George's Bad Moonz - Introduction Post

Big Gobb was big. He was big and he had a big gobb. So big that when he shouted about his greatness, orcs listened. And he loved nothing more than shouting about his greatness.

His father had been a great military commander, leading an ever growing mob on a ceasless campaign of plunder and destruction. But since he had died and Big Gobb had taken over, the mob had shrunk and every campaign had ended in defeat and disaster.

In the doomed campaign of OWAC VII, Big Gobb had lead his mob into the Field Of Bones and few had escaped. Now he really, really needed success. Or at least to avoid another catastrophic defeat...

OWAC VII didn't go very well for me. I finished one model (Big Gobb himself) and was lying broken in the Field of Bones by month two.

This year I want to continue with Big Gobb's space orcs. I've simplified the army a bit and hope that will help. There is a galaxy of real life reasons that suggest I should stay well clear of an intensive painting challenge, but I'm going to try anyway!

I'm continuing with Bad Moonz. I love their garish colour schemes, and the large number of weird boyz!

Lore, lists and points come courtesy of the classic WAAARGH The Orcs and Freebooterz books, as well as vintage White Dwarf.

The boyz are largely made up of plastic models from the 1990 space ork box set. I scored this on ebay and it had nearly 60 miniatures (the original box had 36). Most had been brilliantly converted by a 10 year old and it broke my heart taking these creations apart, but I hope to do them justice.

I then have a smattering of original GW painboyz and mekaniaks. And an original nob in power armour, a gift from the wonderful Jaako, a fellow OWAC challanger. Additional minis come from Old School Miniatures.

Weirdboyz are mainly formed from Knighmare Miniatures, with a cheeky wizard from the Hero Quest expansion pack.

And then I have a crew of freebooterz. These are formed of Warmonger Miniatures (fantasy arm of Wargames Foundry) and Meridian Miniatures.

Armour comes courtesy of the ever brilliant Ramshackle Games.

I'm very excited to get painting and to see the other challengers' armies taking shape. It is an honour to take part in the Old World Army Challenge and I cant wait to get going!

 Big Gobb's Big Mob!

Points

-Warlord - 90 points

-warlords retinue: 

   5 x clanbosses - 175

       Power armour, 6 x 5 = 30

   Melaniak - 15

   Painboy - 15

   4 x weirdboyz - 200

-10 x big mob boyz - 100

  Heavy plasma gun - 75

  Power glove, 2 x 30 = 60

-5 x boys - 50

-6 x gretchin - 30

-10 x mad mob boyz - 50

-10x freebooterz - 100

-Rhino - 350

-Total: 1,340

Tom's Bad Moon Orks: Wrap Up - 1533points

Pro tip: wash your models before getting them photographed. I didn't and there's lots of dust! Anyhow....

I have thoroughly enjoyed this years edition of the OWAC, and I am very pleased with the painting that I've managed, although the last six weeks or so were super tough! I'm especially pleased with my collection of runtherds, and their squigs :) 

Here they are, to kick us off wiv a massive photo dump but first...

I extend massive thanks to my friend Michal Iwanowski for the hard work he put in cleaning up the photos that he took of da ladz. I asked him not to amend any detail/colour on the models, but he has eliminated shadow from the background, and also touched up some scuffs on the black rim bases. I am gutted I did not think to wash the models before photographing, but there we are. All models have been given a lacquer varnish first, and then sprayed with Testors Dulcote. I am sooooo pleased that they're all varnished! Further thanks go to Instagram inspiration doods savage_orc_guy, snotlingdiscotek, the_crown_of_command_podcast, grinning loon, and highland_painting. Legends.

Further and louder shout outs goes to my mates Carl and Pierre!

Each time I paint a project I always feel a little weird - like do I like actually painting? Is it worth it? What's it for? Should I be doing something else? 

Putting together this post, rearranging all the models for photos and noticing all the little mistakes and blemishes reinforces my feeling that this army in particular is my best painted to date. That feeling of improvement, and just general excitement about what you could paint next has made it all worth while. Plus when I look back on it, I'm always amazed that I've painted them at all!

I've kinda gone all out on this wrap up post - something to look back on and remember for the future. I've loved it.

