A Mystery Dwarf Slayer…

 

Dwarf Slayer

I’ve had this particular metal model for quite a few years. Picked up amongst a baggie of second-hand plastic dwarf models back in the day, it’s a slightly confounding model that I’ve never quite been able to place. On the surface it looks like any other Citadel Dwarf Slayer, right? Thge thing is, it’s base tab was blank. Doesn’t mean all that much by itself, though most of us from the metal age would know how that’s quite unusual to not even see a “GW1995” or whatever on the tab. Oh, and I haven’t been able to place him in any of the series of Slayer models that I’ve looked at.

Dwarf Slayer

From the back he looks reasonably normal as well. Pretty standard “flat” pose, typical of the 90’s and 2000’s metal production. Typical “roided-up, muscular baby” GW dwarf proportions.

Dwarf Slayer

The side view is where it’s much more interesting. Look at the details of the mohawk and also the earring. That’s not usual sculpted hair. It looks to me like the model was made for a much simpler 2-part mold as the whole thing has been designed to remove the undercuts that you get with a silicone mold. Maybe a hard mould? Is the model a prototype of some sort? A recast? Metal recast of a plastic model? (of this quality? Seems an …odd choice) Or from one of the many third parties that make not-models of various types for not-Warhammer?

If you know from whence this model came, dear reader, please do let me know in the comments. It’d be good to put a final lid on this model. He took this long to finish painting for a reason, and it’s because the odd (lack of) details on him were rather uninspiring, so thanks to “The Tray” for being the thing to finally motivate me to get him done and out of here!

Vikings, Sjaután!

Wargames Foundry Vikings, Saga, VIK043 Viking Berserker Champions, VIK042 Viking Ulfheadnar Wolf Skin Berserkers
Wow. A year now since I last completed any of my Viking models. These two are both from Wargames Foundry, who appears to have redesigned their Viking pages to take advantage of SAGA since I last looked at them. The big lad is “Big Lud Headsplitter” from their VIK043 Viking Berserker Champions set, while his rotund offsider is “Hvitserk the Bold” from their VIK042 Viking Ulfheadnar Wolf Skin Berserkers set. Most of the rest of both packs are already painted and have been shown before in previous Viking entries here, excepting the two banner bearers from VIK043, neither of which actually came with banner poles or heads, so they ended up low on my priority list, but are both on the current tray as well, so hopefully to be completed soonish. Unlike the rest of my Berserkers, I’ve painted the “Big Lud” model as an older warrior who has accumulated some visible wealth in the many campaigns he’s been a part of, and so has more exensive red-dyed clothing as well as brass/bronze weapon accoutrements.
Wargames Foundry Vikings, Saga, VIK043 Viking Berserker Champions, VIK042 Viking Ulfheadnar Wolf Skin Berserkers
A minor disappointment that’s nonetheless worth pointing out from the Foundry Viking range – a lot of the models shown on their pages appear to come with rather cool looking shields with embossed designs. When I placed my rather decent order with them a few years ago for a number of packs across their Viking range, I got a few shields like the one that Hvitserk is holding in these pictures, with either two or three segments, but exactly none of the ones with the embossed designs. Just worth pointing out to help avoid the same disappointment that I had when my order arrived.
Wargames Foundry Vikings, Saga, VIK043 Viking Berserker Champions, VIK042 Viking Ulfheadnar Wolf Skin Berserkers
After the next two, that will only leave one more of my started Vikings to complete, not counting the single model I’m using for a …special purpose. Of course, there are a fair few more in a completely unstarted state not even counting the plastics, so I’ll have to make the decision in future trays on whether to forge on with finishing uncompleted/neglected models or whether I try to slip a few more unpainted metal Vikings into the production line…