Shieldwolf “Mountain Orc Hero B” – Savage Orc Boss

by

45

Shieldwolf "Mountain Orc Hero B" - Savage Orc Boss

Today’s model is (was?) my first completed model of 2019. It’s a model I’ve had for a few years now. Bearing the evocative name of “Mountain Orc Hero B” – it was actually a bonus from my Pre-Order of their plastic Mountain Orc boxed set (Not-Savage Orcs, basically) back in 2014. I started it not too longer after I got it, but then I wasn’t happy with the scheme I’d started, so as a result it just sat around for a couple of years. I later restarted it, with a more traditional Orcish flesh tone, but it didn’t get much further than simply (re) base-coating the flesh.

So a couple of months ago, I tried to paint this and a few other greenskins for Orctober, and while I got some Goblinoids done, I also didn’t manage to finish a whole bunch more, including this guy. I tried again for Diabolical December, but again due to all of the things that went on last month – no dice. I put a small amount of work in on NYE, and ended up getting onto him properly on New Years’ Day – getting him completed.

Shieldwolf "Mountain Orc Hero B" - Savage Orc Boss

From the first time I saw the “new” Savage Orcs in White Dwarf, back in 1992 with their blue woad-half-facepaint, and their red faces, and their white faces, I had an idea on how they’d look much, much better. Later, when I ended up with a bunch of them myself, I kept this idea in my head, and now, in Twenty Eigh… Nineteen, I’ve finally painted one of them using that scheme. That scheme of course, being warpaint and bodypaint inspired by the traditional designs of Indigenous Australians, or Australian Aborigines.

Shieldwolf "Mountain Orc Hero B" - Savage Orc Boss

Why? Well, for one thing, I’ve never, ever seen anyone use their designs as a basis for anything on wargames miniatures. Secondly, I’m Australian, so it seems appropriate to represent in a fashion on some (more) of my models beyond my Imperial Guard. Thirdly, and this ties in with the first point to an extent, it looks unique and rather good on the model(s), just as I’d envisioned over 20 years ago.

Shieldwolf "Mountain Orc Hero B" - Savage Orc Boss

The model itself is a nice display piece, but unfortunately alarmingly impractical for gaming purposes. I had to pin him to get him onto the base, and those thin, thin resin ankles make me wince when I look at him. He came with a 25mm square base, because Not-WHFB, but I put him on a 40mm round base instead since those weapons extend WAY out to a ridiculous degree, so it feels like bumping him on a table, or even looking at him funny will snap his fragile looking limbs or weapons right off! Ouch!

Well, that’s today’s model and post sorted. In the next few days I’ll have a couple of other little things that just missed Diabolical December and were instead finally completed on January 2nd, and then I’ll try to get my personal December wrap-up done for Saturday’s post.

45 thoughts on “Shieldwolf “Mountain Orc Hero B” – Savage Orc Boss”

    • Native Americans have some amazing designs, agreed! I’m going to use those as inspiration for another project down the line. I’ve also got two planned for Maori and Polynesian-inspired ones. Perhaps I should get started on those this year. Hm…

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

    • I think it’s largely due to Australia, and in turn the minority population of Aboriginal Australians not having a particularly high profile on the world stage. I feel like people overseas are aware of them, but not in any great depth, and people just tend to go to broad-brush Native American, African and “Celtic” inspirations for their tribal-inspired designs for the most part. (Aside from Space Shark Marines, basically!)

