This old Nick Lund model used to be my Orc general. I remember buying him when I was a kid and that it came in a yellow coloured blister packet. For a time he had to ride a boar, because Orcs in warhammer can only ride boars. But I wanted to return him to his original glory. I love old Nick Lund models, so full of character and detail.
Here is my completed unit of The Mighty Ugezod’s Death Commandos, a classic collection of Citadel fantasy miniatures. I've added a few Orc Big 'Uns to round out the unit and give it the feel of a proper band of elite warriors.
These models are full of character, with mismatched armour, looted weapons, trophies and wonderfully eccentric faces. They capture the old-school fantasy style that I love about Oldhammer: a collection of individual characters who look as though they have plenty of stories to tell.
The original box art was a big part of the inspiration for this project. I wanted to recreate the look of the shield and banner as closely as I could, while still putting my own spin on the models.
The original artwork by John Blanche is fantastic. Interestingly, the illustration on the box was flipped, so Ugezod appears to be carrying his axe in his left hand. In the original artwork, he is right-handed.
I also love the fact that the Orcs aren't green-skinned, but yellow. It's a look I really like, and one that works particularly well for the Hobgoblins in my collection.
The back of the box lists the characters' names, while the accompanying illustration in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle Compendium provides their races and classes.
One interesting detail is Gnar, who is described as a mutant Goblin. I've read speculation that he may originally have been intended to be a Kobold, with the name changed for copyright reasons, although I've never confirmed whether that's true.
Here's the big man himself! Ugezod has a wonderfully hunched, crooked back and long arms that give him an almost gorilla-like appearance.
I tried to recreate the shield design from the original box art. Unfortunately, the photographs bleach out some of the painted details, so it looks better in person than it does here.
According to the back of the box, Mormo is an Orc Shaman, although I think he looks more like a Hobgoblin.
I really like his ragged robes and the expression on his face as he points his staff towards his unfortunate victims. I'd lost the original top of his staff, so I replaced it with a skull-shaped piece from my bits box. It seems a suitably sinister addition for a shaman.
The way Guzrog holds his shield made me think he was sheltering from a hail of arrows. I wanted to find something suitably oversized, so I gave him a coffin lid to use as a shield.
He'd also lost his original axe, so I found a replacement for that too. Quite a few of these models had lost their original weapons over the years. I suspect I'd swapped some of them for boltguns in the distant past!
That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Some of the original weapons were a little small, rounded or lacking in detail, so the replacements give the models a bit more presence.
Berzerker, with a Z!
I went for yellowish skin tones for my Hobgoblins, inspired in part by the original artwork. I also gave Shylob cat-like eyes and a small buckler-style shield.
There's a lovely Eastern influence to this miniature, which helps him stand apart from the more conventional Orcs. He's a great example of the unusual character and variety found in these older Citadel models.
Kudra is a little too large and hairy for my idea of a Goblin, so I've decided to use him as a Hobgoblin instead.
I particularly like his dynamic pose. He looks as though he's caught in the middle of the action rather than simply standing around waiting for his turn to fight.
Another wonderfully enigmatic name!
I've always wondered whether Sileth and Shylob might have had their roles mixed up. Surely a character called Frothlip sounds more like a Berzerker, while Carcassbreath could just as easily be the Warrior? Perhaps the names and descriptions were switched around at some point.
Either way, Sileth is armed with a two-handed mace and not much else. He looks like the sort of warrior who believes the best defence is simply to hit the other fellow first.
There's something about old Ushtug that I really like.
Modern Orcs can sometimes look as though they've spent their entire lives in the gym, or have been pumped full of air until they've developed enormous cartoon muscles. Ushtug is a welcome change: fat, wrapped in filthy, rotten furs, with an old leathery face.
He has a face like a bulldog chewing a wasp!
I like the idea of Orcs like this. They don't all need to be muscle-bound warriors. Some should look old, nasty, unpleasant and thoroughly comfortable living in their own filth.
Ushtug has always reminded me of Bolg, an Orc Marauder illustrated by Paul Bonner in an old White Dwarf article about Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
It's another brilliant illustration, and exactly how I imagine my Orcs. Bonner had a real knack for making fantasy creatures look grubby, dangerous and believable, rather than simply making them bigger and more muscular.
This miniature was originally an Orc Champion. It felt almost like heresy to cut off his spear, but I wanted a suitably imposing character in the front rank carrying the banner.
He's wearing a skinned Goblin on his head, which is exactly the sort of gruesome trophy that makes these models so characterful.
The banner was inspired by the work of Nico Realms. I painted the skull in watercolour because I couldn't get the acrylics to blend the way I wanted, and they were looking too shiny. The photograph has washed out some of the detail, unfortunately, but I'm pleased with how the banner turned out.
