Quantcast
Channel: Hungry Ghosts Chaos Squats of Khorne
Viewing all 50 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Space Skaven Sergeant Squeek "Squeek" Squeek

November 30, 2011, 8:34 pm
$
0
0
As we know, Jervis Johnson once declared that there would "never, never, never be Space Skaven". Well, explain this, then. Here we have Space Skaven Sergeant Squeek "Squeek" Squeek. Sgt Squeek has been inducted into the Hungry Ghosts army to serve as a Bodyguard for General Stalkarlik. Not that someone as Mighty as General Stalkarlik needs a Bodyguard, but Skaven with Guns are Fun.

Space Skaven Squeek is one of the 1986 C47 Chaos Ratmen designed by Jes Goodwin. He appeared first in the Autumn 1986 Citadel Journal under the name of Carver. Early releases of this miniature had spikes so sharp they made your fingers bleed if handled unwarily; later editions had the spikes shortened and dulled down. Sgt Squeek is a fingers-bleeding version that is from the first blister pack of Skaven I bought. Plans to make a Skaven army for 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle were dashed by the ridiculous numbers of mandatory troops required in the Warhammer Armies book, and by all the exciting Eldar that came out in the early days of Warhammer 40K. And by my short attention span.

http://solegends.com/citjour86a/cj86ap21c47skaven-01.htm


So Squeek first got his gun as a Tech Weapon Chaos Reward as a member of a Chaos Warband from the Realm of Chaos: Slaves to Darkness system. The old Chaos rules let a young lad cram many a different race of critter into one army. Now, we must settle for "counts-as" troopers and corpse minis to satisfy our attention deficits. Sgt Squeek has had his paint refreshed for his new role in the Hungry Ghosts.

Ah, the good old days. Things always seem better in the hazy glow of times gone. But that hazy glow is poisonous gas from use of our rivers as toilets and industrial waste receptacles. Even the delicate lighting of those fancy Monet paintings were produced by streets and streams full of sewage...
↧
Search

A Great Disturbance in the Force...

December 2, 2011, 1:50 am
$
0
0
... Death Star or Full of Stars?

The Great Houses shall tremble and the Golden Throne of the Emperor quake as his control over the flowing spice spirals through his hands and drifts to the desks of mere men.


http://technabob.com/blog/2011/12/01/3d-printed-warhammer-40k-figurines/

http://www.shapeways.com/model/288190/dark_scorpion_pose_05.html?gid=mg
↧
↧

It's Gettin Hot in Here: Unfortunate Plasma Gunner Alied Poelgeest

December 8, 2011, 10:22 am
$
0
0
Hungry Ghosts has been working on a second headquarters unit, under the command of Colonel Iron Beard Schtarken, because that's exactly what you need to do instead of finishing your tanks and bikers.

Actually, our Headquarters troopers are the result of restructuring. Plasma Gunner Poelgeest was intended for The Underdeepers squadron before I decided that they would all be Perry brothers sculpts with caps on their heads, while this Squat is a Bob Olley edition.

The compact nature of this sculpt didn't leave much opportunity for conversion, so I decided to complete him in the "Gets Hot!" stage of the life of a Plasma Gunner. The exploding Plasma Gun uses tree-scenery fluff for the plasma, Japanese Cherry Blossom and white glue, with paint for the transition from white-hot to red-hot.

The explosion gave the opportunity to experiment a bit with source-lighting effects, and Spc Poelgeest has been given extra stark highlights on his face and his clothing that faces the exploding plasma. His giant rat compadre is also well-lit on the plasma side. But he already has extra legs, mysterious spikes, and open sores, so he's more likely to survive the plasma-explosion than our Gunner.

I also, of course, found some space for minor converting, adding a Battlefleet Gothic gun bit to the top of the Plasma Gun near Poelgeest's face. It helps fill the gap in the diagonal line created by the form of the plasma that leads up to Poelgeest's hat.

This front-to-back diagonal line-of-sight is also prominent from the back-left view. Where it is complicated by the creation of another diagonal along the left-to-right axis, with the gold symbol on the shoulder pad joined by the Potato-Masher Grenade (Rogue Trader Space Orks sprue) that ends with a severed Daemonette head. Because exactly what you need as a Plasma-Gunner is some grenades to amplify your meltdown.

