Road Rage

We're back on Gorkamorka, and after a frankly bruising first encounter Da Wreckin' Krew decided to change their name thanks to not being very good at wreckin' stuff, and rebranded as Da Dakka Boyz.

Hearing that Da Smashin' Kru were once again in the vicinity scooping up some scrap, Dakkaboss ordered his boyz onto da trukk to go and get those zoggin Gorkers and nick their stuff.

The chase was on.

The first game had seen my boyz take a bit of a mauling and there was already a bit of a gap opening up in terms of mob rating between myself and Matt.

Fortunately, the roll off gave me the choice of which scenario to play. I opted for 'Da Chase' because it meant that I could take advantage of my shootas without fear of too much return fire.

Also, the scenario looked daft, with a rolling road mechanic reminiscent of Mad Max 2 knock off board game Thunder Road, that I owned in my youth.

Despite getting first turn, an immediately failed thrust roll allowed the Gorkers to put some distance between us, but not before I managed to get some hits in on the bike, causing a flesh wound on the biker and damaging his kannons.

This meant that despite Matt's usual proclivity to charge maniacally at the enemy, no matter the game, with four scrap counters loaded on the bike, there was now no reason for it to turn around and it made a beeline for the board edge.

This now left the two trukks exchanging broadsides, with my 'eavy shoota posing a real threat.

However, it was Rivvet, one of my shoota-armed boyz who scored the hit that knocked some scrap off the back of the Gorkers' trukk.

Da Smashin' Kru didn't stop to pick it up and so I dispatched Grot (he doesn't need a name, there's only one of them) to grab the scrap.

He tried is best to keep up, but was left behind in the dust, facing the long walk home.

Meanwhile, this interlude had allowed the biker to get even further away, and it looked like the same was going to be true for the Gorker trukk until I managed to knock another load of scrap off the back, which Matt decided to risk stopping for.

Despite a hail of shells smacking into the ground around the yoof who'd been thrown off to grab it, they managed to haul the scrap back on board, but the gap had closed.

Before the Gorkers escaped, I managed to knock yet another load of scrap off, and this time they didn't st and so I was able to get my grubby mitts on more loot.

With Da Smashin' Kru disappearing off the table I was left with two scrap counters, a bunch of experience and, most importantly, no injuries.

Technically I lost this battle again, due to having fewer scrap counters, but given that there were only seven in play, with four on the bike, when I didn't immediately knock the bike out of action the result was pretty much a formality.

I was a fun game and we laughed a lot.

When it came to the campaign stage, I picked up a bunch of new skills; the highlight being that my Spanner, Trukksmakka, is now a stunt driver, protecting me from spins and swerves.

I had a profitable turn and opted to blow my loot in fitting a wrecking ball to my trukk. Mainly this was because the model has one already, but I'm aware that Matt's mob are significantly more tooled up for fisticuffs, and so the new addition might make him wary about getting too close.

Although it's just as likely to smash up my own trukk.

In other news I've built some thirty year old cardboard terrain from. The Digganob supplement. To give us some more things to drive around.

Putting the wrecked ship together without instructions was a bit of an adventure.

The four tents were much more straightforward and will serve as all sorts of tribal encampments in lots of different games.

I'm actually considering basing these pieces to make them a bit more sturdy as they aren't really models that you can easily disassemble for storage.

However, for now they are least given Da Dakka Boyz somewhere to camp.

Start Your Engines!

A few years ago, I started to paint up my old Gorkamorka gang and Matt and I got a bit excited about playing a few games. And so I went full steam ahead and painted up the full gang, a trukk, a wartrak and a biker. 

Whilst waiting for Matt to catch up, I then painted up a few barrels and scatter terrain. And then another Trukk to potentially start a second gang.

Whilst waiting some more, I painted up a gang of Rebel Grotz, along with cobbling together bits to finiah and incomplete Big Lugga and completely scratch built a Cutta.

And then I waited some more...

Until now!

We finally managed to get a game in, just a mere three years after first discussing it.

In Matt's defence...

...nope, I've got nothing.

Anyway, a quickly put together 'Da Rekkin Krew' which consisted of a Nob, a Spanner, a Slaver, 3 Boyz and a Grot, all piled into a Trukk fitted with an Eavy Shoots. I actually leaned into being shooty, with several of the Boyz armed with Shoots. Obviously, this sort of kunnin thinking makes them Morkers.