The extra Orc Commandos, or Big 'Uns, help turn the characters into a proper fighting unit.
What I love most about these miniatures is the sheer amount of personality packed into them. Look closely and you'll find looted equipment, mismatched armour, improvised weapons and all sorts of trophies. Every model feels like an individual, rather than just another Orc in the ranks.
That's what makes these classic Citadel miniatures so appealing to me. They have a wonderfully rough-and-ready fantasy aesthetic, full of odd details and characterful designs that still hold up today.
The Mighty Ugezod's Death Commandos have been a great project to revisit, and I'm really pleased to have the unit painted and ready for the tabletop. They're a lovely slice of classic fantasy miniature history and a great addition to my Oldhammer collection.
Orcs were the first army I really collected, so they’ve always held a special place in my hobby collection. When I think of Orcs, I think of Paul Bonner’s artwork, mixed with the Orcs I imagined when reading Tolkien’s books. That’s the look and feel I want to capture in my own miniatures.
For Orctober, I’ve been working on a collection of classic-style Orcs and Goblins miniatures, including a unit of boar riders, an Orc mangonel and a few other characters. Here’s a look at what I’ve been working on.
One of my favourite units in my old Orc army was the Boar Boyz. They used to strike fear into my opponents because they were so difficult to kill. Unfortunately, I was never entirely happy with the miniatures I had at the time. The old Marauder Orc models didn’t always seem to reflect the weapons and armour I was paying points for. Some had spears, but others lacked armour or even proper clothing!
I always wanted a unit that looked more like the Bratt’s Boar Boyz featured in White Dwarf 106. That Regiment of Renown really captured how I imagined Orc boar riders: ferocious warriors, bristling with spears, riding powerful boars that looked ready to charge straight into the enemy.
The background and character of those older Orcs really appealed to me. They felt like part of a rough, brutal society, rather than simply being comic brutes shouting “Waaagh!” at every opportunity.
So here they are: twenty Orc Gruntas and Snortas, currently a work in progress.
[Place the main Boar Boyz photograph here]
Most of the riders have spears, and most have some form of armour. I want the unit to look properly equipped for a brutal charge, rather than like a collection of lightly dressed Orcs riding into battle.
The boars vary in size, which isn’t ideal. I’d love to get hold of enough suitably sized mounts to make the unit more consistent, preferably boars that look as though they’re charging forward. For now, though, I think the variety adds a bit of character.
[Place the additional Boar Boyz photographs here]
There’s still work to do. I need to add shields, make an impressive banner and finish painting the unit. Once those details are done, they should look much closer to the armoured, spear-wielding Orc cavalry I’ve had in mind for years.
I’ve also been working on the Man Mangler, an Orc mangonel catapult.
[Place the Man Mangler photograph here]
I love the carved face on the front of this model. I painted it orange to contrast with all the green skin and drab clothing elsewhere in the army. The result looks a little like a pumpkin, which may or may not be a bad thing!
I also added puddles using varnish to give the base a wet, muddy appearance. It’s a small detail, but I like the way it helps the model feel as though it belongs on a battlefield rather than on a display shelf.
[Place the Orc standard bearer photograph here]
Here’s another Orc from the collection: a standard bearer. A good banner is just the thing a unit like this needs, and I want the finished Boar Boyz to have a suitably impressive one.
[Place the Troll photograph here]
Finally, here’s a rather sad-looking Troll. I’m not sure why he looks so miserable, but perhaps life in an Orc army isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!
I’ve always preferred the older Orc aesthetic: bandy-legged, hunched, brutish creatures with a slightly sinister look. I’m less keen on some of the newer designs, where the exaggerated muscles and stretched proportions can make the Orcs feel more cartoony than threatening.
For me, the older artwork and miniatures have a distinctive character that’s hard to beat. That’s what I’m trying to capture with these models.
There’s still plenty to finish, particularly the Boar Boyz’ shields, banner and paintwork, but it’s good to make progress on an army that has been part of my hobby life for so long.
What do you think of the classic Orc look? Are you a fan of the older Warhammer Orcs, or do you prefer the newer designs? Let me know in the comments.
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| Classic Warhammer Orc Boar Boyz inspired by Bratt’s Boar Boyz |
I thought I would upload our Mordheim house rules. Maybe of some use of inspiration to people out there.
Mordheim_House_Rules is a mix of the old Necromunda rules and Mordheim rules. It adds vision arcs, Injury chart (less lethal and with flesh wounds), follow up move, coup de grace, weapon traits, panic tests, new weapons, and magical miscasts.
#Mordheim #Orcwarband # Dwarfwarband #Mordheim17 #Mordmunda #Necroheim #M17
