Sam's Savage Orcs - Da Horde is Complete

So when I started out on this journey two years ago following a nostalgia rush, the point was to get myself a fully painted army of old. An army like the ones I used to pore over in WD and spend time daydreaming about (when I should've likely been concentrating on schoolwork, meh). And with two consecutive years of the challenge I have finally done it. For the first time ever a 2000+pt army fully painted and based. Its done, woohoo!

I'm not going to lie this years 1000pts was tough at times though, the shear weight of painting the same scheme on broadly similar models really started to demotivate me. It wasn't helped by one of the other miniature projects I have going on learning how to walk, both terrorizing the household and severely reducing painting time and effort as I had to thoroughly put everything away after each session lest it get lost, eaten or otherwise incapacitated somehow. Honestly, I was only saved by a good dose of OWAC style shaming and the joy of painting the iconic 90s stone trolls.

Anyway, enough natter, on to the good stuff. The List:

OWAC III:

124pts - "Zogrod Mindmasha" - Savage Orc Shaman Champion, DHW

100pts - "Da Bull" - Savage Orc Big Boss, DHW

100pts - "Urgul 'Da Hammer' 'Eadbasha" - Savage Orc Big Boss, DHW

99pts - "Mad Krug Teefsmasha" - Savage Orc Big Boss, additional HW

171pts - "Da Immortalz" - 16 Savage Orc's, spears, shields, standard bearer & musician

190pts - "Da Crazy Huntaz" - 20 Savage Orc's, bows

390pts - "Da Rock 'Ard Bruvvaz" - 6 x Stone Trolls

30pts - "Summink still underfoot" - 2 x Snotling bases

Total 1204

plus last years list from OWAC II:

158pts - "Ugg Bonekrakka" - Savage Orc Warlord, War Boar (Snorka)

130pts - "Grog Mindbenda" - Savage Orc Shaman Champion, War Boar

59pts - "Wazz DaNoggin" - Savage Orc Shaman

46pts - "Dagob Moufsmasha" - Savage Orc Boss, shield

250pts - "Da Beastie Boyz" - 8 x Savage Orc Boar Boys, Standard, Musician

170pts - "Da Boyz" - 18 x Savage Orc Boyz, Standard, Musician, shields 

200pts - "Da Big 'Un" - 1 x Giant 

15pts - "Sommink Undafoot" - 1 x Snotling base

Total 1028pts

Grand Total 2232pts

On to the pics:

And now for the shot you've all been waiting for, the washed up guy, whose just put on a t-shirt for the first time in months and is barely conscious

Plus the hired help insisted we take this one too

So that's that, with magic items I can field up to 2500pts, which is very likely the largest size 4/5th edition you would want to play in order to retain any form of sanity anyway. Once the plague subsides, I'll hopefully be taking them for a spin against a certain skaven force...

For next year, of course I am definitely coming back, and with the changes I will be dipping into some 2nd ed. 40K, likely with IG junglist mastas (somehow I realized I like painting green and Perry twin sculpts).

Anyway congratulations to all who completed the challenge, was a great bunch again this year. Looking forwards to perusing through all the final blog posts and the hype train into next year.

Peace out

Samuel

Sam's Savage Orcs - the one where the mojo was almost lost, but pre-shame shaming pulled us through (390pts)

Okay, so not going to lie, finishing off the savage orcs last month was a slog. So much so that I needed a break, which turned into pretty much the whole month of me being extremely un-arsed to pick up a paint brush. And in fairness, it was quite nearly the end of the line for me, I just knew if I Mulliganed one month before the end of the challenge whilst completely demotivated, it would be a Cyril Sneer dive straight into the Field of Bones. Thankfully, a little pre-shame shaming and probably the best models I've yet painted in either challenge saw me through to the finish line.

