The Plums of Death Knell

The little town of Death Knell is nestled into the curving rim of Bloodroot Forest and dangerously close to the Bloodroot altar, the place from which the Elves of Linwe set out on their deadly raids for sacrifices. As such, the town more than lives up to its name with the townsfolk clinging on more for bloody mindedness than for any sense they might have been born with.

Like many of the towns within the beleaguered Border Princes, the buildings grew out from the central marketplace and market hall. Here produce is stored for consumption in the hard months of winter and, at times, fairs are held in which the harvest is sold on to travellers and merchants from Malko.

A good deal of this produce comes from the orchards, cultivated trees within Bloodroot Forest that bear strange but delicious fruit. Whether the Blood Root itself has any effect on this fruit, no one can say for sure, but the sweet plums of Death Knell's orchard are swollen and delicious. They are regarded as a delicacy in Malko, especially by the former mayor, prior to his death, and if there are any side effects to their consumption, the traders will not say.

Suffice to say, the population level of Death Knell seldom falls far, despite the frequent raids by the spiteful Elves of the forest. The birth rate, hardiness, and rate of growth of the inhabitants of this tainted land is prestigious. Families are large and constitution strong.

The plums of Death Knell are sought after even as far north as the Empire, for those who know of them. In great vats beneath the ground in Death Knell, the bloated over-sweet plums are made into a thick and heady wine; wine of which the Count of Averland never takes a meal without a goblet at his side.

Yes, Death Knell is a pretty place and a place of renown, despite the danger lurking in the north, but the townsfolk would never leave here. The fruit of the orchard tastes far too good for that.

On the Painting Table: Chaos Dwarf Sorcerer Prophet on Great Taurus

There is so much to be thankful to the Quar for in this life; and this beauty is one of them.

It's the Scibor Moscul General on War Bull model but I'm obviously using it in lieu of the Warhammer Forge Sorcerer Prophet on Bale Taurus.

Ironically, after wanting it for so long, I found this model surprisingly stressful to paint. It was just SO good! And I was afraid of screwing it up! I've had it since Christmas and it's taken me this long to complete.

Though I painted the base very quickly.

I went with grey stone initially, but because I wanted my bull to be black I repainted it in browns to provide a contrast. Unlike my latter day skulls I highlighted the skulls all the way up to Skull White.

It was the internal magma that really messed with me. All the other pictures of these guys (and the Warhammer Forge one) don't have magma. They use the broken flesh (probably as Scibor intended) as just that: broken flesh and wounds.

Trying to keep closer to the Chaos Dwarf imagery, I tried three or four different methods and just couldn't get it right. But in the end, the ubiquitous Joao saved me by pointing me to an old White Dwarf article from the Last Beastman release where there was a guide for just this.

 Here's how to do it:

Scab Red | Scab Red & Blazing Orange | Blazing Orange | Blazing Orange & Bleached Bone | Bleached Bone.

Each of these layers form progressively smaller highlights. 

Now I never normally mix colours (because it's so hard to recreate it later if need-be) but for such a small project I'm glad I did.

The other thing that stumped me was the colour of the bull. Like I said, I started on black with just a subtle grey highlight but it was too bland. In the end, inspired by this picture, I went for a two tone, much lighter effect.

With the new Chaos Dwarf army list in the Warhammer Forge Throne of Chaos Book, you can't have a close combat Lord on a Bale Taurus anymore. I was a little disappointed at first but quickly changed my mind as it's kind of cool having a Sorcerer Prophet instead!

This guy was painted with: Dwarf Bronze | Flesh Wash | Dwarf Bronze | Shining Gold | Burnished Gold.

With my Sorcerer Prophet complete, I am edging very close to having a finished Chaos Dwarf army ( a very exciting thing). It shouldn't be more than a few days now, maybe a week.

And then finally, the Chaos Dwarfs will march to war as they were always meant to!

As a motley collection of official and unofficial models, and repainted toys!

On the Painting Table: Chaos Dwarf Deathshrieker Rocket Launchers

Hey!

There are limits to my pocket book but I am the fortunate friend of a chap called Neil who GAVE me a few of the REALLY old GW Chaos Dwarf models. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth (or waste the kind of devo models they used to make, I decided to make a couple of substitutes for the Warhammer Forge Deathshrieker Rocket Launchers.

Now obviously, the Warhammer Forge equivalent is like a wagon thing so I had to justify the stats somehow. Hence the barrier round the front to (barely) simulate the high Toughness to missile weapons.

I've done two of these and I wanted to tie them together so, without enough parts to make two identical barriers, I went with the flaming braziers.

I painted them the same colours as the rest of my Chaos Dwarfs (basically all the golds and all the silvers - with flesh and black wash respectively).

Here's the other one. The barrier here is from the Ogre cannon thingy.

I used some normal Dwarf war machine bitz to pep it up a bit.

Heh. I love the face of the dude on the left. You just don't get expressions on miniatures like that anymore!

The Dank Water Treaty

In the north western foothills of the Hills of Varenka lie a series of deep pits that fill perpetually with dark brackish water. Under the sheltering branches of reaching trees, the waters receive little light and remain for the most part stagnant and odious.

It is an area shunned by men but infested by insect kind. Huge clouds of midges and flies swarm while many-legged crawling things as big as a newborn baby wriggle and squirm, searching for food in the damp and stinking foliage. It is a place with little virtue to sane folk and even less strategic value. It lies not on any route from here to there and exists only as a pit from which foolish animals might become mired and quickly lost.

