WAAARGH-trakk

Here come the Orks again, perversely just after 'Orktober' is over.

Why?

Well, two reasons. Firstly, I was busy Zomtobering. Secondly, I didn't actually have any Orks to paint last month. 

However, things have changed...

As I'm sure you'll remember that I have acquired a metric ton of old miniatures from a friend, most of which I'll be selling on his behalf, but some (and it's a big 'some') which turned out to be my old miniatures I left with him when I moved out of London twenty years ago.

Amongst the heap were my original Gorkamorka gang from when the game was first released. Myself and a different friend split the box between us and then I splurged on a few additional purchases.

The only model in the gang with any paint on it was the Wartrakk, and although unfinished is a healthy reminder of how far my painting has come.

Therefore, with waves of nostalgia cascading over me, an Ork army already on the go in need of mobile fire support and a base coat (of sorts) already done, I set about finishing off a project that is over a quarter of a century old.

To keep thing simple and actually allow me to ignore stripping the model, I stuck with the original colour decisions, adding a layer of Mephiston Red over the chassis, Lead Belcher over the metalwork, and making some better decisions about the crew's clothing.

The entire model was drenched in Agrax Earthshade and then highlighted up where necessary; in much the same manner as I did the rest of my Ork horde earlier in the year.

I'm really quite happy with the result.

I do love the look of the Wartrakk.

Clearly based on the Kettenkrad light tractor, it harks back to the time when there was more than a little WW2 German elements in the 40k Ork range. The original metal model's driver was wearing a stahlhelm and the gunner had an officer's cap.

More politically aware times came along and these potentially problematic elements were phased out. I think the plastic Gorkamorka Wartrakk was the last of these elements to disappear into history (although I believe there still might be stats for it in the 'legends' category).

One thing I'm really enjoying about painting Orks is doing all the chipping and weathering. It's a really quick way to make it look like I've spent a lot more time on a model than I have.

The Wartrakk is an easy addition to my 2nd Edition army, adding a whole 50 points, mobility and some slightly heavier firepower. I'm not sure it's a game changer on its own, but it does mean I get to watch it blow up regularly.

Additionally, mentioning Gorkamorka has prompted Matt's nostalgia, and so we're both now busying ourselves in the Mek's workshop to get gangs ready.

Given the amount of miniatures I've now acquired, I felt the need to get an easy win in to, and so I've done this piece of scrap terrain which is also from the Gorkamorka game. 

Nothing fancy, just Leadbelcher drenched in Agrax, but it gives us something to crash into.

I need to start admitting how many miniatures I've acquired, but this will have to be in stages as I don't actually know the full extent yet.

So, just counting the Gorkamorka gang and vehicles, a Ratskin Gang for Necromunda and a load of barrels, that's another 38 miniatures to begin with...

...of which I've painted two.

Acquired: 128

Painted: 272

Lead Mountain: 457