Monthly Archives: October 2015

Realm of Chaos: Nurgle Champion with Halberd, Undead “Evil” Warrior of Chaos (C35)

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Two figures with a common origin but different destinies here today. The first is the Nurgle Champion of Chaos with Halberd, a 1990 The Lost and the Damned release of one of Jes Goodwin’s, who shares a base sculpt with “Mace” and “Sword 3”. Back then, many of the artists and sculptors in Workshop were still that little bit subversive, and liked to sneak in little “inappropriate” things into their artwork. Some were quite subtle, and others much less so. The original runes of the chaos gods had a few variations to them. While many have remained over the decades, some were quietly taken out back and shot. The most obvious one that’s been excised being the version of Nurgle’s rune/icon that this chap sports on both his breastplate and also atop his head, which featured on quite a few models of the time, as well as internal artwork. I never viewed that one as particularly subtle, but others to this day still somehow deny what their eyes see.

Citadel Realm of Chaos: Nurgle Champion with Halberd, C35 Undead Warrior of Chaos

Nurgle Champion with Halberd, Undead Chaos Champion.

The second model in this update is harder to place with accuracy. The earliest I can find him in the old catalogues is in the 1988 Catalogue, which was the first time that Citadel/GW had really started to properly document and …catalogue their figures. I suspect that the sculpt was released around 1985, as the model is featured in the ’88 catalogue alongside many of the C35 models that were also in the Third Citadel Compendium (1985). I suspect he’s from late-’85 to perhaps 86. Probably pre-’87 as the Chaos Warriors featured in those catalogues take another distinct design turn (Slambo and his ilk) before they changed yet again with the release of Realm of Chaos. The C35 era-Chaos Warriors would probably have been called Champions if such things existed in the same distinct way at the time.

Update info from Somet: The undead champion is an older sculpt than 1988 as you suspect. He was a preslotta model recast as a slotta base when GW converted some of their older models over in 1985. From the back his armour looks like he was sculpted by the Perry Twins and shows similarities to the armour on other early C35 Chaos Warriors (the ‘Elric’ model I blogged about for example) and the Men at Arms range circa 1983. If you look at the Spring 85 Citadel Journal on SoL I think you can see a poorly illustrated side view version of him in the C35 range.

Citadel Realm of Chaos: Nurgle Champion with Halberd, C35 Undead Warrior of Chaos

Rear view of the two servants of Chaos (and Undeath!)

As for the painting on these two – The Nurgle Champion always had a slightly ropey paintjob, which I cleaned up while keeping as much of the original paint and feel as possible. His armour had some significant tide marks from early washes which I cleaned up. I also had a play with Ryza Rust and Typhus Corrosion on his armour and toned down his overly-garish pouches.

The Undead Warrior was originally painted a horrid bright red (Khorne, right?) and then never finished, and then stripped a few years ago. I had gotten as far as re-priming him black, and then having him sit annoyingly on my desk for another couple of years. The only way to finally end that annoyingness was to paint and finish him. I decided that I’ve got plenty enough Chaos Warriors and Champions in my collection and mentally reassigned him to Marouda’s Undead Army. I figure he can lead the small and slowly-growing “Oldhammer Skeleton” regiment. As part of the undead army, I had a palette worked out for him quite easily. I went for an aged-bronze look on his armour (ith a tiny bit of turquoise for the glow of the eyes on his helmet, red spot colour for his bright plume, and red-brown for his gloves. Bone was obviously the prefect fit for his shield, to which I added ruby-red for the eyes.

Citadel C35 Undead Warrior of Chaos

A closer-up of the Undead Chaos Warrior’s shield.

I find it amusing when “Oldhammer purists” wax poetic about the simple beauty plain flat shields and arcane armorials while bemoaning and decrying the more modern tendency towards shields (and models!) with fully sculpted details. How conveniently they forget the Marauder Miniatures sculpted shields, those of the Warhammer Fantasy Regiments and indeed, models like this guy and his peers. Me? I like both. Being able to like both is a thing. I love an excuse for a spot of cool freehand, but also enjoy working on a lovely pre-sculpted and detailed shield, like this one.

Reaper Miniatures 03278: Rogan, Half-Orc Thief

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Reaper Miniatures 03278: Rogan, Half-Orc Thief

Tre’ Manor’s Half-Orc Rogue

Something a bit different from the norm again today. A few years ago now there was a time before Zombicide and Borderlands 2 when my gaming group spent quite a few evenings playing through those D&D Boargames. I’ve shown off the odd critter from Ravenloft and Ashardalon here before, but this guy is from the other side. A model purchased to represent one of the player characters. I actually created a huge list of (mostly) Reaper Miniatures to better represent the player characters as I was never particularly enamoured of the PC models that came in the boxes. One such character was the Half-Orc Thief. Needing one of those, I browsed the Reaper online catalogue and saw this guy, a lovely Tre’ Manor sculpt. Shortly afterwards, he was mine.

Since I’m no fan of broccoli bases, I had to base him on something plastic and round. A Proxie models 40mm round base was the best and most appropriate thing I had, if a little large, but with his stature and wide-legged stance, this was the smallest thing I could fit him on.

Reaper Miniatures 03278: Rogan, Half-Orc Thief

Cloak of slightly-harder-to-see-me deployed!

The most important thing was to work out a palette that worked for a rogue, was somewhat realistic (for a fantasy trope) and wasn’t completely boring. That means an all-black outfit was out. It might be the “obvious” go-to for a rogue or thief in some ways, but I also thought it’s the sort of thing that’s very likely to attract lots of attention if he were to be walking down a street or sitting in a tavern. Kinda like a sign saying “YES I AM A THIEF”, or a guy in a ninja outfit sitting in your local Starbucks. So I wanted to use some colours. Secondly, this guy is a Half-Orc, not a weedy Elf, so I wanted to go for muted, natural colours instead of rich, opulent colours.

The result was dark grey leggings, a brown leather padded jerkin, and for a spot colour, red-brown gloves and boots. Pouches in dark grey again, and a natural woodland green for his cloak. The sort of thing that would be dark and dull enough to provide some camouflage in a town or out in the bush. His dual-wielded daggers are painted in the Vallejo colour called “Metal Black” (Or Black Metal!) – which is a really dark, true gunmetal colour. No shine, no highlight, no picking out the pommel or crossguard in bronze, or painting the little skulls on them in bone or gold or whatever. They’re bloody rogue’s daggers!

Reaper Miniatures 03278: Rogan, Half-Orc Thief

He wants YOU!

Anyway, this guy – like so many other figures – sat half-painted and mostly forgotten for a couple of years before I chose him a couple of weeks ago to get done and dusted. Within a day, he was finished. Since we’re not playing the D&D games at the moment and haven’t played Pathfinder in a year or more, now he goes into a glass cabinet until needed at some point in the future. At least he’s done, though!