The Snottling Wave Restoration Project (Part 1)

 I recently acquired 12 bases of second-hand snotlings.  Which is quite a lot of mini-green meanness to add to my little green wave.

A rambling horde of snotlings.

I almost passed on the deal, as the thought of stripping and cleaning these guys was definitely a turn off. However, upon closer scrutiny, I determined that I could use these existing  paint jobs as a base coat to build more color on top of. I'm still confounded by the  choice made, by whomever painted these models, to use silver as a color for the mushrooms.... but I think I can work past it. 

Can you spot the plastic ones?

I even decided not to repose these guys despite some of the models positioned somewhat randomly on their bases. I figured the more disorganized and haphazard their poses, the more of a rabble they'll appear to be. 

Toot!

The guy blowing the horn is apparently a fragile snotlling because the miniature is broken off of three of these bases, and all of them  at their right leg! 

We said don't break a leg! 

I'm thinking these little guys will work well with the previous group that I painted back in the '90s and hopefully will tie up some of the foes they will end up facing on the battlefield. I recall that I modeled up those ordinal snotlings to use as Shokk Attack gun ammo back in the 2nd edition of 40k,. I also recall my devilish foes would target them in an attempt to deprive my shokk attack gun of it's  precious ammo! 

Wall of snotlings!

This might be a bigger project than I anticipated, but I won't know until I try, right? So let's do this! ...but not today. This post is long enough. Look out for part 2, hopefully soon!

Shokk Attack! (Art Mondays)

 This is another unpublished piece. I really like this one, but I have always adored snotlings; Such vicious little buggers. But I adored the original Shock Attack Gun results charts from the Rogue Trader era 'Ere We Go hardcover book even more! That was an absolute experience to roll up those results (especially for the victims!).

Here a bunch of them are swarming a Space Marine. This particular Space Marine is an old school Space Wolf with the original Space Wolves icon. I have always liked that design as it has more of a sci-fi vibe to me. I still use it onbmost of my original (first born) Space Wolves. Not sure why he seems to have the jump pack straps but no jump pack...maybe I thought it just looked cool? 

Equis Tyranus

Equis Tyranus charges thru the Orc lines.

As I sorta prefaced in my previous post, The Bob and I played Warhammer Fantasy Battle 8th Edition this past weekend. This was my first game in about a decade, and it has been a long time for Bob also, so we were treating this game as a bit of a refresher. It was a standard 2k pitched battle.  Despite the rusty rules knowledge, I went in with an open mind and a desire to push these greenskins as hard as I could.

I brought 2k points consisting of:

• A Black Orc Warboss
• Orc Shaman (Lvl 2)
• Night Goblin shaman (Lvl 2) AKA Oddgob
• Big Uns
• Arrer Boyz
• Boyz with twin choppas
• Snottlings
• Trolls (7 of them!)
• 2 stands of spear/shield Night Gobos
• Night Gobos with shortbows
• 3 Fanatics, one hidden in each Night Gobo unit 
• Forest Gobos on Giant Spiders
• And a Boar Chariot

Waaagh Neverness assembled.

Bob tinkered on getting a list he thought would work for reintroducing me to certain situations that occur in WFB, and this is what he brought.

• A mounted Prince
• A lvl 1 Mage
• Silver Helms
• Dragon Princes
• Sword Masters
• Seaguard
• Archers
• White Lions

The elves gather.

I place my Warboss with the Big Uns, the Orc Shaman with the other Boyz unit, and the Gobo Shaman with a Night Gobo Unit. Bob put his Prince with the Silver Helms and left the Mage unattached.

The armies deploy.

Orcs Turn 1.

Amazingly, none of my units gave in to animosity. Most of my units moved forward, some faster than others, in an effort to engage the fearsome High Elves before them. The chariot whipped the boars in a full throttle boost towards the High Lines.

"Waaaargh! Fasta!!!"

The only action on my turn that resulted in a fatality was one of the Gobo Shaman's spells (Vindictive Glare) snuffed out an Archer.

High Elves Turn 1

Bob returned that insult and the Archers shot a volley into the Gobo Shaman's unit slaying 6 of the gits.

His Seaguard fired a volley into the Boar Chariot that was rampaging towards them putting a wound on it.

All in all, it was a fairly soft opening of the game...