So....without further ado:

Runtherds:

This guys the guy that's responsible for smooth running of the squig catapult. I like how dark/bright he is. 👇

I like the thin pinstriping and green drool on this guy 👇

I remember this one being a pleasure to paint. I like the choice of yellow for the trousers, and I feel that the gym looks really good here! 👇

I like this ones eyes! 👇

This guy is one of my favourite orks. 👇

For some reason I like his red scrunchie, and his hand holding his runthook. I also like the rivets on his leg. 👇

I remember struggling to start this one, and he is definitely not my favourite paintjob! But he did see me through a sticking point... Definitely choose to leave stuff blank to keep motivations.(for example I think I'd like to have put some flames on his shoulder, painted those little squares on the hook hand a different colour, maybe added some hazard striping on the gun, or dags in the headband, or some extra bands onthe feathers...) 👇

This dude came out really basic, and I remember looking back at him and being surprised at how good he looks now! 👇

This guy is from the rogue trader era. Nice! 👇

A honorary Mek/Runtherd 👇

Squigs

Cheeky!

Mek 

(although this guy 👇 could stand in for a runtherd! I like his frowning brow.)

I am so pleased I painted the rivets on his helmet, bags and belt. They make him look good (or better)! 👇

Again, this dude: one of my favourites. So much so that he inspired the addition of blue into the red pinstripes and inspired his own as yet unfinished, unit of boyz 👇

Painboys

How heavy you reckon those scissors are? 👇

Another favourite, along with the previously mentioned Dok - jointly inspiring the tricolour pinstripe and unfinished 'improofed' boyz. 👇

Weirdboys

The smol gun is my favourite gun! It's so tiny :) 👇

Warphead

I like the squiiiiigs! And his hair colour. And the choice of red for the boots! 👇

Weirdboy Minders

I think these minders are the only orks in a yellow jumpsuit? Anyhow, their blunt faces were great to paint. 👇

Bad Ork Freebooters

Sweet jeebus, this guy - what a model! Notable in that I took soooo many pictures of this guy when I was painting him, which was an absolute pain in the arse. I'm very glad that I did it though, and I like the alternating red and yellow for the legs. I feel some extra, simple freehand on those legs would have been a great thing, but I was a little nervous of making him look too busy and unbalanced, so I left him undecorated (apart from the gun barrel and shoulder pad) 🤘 👇

The towering ork was an imposing model to paint and I put him off for ages... I like the grenade colour 👇

I really struggled with all the heavy weapon models, although previously I was really looking forward to painting them. There's a lot more of these ladz to do... 👇

Proper piratey! I like the belt :) 👇

I looked forward to painting this guy, and brought him in the later part of the OWAC especially for rounding out the freebooting unit. One of maybe two orks with flashy red shoes :) 👇

I ummed and ahhed over painting a black circle on the plasma gun... 👇

A basic boi. I forgot to paint his bracelet, but I like the subtle skintones in the face.

Monowheel! Love it! The tiny writing on the 'numberplate' reads BAD1, and was inspired by savage_orc_guys amazing paint, and tiny writing, on her orks. 👇

One of the unfinished freebooter mob that follows the Dok and Mek 👇

Another one. I'd like to paint up three more regular boys with stripey trousers to complete the squad. 👇

Power Armoured Nobs

One of my favourites 💪 👇

Da Boss. I feel I should have painted the knuckledusters a different colour, and I remember painting the space marine helmet red to cast shade on Iannick's space marine force! 👇

Half a face eh? I quibbled over whether I should paint it metallic or red. I'm pleased I went with metallic! 👇

I really liked how the face came out on this guy! 👇

And again, detailing the rivets, although time consuming and nerve wracking, was well worth it. 👇

Boys! 

There might well be a few photos missing - it's really hard to pick out individuals from the mass crowd of photos!

I'm not going to write about each one, but I do say that I do enjoy a sporadic batch paint of a monopose model! Once the colour scheme is worked out, it's just about enjoying the process: which no doubt can be arduous, but the models spend ages in mid paint OMG-what-have-I-done phase, and then once over that hump, finish off surprisingly quickly.

Popping on some flames onto the shoulderpads really makes them I feel! 👇

Of all the ork heavy weaponry, I feel rokkits are 👌 

Yes! Love the tongue on this guy 👇

Originally a member of the Mek and Doks modified boys, this lad is now in charge of his own unit...👇

Gretchin Runt Grots.

Lovely little sculpts, which I really need to paint more of!

More Boys!

