Gotta Kachas 'em all!

So - another unit done for Orc's Drift!

These five Skarloc's archers complete the garrison of Wodd Elves who guard the Kachas Pass in the name of the Grand League in the first scenario of the game.

And the obligatory group shot - and a little confession... which includes a bit of a spoiler for the first scenario so look away now if you don't want to know!

The Elves I have painted up here form the under-strength garrison guarding the pass - Erdolas has sent out a night patrol of 10 Elves and his Lieutenant Hendril Merl( as featured in one of my early games of Skulldred - http://teasgettingcold.blogspot.com/2010/06/road-to-merlinas.html) to investigate reports of an Orc warband in the area. According to the Elves command sheet the patrol is expected back in the morning - Turn 3.

However, the Vile Rune Tribe's command sheet tells a different story - they have met and slaughtered a 10 Elf patrol during the night and so Erdolas' reinforcements will never turn up!

This made me wonder whether or not I should bother painting up another 11 minis that will never get used - and being pushed for time I've decided not at the moment!

What is all the more surprising about this little twist in the tale is that there was a mini sold as Hendril Merl back in the day! I got hold of one a while back - its the same mini featured as the champion for Oreon's Wodd Elf Archers. The other slight problem is that he is a little diminutive compared to the Skarloc's Archers, so until I get round to making a higher base for him, Merl's ill-fated night patrol will probably remain off the table!

What's that coming over the hill...

Its only King Fyarr and the Orc tribes of the Northern Wastes off on the warpath! 

Apologies by the way for the blurriness in the centre of the pic - couldn't fit this lot into one decent photo so I had to dust off the cd that came with my fairly ancient camera and tinker round with stitching several shots together with the panorama feature - as you can see I'm a bit rusty!

Anyway, certainly feels good to have this little lot done and dusted and as most of them have been sat in the cabinet waiting for the stagglers to catch up I think I'll review the troops once more now I've got 'em out...

King Fy'arr and his Fy'arr Guard (arf, arf!) 

King Fyarr's old tribe, the Kwae Karr Orcs (30 warriors and 10 archers) - now led by his successor,  Magyar Ironfist (front left) and accompanied by the snivelling shaman, Bagrash (front right)

The Severed Hand Tribe (20 warriors and 10 archers), led by Hagar Sheol (front) and accompanied by Grashak Kra, his faithful Hobhound Handler and his 10 not so faithful Hobhounds

... and finally the Vile Rune Tribe ( 40 Orc warriors), led by Fangor Gripe (front centre), accompanied by Guthrum Mane the alcoholic Rock Giant (the big guy!) and shadowed by the weasly Half Orc spy Silas Meel (front left).

So on with the remainder of the elves - a few of the Wood Elves of Kachass Pass to do and the rest of Brommedir's Bows...

Finally got rune to finishing them off...

So that's it! All the Orcs are done now I've finished the last few members of the Vile Rune Tribe off. Its been an enjoyable - if fairly unproductive few weeks of holiday but I'm back in the swing of things now!

A few more spearmen -

... Savages - loads of fun to paint!

... and the command group - some of fave Orc minis here!

Especially these two!

Now for the big group shot of the three tribes together...

Gratuitous Vile-ence...

... is what these big fellas love most!

Another five ladz for the Vile Rune tribe and its looking like this unit is going to cover all sections of Orcish society - we've had the more traditional lot with the savages, foward thinkers with the armour and spears and now these Big'uns!

Pretty speedy paintjobs again and the shields are a bit rough but I'm on the final staight now - 11 more orcs (7 primed and ready for painting) and the rest of the elves to go...

Whistle vile you work...

... well not really had much time for whistling - or painting, because of work recently. Its beginning to calm down now but I'm going to have to get a shift on to get these last few minis done by the summer holidays.

Finally got the basing and shields done on the five Orc spearmen I basecoated ages ago - the Vile Rune tribe's ranks are slowly swelling...

The next three are some old familiar faces from my original collection - the first two came as crew for a bolt-thrower I can't remember buying, and I think there is another spear wielding orc whose spearhead broke off lurking in a box somewrhere else as well. As for the bolt thrower - only the chassis remains and that has been nicked by my Genestealer cult and had a lascannon lashed onto it!

This chap used to be a standard bearer until I pinched his standard top for my boar boyz (still not finished!) - I replaced his missing standard with a plastic spear - knew those horrible plastic goblin spearmen from 4th ed. would come in handy for something!

The last two are new ebay purchases - plenty more where they came from...

Vile Bodies...

Onwards and upwards as I trundle towards the end of my Orc's Drift project!

And onwards and upwards with the Vile Rune Tribe - ironically the Orc tribe that features in the first scenario of Orc's Drift - I never was one to do things the right way round!

Finished some more savages and a few of their more "civilised" spearmen colleagues.

The savages were a blast to paint as ever and I've had fun using a number of different references for their warpaint, including  Native American Indian, Celtic and Aboriginal.

The spearmen were painted pretty speedily so nowt special I'm afraid - conscious of the 20 or so more I have left to do!

Shield designs were taken from the illustrations of the Vile Rune's banner in the scenario booklet.

The new additions altogether -

... and the tribe so far

- Guthrum Mane, the Hill Giant, and Fangor Gripe the chieftain have been added - as has Silas Meel, with whom all this madness started with!

http://teasgettingcold.blogspot.com/2010/03/orcs-drift-humble-beginnings.html

I make that about 15 months I've been plugging away at this particular project!