End of Turn 1 state of the battle.

Orcs Turn 2

More maneuvers performed with the stupid Trolls actually moving where I wanted them to go. The Spider Riders failed their charge on the Silver Helms but the Snottlings that I sent in to support them actually make it in!

Snotings engage the Silver Helms.

Guess who won that enounter? (I hope you didn't say "the Snottlings"...)

Snottlings run away from the Silver Helms.

The Chariot impacts into the Swordmasters wiping out a whole rank from the impact hits. However the speedy elves are quick to bring down their blades, destroying the chariot swiftly and abruptly.

Chariot impacts the Swordmasters! 

High Elves Turn 2

Showing her magic muscles, the High Elf Mage cast Soul Quench at the Trolls with Irresistible Force! Killing a Troll. She detonated as a result but since no one was in base-to-base with her no one died (much to the relief of Bob).

The Silver Helms led by the Prince charged the Spider Riders. The Prince challenged the Spider Riders Champ and slew him. The other Spider Riders were defeated but they ran far enough away to avoid being ran down.

If spiders were really this big,..

 I bet they would be deadlier than they are in this game.

The Dragon Princes moved in on the Night Goblins only to find the first of the Fanatics.  After that frenzied interlude 2 of the Dragon Princes were dead!

"But I'm your biggest fan!"

The three remaining Dragon Princes easily routed the Night Gobos but they elected not to pursue them.

"They clean with soap?! Run away! Run away!"

Orcs Turn 3

Failing their animosity test, the Night Goblin Archers charged the Seaguard. ("Idiots!" I declared in disappointed awe). The other two Fantaics were released, one went toward the Archers while the other, emerging from the charging Night Gobo Archers, towards the White Lions. The one that crashed through the White Lions destroyed a whole rank as it took out 6 of them! The one Night Gobo Archer unit that attempted to charge the Seaguard lost 7 grots to shooting, paniced, and routed!

The Big Uns, led by the Black Orc Warboss, charged the Dragin Princes. The the Princes were defeated by the raging Orcs. The Warboss challenged the Champion and bashed him to death but not without taking two wounds himself!

The Warboss wins the duel! 

High Elves Turn 3

Set up for a perfect side flank charge, the Silver Helms charged the Trolls. The Sword Masters charge the Orc Boyz with twin weapons, and the Lions charge the unit of Gobos who have yet to run away.

Charge of the Elves! 

Magic phase results in another successful Soul Quench killing 4 Arrer Boyz causing them to panic and flee. The White Lions paste the Gobos with ease and over run into the Gobo Shaman killing him also.

In the middle of the table, the Swordmasters and the Orcs have a tied combat!

Big bash in the middle of the table! 

The Silver Helms and Prince engage the Trolls flank. They fail to wound the Trolls thanks to their Regeneration. The Trolls are fairly ineffective in turn. The Silver Helms horses however inflict two wounds killing an already wounded Troll which forces a Break Test. A Break Test against Initiative of 4. Which after modifers would require that I roll 2 ones on 2d6. Of course I botch that and these Trolls bolt it out of there. What do I roll on 2d6 for their flee distance? A two. A frick'n two when I absolutely needed that a moment before! The Silver Helms easily ran the Trolls down.

I was utterly beside myself and my morale was genuinely crushed.

Silver Helms trample over the Trolls and sight their next target.

Orcs Turn 4

It was tough to continue after that, I wanted to fold. Over half of my living army was in route and the High Elves seemed unstoppable. But I pressed on. The Goblins on the table edge failed to rally and bolted off the table. The Arrer Boyz and Spider Riders did rally, which was a refreshing turn.

The Fanatics rampage through the enemy lines again, killing 3 Archers and 6 Seaguard!

The Big Un's charged the White Lions. My Warboss issued a challenge to their unit champion which he accepted. The Warboss slaughtered the White Lion champ with ease however the faster White Lions massacred the Big Uns leaving only one survivor and the Warboss.

Big Uns cherge the White Lions.

The big tussel in the center continues as Sword Masters and Orcs whittle each other down. The Sword Masters actually lose combat but do not Break thanks to the proximity of their army's battle standard ("cor...we need one of doze!" Says the befuddled Orc Shaman..)

They just won't run!