Matt brought along Da Smashin Krew (we didn't plan this), a bunch of Gorkers: a Nob, 2 Spanners and 4 Boys riding in a Trukk and accompanied by a Bike fitted with twin Kannons. 

Having invested quite heavily in guns, I was delighted to find out that we'd be playing Da Fight, which stayed that no Orks could shoot (my Grot was fine) until they'd been involved in a ram or a boarding action.

Brilliant.

The early turns saw the two trucks jockeying for position and I managed to get several attempted rams in, but the Gorkers kept swerving away. The cowards.

Meanwhile, I was also being tailed by the Bike, which, and in a fit of bravado, and in an attempt to break the deadlock, my Nob attempted to leap aboard, but he got thrown off, left behind and gave the Biker carte blanche to open fire on my Trukk.

Oh good.

Fortunately the biker wasn't able to inflict any damage and thanks to a convenient spin, I managed to finally t-bone the Gorkers Trukk, immobilising it and allowing me to unleash my shoots.

However, in the crash, my Eavy Shoota was damaged and it turns out that Orky shootas aren't great at damaging vehicles.

Smashing.

With an immobilised Trukk, there was no reason for the Gorkers to stay aboard and their boss and another boy mobbed my Nob and took him out of action.

Swell.

Hoping to race away from the stranded Gorkers I ended up spinning instead and so took the opportunity to smash into the Bike as well, wrecking it in the process.

Unfortunately, as my shootas were proving less than effective, this left me too close to the Gorkers who swarmed my Trukk and began a series of boarding actions with varying degrees of success.

However, those that did get aboard then proceeded to win every fight, even when I had advantage in the fights, and my numbers began to get whittled down.

Marvellous.

Finally, despite managing to take both vehicles and several Orks put of action, my Morkers bottled it...or should I say, made a kunnin and taktikul retreat.

My Nob was captured, my Grot was killed (never mind) and three of my Boyz were hurt. Matt 'kindly' ransomed my Nob back, and I did pick up several skills, but there's already a 20 point difference in our gang rantings.

Fantastic.

At least we both lived up to our gang names. DA Rekkin Krew wrecked his vehicles and Da Smashin Krew smashed my face in.

Better luck next time. Waaargh, etc.

A Shokking Development

I fear I missed my calling.

When I eventually came round to building my first 40k army. I opted for Blood Angels as I had a handful of Space Marines and the 4th edition codex came free in White Dwarf.

However, I should have been an Ork player from the start as cobbling stuff together from scrap turns out to be right up my street.

This time I've built the dreaded Shokk Attack Gun.

A contraption that dates back to 1991 and require literal pages of rules in its first iteration, the Shokk Attack Gun punctures a hole in reality allowing Snotlings to be teleported to somewhere in the vicinity of their enemy (sometimes appearing inside them).

Needless to say, this is the sort of fiendish device I want in my Waaagh and given that I had some Snotlings to paint, the time seemed right.

My Shokk Attack Gun is built mainly from a spare weapon mount from my Land Raider Spartan and some lengths of wooden skewer. The stand is a Leviathan Dreadnought's foot.

The iconic three-pronged spinny thing is a conveniemtly shaped bit of sprue and some beads with a bit of Daemon fire added to give some sense of motion.

The front cone is a hanging basket from the Mars Attacks terrain.

I and really running out of Orks in my bits box, and so I've drafted in a Heroquest Orc to serve as my Mek. He got a shoulder pad, a hand swap from the spare arm of the Mek I painted last year and a metal Necromunda backpack which has appeared from somewhere.

I needed to reposition his left arm to get it to an appropriate angle, and I had to reattach his right leg when it shot off whilst I was removing his chunky base.

The Snotlings, including this on the base of the Shokk Attack Gun were easy and fun to do, although they were much more time consuming.

I'm the current game, as well as in 5th edition, the Snotlings don't actually serve a purpose, however in 2nd edition they were essentially ammo markers.

I have no problem just having these for the aesthetics.

I am now properly out of Orks or Grots to add to my army unless I was to tool up some more Heroquest models, something that is not totally out of the question given my relative lack of Boyz.

However, there's a new edition due out soon with Orks in the somewhat discounted starter box, so it's quite likely Armageddon that.

Acquired: 15

Painted: 105

Lead Mountain: 654

Cost Cutta

I said a couple of posts ago that I might have a go at cobbling together a second vehicle for my Rebel Grotz in Gorkamorka.

