Throg's Hobgoblin Despoilers – Warhammer Fantasy Regiment of Renown

Painting Throg's Hobgoblin Despoilers

Here are my painted Throg's Hobgoblin Despoilers, a classic Warhammer Fantasy Battle Regiment of Renown. These miniatures were a fun project, not least because they got me thinking about the background and history of the unit while I was painting them.

Does anyone else find themselves inventing stories for their miniatures as they work on them? I always enjoy coming up with a bit of extra character for a unit, and these Hobgoblins seemed particularly well suited to it.

You can read more about the original Throg's Hobgoblin Despoilers on Solegends, which has information about this classic Citadel Regiment of Renown.

Grunmunter the Beast – A Hobgoblin Champion's Dark Secret

I've always found the champion, Grunmunter the Beast, particularly unusual. Looking at him, I started imagining how he acquired his strange armour and mask.

My idea is that Grunmunter once killed a sorcerer of Tzeentch and claimed the sorcerer's equipment as his own. Unfortunately for Grunmunter, the armour and mask were far from ordinary trophies. Their dark magic has slowly begun to corrupt him, warping both his body and his mind.

Perhaps the changes have made him stronger and more dangerous, or perhaps he's gradually losing whatever remains of his sanity. Either way, the nickname The Beast seems increasingly appropriate.

I like the idea that the other Hobgoblins are never quite sure whether Grunmunter is still entirely in control of himself. He's a useful champion to have on your side, provided you can point him in the right direction.

The Story of Throg's Hobgoblin Despoilers

I've imagined Throg and his followers as a band of warriors with a somewhat uncertain past. Perhaps they were originally a scouting force sent out by the Great Khan to explore distant lands, raid settlements and gather intelligence for the Hobgoblin hordes.

Alternatively, they might be outcasts who fled the Khan's territories after falling foul of their masters. Hobgoblin society isn't exactly known for its kindness, and I can imagine plenty of reasons why a band of warriors might decide that life as a mercenary was preferable to returning home.

Whatever their origins, the group eventually became a band of mercenaries, selling their services to anyone willing to pay.

I imagine that they originally rode wolves into battle, as befits a Hobgoblin warband. Over the years, however, their mounts died off one by one. Given the harsh lives these warriors lead, I doubt the wolves went to waste — they were probably eaten.

All that remains of their former companions are the wolf-skin cloaks worn by the warriors. It's a small detail, but I like the idea that these cloaks are the last reminder of the unit's earlier life on the steppe.

Painting the Hobgoblin Despoilers

For the colour scheme, I went with an eastern and Mongol-inspired theme, using colours and details that give the unit a distinctive steppe-warrior appearance.

One of the challenges with older Citadel miniatures is that some of the troopers have very similar, almost monopose designs. I wanted to introduce a little more variety without losing the character of the original models, so I used Green Stuff to customise their helmets and shields.

On some of the helmets, I added fur around the rim. On others, I sculpted a plume of hair or added a spike to make each warrior look a little different. These small changes help break up the uniformity of the original sculpts and give the unit more personality.

I also added shield bosses and studs to some of the shields, taking inspiration from eastern shield designs. The aim wasn't to reproduce historically accurate Mongol equipment, but to create a coherent visual theme that felt different from the other units in my collection.

For the clothing, I painted the shirts in a light grey linen colour. This gives the models a fairly muted base, allowing the other colours and details to stand out. I also introduced some variation into the wolf-skin cloaks so that they didn't all look identical. Slight differences in colour help suggest that the cloaks came from different animals and have been worn for years.

Making the Black Dragon Banner

The banner was another opportunity to give the unit its own identity.

I created the design in Photoshop, printed it onto paper and then weathered it after attaching it to the banner pole. I wanted it to look like a well-used standard that had accompanied the Despoilers through numerous battles and campaigns.

The Chinese characters 黒龍 mean Black Dragon. I know this isn't specifically what a historical Mongol warband would have carried, but strict historical accuracy wasn't the objective here. I wanted an eastern-inspired design that would look striking on the tabletop and stand apart from the other banners in my collection.

The Black Dragon motif also fits quite nicely with the unit's imagined background. Whether the banner represents an old allegiance, a mercenary company or simply a symbol adopted by Throg and his followers is something I'll leave open to interpretation.

Hobgoblins in Warhammer Fantasy Battle

These miniatures are a great example of why I enjoy the older Warhammer Fantasy range. A distinctive sculpt, a few conversions and a little imagination can turn a small group of models into a unit with its own history and character.

I've also been developing a fan-made Hobgoblin Army List for Warhammer Fantasy Battle 3rd Edition, featuring steppe warriors, mounted troops, Hobhounds, monstrous creatures and other units inspired by the Hobgoblins' eastern-themed background.

If you're interested in using Hobgoblins in your own Oldhammer games, have a look at the army list and let me know what you think.

Do you collect the classic Citadel Regiments of Renown? And do you invent backstories for your miniatures while painting them? I'd be interested to hear how other Oldhammer collectors approach their armies.