Rynn's World: Thrugg Bullneck, Hruk, and Pedro Kantor.

Getting back into Warhammer 40,000 has made me nostalgic, but in a different kind of way. Rather than going back to my wargaming roots with the original models I bought to play Rogue Trader all those years ago, I decided to give the old theme a new twist. I wanted to play the first wargame I had ever played, the "Battle at the Farm" from the original Rogue Trader rulebook, but with new models. While I have a fond nostalgia for my gaming origins, that fondness does not carry over to the models themselves. I know Oldhammer is big these days, and I get that. It's just that, well, to my eyes the old models suck. They haven't aged well in my opinion. They look like the lumps of lead from the 1980s that they were. And that's ok really. It's just not very aesthetically pleasing to me. I really like how the imagery of Warhammer 40,000 has progressed over the years (if not always what they have done with the universe-especially the Squats!). That doesn't mean I like the look of all of the new models. But I do think there has been a pretty steady development in the quality of the style.

Anyway. The Orks project I had started a few years back but just got rolling recently has gotten me in the mood to refight the old scenario. To that end I had finished a squad of Crimson Fists marines, but did not have a Pedro Kantor to lead them. I could have just bought the Games Workshop version of this iconic leader, but I didn't like how he was armed and it just didn't fit in with the style of the rest of my force. And while I had finished a whole horde of Orks, they didn't have a Thrugg Bullneck or his sneaky henchman Hruk to lead them either. I could have used the warboss I had painted up, but it just didn't quite have the right character for Thrugg nor was it armed properly.

So, I recently finished a few models to rectify this. Below are pics of my own conversions of Thrugg Bullneck, Hruk, and Pedro Kantor.

Here is Thrugg Bullneck. An ork nob of the Waaagh Snagrod the Arch Arsonist's forces during the attack on Rynn's World. I made a custom chainsword for him to wield and tried to capture some of the original pose and feel of the older model.

For comparison, here is the original Thrugg Bullneck (pic is from the Stuff of Legends website).

Here is Thrugg's sneaky git and right hand man, Hruk. This time I used pretty much standard Ork nob parts, but added a blade taken from an Ork Deff Dred power saw. I tried to keep the original pose and feel with this one too. I decided to keep the head simple because I didn't want to add goggles or the weird helmet crest of the original to keep it in the theme of my current Ork army.

And here is the original Hruk.

I owned this box set back when I first got into Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader. Thrugg Bullneck's Ork Raiders and the first Space Marine Box set (RTB01) were the first real models I painted (and painted badly).

Last but not least is Pedro Kantor himself: chapter master of the Crimson Fists as he was armed and equipped from the original Rogue Trader Battle at the Farm scenario. I used parts from a number of Space Marine kits both recent and old. The legs, shoulder pad, backpack and chest are from the Sternguard box. The helmet is old and I'm not even sure where it came from (it was in my bits box). The rest is standard Space Marine parts such as pouches and grenades. I gave him a Power Glove and a Bolt Pistol and a pretty simple pose. I hope he captures the feel of the original game (there was no specific Pedro Kantor model back then), but with a little updated look to set him apart from the rest of the squad.

And here is the force he will be leading:

I hope you enjoy this (slightly updated) trip down memory lane. I will be running the original Battle at the Farm scenario using Disposable Heroes: Point Blank modified for Warhammer 40,000. Once I paint these models and finish a few buildings that is...

Stay tuned!

(also coming soon...more Badab War stuff. Mantis Warriors, Sons of Medusa, Lamenters etc. Keep your eyes on this space!).

Green Hell!

Welcome back. Now that I finished some jungle terrain on my own custom bases, I decided to use them in a game. I have a small force of Kroot painted and we decided they would go best up against a unit of Crimson Fists scouts. My friend had brought along some of his old Gorka Morka cardboard terrain with him and we thought it would make perfect tents for a Kroot encampment. We decided that the scouts should be on the attack attempting to ambush and destroy the xenos camp. We also decided that the prey should have some special skills of their own. As before, we used Disposable Heroes: Point Blank. This time, we used the spotting and hidden rules from the optional rules section in the back of the book.

We gave the Kroot a few jungle fighter type skills to fit the scenario. As jungle fighters they were given a -2 to all enemy models trying to spot them. During their Activation, they were allowed to ignore the first action that would normally cause a spot counter to be added (such as shooting or moving). Also, the normal automatic spotting distance was reduced from 12" to 9". This made the Kroot tough to spot, More agile in stealth, and better at blending into the terrain.