And I have.

This is my take on the Rebel Grot Cutta, a lightly armed and armoured, sail-powered vehicle used by Grots who don't have access to the same quality of scrap as the Orks.

It's a totally bodged together creation made from bits and pieces from my bits box combined with some coffee stirrers and a wooden skewer.

At a push, it can probably carry around five Rebel Grotz, which is more than enough to prevent me from overloading the Big Lugga and allows them to fart off from the main force in search of scrap.

The sail is nothing more complicated than a triangle of old dust sheet painted cream. The paint gives it a bit of thickness and shape.

The rest of the painting was done with my usually Orky blend of washes, drybrushing and sponging.

All in all I'm really pleased with how my kitbash has turned out and as you can see, it's pretty close to the original model, although I might see if I can add some sort of steering mechanism at the back.

I'm delighted with how this Gorkamorka gang has turned out. I now need to get my hands on a couple of the rulebooks, Da Roolz and the book from Digganob, as I currently only have Da Uvver Book.

I know I can use pdfs from legally grey sources, but I really like having the physical products when I'm playing.

Acquired: 15

Painted: 102

Lead Mountain: 670

Scrapheap Challenge

Whilst my mind was occupied with all things Rebel Grotz, I also explored my somewhat diminished pile of 40k bits and pieces to see what else I could cobble together.

The answer turned out to be...cannon!

This creation is my attempt at a Gretchin Lobba, essentially a mortar, designed to drop large templates of explosive death somewhere in the vicinity of the enemy.

The decision to make a Lobba rather than any other form of Gretchin cannon was informed by the fact that in 5th edition 40k, which is the version we play most often, units of Big Gunz are required to all be of the same type.

As I already have a catapult-style Lobba, a mortar it needed to be.

The Lobba itself is mainly made from spare parts from my Leviathan Dreadnought, which were stuck together to form the frame of the gun.

The wheels are spares from when Pete printed me some Soviet AA Guns for Bolt Action, with the tyres that I removed from the car I turned into Fallout scenery - fortunately they fit perfectly.

A few metal resin bits from 7TV kits and other areas of my bits box finished off what I think is a pretty good approximation of the real model.

The crew are the last three Gnoblars I still had hanging around. One of them had his hands swapped so he could be holding two flintlock pistols (that counts as an Auto pistol, right?)

After painting the metal Rebel Grotz, these were a bit of a chore as they lack the detail and character of their more venerable cousins. I kept things simple to get them done quicker.

All in all, I'm pretty pleased with this unit. I've managed to craft something unique which evoked the spirit of the official model and is totally recognisable as to what it is.

I'm still in a kitbashing mood, so I'm keen to see what else I can come up with. Given that I have two more of those wheel/tyre combinations left, along with the original third wheel from the Big Lugga, I'm currently looking at how to construct a chassis for a Grot Cutta for Gorkamorka.

Acquired: 14

Painted: 99

Lead Mountain: 673

Wot A Revoltin' Development

For a variety of reasons, I've had a bit of an odd March, hence the lack of posts.

I needed something fun to break me out of a bit of a funk and there is very little in wargaming more fun than cramming a load of goblins into a cobbled together vehicle and launching it at the enemy in the vague hope that they might achieve something.

This is a Rebel Grot Big Luggage from Gorkamorka, crowded with as many Rebel Grotz as I could lay my hands on - which turned out to be eleven.

As it happens I could have done a couple more, but I ran out of Gorkamorka bases, so those little runts are destined for other projects.

The Rebel Grotz themselves are great little metal models from the mid-nineties, armed to the teeth and all wearing armbands that affirm their loyalty to the Red Gobbo.

I think these are either variations on the standard Gretchin models, or they provided the inspiration for the current plastic models as they are very similar.

Whichever is true, these sculpts give the lie to the idea that newer and plastic is always better.

The banner is a second edition banner I've had lying around for many years. Technically it's a speed freak banner, but it fit the colour scheme I was going for and saved me a lot of effort.

The rest of the gang are regular Gretchin without armbands and equipped with less stuff. I think the chap with the catapult might technically be a Snotling, but I'm not sure I care enough to find out.

Like the Ork gang I made for Gorkamorka, I can easily use these chaps in 40k if I ignore the base size issue, however, I think some of the Rebel Grotz have weapons that aren't available as options outside of Gorkamorka.

