety of mutations some Wierdlings choose to hide their features behind cowls, whilst the disfigurements of some are too extreme to mask. The familiars match snotlings in height really well, tending to be a little slimmer but not noticeably out of proportion, although in a Wierdling hat would be nothing!

 I'm also using some familiars in my 'armoured snot' units, alongside Chaos Warmaster figures which make hilariously tiny tin-can figures.

FOUNDRY ORCLINGS

I spotted a load of these creatures for very little monies on ebay and thought I'd give them a try. They're very tiny and have a lot of flash/sprue on them but they're fun little characters. I've got some mooning Orclings and some squished Orclings to scatter around the force. Sadly the really nice variations of Orcling seem to be only available from Foundry themselves and aren't at all cheap (8 for £10, yowzers!)

 SQUIGS!
Yes, the snotlings have Squig allies! I picked up a pack of Rogue Trader Ork Squigs which are nice and small, easy for the snots to handle, and mixed in some Pendraken Squogglers which are a nice size match but only come in one pose. The beastie familiar also found a home among the Squigs. Finally I picked up 3 reasonably priced Cave Squigs... they're so expensive on ebay! The snotling herders are Warmaster Night Goblin Squig Hoppers, whose beasties match the Rogue Trader Squigs in size.

I have no idea where these metal rats came from but I only had 8 and wanted 10 so I bought a pack of Reaper rats to furnish some extras. The Reaper models are smoother, more realistic and less scabby than the metal ones, which isn't neccesarily a good thing. Hopefully once they're mixed in together and painted the difference won't be so pronounced.

SCIBOR

I wanted a nice, rotund and suitably matriarchal figure for my Big Momma Snot, the head of the tribe, and settled on an Uglyn Lovelord by Scibor. Can't think of any other use for such a model! It turned out to be much larger than I imagined, the size of a large goblin at least. Nevertheless it's so ugly and fantastic I can't not use it! Of course, the meat and two veg poking out of... his? her? its? pants will need to be removed (ouch) and the Uglyn with the gimp mask she is patting is far too big and will probably be replaced by a mushroom.

On its way are a few more snots and some genuine 80s Mushlings... or are they Snotrooms? I'm also needing a couple of pump wagons, the double-decker versions, but these seem to fly off the internet for far too much money. Maybe I need to just scratch build some.