So on to the list:

6 x Stone Trolls (390pts)

Da Rabble

"Oi! Wot you lookin' at?! Fink your all innocent like jus coz you a rock"

"Dere's defo somink ova dere, betta go bash it wiv me club, jus to be sure" 

"An he woz dis tall"

"Got dis one from KFC down da road bruv"

"I work out sometimes"

"Wot dis 'ammer? It woz a Christmas prezzie from me mum"

And didn't I just go out with a bang! I personally think these Perry twins Stone Troll sculpts are the most iconic models of the mid-nineties era in Warhammer. And even though I had fully lost my mojo, once I started painting them, it was a pure joy. Really well set up models, that were very easy to paint. So much so that I banged all six out in four evenings.

So that's that, it is finally done, an army has been fully collected and painted for the first time in my life. Okay so it took two years, two OWAC's and considerable shaming, but as I've been playing since I was ten, after 25 years it's a fucking win.

For the last month of the challenge, I've got a bunch of cleanup to do. Which is in the order of: making a banner, varnishing all this years entries and then laying down the static grass and tufts. After that it's a wrap on the army. And then we go rescue Ol' Grog from the clutches of Adam's Skaven (and give them a damn good trouncing in the process... well that's the idea at least).

Anyway well done to all who finished, some sweet armies were built. Looking forwards to all the wrap-up posts next month.

Samuel

Iannick's Undead Wrap-up

Well here we are, the end of the line, my final post of the second OWAC. Yeah! I won't lie, this year was a real challenge for me. I got a nice promotion at work this winter, and as all things with more money comes more responsibilities, which means more work! Then some knee issues (recurring problem). Ha yes, I also thought it would be a good idea to run a painting challenge while preparing a wedding! (Narrator : it was not a good idea). So in a surprising twist, this challenge was a lot more difficult for me than last year's, even though I painted a lot more figure last year (goblins) than this year (skeletons). I've also realized I prefer painting goblins to skeletons! Who knew? 

Yeah, I'm happy. New army, and soon a beautiful wife

But anyways, enough of the bitching, I nonetheless managed to finish a second OWAC and I am quite happy with myself. It always makes me chuckle when I hear people say "oh 200pts per month is a breeze". NO IT IS NOT. It's the grind of the challenge, the marathon that gets so many motivated challengers (just look at this year's Field of Bones) and so I realize how difficult and rewarding the end of the line really is.

How did I do? Well I always like to go back to my original plan and see how close I got to it. The plan was to paint :

- 15 Skeletons warriors, equipped with shields, including standard and musician : 187pts
- 15 Skeletons warriors, equipped with shields, including standard and musician : 187pts
- 1 Plague Cart : 100pts
- 12 Zombies : 48pts
- 3 Mummies : 240pts
- Ethereal Host : 1 Ghost (50pts), 1 Wraith (150pts) for 200pts
- 1 Lv5 Undead Hero, equipped with shield & heavy armour : 34pts
- 1 Lv5 Undead Hero, equipped with shield & heavy armour : 34pts
Planned total : 1123 pts

And I managed to paint :

- 15 Skeletons warriors, equipped with shields, including standard and musician : 187pts
- 4x Death Riders, equipped with light armour and lances : 100pts
- Level 10 mounted Undead hero, equipped with horse barding : 69pts
- 1 Plague Cart : 100pts
- 12 Zombies : 48pts
- 3 Mummies : 240pts
- 1 Gorgon : 110pts
- Ethereal Host : 2 Ghosts (100pts), 1 Wraith (150pts) for 250pts
- 1 Lv5 Undead Hero, equipped with shield & heavy armour : 34pts
- 1 lv 5 Liche : 90pts
Total : 1228pts

So all in all I managed to follow pretty closely my plan, and this always pleases me. I would've liked to paint that other unit of skellies. but those unplanned Death Riders took a lot more time than I had anticipated. It should make for a nice small force, or a very useful undead contingent to my Nurgle force. Also, many of these figures are really useful in my D&D games, which is always a nice bonus.

I really like my ethereal host

So, what about next year? Well I have many ideas for my next force ; Barbarians, Halflings, Forest Goblins Part II, or maybe even Skavens. Oh man oh man this is going to make for an agonizing choice! 