The Big Lugga itself actually began with me having only part of the model: the base, the catapult, the propeller and three wheels.

I've constructed the canopy out of spare bits I had lying around, including undead banner sections to use as ladders, an engine block that came with a 7TV vehicle and a couple of Meccano wheels.

One of the elements I was sad to be missing from the original vehicle were the Snotlings pumping the clockwork propeller into action.

Even though I had the engine, I wanted to pay an homage to this by adding a Snotling whose job it is to hit the engine to make it go.

I'm really pleased by the final outcome for a number of reasons: I think I've done a pretty good job on the Rebel Grotz, which are great miniatures; the rescued Big Lugga is pretty damn close to what it should look like; and the whole gang can cram on board, giving me a second Gorkamorka gang should Matt never get round to finishing his.

It should be noted, that the arrangement to get them all on board is more than a little precarious. Given that in Gorkamorka (as in 2nd edition 40k) the transport capacity is whatever you can fit on board and models that fall off, fall off in game too, I'm looking at kitbashing a Grot Cutta (a smaller vehicle) to ease the pressure on space.

However, that's for a later date, as I've currently got a few other Orky projects waiting in the Mekboy's workshop.

Acquired:15

Painted: 95

Lead Mountain: 681

Killa-Kan

I've been playing with my 3d printer again and have spent some time exploring files on the Bambu Handy App which are free for me to use and come already laid out on the build plate, making things much quicker.

There's only a limited range of relevant files on there and some are of dubious quality. However, there are quite few useful files that I'm looking at making use of...such as this one...

This Ork Dreadnought (or more appropriately, Killa-Kan) is a single piece print and so didn't need any assembly after it printed.

However, it did need a good amount of time tracking down all the supports that were tucked away in recesses that needed removing.

The file printed well and there were no issues, however, it does lack some detail on the back. Also there are some areas, such as the drill arm, that don't seem appropriate to an Ork vehicle, being too organic in appearance. 

However, I'm not too worried. It's a free model and you can explain anything away with Orks.

From the front, I think it looks great.

As ever with my Orks, I kept the painting incredibly simply, relying on sprays, washes and sponging.

My only real concern with this model is that not only does I probably need a gun of some sort adding, I think it also needs at least two friends adding to its unit.

I'll need to check.

Acquired: -76

Painted: 396

Lead Mountain: 373

Gobsmacked

I've always been one for finding ways to spend less money on my miniatures: buying second hand, kitbashing, converting, using proxies, etc.

However, there is one method of getting cheaper models that I've previously largely avoided; 3d printing...

...until now!

Yep, I've gone and got myself a 3d printer (technically my birthday present) and am currently learning what it can and can't do.

I've opted to go for an FDM printer rather than a resin one for reasons of space, mess, faffing and not wanting to do permanent damage to my lungs due to lack of adequate ventilation.

The model I've gone for is the Bambu A1 Mini for a few reasons. Firstly, it's remarkably affordable; certainly when compared to other models and seems to be on offer right now. 

Secondly, it's pretty much a 'plug and play' experience and set up took me no time at all. Within less than an hour of opening the box I was printing my first doohickies: a print bed scraper (that I've not used yet due to the flexible magnetic bed plate) and a 'poop catcher' (for keeping the extruded filament from being flicked all over the floor).

Thirdly, and most importantly, my research had told me that the Bambu A1 and A1 Mini were currently the best bet for getting decent prints of miniatures from an FDM machine, something I'll go into more depth on in a future post.

However, my first goal was to print something that FDM printers are good at: big stuff. Namely, a tank.

The specific tank in question is a 'Gobsmasha' for my 40k Orks.

This tank was first featured in a issue of White Dwarf, back in the days of Rogue Trader, and was actually a model readers were given templates to scratch build out of cardboard and coffee jar lids.

I never made the model myself, but I was sorely tempted. However, our family didn't drink enough coffee for me to make the Gobsmasha before my impulse faded.

There was never an official model for the Gobsmasha in 40k, although they did turn up in Epic scale (I had four of them) and there was apparently an Armorcast resin version.

This model is an unofficial design I picked up from Cults3d and can be found here.

Printing it was remarkably simple and didn't require many supports, even on the barrel. Doing all the parts separately took the best part of a day to print and I ended up trimming the axels as I felt the wheels stuck out too far.

Painting was simple as ever with Ork contraptions. I undercoated black, dry brushed Leadbelcher all over, and blocked in the yellow before washing the whole thing in Agrax Earthshade.