And yet it is not a place unknown to the goblins of the Razor Webs, as certain luminescent floating leeches can be captured and used in the broth their shamans imbibe before battle. Goblin legend tells that drinking this loathsome medicine can aid a shaman in tapping into the iridescent power of the Waaagh. Whether this is true seems unlikely. Only one study has even been taken by a travelling loremaster and hedge wizard from Nuln. His initial conclusions showed no magical element to the intestinal content of the floating leeches, but he was murdered before much time had past.

Whatever the case, only a goblin would come to this place willingly and even they would not tarry long.

Only a goblin... or perhaps those that sought to do them harm.

But as the mist fell back, from its fetid depths strode four tall figures, clothed in thick plate armour that whispered and creaked as they walked, steam coming from the narrow slits from which their eyes burned, coal-like.

From the other direction came a rustle of skittering legs and nigh four hundred gigantic spiders crawled out of the fog to surround them, outnumbering the Warriors of Dunkel Schloss many dozens of times over. Still they seemed unafraid. They neither moved, nor drew weapons.

And then the spider parted and the Spider King came to meet them, Fang Dig, the Great Spider Shaman following behind. As they came into view, the Chaos Warriors stepped aside and the sorcerers Ovidium and Virgillium passed their guards and met them at the centre, close to the edges of one of the wide brackish pools.

"Speak," said Ovidium.

The Spider King smiled, then he laid out the proposal he had hinted at in his message: an alliance - against the fell undead creatures to the south.

Close, the goblins had come to Barak Varr and soon would be the reckoning between their forces and those of the Tomb Kings. The Spider King did not wish to fight a war on two fronts at this, most critical time. He suggested a pact: in return for a cessation of hostilities, the Goblins, when Barak Varr was theirs, would not contest the land to the east currently governed by the undead.

In addition, the Warriors of Dunkel Schloss would be free to strike at their other foes without fear of their eastern front coming under attack from the Chittering Horde.

Further, went on the Spider King, their joint assault on the lands of the dead would apply pressure on the undead forces in the far east, weakening their strength against both the Skaven; allies of the Goblins; and the Chaos Dwarfs; allies of Dunkel Schloss.

There was a long pause.

Warriors on both sides grew tense, ready to spring to battle, but the leaders of each contingent remained stern-faced and passive.

Finally Ovidium looked Virgillium in the eye before turning to the stunted little monsters. Then he too smiled.

"I will allow the Chittering Horde free reign over the lands of Dunkel Schloss. In return I expect unwavering loyalty to the Gods of Chaos and daily sacrifices to be made in their honour." 

The Spider King sneered, narrowing his eyes. 

"But of course."  

On the Painting Table: Warhammer Forge Chaos Dwarf Skullcracker

Ah, such elegant beauty is born from destruction.

There are many items on the Forge World and Warhammer Forge website that give one a genuine Wargasm^TM to see for the first time. They are the must-have items that in many cases we yearn for but never buy: the Tau Manta, the Reaver Titan, the complete Death Korps of Krieg army. Perhaps we are better people for the noble sacrifice we make in not buying them.

I used my “Manta Fund” to buy my wife a new summer house.

However I was determined that the new Warhammer Forge Chaos Dwarf Skullcracker not fall into this category.

 

The Skullcracker is a beautiful model, though very fragile INDEED. It doesn’t come with a base but definitely needs one to provide support and stability.

I made this one out of foamboard  as it needed something bigger than a chariot base. 

Man, it just kept breaking when I tried to put it together but with a bit of love I got there in the end, and boy was it worth it.

It was much bigger than I was expecting. Previous Forge World purchases have often been disappointingly small when received. Not this baby. The pack it came in was really big and being bigger than a chariot it does have a nice chunky feel to it.

This is the best part: the front. Look at these pneumatic spears, axes and spinning blades. It's a model you REALLY won't want to get in front of, but with my K'Daai Destroyers running round as well, my opponent will be really perplexed on where to concentrate his attacks. Hopefully. So this may get through unhindered which will be nice now I've thrown so much cash at it.

The crew look good (though I felt I rushed them a tad). Quite like the way I did the coals though.

They're nicely posed and positioned and I especially like the dude blowing the whistle.

 

So all in all? 

A bit fragile but who cares! With a base it is tough enough and it is ultra cool! 

Worth every penny!

My Other Chaos Dwarf K'Daai Destroyer!

Heh heh. Can you have too much of a good thing?

When my first Chaos Dwarf K'Daai Destroyer turned out so well, I figured, why not? What the hell! Let's have two!

I've played a game with the first one, and by 'eck but he was hard to kill. Just imagine the terror my opponents will face now!

(Extended evil laugh)

I went to some lengths with this guy to make him different from the original, taking his mask off (and discarding it on the floor behind him) and reposing him. The reposability is a bit limited but its sufficient to give him a different slant to him.

The horns can even be turned to point down! 

Here's a picture with a Mantic Abyssal Dwarf in shot for scale.

And I'm pleased with the addition of the tree on his base. It's from the GW walls and fences set.

Can I wait to play wirth both these guys in battle?

Man, it's going to be good!

But first! I have to paint twenty five more chaos dwarfs, two rocket launcher teams (wait until you see those) and the extremely delicate but beautiful Warhammer Forge Chaos Dwarf Skullcracker!