These rules would prove to add some great flavor to the scenario and made for some tense action. I was very happy with the way the scenario played. It was very cinematic.

The scenario started with the main group of Kroot on one side of the river set up in their camp. They had two lookouts posted outside the camp up on tall rock formations. On the other side of the river, the Kroot had two patrols of a Kroot and a Kroot hound each. These patrols would be randomly patrolling during the game. The Crimson Fist scouts would enter from the far side of the table on the opposite side of the river from the camp.

The first few Activations went well for the scouts. They moved into positions on both sides and advanced their Heavy Bolter onto a rock outcropping in the middle overlooking the Kroot camp. Everything seemed to be going well, with the scouts moving into position to attack the roaming Kroot patrols on both sides...until one of the Kroot patrols spotted a scout. He fired off a round at the scout from his long rifle, but missed and then sent the hound at the scout. The scout snap fired at the hound and killed it, and the unleashed a volley of Bolter rounds into the Kroot, killing it as well. 

Unfortunately for the scout, the camp was now alerted and they spotted the scout almost immediately. On the other flank, the scout sergeant and another scout rushed forward through a jungle defile to get into range of the other Kroot patrol. They were spotted, but much like the other side of the jungle, the scouts killed a hound on a snap fire and dispatched the Kroot patrol with a rush and volley of bolt pistol rounds. Now things began to heat up. The Krootox with a gunner riding on top strode out of the camp and began looking for the scouts who by now had added several spot counters to themselves by firing their weapons and moving. So much for stealth...

Both sides began to actively try to spot the other as they moved towards the river. The Krootox spotted the scout sergeant and began unleashing deadly hails of blast through the jungle. The scout sergeant took a wound from this fire, but pushed forward to the river edge. On the other side, several Kroot came down from the camp and started shooting at one of the scouts picking his way forward. Under normal circumstances, the scouts would have dominated the Kroot with superior firepower and accuracy. The problem was that the Kroot made good use of their jungle fighting skills of being able to ignore their first spot counter and get off lots of shots that would normally have made them easier to spot. The Kroot also made great use of the sharing Action Points rules to allow several Kroot to fire at one time without endangering their hidden positions by adding spot counters.

The scouts found that the river edge spit death at them from many locations without revealing the Kroot warrior's positions. Frustrated, the heavy bolter scout tried in vain to draw beads on Kroot targets from his superior vantage point. Finally, after taking fire for several turns and having much difficulty returning fire at the ghosts over the river, the Krootox was spotted. Swinging his heavy bolter around the scout unleashed a deadly hail of fire, felling the beast and rider. Despite this, the Kroot remained elusive. The scouts pushed right up to the edge of the river to try to get within automatic spotting distance, but here again the Kroot player fell back out of spotting range just enough to remain invisible. Kroot warriors would be spotted from time to time, and a few were killed by lucky shots from the scouts, but the Crimson Fists were in no position to advance across the river. And by now, they had taken several wounds.

After a few rounds of this deadly exchange, the scouts were becoming bogged down in a firefight with ghosts they could not pin down. During a particularly vicious round of firing from the Kroot, the scout sergeant and two other scouts are killed. This prompts the remaining two scouts to withdraw from the fight. The heavy bolter provides cover fire while the other scout falls back out of sight of the Kroot. Then, under heavy fire himself, the heavy bolter climbs down off the rocky outcropping and escapes.

That night, as the moon rises over the caopy of the jungle, a Kroot shaper leads his warriors in a victory celebration with a feast of the flesh of man. The Crimson Fists learned a valuable lesson in warfare. Never underestimate an enemy in his home terrain. The Kroot, while not near as skilled in combat, and fighting with much more primitive weapons, were able to fight and kill even the Emperor's finest with cunning and skill. The hubris of the marines was their downfall.

The game was a great, tense, nailbiter of a scenario. It made a great story and played out very cinematically. As the scout player I really felt like I was chasing ghosts. I just couldn't spot the enemy, and they were almost continually able to spot me. I could just see the scouts peering out from the river edge only to be met by deadly fire from everywhere around them, Their best asset, the heavy bolter, even in a good position, was unable to help them.