From the front-left, Poelgeest is revealed to have a leaning backward footing, helping to give the impression that he is getting knocked back by the exploding gun. The added Daemonette head, in addition to being lunch, adds to the appearance of falling back by jutting chin-out away from Poelgeest. And also sets up another diagonal axis of view leading from the triple-layered BFG gun bit accross the triple-lined shoulder pad to the bright pink head. And I finally got to use that ridiculous Imperial Purple paint.

Here is our final view from the back, with the dead eyes of the Daemonette staring back at us. As well as the full horribleness of Alied's Brillo-pad mullet hair-style. There was also a bit of room to add more of the brass/brown hue to the mini, so I added an iron-cross symbol to his back (from a Black Templars accessory bit), snugly fitting the space between hair and grenade. Whoever is behind this exploding Squat is getting some shrapnel.

This is another mini where none of the conversion work involved cutting off anything - from this side we can see that the plasma was glued onto the Plasma Gun instead of replacing any part of it.

Here's another picture of Spc Poelgeest charging ahead of the rest of the Iron Beard Command Unit.

One more of Iron Beard and Company having some friendly rough-housing with a squad of World Eaters Space Marines. Remember when holding training exercises with the World Eaters: They are ALL live-fire exercises. Helmets on. Got that, Trainee Squad Leader Rico?
↧

Squats in Citadel Catalogs and Annuals, Historia Squatitcus: Appendix 3

December 9, 2011, 9:11 am
$
0
0

Squats in Citadel Catalogs and Annuals, Historia Squatitcus: Appendix 3

1980 to 1983 Citadel Catalogs - None

Compendium 1 UK & US: These contained rules for using Science-Fiction weaponry in Warhammer Fantasy Battle, making it possible to convert Fantasy Dwarfs into Space Dwarfs.

Arcane Listings - None

Compendium 2 - None

Compendium 3 - None

Citadel Journal Spring 1985 - None

Citadel Journal Autumn 1985 - None

Citadel Journal Spring 1986 - None

Citadel Journal Spring 1987 - None


1988 Citadel Catalog (Retail)

Adventurers p. 4005 – Squat Engineer and Miner (http://solegends.com/citcat88/4005adventurers.htm)

Medics p. 4006 – Squat Medic 1 and 2 (http://solegends.com/citcat88/4006medics.htm)

Mercenaries p. 4007 – Irn Bonce aka 4007-04 (http://solegends.com/citcat88/4007mercenaries.htm)

Devastators p. 4008 – Squat Mole Mortar (http://solegends.com/citcat88/4008devastators.htm)


1989 Citadel Catalog (Retail)

Space Dwarfs p. 0007 - plastic box of 36 (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c890007plasspacedwarfs.htm)

Adeptus Mechanicus p. 4011 – Squat Servitor (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c894011impguard.htm)

Main Squats Section

Squat Command Group and Warriors p. 4201 - Perry Brothers minis from White Dwarf 94 and 97, complete Command range, Gunslinger & Garand have integral backpacks (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c894201squats.htm)

Squat Warriors p. 4202 - Bob Olley minis from White Dwarf 108 (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c894202squats.htm

Squat Bikers p. 4203 – Motorcycle bits, 5 plastic-arm Bikers and Living Ancestor (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c894203squatbikers.htm)

Squats p. 4204 – plastic-arm Squats, Adeptus Mechanicus, Exo-Armour 3, Squat plastic weapon and arms sprues (http://solegends.com/citcat89/c894204squats.htm)


Summer 1989 Citadel Catalog (Trade)

Squats Section p. 071010-01 and -02 – 3 blister packs of 5, retail sleeve included 2 each of 6 different packs

Pack 1: Brethren with Flamer (Autogun 1), Brethren with Plasma Gun (Plasma Gun 1), Brethren with Las Pistol (Las Pistol 1), Brethren with Flamer (Flamer 1), Breathren with Las Gun (Las Gun 1)