I then sponged on more yellow, Averland Sunset, to brighten it up before freehanding the checker pattern on the front to give a bit of visual detail.

Finally I sponged on some weathering and picked out the rivets.

I'm delighted with the outcome. As we mainly play 5th edition 40k I'll be fielding this as a Looted Wagon upgraded with an 'Ard Case, Armour Plates and a Boomgun.

However, after al this I'm somewhat shocked at how quick and simple it was to print and paint a full vehicle for a significantly reduced cost. There is a worrying likelihood that my vehicle and terrain collection could possibly explode.

I'm trying to resist the urge to print print print, and so I've promised myself that I'll only print things I definitely want to paint up immediately. I'm also slowing things down by experimenting with printing miniatures, which is turning into a bit of an adventure.

Acquired: -81
Painted: 122
Lead Mountain: 449

Old, New, 'Borrowed' and Blue

"If we wasn't meant ta loot it, it wudn't be where we cud find it!" - Death Skull proverb

I mentioned in my last post that I had an old tank I wanted to kitbash into an Ork vehicle, but I didn't know what to do with it.

Well, I decided.

I had been considering using the model as a Looted Wagon, either with an overly large 'boomgun' or a transport deck for my Goffs to ride in. Both of these ideas would have involved a degree of construction on top of the tank.

However, after perusing my bits box I realised that I still had a bunch of pointless mounted weapons from the Land Raider Spartan, including a heavy flamer.

A quick bit of research in the 5th edition Ork Codex revealed that flames, tracks and a little bit of extra armour on a buggy sized model could result in something that would pass muster as a Skorcha.

My Skorcha began life as a 'Tank in a Tin', a small gift I was kindly given by Mrs Cheaphammer quite a few years ago.

Due to the fact that it was an American tank in 1/72 scale, there was no opportunity to use it in Bolt Action or Flames of War, and so it has sat unloved and alone, as the 12 soldiers got transferred to 101st Binbound Regiment.

I had contemplated using as the basis of a mechanical Daemon Prince or some kind of Mechanicus construct, but these ideas never took root.

However, removing the turret and replacing it with a hatch and pintel mounted heavy flamer from the Land Raider Spartan crew I had something that could conceivably be a PDF or Arbites armoured car that's been 'liberated' by the Orks for use as a Skorcha.

Given that the Death Skull clan are known for looting pretty much anything not nailed down, I went with a chipped blue paint scheme and added a few bits to make it a little more Orky: spikes, grinders, bull bars, etc. and an undead shield design that passes for a Death Skull glyph.

The gunner was cobbled together from a Gorkamorka body, a couple of 2nd edition arms, a bit of Leviathan foot as a shoulder pad and a head from the 1987 Fantasy Regiments plastic box that I still had.

I decided to add the stowage on the back for a several reasons: I wanted to break up the blue paint; I wanted to lean into the Death Skull theme and add stuff they've looted, and I felt the vehicle still looked too imperial.

All in all, I'm really pleased with a vehicle that has cost me nothing, but adds to my army with a bit of humour and narrative. It's about the same size as the Trukk I painted last week, so it's pretty much the right size too.

The only downside side is that it is more anti-infantry weapons, meaning that I'm still not well place to deal with the Imperial Guard tank that all of my potential opponents now own.

Leaning into the lucky blue of the Death Skulls seems to have rubbed off, as Mrs Cheaphammer revealed that for some reason she had a £10 voucher from Games Workshop which was about to expire. Therefore I rushed off to the webstore to spend it.

It's VERY hard to only spend £10 in this manner.

Ultimately I decided to grit my teeth and pick up a Mek for the eye-watering price of £18 plus postage. I figured that after the voucher was deducted £10 was fine for a model I wanted for the army anyway and is only available online so discounts elsewhere weren't possible.

I do like the model though.

He's painted in Bad Moon colours to go with my Warboss and the largest clan in the army.

As part of the lucky streak, Mrs Cheaphammer and I were asked to take part in a survey on our local area and were each rewarded with a £10 Amazon voucher by way of thanks.

Fortunately (there's a theme here) I was able to find a very good copy of the 5th edition Ork codex for exactly that amount and free postage.

All in all, it's been a lucky week and most of that good fortune seems to emanate from Mrs Cheaphammer.

It seems I married well.

Acquired: -81
Painted: 58
Lead Mountain: 518