More rebasing, and some new painting

So having seen the Goblins get the thrashing no sane man would have failed to predict, I got back to the rebasing of my Orcs for KoW.  We've already seen the outcomes of this last month, but having spent my time hacking and not painting I decided to dig out some actual models that had malingered in a box of dreams (unemployed miniatures) for many a year.

A part of my WFB Orcs and Goblins army had been a small unit of Savage Orcs, really too small to be much use except in tiny battles, as there were only 15 warriors and a Shaman.  Latterly only the Shaman saw much action.  However I had managed to gather a fair number of classic metal Savage Orcs via eBay over the years, who along with a few Harlequin primitive Orcs and a spare Troll would make up the numbers for a very decent horde in Kings of War.

Doing this meant painting 24 models, but I figured they were lacking in fancy uniforms and such so it wouldn't be too bad.  Indeed the painting was a fine task.

Cutting the asshats free of their GW slottabases, to place them on less intrusive plastic sabots proved to be a MASSIVE BALLACHE however.  The original models were some 20+ year old, and a couple snapped off their tabs without much pressure, meaning I had to drill new supports for them.  This coming after the agony of cutting out 40 odd psuedo-slottabases from plasticard.  I wonder why I inflict such torture on myself.  The shields were made in a similar fashion by the way.

Hours of Annoyance

 Once I'd got to that stage I really wanted the torture over as soon as possible, so although in keeping with the rest of my Orcs, the basing for the unit - four stands of 9 or 10 models - was done as quickly as possible.  No finesse.

The new models have a very obviously different skin-tone

I had by this stage given the old standard bearer a revamp with a new flag more in keeping with the unit - featuring a massive stone club and some pictograms.  The old models have a far more - military skin shade, one I abjectly failed to match in the new batch, but I don't have a problem with that, as most animals and certainly humans by comparison, show an enormous range of skin variation.  fter some initial unwillingness I also added blue war paint to the unit.  It seemed appropriate, and suggested the colour for the unit's mascot:

Classic GW trolls are just the best

Here we see a very stinky Ogre, Known as Donald to the Orcs.  Blue is one of the very easiest colours to highlight using simple dry-brush techniques, which is all that's going on here.  I'm normally no fan of unit fillers, swapping out figures for gravestones, trees, standing stones and the like is cheating in my mind.  But I think this is and certain other infantry additions (I'm using my old Goblin Fanatics inside units to give the models a purpose) acceptable.  In my mind the Troll is certainly worth in heft the two Orcs I didn't have for a full horde!

Well, I'm glad these are done, and having rebased some 250 greenskins in the last month or so I feel it is time to let this project rest for a while, and turn my attention to less gruelling activities.

That and the Masters Degree....


Sigh