Pack 2: Brethren with Las Pistol (Las Pistol and Hand Flamer), Breathren with Las Gun (Las Gun 2 aka Lewis Gunn), Brethren with Melta Gun (Melta Gun 1), Brethren with Autogun (Las Gun 7), Standard Bearer with Bolt Pistol (Iron Claw Squat 5 aka Lt Yarvin)

Pack 3: Brethren with Las Pistol (Las Pistol 4 aka Barry Schmeisser), Brethren with Autogun (Las Gun 8 aka Gatt Gunslinger), Brethren with Autogun (Autogun 3), Breathren with Autogun (Autogun 2), Brethren with Shuriken Catapult (Shuriken Catapult)(http://solegends.com/citcat89summer/09-071010-squats-02.htm)

Pack 4: Brethren with Autogun (Autogun 4), Casualties (Wounded 2 and 3), Warlord with Hand Flamer (Hand Flamer), Brethren with Las Gun (Las Gun 3), Brethren with Las Gun (Las Gun 4)

Pack 5: Warlord with Las Pistol and Chain Sword (Officer with Las Pistol and Chain Sword 1 aka Uzi Makarov), Warlord with Bolter and Auto Pistol (Bolt Pistol and Auto Pistol aka Iron Claw Squat 1, aka Captain with Bolt/Las Pistol aka Gol Orta), Brethren with Las Gun (Las Gun 5), Brethren with Plasma Gun (Plasma Gun 2), Standard Bearer with Las Pistol (Standard Bearer with Las Pistol 1 aka Hughes Phalanx)

Pack 6: Warlord (Heavy Weapons Commander 1 aka Capt. Khyrk), Brethren with Las Gun, Brethren with Melta Gun, Brethren with Las Pistol, Brethren with Las Pistol (http://solegends.com/citcat89summer/10-071010-squats-02.htm)


Late Summer 1989 Citadel Catalog (Trade)– none


Autumn 1989 Citadel Catalog (Trade)

p. 071010-01 and -02: same blister packs as Summer Catalog

Forces of the Imperium p. 072045: Squat Thudd Gun (http://solegends.com/citcat89autumn/c89aut-072045-1-03.htm)

Forces of the Imperium p. 072117-03: Both Squat Medics, Squat Medic with Las-Gun and Squat Medic with Las-Pistol and Chainsword in blister pack with 2 Imperial Army Medics (http://solegends.com/citcat89autumn/c89aut-072117-3-03.htm)

Forces of the Imperium p. 072117-04: Squat Servitor in blister pack with Imperial Adeptus Mechanicus and 2 Servitors

Squat Adeptus Mechanicus in blister pack with 2 Imperial Adeptus Mechanici (http://solegends.com/citcat89autumn/c89aut-072117-4-03.htm)


Winter 1989 Citadel Catalog (Trade)

Imperial Armoured Vehicles (for Epic Adeptus Titanicus) p. 072714: Blister pack containing 3 Termites, Imperial Mole. Squat Thudd Gun and Mole Mortar with Space Marine among extra bits included in blister packs. (http://solegends.com/citcat89winter/cat89wint023x-03.htm)


Winter 1990 Citadel Catalog (Trade)

Price List Part 1: Squat Blister packs GBP 2.99 USD 7.50, Motorbikes GBP 3.50 USD 8.50, Forces of the Imperium GBP 2.99 USD 7.50, Imperial Armoured Vehicles GBP 2.99 USD 7.50

Squat Warriors p. 071007-1: Trade Sleeve contains 4 of Blister 1, 3 each of Blister 2 and 3, 1 of 4 and 5. Blisters include Arms and Guns sprues.

Blister 1: Warriors with 3 of Plastic-arm IG Style Squat 3 (with Helmet, 1 of Squat 1 (wounded, no helmet)

Blister 2: Warriors with 3 of Plastic-arm IG Style Squat 3 (with Helmet, 1 of Squat 2 (wounded, helmet)

Blister 3: Hearth Guard with Squat Warlord and 4 Hearthguard (http://solegends.com/citcat90winter/TradeCatWinter1990Pg06-02.htm)

Squat Warriors p. 071007-2

Blister 4: Living Ancestors and Bikers with both Ancestors, Guild Master 1, Adventurer 2, Warrior Casualty