High Elves Turn 4

Having lost way too many elves to the Fanatics, the Archers and the Seaguard shoot the fanatics to death ending their threat once and for all. 

The White Lions finish off the Warboss and the last Big Un.

The tussle in the center continues as the Orcs crush the surviving Swormasters but still take more losses due to the arrival of the Silver Helms crashing into their flank. Again, it was those hits from the steads that were the deciding element The Orcs don't break (by some miracle) but there is simply no way they were going to survive another round. 

The Silver Helms triumphant!

We called the game at this point, despite having rallied some units, I doubted that they could effectively do any more than harass the High Elves. Clearly the Orc battle line was shattered and we were now in the mopping up stages.

Battlefield overview. 

With that epiphany, the High Elves take the day!

All-in-all, we had a good time. My lack of recall on certain rule elements and tactics regarding the Night Goblins and the Trolls (especially the Trolls!) Cost more greenskin lives that could have been otherwise prevented. I say that, but...my dice.

The Fanatics impressed me more than I thought they would and clearly I need more. But only if I stick with the Goblins. It's really Orcs that I need more of as they aren't only a bit tougher and more effective in combat but their Leadership is better. Bob was suggesting that I acquire some Black Orcs, but making additional purchases for this game is something I am hesitant to do at this stage but I shall ponder upon the notion further...

The High Elves were awesome against this army. I was especially impressed with the Silver Helms who were just so tough to kill. And his damned horses...in our post game discussion we named the one that routed the Trolls: Equis Tyranis.

We'll see what happens when we try it again...

Attack of the snotlings!

Beware the little green tide!
Wait, no: beware the tiny green tide!

These models were painted back in the late '90s. Toward the end of 40K 2nd edition. They were originally intended to be used as ammo for the 40K 2nd edition Ork Codex as living ammo for the Shokk Attack Gun. Now, as they are no longer required for that role (nor have they been since around '98) they will see the table top as additions for my my WHFB Orc & Goblin army.

My painting techniques for gobo/ork flesh as evolved over time, mostly due to the fact that my one bottle of original Bilious Green can not paint all that Orks, Orcs and Gobos I still have to paint. However these little buggers are perfect example, perhaps the apex, of my original technique. My original base coat was an original Citadel Color called Woodland Green, which I then covered with a thinned layer of Bilious Green, then a solid coat of Bilious Green, before highlighting with a Bilious Green with a dab of Skull White mixed in. It worked very well but I found it time consuming. My newer technique produces similar results, but with a yellow a final highlight.

I see the guy with the ball & chain and wonder what the rules for Snotling fanatics would be like...

In order to maximize my models, I tried to limit them to five snotlings per base, with the paired models counting as two each. For example this model has two drunken snots passed out pissed drunk and tangled up with each other, with one face down in vomit!

They are a fine, and weird assortment of models, most of which are of different shapes and sizes. Each one full of marvelous character, and it's clear also that each one is a vile and mischievous little shit!

Can you spot pin-head?

Who forges the snotling blades? I doubt there are snotling blacksmiths...

The next two pics have a pair of snotlings brawling at the back of the base...

I like to believe that the chap with the skull on a stick is snotling shaman. 

Notice that these were done prior to my discovery and immediate embracing of static grass. This is flock. And just like any old decaying diorama on display in your local hobby store or museum, the flock has aged to a strange color. And these models have seen been sealed in a case for over a decade!

The pair of snotlings in the back are clearly drinking buddies.

This last base was clearly made for 40K, as the fallen Blood Angel shoulder pad contrasts nicely with all that green. I decided to leave it alone.

I discovered while going through some of my boxes of blister packs that I have about 2 more packs of snotlings, which ought to be more than enough to make four more bases, to give me a unit size of 10 bases. It will be interesting to see how my new ones will stand out next to these old ones. These bases may be slightly reworked by removing some of that old flock and adding static grass and repainting the base trim from Goblin Green to the Terracotta Beige that typically use.

Many of these wonderful miniatures were sculpted by Kev Adams, who during the final days of Bryan Ansel's reign at GW pretty much defined the look and character of the GW Ork and Orc & Goblin range at the time. He was brutally assaulted last year and Goblinaid was formed to help in Kev's recovery. Please check it out if you haven't before, and see how Goblinaid has helped him so far with his recovery.