It was a great game, and I look forward to more Point Blank in the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

The Kroot encampment.

A Kroot patrol spots a scout!

All stealth is lost as the sergeant wades into the fray.

The heavy bolter moves into position, only to find...nothing.

The Krootox moves into action, spitting death at the scouts.

Firing from the cover of the river edge, the Kroot pin down the scouts.

A scout advances towards the river.

The heavy bolter covers the retreat of his brother scout.

The Kroot feast tonight!

Deathwatch Kill Team in Action

A friend of mine has just finished a squad of Deathwatch Space Marines, and they are gorgeous models. We used them in a game recently and put them up against my Orks in an assassination scenario. The Kill team's objective was to teleport into an Ork settlement and find and eliminate a Deathskull warboss that has been building up forces for a WAAGGH! They did their job with deadly precision, cutting through my Orks like a razor. They landed right on target and easily cut down the few Ork mobs that approached them. The only tense moment was when the second Deathwatch fire team was attacked by a Killa Kan. The Ork machine killed one Deathwatch Marine with his huge saw blade, but was then turned to molten slag by a few well placed Krak grenades. Oh well, that's how it goes for the Orks. Even when they lose, they win because they can just come back for another go see.

Here are a few pics of the action.

The Ork settlement amid the ruins of a human factory.

My friend Derek's Deathwatch Kill Team. His painting is amazing.

A burna' boy runs out to try to set some Marines on fire.

When in doubt, take pot shots from cover...

The other half of the Kill Team.

Deep Strike right on target...

A Killa Kan charges from the warehouse.

Vicious hand to hand. One Marine dead, and a burning Killa Kan.

More Badab War

Hello,

Just a quick preview of more Badab War. This time, a Fire Hawk. I used a Mk VI beakie marine, but used the updated Fire Hawks color scheme as per the Forgeworld Badab books. I like the orangeish red and the new hawk emblem over the old garish yellow and the mushroom cloud icon (though it is an amusing chapter badge).

A Mantis Warrior faces off against a Fire Hawk. 

Badab War!

As per my teaser from the last post, I am starting on a new project within our game group. The Warhammer 40,000 bug has bitten a few of our club and we talked a lot about the old days of gaming. Inevitably, the old Mk VI beakie marines came up and the old plastic models that were the gateway drug into Warhammer 40,000 all those years ago. Who could forget that iconic art on the box? It's how I got into gaming.

In fits of nostalgia over the years, I have long wanted GW to release updated versions of those old plastic marines. Alas, even on their 25th anniversary, they didn't put out the box set I had always hoped for and felt was perfect for the occasion: 20 plastic Mk VI beakie marines in a box with updated models. They should have listened to me, they would have sold like hot cakes! (what the hell do I know, right?).

But! All was not lost. When I picked up the new Tactical Squad box this past year, I noticed it had four pairs of Mk VI legs, two Mk VI chests (with the iconic chest cables), and two beakie Mk VI helmets. Now, here was something I could work with. Those few bits weren't enough to do whole squads, but they were a start. I began scouring the net, Bitz sites, eBay, and swapping with friends to acquire the parts to do some fully geared Mk VI Marines with the latest model parts. I also found out about many other Space Marine kits that have Mk VI parts (such as the kneeling legs) that will allow for more variety and to really do the project justice. I call it old school/new parts.

So, what am I using it for? The Badab War of course. As outlined and illustrated in one of my favorite GW books of all time (The Compendium), the Badab War was a civil war between several secessionist and loyalist Space Marine chapters. My favorite had always been the Mantis Warriors. I loved the colors and the chapter badge. After painting (badly) Crimson Fists and some Flesh Eaters with my first box of plastic marines, I finally settled on a complete force of Mantis Warriors. Tactical squads, Assault marines, Dreadnought, Devastators, librarians, techmarines, you name it, my force had it.

The cover.

One of my favorite illustrations from the old days.

Mantis Warriors. When Space Marines wore camo...

I've always wanted to recreate that force using the latest GW models. Now I can.

I also really like the idea of pitting marine against marine, brother against brother, with both sides uncorrupted by chaos (except the Astral Claws later on). I can't wait to build and paint these models and game this conflict. Several friends are doing forces as well including the Lamenters, Space Sharks (sorry, Carcharodons), Nova Marines, maybe Salamanders...this is going to be fun.