Blister 5: Bikers with Guild Master 2, Bikers 1 2 3 4 (http://solegends.com/citcat90winter/TradeCatWinter1990Pg06-02.htm)

Squats on Motorbikes p. 071034-1 Trade Sleeve containing 2 each of 6 Blisters with Arms and Weapons Sprue

Blister 1: Bikes & Trikes with 1 Bike with single large rear wheel, 1 Bike with pair of large rear wheels, both have Headlamps, Biker 4 and 6

Blister 2: Bikes & Trikes with 1 Bike with single large rear wheel, 1 Bike with pair of large rear wheels, both have Headlamps, Biker 2 and 3

Blister 3: Bikes & Trikes with 1 Bike with single large rear wheel, 1 Bike with pair of large rear wheels, both have Headlamps, Biker 1 and 5 (http://solegends.com/citcat90winter/TradeCatWinter1990Pg08-02.htm)

Squats on Motorbikes p. 071034-2

Blister 4: Bikes & Trikes with 1 Bike with single large rear wheel, 1 Bike with pair of large rear wheels, both have Headlamps, Warlord Biker and Hearthguard Biker

Blister 5: Bikes & Side Cars with 1 Bike with single large rear wheel, 1 Bike with Side-Car and 2 small rear wheels, both have Headlamps, Guild Master Biker and Hearthguard Biker with Living Ancestor passenger

Blister 6: Heavy Weapon Trike with Biker Rider 5 and Biker 3 (standing) with Multi-Melta and Headlamps (http://solegends.com/citcat90winter/TradeCatWinter1990Pg09-02.htm)


1991 Blue Citadel Catalog (Part 1)

p. 46 Imperial Assault Weapons including Squat Thudd Gun and Gunner (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2046impguardassault.htm)

p. 47 Imperial Assault Weapons including Squat Mole Mortar with Gunner and Loader (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2047impguardassault.htm)

Main Squats Section

p. 52 Squats Command Groups series (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2052squatscmd.htm)

p. 53 Squats single piece minis, mix of WD 94 and WD 108 and a few others (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2053squats.htm)

p. 54 Squats with plastic-arms and 2 Medics, Adeptus, Servitor (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2054squatscmd.htm)

p. 55 Paul Bonner b/w Illustration of Imperial Squats Headed into Battle

p. 56 Squat Bikers and Bike Parts (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2056squatsbikers.htm)

p. 57 Squat Heavy Weapons shows only 1st Las Cannon, Conversion Beamer, Multi Melta, 2nd Heavy Bolter (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2057squatsheavys.htm)

p. 58 Chaos Squats: 3 Power Armour, 2 Exo-Armour, 5 Plastic-arm Mutants (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2058squatschaos.htm)

p.59 Squats in Exo-Armour: 3 Exo-Armour, Exo-Trike Bits (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2059squatsexos.htm)

p. 60 Space Dwarfs box of 36 plastic troopers (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2060squatplastics.htm)

p. 61 Kevin Walker b/w illustration of Squats and IG battling Genestealer Cult

End of Squats Section

p. 67 Squat Tinboy (Ork Inventions, http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2067orkinventshunz.htm)

p. 114-115 Las Guns and Heavy Bolter sprue and Squat Arm Sprue (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2114plastics.htm) (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2115plastics.htm)

p. 123 Epic Imperial Mole and Termites (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2123epicimptanks.htm)

p. 124 Epic Hellbore (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2124epichellbore.htm)

p. 144 Warhammer 40K Rule Book and Compendium incl. Squats rules and Army List (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c214440kbooks.htm)

p. 146 Realm of Chaos Slaves to Darkness and Lost and the Damned incl. Chaos Squats (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2146rocbooksmemp.htm)

p. 157 Combat Cards- Chaos and Space War feature Squats (http://solegends.com/citcat911/c2157dicecardstrollgames.htm)


1991 Red Citadel Catalog (Part 2)– none


1992 Green Citadel Catalog (Part 3)

Plastics 40K Arms and Backpacks: Squat Arm Sprue (http://solegends.com/citcat9x3/c92387plasarms-02.htm)

Epic Imperial War Machines: Imperial/Squat Leviathan (http://solegends.com/citcat9x3/c92414epicimpwarmachines-03.htm)

Epic Squats: Squat Land Train with Battle Cars and Colossus with Gyrocopter (http://solegends.com/citcat9x3/c92416epicsquatwarmachine-03.htm)

Epic Squats: Squat Goliath Mega-Cannon, Overlord Airship (and Mark Gibbons b/w ill of Squats vs Khorne Berserkers) (http://solegends.com/citcat9x3/c92417epicsquatwarmachine-03.htm)

The Squats of Golgotha Epic Army package on page 438.