Thanks to all who read my stuff, commented on it, and congrats to all challengers who reached the finish line!! Great group of guys once again this year.

goblinpaladin's Wood Elves Wrap-Up

This has been such a great ride. I've never worked on a project like this, with peers and cool people doing the same thing at the same time. It's exactly cool as I thought it would be, back in the late 90s, reading those first A Tale of Four Gamers articles. My only regret is that we can't all get together and have a huge multi-player game with our shiny new armies.

these guys sure are... flashy

Actually, no, I have a second regret - I have very nearly had to use my mulligan on the triumphal Project Finished Hooray! Month. August and late July have been horribly busy for me and my partner, and she's the one with actual photography skills. I was hoping to get the elves to my local store, set them up with some terrain, get some fun photos (including an 80s-style author photo).

Obviously, I have not done that. There is something beautifully retro about a photo of brightly coloured elves taken with a flash though, right? That's in the spirit of The Old World Army Challenge?

If my partner and I can manage to organise to be in this city for a weekend and not have sixteen other things to do, I'll try and get a real photo for you guys.

In the meantime, what does my final list look like?

CHARACTERS [280]
Kaia Stormwitch, ~98 points.
Celarn, ~91 points.

Jos'Mel, ~91 points.

REGIMENTS [783]
15 archers, 165 points.
15 archers, 165 points.
16 wardancers, ~320 points.
6 glade runners, 96 points.
1 beastmaster + 4 boars, 37 points.

ALLIES [275]
Adzel, Zoat Wizard, 275 points.

TOTAL: 1058 points.

I painted a model that I'd had floating in my collection for twenty years. I painted some of my favourite sculpts in Games Workshop history. I tried new techniques and new colours. I painted a zoat! The best part, though, was watching what you guys were doing. You're all incredible! This has been the best!

I can't wait for next year.

Galadriel, as played by Cate Blanchett in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
Directed by Peter Jackson. New Line Cinema, 2001.

namárië

John's Chaos Dwarf Wrap-Up

"Verily I do say thou art mine children from this time and for ever more. But be warned, I am a strict father and dost not suffer failure gladly. I hath set thou above all other races in mine dominion but tis only through strife thou shalt maintain thy position, for I am a loving Father and would seest thou prosper and tis mine love that guides mine hand to make it so, for from strife cometh determination, from determination cometh strength, from strength cometh pride and I would seest thou proud of all thy accomplishments.  So I command the, go forth and make me proud in mine love of thee."
- The Dark Father's Farewell to the Twelve Sons as presented in one of the few surviving fragments of the now lost epic Peregrination

The Chaos Dwarfs now reside in  Zharr-Naggrund in force.
The culmination of 2 challenges ready to collect slaves for the great Hashut.
All of this started with the first challenge thank you for the inspiration to paint and may there be many many more in the future.
you guys are all amazing

Skal's Wrap-up : Happy little Elves!

I am happy to write that this is it, my final post for OWACII. What a ride! I have had most of these miniatures since I was a lad. I dipped quite a few to be able to paint them again. I already have plans for adding more to my units to make them more viable in a game but this was an awesome start.

I learned a lot from this and I plan to paint up a Dwarven army to use against my Wood Elves as well as to augment them when I play games vs friends. Here is my army and the required drinking from the horn victory shot.

Here are some shots of my army so far. I learned two things taking these photos 1) I need a better camera 2) I need to paint more Wood Elves.

For now I will be running: 

Glam force commander 208

1 Zoat Mage 275 pts

Skaw 88 pts

5 Lords Bowmen with 4 Kin Band spearmen w/ Lvl 5 Hero 118 pts

 5 Lords Bowmen with 4 Kin Band swords w/Lvl 5 Hero 118 pts

Glade Runners w/Lvl 5 Hero 150 pts

4 units of 5 Wardancers 400 pts

1 Treeman 280 pts

1 Eagle 75 pts

1 Dragon 300 pts

Total points: 2,012

I look forward to painting random stuff for a while before diving into another project.

Till next time SKAL!