WarbossKurgan

I've wanted to make a Warcry sized Harrowmark board for a while. But it was only when I realised it was going to be really hard to play the solo campaign I've been planning without one that I started thinking about it in earnest. I looked around online for a suitable cork notice board (A1 sized, framed, and fairly sturdy) for a while before I realised I could order the right type of thing in Argos and pick it up with the weekly shopping in Sainsbury's! So just before Christmas 2020, I came home with a 60x80cm notice board: I didn't have much time to work on it before Christmas so I contented myself with testing how much scenery was needed to make it look full, but not too full. After Christmas I started work on it. I found a handful of old Warhammer movement trays and cut them up as flagstones. I shaved the edges to make them look like chipped and worn stone. I cut most of them as rectangles but I also cut a few diagonally, so they looked like they had cracked. I stuck them down with PVA wood glue. I didn't want to have to cover the entire board in textured paint (I was a little worried about warping), so I ordered three 2mm cork sheets from eBay. They arrived on New Years Eve. I tore them into "random" shapes and glued them down with PVA. Three sheets was not enough! I ordered 6 more - they arrived a week later, on 8th January. I only used 7 sheets in total, but I'll save the last two for use on more scatter terrain. I glued some sand into the cracks between the cork sheets, plus a few bones from the Crypt Ghouls kit. I initially added a few skulls from the Citadel Skulls box, but I took them off again. The cork and the movement trays were all 2mm thick so the scatter terrain will sit flat on them. The skulls spoiled that. There are plenty of skulls on all the scatter terrain bits though! With that the board was ready for undercoat. I sprayed it Chaos Black on the morning of 9th January. This was quick and easy, but it used a hell of a lot of the spray can - almost half I think. I kind of wish I had brushed on the matt black "blackboard" paint as I have a big can of it. It would have taken a lot longer but cost a lot less... I also nearly dropped it as I moved it back indoors. You can see the wiped-off paint on the frame where I caught it! Yes, my hands were then very painty... Anyway, what was done was done, so I sprayed the flagstones with Mechanicus Standard Grey in the afternoon. In the evening of 11th January I dry-brushed the flagstones with Ushabit Bone. Then I used Steel Legion Drab (a big bottle of scenery paint I bought years ago) to paint the cork sheet and sanded areas. While that was drying I washed the flagstones with Nuln Oil and pooled a little Athonian Camoshade into the Nuln while it was still wet. Then it was dry-brushing time (12th January). A very light dry-brush of Ushabti Bone all over, then a more focused and slightly heavier coat of the same on the sand in the cracks. Nearly there! I painted some Plaguebearer Flesh over the blackest parts of the flagstones to counter the pooling of Nuln Oil I wasn't happy with. Once that was dry I superglued dead grass flock and leaf litter into the cracks, in a few scattered areas, trying to keep them looking random and not too evenly spread out. I still need to do some touch-ups of the black frame and give it a light coat of spray varnish (when it stops raining!) but I couldn't wait to try some of the Gallowmire scenery on it. I'm very pleased with it. Pretty quick and easy (20th December 2020 to 12th January 2021 - with about a week waiting for the second delivery of cork sheet in between!) and it will look good with any of my Harrowmark scenery. I'm really looking forward to playing a solo campaign on it (and to playing against real people as soon as it is possible!!). The Cleavermaws had a look around too. The board can also double as the Great Oubliette, with a filter added to the photos:

I managed to get hold of a Temple of Skulls (thanks Joe!) and immediately set about covering the Chaos start with flagstones to make it look more at home in the Harrowmark or the Great Oubliette. Some plasti-card and texture paint and a very fast paint job later and it is ready! I undercoated it Chaos Black spray, then zenithal base coated it with Mechanicus Standard Grey. I dry-brushed the entire thing with Ushabti Bone. Then blocked in the "earth" areas with Steel Legion Drab, stone areas got washed with Athonian Camoshade at the bottom and Nuln Oil over the rest. The following day the wash was dry and I drybrushed with Ushabti Bone again, concentrating on the Steel Legion Drab areas most. I picked out the skulls with Wraithbone and painted them with Skeleton Horde. I glued on patches of dead grass flock and some piles of dead leaves then varnished the whole thing. It takes up a BIG chunk of a Warcry board!

Three little bits of scatter terrain for Gallowmire in The Harrowmark and they will probably make an appearance in The Great Oubliette too. I'm also working on making a textured and painted Warcry sized board - more on that soon! The Sorcerous Dais is made from the top of the Eternity Stair on a carved "pink insulation-foam" plinth, with the cracked floor with “bone tentacles” from the Shadespire scenery set, and a few extra skulls.