1993 Black Citadel Catalog (Part 4)

Epic Squats: Cyclops, page 499. http://solegends.com/citcat9x4/c93499-02.htm


1994 Citadel Catalog

Epic Squats: Goliath, Overlord, Colossus, Iron-Eagle (http://solegends.com/citcat94/cat1994091-02.htm)

Epic Imperium: Mole (http://solegends.com/citcat94/cat1994092-02.htm)

Epic Imperium: Squat Cyclops (http://solegends.com/citcat94/cat1994093-02.htm)

Epic Squats: Leviathan and Thunderfire (http://solegends.com/citcat94/cat1994095-02.htm)


1995-1996 Citadel Annual*

Termite and Mole on p. 127; Ordinatus Golgotha and Armageddon p. 129; Ordinatus Mars p. 131; Leviathan & Thunderfire Cannon p. 142; Cyclops p. 143; Land Train and Warriors Sprue p. 144; Colossus, Goliath Mega-Cannon, Overlord Airship p. 145; Chaos Horde Sprue p. 147; Stomper Sprue p. 168.


1996 Epic Catalog

32 color pages, US printing. Mole & Termite p. 4; Ordinatus Mars, Golgotha, Armageddon p. 9 (Armageddon also in battle scene of IG vs. Chaos); Colossus, Leviathan & Gyrocopter, Goliath, Thunderfire, Overlord, Gyrocopter, Cyclops, and Warriors Box p. 10; Stompers Box p. 17; Chaos Horde Box p. 20; Ork and Squats Warlords Rules box p. 26; Golgotha and Mars shown in battle scene on back cover.


1997 Citadel Annual– None


1997-98 UK Mail Order Details and Price List– 48 black & white pages, including covers. Offers all available miniatures from the 1991 to 1994 Catalogs.

Warhammer 40K - Adeptus Mechanicus & Servitors are 3.00 GBP each, Thudd Gun 9.00 (Chassis 2.00; Gun Shield, Right & Left Gun, Tractor 1.00 each; Wheel 1.25; Gunner 1.75), Mole Mortar 6.00 (Barrel 2.00, Stand 0.75, Gunner & Loader 1.75 each). (page 7)

Squat troopers available for 1.75 or 3 for 5.00, Motorcycles / Bikes are 8.00 for the Heavy Trike, 5.00 for the Bikes & Trikes (Bikers & Riders 1.75 each; Trike Chassis 1.50; Front Wheel & Trike Wheel, Swivel-Mounted Multi-Melta all 1.00 each; Side Car, Bolters, Headlights, Bike Wheel, Side Car Wheel all 0.75 each). (page 7)

Heavy Weapons Squats are 1.75 or 3.50 for Gunner & Weapon, Weapons 2.00 separately. (page 8)

Chaos Squats in Power Armor 2.00, Exo-Armor 4.00 (2.00 for Bodies, 1.00 for Arms), Chaos Squats 1.75 or 3 for 5.00. (page 8)

Squats in Exo-Armor 4.00, with Trike 8.00 (Trike Chassis 1.75; Trike Wheel, Lance Arm, Banner Pole all 1.00 each; Bike Wheel 0.75). (page 8)

Space Dwarfs Weapons and Arms Sprues are 1.00 each, Heads & Bodies Sprue no longer available. (page 8)


Epic Warhammer 40K - Mole 5.00 (Transporter and Mole 2.25 each, Platform 0.75, Piston 0.50), Termite 1.75 or 3 for 5 (Termite and Transporter 0.75, Surfaced Termite 0.50), Hell Bore metal bits available for 1-4.00, plastic tracks not available. (page 10)

Land Train 7.00 complete, Engine Chassis 2.50, Superstructure 2.00, Battlecars Chassis 1.50, Weapon 1.00 each. (Land Train to Overlord all on page 21)

Iron Eagle Gyrocopter 1.75 or 3 for 5.