War machines

Holy moley, painting this thing required loads of enthusiasm, which fortunately I had! It was a great thing to paint, and I am kinda safe in the knowledge that I'll never paint another one again (they are ridiculously expensive!) I'm super chuffed that I put a streamer banner on top of the banner pole - it makes it for me :)

The dreadnaught! This one painted up in sections quite quickly. I was a little daunted by the overal piece, but just fully painted it in tiny sections and it was done over a week or so

The rest of the big gunz I held back on painting dags all over the wheels. I felt that it would sap my motivations too much... 'basic' paint, but sweet jeebus, the extra time painting rivets really pulls them forward :)

Grot crew 

I hated painting this guy for some reason. Just wanted it over and done ASAP! 👇

NipNop! 👇

I love the trio of squig catapult crew, and I put some extra effort into them :) 👇👇👇

Love this lil' dood (but which one eh?) 👇

I feel that this oil squig came out really well. Of all the colour choices I made, I am stoked with this one.- especially as it comes across (I think) that there's more of the same stuffed in his bag! 👇

Here's a nice lil' set of big gun + crew pics!

And then all the OWAC boyz!

Previously painted boyz...

I post them here for completion :) They were painted on the runup to the OWAC proper as a Squad Challenge. I feel that there's definitely more effort gone into them, and I've not gone back to add the blue to the stripey trousers, because I like seeing this paint history/evolution. 

I did, however, go back in on the power armoured nobs and add flames to the armour - mostly inspired by Joshua Van Z's awesome orks!

First up, the big gun with different crew (swap them for the crew above...)

Freebooters!

Nobs in power armour

Weirdboy

Squigs

These are the crew I painted before the OWAC...

Warbike

Gobsmasha!

Some group shots...

Boss models

All da boyz!

Base by base costings using the 2nd ed Ork Codex, and using the above (green) Army Pic for reference:

Warboss w/powerclaw + custom shoota + 'eavy armour   65+20+10  

*Bodyguard w/bolt pistol 12  

Bodyguard w/bolta 12

**Attack Squig 3

Attack Squig 3

Warphead w/bolta + bolta 85

Weirdboy w/bolta + bolt pistol -free

Minder w/bolta + chainsword - free

Minder w/plasma pistol - free

Squig - 3

Power Nob Boss w/bolt pistol 15+7

Power Nob w/power fist + bolta 15+1+7+10

Power Nob w/ plasma gun 15+7+6

Power Nob w/chainsword 15+7+2

Power Nob w/bolta + power fist 15+1+7+10

Painboy 18

Dreadnaught w/heavy plasma + power claw 120

Boy 12

Boy 12 

Boy 12

Boy 12

Nob 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Nob 12

Boy 12 

Boy 12

Boy w/standard 12

Boy w/rocket launcher 12+30

Nob 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy w/heavy plasma 12+26

Nob 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy 12

Boy w/heavy bolta 12+10

Nob w/plasma pistol 12+4

Boy 12

Boy w/heavy bolta 12+10

Nob 12

Squig 3

Squig 3

Serving platter runt 3

Squig 3

Runtbot Controller 12

Runtbot 3

Runtherd 18

Squig 3

Runtherd - free

Squig 3

Runt 3

Squig 3

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot 5

Grot w/standard 5

Grot Boss 5

Freebooter w/custom shoota 12+20

Freebooter Monowheel 12

Freebooter w/plasma pistol 12+4

Freebooter w/custom shoota + bolta 12+20

Freebooter 12

Freebooter Mek w/custom shoota 12+20

Freebooter w/bolt pistol + chainsword 12+2

Freebooter w/chainsword 12+2

Freebooter w/lascannon 12+30

Freebooter Dok w/custom shoota 12+20

Traktor Kannon 40

Runtherd - free

Runt - free

Runt - free

Squig 3

Squig 3

Smasha Gun 45

Runtherd - free

Runt - free

Runt - free

Squig 3

Squig 3

Mek w/flamer + bolta 18+7+3

Battlewagon 50

Runtherd - free

Runtherd w/chainsword - free

Squig Catapult 40

Runtherd - free

Runtherd - free

Runt - free

Runt - free

Runt - free

Runtherd - free

Splatta Kannon 60

Runtherd - free

Runt - free

Runt - free

Squig 3

Squig 3

TOTAL 1533

*Bodyguard counts as boy for points, as does the runtbot controller

**Squig counts as gretchin assistant for points

Models painted: 112

.........

Hi fives, fist bumps, jubialiant shouts to be shared with fellow Ork Boss: Jon Garrad, 

And also with fellow Orc Bosses: Chris 'Blue' Sabick, William 'Bill' Adcock, Mike Murphy.

All the other armies pale in comparison to the mighty WAAAAAAAGH energy generated by such a collective creation of ork armies! Although the other challengers armies are absolute fire and also solid gold AT THE SAME TIME. Check 'em out. (Even the Eldar ones!)

All that's left now is a massive shout out to Iannick, overlord of the Old World Army Challenge. No doubt, without this challenge, I would only be thinking about painting and not actually doing anything.

Legend.