The 6th piece of Gallowmire ruins for Warcry in The Harrowmark finished. I've combined starter set ruins with parts from the Souldrain Forest set and some bits box extras. The Awakened Wyldwood trees are lovely to build but you can't rush them. I used a lot of desktop detritus and blue tac while each joint set. The Timeworn Ruins are deliciously skull-covered. Perfect for the Realm of Death! The leaf colours were more complex than they needed to be as I couldn't get it how I wanted it to look. The next one will be simply Wraithbone, Skeleton Horde, Nazdreg Yellow. (This one was sprayed Greyseer, dry-brushed Wraithbone, Skeleton Horde, Nazdreg Yellow, a dry-brush of Wraithbone again, then another layer of Nazdreg Yellow, then a dry-brush of Ushabti Bone... Far too many steps!! I think the simpler version will have the same depth as this; the complex one's middle step was almost completely painting over everything previously done!) The wooden parts were Greyseer, Goregrunter Fur, then dry-brushed with Steel Legion Drab and Ushabti Bone. Is that a cheeky map of Lake Bykaal, left lying around? There are still 5 more trees in the Souldrain forest kit waiting for me, along with some more ruins to combine them with.

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The Beast In the hills overlooking Dreadfleet Harbour, Urgog, Ersatz and the Badfangs searched for some kind of great flying beast. The warband planned to get to the ur-whale and as it was flying away from the lake they needed to be airborne too. They'd heard a rumour that a band of Pilgrims had a winged beast and they planned to take it from them and ride it to the ur-whale's back, then attack the world-spirit on foot, atop it's back. They moved silently through the darkness, they were experienced and stealthy hunters of great beasts. Urgog barely needed to say a word to them, they all knew their roles in tracking down and cornering their prey. Gloomston the Pardoner and a band of Pilgrims were gathered in the courtyard of a ruined chapel. Gloomston at their centre, hissing and gurgling at his flock, who all nodded and growled at each other. Gloomston saw the Badfangs at the moment they snapped-shut the jaws of their trap; soon enough to warn his followers, but too late to give him time to flee. The filthy Pardoner stood his ground, not wanting his disgusting band to be slaughtered by the Bonesplitterz. Howling in a Gorkamorka-addled rage, Urgog charged straight at him! Ersatz was just behind him. Gloomston ushered his followers forward, who threw themselves at the Bonesplitterz. Boss Ersatz hacked through the crowds of Crypt Ghouls. Suddenly Urgog and Ersatz found themselves surrounded, cut-off from the rest of their warband! More and more Crypt Ghouls poured out of the caverns and caves... But then... the squigs came! ║╞╪║╢╫╟╞ But the flying beast wasn't exactly what they were expecting...

I've completed the 5th Gallowmire ruin. This one is made from Lord of the Rings "Ruins of Osgiliath" kit that were also leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign. I added a few bits of paving stone made from plasti card and a bit of (I think) Lord of the Rings "Mines of Moria" wall. It doesn't match up in style with the Warcry ruins but in the same paint scheme it also doesn't look out of place. I have used some Osgiliath ruins parts in the Wortbad houses, so maybe this style is from an older period and the buildings got reused and built around? Layers of history.... This bit of scenery will also get used as a backdrop for the next part of my Great Oubliette of Shyish story.

I've completed the 4th Gallowmire ruin. I had some Aeldari Xenoscape parts, leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign, so I carved them up to make a "Ta Prohm" styled overgrown ruin.

The Portal A small ruddy light glimmered in the dark beneath the bowers. A flickering of unnatural fire in the shadows, floating a few feet above the ice-covered forest floor. The pinpoint grew into a thin, jagged line of bright amber light. A vertical wound, a crack in reality, that hung in the air. It contorted and widened as if a knife were being twisted within it. Orange fires poured out and illuminated the twisted branches of the forest for a minute. Shapes moved within the fires: crested hunched backs, elongated and horned heads, birdlike legs, black swords. The amber light blazed brighter for a moment then flickered out, leaving the forest in its more usual winter gloom. Mournblade, Herald of Khorne, and his followers had come to Lake Bykaal in the Realm of Death. Wardokk Urgog and the Badfangs saw the light in the forest, from the shores of Lake Bykaal and wanted to see what was making it. They followed Urgog into the woods and came to a shipwreck, tangled in the trees. Among the broken timbers of the ship the last of the strange fires died out. The silhouettes of horned creatures could be seen. The Badfangs howled and roared and raced toward them impetuously. Ersatz charged straight at Mournblade, he could see the Herald of Khorne was the biggest of the Daemons so he knew the fight with him would be the best! He shouldered past the lesser Daemons and the rest of the Badfangs piled into them. Urgog chanted madly and Waaagh! power coursed through the orruks. Green sparks popped and fizzed from their bone and stone weapons. Mournblade and Ersatz hacked at each other and leapt over the wreckage. Mournblade backed up, fighting defensively, drawing Ersatz into the tangle of broken timbers, away from the rest of the warband. Then the Daemon turned the tables and went on the offensive. Otherworldly fires leapt along his blade and he sent the Orruk tumbling off the wreck. The Badfangs fled into the night leaving the shipwreck haunted by Daemons... But they would let the rest of the tribe know what had happened, and they would be back with more ladz.