Colossus 9.00, or 3.50 each for Left and Right Sides, Thunder Cannon 1.00, Doomsday Cannon 1.25, Landing Pad 0.75, Missile Rack 0.50, Battle Cannon Turret 0.25.

Goliath Mega-Cannon 6.00, or 3.00 each for Base and Cannon.

Overlord Airship 6.00, or 2.50 each for Upper & Lower Half, Cannons 0.75 each.

Ork and Squat Warlords Rules box not available (p. 22).

Squats of Golgotha Epic Army package no longer available (p. 25).

Cyclops 10.00. Hulls & Hellfury Cannon Top 1.50 each; Hellfury Barrel 1.00; Barrel Support, Doomstorm Missiles, Battlecannon Turret 0.75; Hull Rear, Ram, Melta Cannon 0.50; Hellfury End 0.25. (p. 28)

Epic Squats from the 1994 Catalog are listed on p. 42 at same prices, with illustration of Armored Squat Head.


1998 Citadel Annual– None

1998 UK Mail Order Annual Price List - 18 black & white pages, including covers. No Squats.


1999 Citadel Annual - None

2000 Citadel Annual - None


2001 Bulldog Battlegear Catalog– Color, Dwarf Dog Tag (6.00 GBP / 11.55 USD) Belt Buckles (12.95 / 22.55) – Symbol is mid-90s style that looks like it could be Dwarfs or Squats.


2004-2005 Catalog and Hobby Reference - None

2005-2006 Complete Catalog and Hobby Reference - None

2005-2006 Specialist Games and Classic Range Catalog - None

2006-2007 Complete Catalog and Hobby Reference– None

* For the second half of the 1990s, there were various guide to Warhammer minis published in different countries. The Citadel Annuals were published in the UK, but also available in the US (I think). The current lines of minis were shown in complete bitz form in the Annuals. But some lines of minis were left out entirely from these Catalogs if they were being redesigned at the time. The missing minis were still available from Mail Order, as were various minis that were not in the current lines (like the Squats).

There were also Citadel Catalogs in North America, showing the various assortments as packaged for the continent. They were sometimes complete for all the current ranges, sometimes they were split up into 40K, WFB, and Epic.

I am not really sure what Catalogs or References were produced from 2001 to 2004.

↧

Hungry Ghosts Minimalism: Flamer Specialist Gravensteen

December 9, 2011, 9:12 am
$
0
0
Our next Squat from Col Iron Beard's Command unit is Flamer Specialist Zwakke Gravensteen. Right away, we can see that a very restrained approach to converting Gravensteen. Also right away, we can see that Zwakke is painted like a psychedelic black-light poster. This trooper is another of the "what's that gun?" early Squats by Bob Olley, which I tend to put into command or special weapons units where more weird weaponry can be expected.

Since the pistol with the rows of glowing lights is small, but also intended to be a Flamer, which tend to be big guns in the modern Warhammer 40K Universe, Zwakke was painted in bright colors consistent with fire. Except for his right arm, which has an inconveniently large Las-Pistol, and was therefore painted in dark colors to make it easier to ignore.

Spc Gravensteen is assisted in his attempt to emphasize his Flamer by his rat, who has the fine lustrous red fur that can only be achieved by a steady diet of Eldar Fire Dragons.

Gravensteen is another Squat where none of the converting involved removing bits of the mini. Aside from Col Iron Beard and Vox-Lieutenant Lawaaierig, this command squad is made of Squats sculpted by Bob Olley featured in White Dwarf 108. Most of them were well-behaved troopers with Las-Guns with padded Imperial Guard style armor and other acceptable weapons, and were put in the Blue Catalog and kept in production. Others were dropped as too strange looking or having too many guns. Gravensteen went out of production in 1991 or so, as did 3 more of the upcoming Squats in this unit.

