Monthly Archives: September 2015

Citadel Oldhammer Dwarfs – Adventurer and Advanced HeroQuest Dwarf

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And now the last post to show off my older, previously-unseen Dwarves. I’ll have to paint new ones from here on in!

Citadel Dwarf Adventurer, Map Reader

Dwarf Adventurer, reading Map.

This bloke is an Adventurer from the late 1980’s. He’s in the ’88 catalogue, but may predate that as some of the others have. He’s also a good example of why old-timers often talk about the “character” that many older models have. Instead of almost all of the models from that era simply growling as they charge into combat, you get models like this, where he’s pushed his helmet back onto his head while he reads the document with an intent/beguiled/confused look on his face.

Citadel Dwarf Adventurer, Map Reader

Dwarf Adventurer, rear view.

The rear view really displays the “RPG elements” that were a part of the ethos of this line back in the day. A big Adventurer’s pack, axe stowed and a sword for backup. Rather in contrast to the more “military” look of other Dwarfs from the same time period like those found in the Regiments of Renown of the day.

Citadel Dwarf Adventurer, Map Reader

Dwarf Adventurer moonlighting as Artillery Engineer

When I painted him I briefly considered trying to paint in an elf centerfold, but instead went with a map with diagrams and arrows for units and movement. He’s either reading a really old-school Battle Report in White Dwarf, or as I decided, looking at battle plans for the coming battle as part of Artillery Crew, which is where I always pictured him on the tabletop – and where he will soon(ish) have a place in my nascent Dwarf Army.

Citadel Advenced HeroQuest Dwarf

Advenced HeroQuest Dwarf

The Advanced HeroQuest Dwarf happens to be the only one of the sculpts for that game that I ever got around to painting. He’s nothing amazing, and if a secondary function to this blog wasn’t a form of (slowly) archiving everything I’ve painted that I still have, I probably wouldn’t show him off. Since he fits the current “Dwarf Theme” though, he gets a guernsey.

Citadel Advenced HeroQuest Dwarf

Advanced HeroQuest Dwarf – Shield view.

It’s not that I’m embarrassed by the paint on him, just that the model itself really isn’t anything special, and neither is the paint (though I’m still happy with the runes on his shield, as plain as it otherwise is). I guess it has a place for many due to the AHQ connection. Speaking of that sort of thing – Man, I wish I still had some of the original Plastic Dwarves from the Warhammer Armies boxed set. Those cool old white plastics.

Warhammer Fantasy Regiments

Remember these? Yeah, nostalgia fuels my want for them, but it’d kick all sorts of arse if I manage to complete a unit or two of each of these guys for my “modern” armies.

Citadel Advenced HeroQuest Dwarf, Dwarf Adventurer, Map Reader

Citadel AHQ Dwarf and Dwarf Adventurer

AHQ guy handles the head-cracking, while his partner works out where they need to go next!

(Damn, I typoed the heading. Fixed now but embarrassing. I shouldn’t publish new posts at 1am on a Friday night…

Citadel Oldhammer Dwarfs – Sven Hasselfriesian and his Norse Dwarfs

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Once again following from Trolls, more Dwarfs. Or Dwarves. Both are correct, so I’m told…

I’ve found almost all of these guys are in the 1988 catalogue along with White Dwarf 107/November 1988. The three to the right are all in the Norse Dwarfs range, though I’m reliably informed by Somet that “The ‘Viking dwarf’ is actually the model GW used to represent Sven Hasselfriesian for the scenario ‘ The Magnificent Sven’ in the WHFB 2nd Ed rulebook, so around late 84. The guy on his right is of a similar age too.”

Oldhammer Citadel Norse Dwarfs Dwarves, Sven Hasselfriesian, The Magnificent Sven

Norse Dwarfs from the late 1980’s, Including Sven Hasselfriesian

I can’t find the fourth one – the leftmost with the Goat-horned Horned Helm – in any of the old catalogues but it’s pretty clear to me that he’s from the same era as his compatriots in the photo, having both a very different style to the revamp of the range and influx of Marauder Miniatures line in 1993, and having owned him since probably the late 1980’s when I’d collected the others. I strongly suspect that he’s also a “Norse” Dwarf as he shares the same base sculpt as the Ginger dwarf standing next to him.

Oldhammer Citadel Norse Dwarfs Dwarves. Marauder Miniatures Shields, Sven Hasselfriesian, The Magnificent Sven

Marauder Miniatures’ Embossed shields & freehand versions of the same design.

These were all painted a long, long time ago, and the twins were even shown off previously in this blog, albeit with awful, dark photos that weren’t much cop compared to today’s pictures. As noted in that previous post, these guys were some of my earlier repaint/touchups, back in 2012 – before doing so became a stronger focus as it has been recently. Obviously all four were painted to a similar aesthetic. Perhaps they’re the Hearthguard of a Great Norse Dwarf Hero? I might have to figure out a model that fits that description. The two on our left have Marauder Miniatures’ Embossed shields, while the two on the right have freehanded designs inspired (ok, copied!) from the Hammer-and-Anvil Marauder shield.

Oldhammer Citadel Norse Dwarfs Dwarves. Marauder Miniatures Shields, Sven Hasselfriesian, The Magnificent Sven

Rear View of the Norse Dwarfs

You’ll notice that instead of a beaskin or wolfskin, that Sven – the model wearing the historically-correct Viking helmet(!) has a dog-skin cloak. I prefer to think that instead of celebrating his victory over such a mighty beast, that it’s actually the skin of his own (former) companion that he chooses to honour by wearing his pelt into glorious battle. I’m sorely tempted to redo/touch up his cloak and “viking” horns, but I’m finding it a hard call to retouch some of these models again for some reason, even though they were updated once, just a couple of years ago.

I have to say that looking through the old catalogues to gather info for the last couple of Dwarf posts has really made me want to grab out a few more of these old models and get them painted up. I’ve got to hold to my discipline and keep finishing off the half-painted models on my desk, though.