It could be an Ork shoulder pad. There was something red and spiny in the 40k character teaser video last month.

The Bad Sun Wardokk Urgog and Boss Ersatz sat on the frozen surface of Lake Bykaal, the purple-tinted moonlight gave them a strange hue but their godbeast-styled masks made them look stranger. They chatted in low voices and passed a goatskin of fungus brew back and forth (it had been "donated" by a band of Moonclan grots they had crossed paths with a day or so before). Ersatz was mid sentence when Urgog cut him off with an urgent gesture. The Wardokk inclined his head and listened carefully. Then he jumped to his feet and said "Geddup, the ice is creakin'!" The burley orruk Boss moved surprisingly fast for his size, clawed fingers and toes scrambled on the ice, then the two of them stood still and listened again before Urgog set off into the darkness at full sprint. Ersatz did his best to keep up, not quite understanding if they were running toward or away from something, but trusting the Wardokk knew what he was doing. An eerie blue-white light appeared under the ice behind them and Ersatz speeded up a little. The Bad Sun of Orkkuh! ╫║╞╪║╢╟╞ When they got close to the shore they found the rest of the Badfangs cheering and shouting at them. The noise attracted another warband that was patrolling the area. They were Realmgate Wardens from a Free City. They were led by Elatine Jast, a witch hunter from Hammerhal. Urgog watched as the Wardens started to spread out. They were cautious and professional. But the Badfangs were cunning. The sickly purple moonlight cast deep shadows and the Badfangs made full use of them. Suddenly a blazing light burst through the trees in the west and the orruks pounced. The Wardens fought harder than Zogfang expected and it took him longer than it should have done to bring down the soldier he attacked. Azgrok had to wade in, to help him. Much to Zogfang's annoyance. The Badfangs lost the element of surprise. Jast started shouting orders. Ersatz took that as his cue and barrelled into her. Anderton Fenn, Jast's second, leapt to intercept the massive orruk. But Wardokk Urgog stepped out of the shadows and the Wardens were broken.

Animosity II campaign Turn 2 has finished and you can read the Turn 3 Unfold Narrative here. Turn 2, path 4 Following the bounty you recovered at the Shore of Sightless Faces, Dyrnawen Silverfish and his soulscryers have begun tracking further groupings of Namarti fish-souls deeper into the lake. Another such haven appeared to be centered around the shipwreck of the Marie Elaine, but upon further investigation, you’ve discovered the Namarti fish-souls there incredibly ill, their scales burnt and rotting alive. Your Akhelian patrols and sneaky git scouts speak of a wandering mounted warrior who comes and goes with the frequent squalls, sickening and slaying all who draw near. Follow Dyrnawen's lead; enter the storm, find the warrior, and return with his soul in exchange for what he’s taken from us. ╫║╞╪║╢╟╞ Result: Lord-Celestant Hilmar Thunderstruck fulfilled his mission and confronted Lord-Celestant Han Shizhong and ran to ground between the shifting storms. hizhong was not at all what he seemed - corrupted and decaying. There was a loud crack and a flash of light. Nothing remained of the two Lord Celestants but a large, steaming hole in the ice, the water below momentarily boiling before starting to freeze back over. Dyrnawen Silverfish revealed the secrets of the Aethersea, and of the binding of souls and the beasts of the deep. Inspiration twinkling in his beady eyes, Hogrog ug Weirdklaw knew this would make for one hell of a story. ╟╟║╟╟ ╪

Happy to be wrong! So happy! *** MOD EDIT *** Sorry, no leaked pics please

I have finished the 3rd of my Warcry Ruins, this was a really simple build just so I could get it finished quickly. Then it took me over 3 months to paint it... I've started building the 4th. I found some Aeldari Xenoscape parts, leftover from making scenery for the Shadows of Commorragh campaign, so I carved them up to make a "Ta Prohm" styled overgrown ruin. I like where this one is going at the moment.