Like Spc Poelgeest, who remained in production, Spc Gravensteen has been embellished with an Iron Cross from the Black Templars, hopefully for the obvious connection.

The main conversion for Zwakke is as subtle as an Ork, flame-like spines extending from his waist up along his back to his shoulders. They are from the Dark Eldar Warriors helmet bits, which you probably thought were useless until now.

The flame-spines give Gravensteen a bit of a dinosaur look to him. Which in 40K terms, is exactly what he is.

More Fun with the World Eaters. So cute when they try to be sneaky.

From the World Eaters Recipe Codex: No matter what color the outside of the Space Marine is, they all taste the same on the inside.

Col Iron Beard and Company
↧
↧

More Col Iron Beard Command Squad Chaos Squats: Slag Zwartwaal

December 20, 2011, 10:20 am
$
0
0
The next 3 Hungry Ghosts from the Col Iron Beard Command Squad have no significant conversions. They were painted a while ago as a break from painting Eldar, before I became obsessed with the Space Dwarfs, and realized that their smaller surface area made for faster painting. So these bearded-battle-brothers will appear in the heat of battle for extra excitement.

First up is Trooper Slag Zwartwaal. He is one of my oldest Squats, the only Bob Olley sculpt in a Space Dwarfs blister pack of 5. Here we see Slag from the front, ambushing a Space Pirate with his autogun. Zwartwaal is one of the Bob Olley designs that are hard to convert- the man doesn't like non-textured surfaces, and usually keeps any weapons or other gear in a position that makes it tough to swap them. But I can't promise that I won't give in to the urge to convert him at some point.

The ungulate skull on Slag's base is a metal bit, not from GW, but I can't remember where. Our Space Pirate is a GW model, and is an old Space Marine wearing Mark 3 Iron Armor. Iron Beard's warriors are facing a mixed band of pirates, including Orks and other less well-defined entities. And let's recall that Col Iron Beard himself is from the poorly-publicized Squat Pirates series.

Col Iron Beard and Zwartwaal from above, showing the integration of Slag's gun with both arms, chest, and beard; a strong thwart to the would-be mutator. Zwartwaal already comes with strange cybernetic additions to his head as well.

In this picture, the Hungry Ghosts face off with Rogue Trader era Eldar. The commander Lessei Moondancer is not merely pointing his waybread-stained finger at Col Iron Beard, but is armed with a Jokaero Digital Weapon. Made by strange orangutan-like aliens that were strangely re-introduced as an elite option for the Grey Knights army last year (with a similar miniature available from Reaper), these tiny versions of powerful guns could wreak havoc upon the playability of a carefully planned scenario under the Rogue Trader rules (when a Games Master was part of the 40K system).

Iron Beard's team is joined by some fellow Khorne Renegades, an Ex-Tech from the RT601 Adventurers series, and Hacker Harris and Catachan Luke from the RT7 Mercenaries series (which featured Squat No.1 Irn Bonce). Here they face the nefarious mutant champions of Tzeentch and Slaanesh.

Zwartwaal has one small addition, a skull with nails driven in it placed snugly in the gap at the back of his belt between pouches and pistol (from one of the Inquisitor-scale Arco-Flagellants).

What is Catachan Luke looking at?

Sneaky Harlequins!
↧

Col Iron Beard's Bodyguards, Lt Horst Haakhoeken

December 21, 2011, 10:21 am
$
0
0
In the center of the fray, we now find Lt Horst Haakhoeken, one of Col Iron Beard Schtarken's pair of bodyguards. The Space Pirates our Chaos Squats face a is heavily armed band of malcontents, with the Ventolin Pirate and a Bolter-bearing Ork taking aim at Haakhoeken. Ah, Ventolin, a most precious substance to the young asthmatic, and a reminder of days long gone when intellectual property law was not Enforced With An Iron Fist (TM).

The Ork is obviously after Haakhoeken's lunch, a nasty pinkish rotting torso from an old metal Zombie. Horst bears a symbol of a wild boar's head on his shoulder pad, which he shares with Zwartwaal. While the boar's head may indicate a quality luncheon meat in modern America, Haakhoeken's zombie bits are not recommended for consumption by live mammals.