I might also do some Fire Hawks as well...

I've always loved the helmet markings.

The icon is hand painted, but I want to print my own decals to save time.

Descent Back Into Madness...

It has been entirely too long since my last blog post. I partly blame Facebook. It has distracted me from posting here due to the ease of posting to various groups I belong to (such as my gaming club) over there. Much of the posting I do on my phone. I apologize for the delay, and I do hope to get back to posting here more regularly. I got a new phone yesterday with a much better camera, so the quality of the photos should improve, if not the quality of their editing.

I have been quiet here, but I have been very busy the past year. Namely, as per the title of this post...I have delved back into a madness of sorts: Warhammer 40,000! I mentioned this in a previous post, but I have spent a lot of time since then painting miniatures and building terrain. I have thoroughly enjoyed this descent into madness and it has kindled anew my love of all things miniatures and wargaming and given me a new sense of enthusiasm that had admittedly been waning in the past year. Not that I don't paint or game historicals mind you. It's just that I have so many historical projects completed that I have not felt much drive to tackle anything new except to finish up a few older projects here and there.

Now, while I may have been delving back into 40k, I have not been using their rules. Myself and a few other friends of mine have been having WAY too much fun using a modified form of Disposable Heroes and Disposable Heroes: Point Blank to play with our 40k forces. It has been a blast. One of the best scenarios we played was the rescue of a downed governor and retinue at a crash site of an Imperial Aquila lander. Beset on all sides by Orks, the Imperial Guardsmen who rushed to the rescue had to survive long enough for Crimson Fists scouts to arrive and set up a teleport homing beacon to port them out. it was a very tense and fun game (pics to follow). It was a lot like a Black Hawk Down of the 41st millenium.

So what have I been painting? ORKS! A bunch of them. And some Marines...and Steel Legion...well, you get the idea.

Here are some pics of my completed forces so far and a teaser for a future project that is very very old.

On to the show:

The Warboss and his Boyz.

Shoota' mob #1

Burna' mob

Slugga' and Choppa' mob

I went old school and added back plates to all my Orks.

Da Warbosses Tribe, the Grimskulls.

The Nobz retinue. More backplates.

These Orks represent the Grimskull tribe of the Deathskulls clan under the WAAAGH of Snagrod the Arch Arsonist of Charadon. I attempted to add in the style and flavor of the old GW Orks as drawn by Paul Bonner in the 80s and 90s. This includes adding one of my favorite elements of the old Ork identity: backplates! These plates showed the Ork's tribal emblem and was his main form of identity and source of pride. A warboss showed his power and might by how many backplates he had on his bosspole, therefore showing how many tribes he had under his command. I plan to make a nob carrying the bosspole festooned with looted gear, trophies, and backplates of the tribes in the warband. I have also enjoyed recreating the color scheme of the old Ork warband I had when I first got into 40k. My warboss back then had a heavy flamer and a personal teleporter I used to love using in second edition with the wargear cards. I might have to try to convert a model of that as well.

Up next for the warband is a group of 3 mega armored nobs, more killa kans, and more boys. I want to add one of the new Gorkanaughts and a Dreadnaught. That will require some scrounging of teef though...

Enough about the boys. How about some Imperial stuff?

Forgeworld mk VI Beakie marines as Crimson Fists

I used these to play the old "Battle at the Farm" scenario from Rogue Trader

Scouts

Silver Skulls because...why not?

Steel Legion.

Some Imperial personalities. The Astropath, Governor, Confessor, etc. 

And...a Blood Raven for when I do some current fluff Marines.

As promised, here are some pics of the rescue the governor game:

The crashed Aquila.

Local Imperial Guardsmen arrive to secure the crash site.

The Orks begin arriving in force.

Guardsmen about to be overrun...but, they actually manage to fight off this wave!

Close combat. An axe to the face followed by a missile to the gut...

The scouts arrive just in time.

More Orks pour in...

WAAAGGH!

Sorry for the quality of those pics, they were taken on my old phone.

Below is a sneak peak of the big project I hope to complete this year...this is taking it back old school to one of my favorite armies from one of my favorite periods of the 40k timeline. Bonus points if you know the chapter and the war. It was the first full army of Marines I painted when I got into 40k.

And that's all for now. I will post more as these projects unfold. Thanks for stopping by!