I don't think so. I think there are Orcs, Goblins and a Troll, but all of them are the existing (and still really nice!) BB versions.

Second Warcry ruin, with the stairs added to its base. Completed second ruin.

Lights in the Storm The skyship Selachii came to Lake Bykaal to deliver a cargo of foodstuff, dry beans and grain, for a customer who hoped to set up a merchant outpost there. Her Captain, Bodrin Bok, had hoped to pick up another cargo to make the return journey worth their while. His small crew had hoped for some small diversion in a port town. They were all disappointed. Captain Bodrin Bok led his landing party through the ruins of some anonymous town from ages past. The bitterly cold wind made them pull their fur-lined coats tight. He checked the map he'd been given for the seventh or eighth time but still wasn't sure they were in the right place. They had seen the beacon-light clear-as-Hysh but the lighthouse was nowhere to be found. The sound of drumming pulled Bodrin out of his musing: a rhythmic clattering of bones banged on stone and timber. Hoots of derision and course laughter. "Da fires that led you here was ours!" shouted Wardokk Urgog. The Bonesplitterz laughed hysterically. Zogfang shouted "A couple of dem are making a run for it Dokk!" and pointed with his chompa. Urgog shouted a command and a couple of Bonesplitterz jumped down into the narrow alleyway and sprinted after the terrified sailors. They herded the unfortunate skyshipmen into a trap. Zogfang jumped down to confront Bodrin and the remaining crew. The Wardokk and the rest of the orruks leapt after him enthusiastically. The men shouted in fear and anger, some drew swords and pistols but others just turned-tail and ran. The crew scattered and fled back toward their moored skyship. Bodrin Bok grimly stood his ground as Urgog barrelled toward him, with a painted bone war-club raised high, sparks of green energy rippled over it.

I've finished 3 more Bonesplitterz for the Badfangs and three Bonesplitterz objective markers. This is the whole warband so far: Boss Ersatz' mask is made to look how the Badfangs’ imagine the ur-whale. He is not the warband leader (Wardokk Urgog takes that role most of the time) but his is a big percentage of their combat power!

Turn 1, path 5 Soulmuncherz vs. Pilgrimage Shore of Sightless Faces Dyrnawen’s soulscryers have guided a host of Soulmuncherz to the Shore of Sightless Faces to investigate tales of strange fish in the area. Upon arrival, the Deepkin’s scryers have become so agitated they immediately called for reinforcements to secure this part of the lake at all costs, and prevent any further ships from traveling down the Thawing and further into the lake. Result: Soulmuncherz vs. Pilgrimage Shore of Sightless Faces After two days of brutal fighting back and forth across the ice, the Soulmuncherz and the Pilgrimage struck a bargain, which afforded the Soulmuncherz control of the Shore of Sightless Faces and allowed the Arali Heartsbane’s relief column to advance southward toward Nyuranka. Hogrog canonized several heroes into da Great Saga for their proppa scrappin’, and the Idoneth’s soul-mages have begun unraveling the shore’s secrets. ㅕ╫║╞ㅕ╫ The Animosity II campaign has reached the end of Turn 1, and the Discord sever for faction discussion and planning is very hard to keep up with; it's so busy and enthusiastic! The enthusiasm is infectious though and I have made some more Bonesplitterz for the Badfangs. Objective markers: Boss Ersatz The mask is made from a Killer Kan armour plate-icon and some leftover Dryad “head/hair” branches. The backpack is from an Ogors kit. The cowl is greenstuff. Bigtoof, the Bone Totem carrier. I have added a mask made from (I think) a bit of Daemon Prince armour, the skull from the Savage Boss kit (above) and more Dryad branches. I added a Bonesplitterz shield to the Bone Totem to make it different to the mask I used for Hogrog. Gugtusk, the Boarboy Maniac - the warband's (somewhat unpredictable and not really reliable) scout The last (or maybe just latest?) three models for the warband together:

Pilgrims of the Stones The Badfangs had been dispatched into the forested hills and valleys outside Tsatraya by Wurrgog Prophet Hogrog Ug Weirdklaw. They had been given the task of finding the resting place of the bones of a great beast, but there were many distractions along the way... ╢╟╞ ╪║ Urgog and the Badfangs padded through the ruined and tumbled gravestones and mausoleums of the Stone Crop. The air was sharp and cold in the wintry Shyish underworld of Lake Bykaal but the near-unclad Bonesplitterz didn’t care about cold or heat. Something moved in the darkness and they all stopped, peering into the shadows under the arches. Thin purplish moonlight filtered through the racing clouds, momentarily illuminating a group of wretched looking robed figures huddled together under the porch of a partially ruined mausoleum; they were also motionless, also peering into the dark. But they were looking the wrong way. Urgog looked round at Azgrok, Bortusk and Toofdrakk and used hand-signals to send the three Arrowboys off to find a high perch among the ruins, where they could overlook the graveyard. He signed to the Morrboys to spread out: Umclaw and Zogfang went left, Rukbeast and Mogrok went right, Urgog considered for a moment and went right too - he didn’t entirely trust Rukbeast. The five of them moved forward slowly, making use of the darkness and the angular stone forms around them. As they got closer to the wretched Pilgrims they could hear the low, guttural squabbling. Wordless noises, hisses and growls. Urgog looked back and saw the Arrowboys were in position. He raised his bone club into the air and signalled the start. With a whistle and a thunk, three arrows arced through the gloom and landed in two of the robed wretches. They howled in pain and the other Pilgrims panicked and scattered! Urgog roared and the Morrboys charged! ╪║╢╟╞ The Badfangs did not celebrate their small victory over the Pilgrims - they were not worthy of even a mention in the saga. They were not great beasts so they did not have the power of Gorkamorka in their bones or teeth. The skulls of his two former rivals (hanging from his belt) whispered taunts. They were always complaining or criticising, but they were especially annoying when they offered unwanted advice. Urgog ignored them, as he always did, but that didn't ever shut them up. ║╪ ╢╟║ I have no idea when I will be actually playing again but setting up dramatic dioramas around a story for an online campaign is an okay-ish stand-in for now!

Ack. I've edited my post but the link should be https://animositycampaigns.com/ Animosity is a series of online campaigns. Thanks! I can only really get "into" an army if I can find a way to make them my own. Adding masks seemed to both do that and keep them in character with official lore.

The additional 6 completed Badfangs brings the warband to Warcry size at last! They were painted with a combination of Contrast and "traditional" Layer paints and I'm really pleased that they match the older models in the warband pretty well. ║╪ ╢╟║ This will be my warband for the Animosity II campaign. You can join this campaign too! The campaign website is here Animosity II – The Burning Winter

I'm going to get back to these Boyz soon, as Hogrog has a staring role in the upcoming Animosity II campaign: The Burning Winter https://animositycampaigns.com/soulmuncherz/ I have built three more Morboyz and three Arrerboyz. They have masks already but they need greenstuff hoods before I can undercoat them.

Gallowmire is a ruined city in a deep valley seven leagues rimward from Wortbad, that probably dates back to the Age of Myth. The citizens of Gallowmire were once wealthy and traded goods with other cities in Shyish; Stonewarden, Overmere and Shadespire. The treasures from those days long-gone have mostly been looted and stolen, but a few may remain, hidden in the undergrowth or in forgotten cellars. Gallowmire was abandoned long ago, it was overgrown and almost lost to the malignant forests of the Harrowmark. Recently it was rediscovered by sky-pirates and used as a hideout between cruises. But something ancient has been disturbed there... ~ ~ ~ I have finished the first of my Warcry Ruins, I want them to look overgrown and tangled with trees so they fit in with the overgrown forest look of the Harrowmark. I will mix them up with Citadel Woods and my forest shipwreck on the Warcry board I plan to make from an A1 cork notice board.

Kaptain Mogrum stood on the aft deck of the Cleavermaw and looked out at the forests below. The wind sang through the rigging and the ship's timbers creaked. The crew busied themselves with repairs, the bosun and the carpenter pushed their teams hard. Truly magical timber was hard to come by, so they made do with whatever they could find. Anything wooden with the slightest charm, hex or ward cast upon it was stolen and pressed into service to plug up holes in the hull. Mogrum saw and heard none of this. He was deep in thought, studying subtle changes in the tides of invisible energies that ebbed and flowed across the Harrowmark. ~ ~ ~ I've been adding details to the pirate orruk sky-ship Cleavermaw. There is a lot more to do still, but I'm happy with the progress so far. I need to work out how I'm going to do the mast and some rigging next I think. ~ ~ ~ I have also started work on my Warcry starter set ruins, I'm making sure they fit in with the overgrown forest look of the Harrowmark. This is a new area that we haven't explored before: the ruins of Gallowmire, an ancient town in a deep valley seven leagues rimward from Wortbad, that probably dates back to the Age of Myth.