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  12. That’s a long time mulling over a paint scheme, but I’d wager it looks much better now than they would have in ’92! That’s some really nice freehand, both the warpaint and the leopard skin. I’m also liking that base, is it scratchbuilt?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Not so much mulling as finally getting around to it! I have a few other projects that have been waiting around for a hell of a long time as well. It’s only in the last few years that I have started to paint a decent number of models each year. Unfortunately I am also spending like a madman on new stuff cuz GW just keeps pumping it out!
      The base is one I have had for a while, it is from a company called back 2 base-ix from here in Australia.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Much of the credit for the swords has to go to shieldwolf. Their sculptor did a really nice job on the stone blades. I’ve got a couple of boxes of their plastics to do as well. They look nice on this pretty but I’m not sure how well they will compare to do resin on this one. Before I get to those or even the GW plastics, I have a whole bunch of the old metals to do first.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • Really great painting, espacially the warpaint, like mentioned above, quite unique – never seen that before!
        Small point of constructive criticism, if I may: personally, I think the blades would look better if painted like obsidian or flint – a little bit darker. But maybe thats just the picture / my cellphone display…

        Liked by 1 person

      • Thanks mate – they are somewhat “flinty” in colour and tone, but for photos the light needs to be more intense than when you’re just playing a game, or normal room lighting. Also the highlighting is quite stark, else you’d never see the nice stony detail and texture that Shieldwolf put into the blades. Obsidian is a nice idea, but I’ve got some WIP golems that are being done as obsidian, and it’s a real bitch to capture in miniature form.

        Like

    • The loincloth was actually fun to paint once I figured out how to do the leopard print. I had him drilled and painted him entirely before mounting him on the rod in the base as one of the last parts of the model. Would have been impossible to paint otherwise. The others are less “out there” as far as the sculpts go, but they’ll look good once I get back to them!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  17. The standard of your painting has gone up along with your awe inducing output rate Azazel. Well done.

    Nice work on that guy, he looks lovely.

    A character with similar dotted war paint showed up in Samurai Jack a long time ago. How things like warpaint are reduced to a couple of easily recognisable strokes in animation regularly informs my painting, and have had half a plan to paint some Snake Bites with some body paint elements like this guy since I saw him: http://samuraijack.wikia.com/wiki/Jujunga

    It’s great to see a guy like you actually do it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks mate. It’s a slow, slow incremental thing. On a model like this the only real “new/improvement” is figuring out how to do the Leopard spots. The Aborignal patterns are just done with freehanding, and being based on body paint, need to be far less “perfect” than a Greek or Viking shield design.
      I haven’t seen that character before, but his body paint certainly looks like it was at least partly inspired by indigenous Australian designs. I’m actually looking forward to shifting gears again shortly and doing more of the Boyz in this scheme.

      Like

      Reply

  18. Interesting mate ! as I’m an old guy from the back of NSW and was brought up with our Indigenous sisters and brothers .I really like your twist on the body paint but I have to say just for the record for our foreign friends , it was only for ceremonial occasions and not warfare , but I will stand for correction if someone more learned than myself proves other wise . Anyway I like the idea so yeah use it again mate ! .

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Pat – and thanks for the clarification. Funny thing is that I never even thought to make that ceremonial clarification since it’s just something that I “knew” from growing up here. I fully plan to do all of my Savage Orcs/Bonesplitters with similar body paint. If it draws some people to look further into the culture of Indigenous Australians then so much the better, I say!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. Yea, I’m impressed. The war paint or tribal tattoo, looks ace. I also thought it was interesting that the bottom of his foot looks to be a lighter color (yellow). Don’t recall seeing anyone do that before, but matches quite nicely. Will look forward to more of these!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Thanks Faust. That comes from seeing how people with darker skin often have much lighter skin on the palms of their hands and feet.
      I’ve done it on a few models before, though to be fair, the palms are often closed or are a hidden detail (like your Orcish belt buckle), and they’re not usually the foci of a model… )

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  21. Pingback: Savage Orc Boyz #1 (Neglected Model February + #Squaduary + Alex’ Tale-of-AoS-Gamers Challenge) | Azazel's Bitz Box.

  22. Pingback: Savage Orc Shaman (1995, Alan Perry) (Awesome August + Alex’ Tale-of-AoS-Gamers Challenge) | Azazel's Bitz Box.

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.