It’s been slow but steady progress here at Mini Makeover towers. Applying paint to these blood crazed fanatics has helped me while away a lockdown with the outcome being some old lead to be proud of. Riptooth has arrived from the UK as well, a Trish Carden classic that I’m about to get working on.
In the meantime here are the boys, ready to take on all manner of victims beneath the dread mountain of Beastgrave.
Ghartok, Magore and Zharkus indicate their approval of the amenities provided at Eight Points
The outcome of this painting journey reflects elements of what I love about Oldhammer, the facets of Khorne that have been cast aside to a degree today, the explosion of creative output from the Games Workshop design studio in the late 1980’s and finally the ‘nostalgia’ for my childhood that those things give me. It’s an oft told tale among many a middle-aged man blog these days!
Nostalgia technically is a ‘bittersweet’ emotion where we long for days gone by, and I don’t think that’s really the case for me. I’m merely a curator and restorer of these static bits of lead so that I can use them in games.
Comparing these miniatures with the ‘actual’ Magore’s Fiends illustrates how paradoxically uniform the forces of Chaos have become these days. Strangely I hadn’t considered it until I looked back at the old White Dwarf magazines recently.
I remarked in an earlier post about the Dwarf Blood Bowl team that had very little uniformity, obviously the staffers had a high degree of freedom under Bryan Ansell in those days. Days before style guides and templating!
Chaos should be chaotic, right?
Magore
The main man, Magore Redhand represents the infernal machine of Khorne, featuring a raised power fist and a passing resemblance to this guy – also an old forgotten favourite!
Zharkus
Magore’s right hand man is where I did my best ‘Blanchitsu’ impression. Black metal armour, tan boots and sigils everywhere! It’s also the first of the slotta shields I’ve painted since my late teens. The only ’80s thing I didn’t do was put black and white checks on.
Ghartok
This guy is technically the weakest fighter in the warband although he’s still a fearsome warrior by comparison to most in the game. In Underworlds parlance the weakest fighters on a given side are referred to as ‘danglebros’, sent forth as enticing kills to lure the enemy into a weak position where they can be counter-attacked.
I really like the way the bone armour contrasts with the bloodletter type head, and of course I stuck with the tan leather. It looks so comfortable!
Ghartok in Front
Ghartok’s Rear Quarter
Painting methods
Brass armour edging
Base: Scale75 Negro Gold
Wash: Nuln Oil
Drybrush: Scale75 Negro Gold
Edge: Scale75 Speed Metal
Tan boots
Base: Old Citadel Snakebite Leather (Coat d’Arms Barbarian Leather)
Wash: 50/50 Mournfang Brown and Lahmian Medium
Highlight: VGC Foul Brown
Edge: Wraithbone
Wood shafts
Base: Citadel Colour Wormwood
Drybrush: Rakarth Flesh
Magore’s scale armour
Base: VGC Dark Fleshtone
Wash: Nuln Oil in a messy and uneven fashion
Highlight: VMC Flat Red oval shapes
Edge: Evil Sunz Scarlet
Zharkus’ plate armour and steel weapons
Base: Scale75 Black Metal
Wash: Nuln Oil
Drybrush: Leadbelcher
Edge: Scale75 Speed Metal
Ghartok’s bone armour
Base: Ushabti Bone
Wash: 50/50 Seraphim Sepia and Lahmian Medium
Highlight: Ushabti Bone
Edge: VMC White
Bases
Base: Skavenblight Dinge
Drybrush: VMC Silver Grey
Wash: Nuln Oil
Drybrush: VMC Silver Grey (again)
Mossy area: Athonian Camoshade
Lastly, here’s what happens when you don’t have a plan (or a plain bad one) when painting a flat surface:
Oh dear…
Mini Makeovers 