Taking the Squat's-Eye view, we can see the snarling teef of the Ork with the dangerously poorly constructed Heavy Flamer. It also becomes clear that the Hungry Ghosts face one of the more bizarre characters in the Warhammer universe, the Iron Claw Space Pirate known as Nightwing. And that the pirates are being surrounded as our Khorne Renegades appear behind the wall readying their weapons.

Lt Haakhoeken lunges at the green menace, Bolter firing, large backpack and sidearm making simple conversions difficult. Horst is from the Bob Olley Squat Warriors released in White Dwarf 108 in 1988, many of which are in a lunge-and-fire position. Horst's Bolter resulted in his swift disappearance from the Squats line, as rules modifications made the weapon a symbol of the Space Marines (and Orks). He is one of 6 Squats from the WD 108 set left out of the 1991 Blue Catalog.

And to ease the curious mind (a thing of great danger in the Warhammer Universe), that Ork Runtherd is riding on a Giant Wildcat. Giant on the Warhammer scale, but an average sized bobcat for the GI Joe action figure he came with (Spearhead, cat named Max). The Wildcat was also painted for Warhammer use, originally a uniform and icky orange-brown color.
↧

Col Iron Beard's Bodyguards, Lt Kipper Kabeljauw

December 22, 2011, 10:22 am
$
0
0
We all know that a warrior as powerful as Col Iron Beard doesn't really need bodyguards. But more Space Dwarfs are Better. Today, the second of Schtarken's wing-dwarfs, Lt Kipper Kabeljauw. Though potent, Iron Beard needs his wing-dwarfs and supporting Khorne Renegades, as he is faced with quite a large group of Champions of Tzeentch and Slaanesh.

In contrast to the usual Hungry Ghosts practice, three of the Chaos Champions were not painted by me (or converted in the case of the winged warrior), but came from the cyberseas of eBay already finished. Except for the disk-rider, who has been on my shelves for many years.

Back to the Squats. Lt Kabeljauw is another of the White Dwarf 108 series of Squat Warriors. Kipper is armed with both a Bolter and a mystery pistol, ensuring that he was dropped from the roster before the 1991 Blue Catalog. Also tough to modify, Kabeljauw was instead painted in a shimmery-zombie style, with the white-on-red eyes of the damned.

Thus, Lt Kabeljauw is the ideal foe for the (never permitted even in the crazy Rogue Trader times) Mind Flayer that has popped up on the battlefield: his zombie-brain is both immune to flaying and hungers for the sweet thought-spaghetti hidden in the head of the Ithilid.

Like the other troopers in Col Iron Beard's command unit, Lt Kipper is in a shooting-while-moving position that fills most of the area of the base, so he was also just given small pieces of debris to pass by on his way to the kill (IG cannister).

To give Kipper his glossy appearance, a smaller range of colors was used, with the metallic tones closer to the color of the clothes, and stronger highlights. The sculpt of the mini also gives it natural shadowing in various locations as well. A similar paint style was used on the Space Pirate Nightwing to a lesser extent.

The equipment on Lt Kabeljauw's back provides the opportunity for the metal of the guns to continue across the shoulders, with the orange gloves and tunic blending with the metal. His blue helmet was given multiple highlight spots to increase the glossy appearance, while his boots almost disappear into the base debris providing a bit of a forward gliding motion to his positioning.

The stance of the WD 108 Squats allows them to be placed as flanking on either side of Col Iron Beard, working with his out-stretched weapons and arms. While his wing-dwarfs take the flanks, Schtarken's pet rats stare-down the enemy with their stern forward gaze.

↧
Search

Space Dwarfs Beyond the Galactic Fringes: Fantastic Miniatures Squat Berserkers

December 27, 2011, 10:27 am
$
0
0
Another chapter in the sporadic review of Space Dwarfs Beyond the Galactic Fringes (that is, Space Dwarfs not made by Citadel). This chapter will take a look at a series of miniatures sculpted by the Grand Beardmaster Bob Olley for Fantastic Miniatures in 2004 and 2005. They have been variously referred to as Squats, Space Dwarfs, and Futuristic Dwarves. There are 13 Fantastic Miniatures Squats, most or all of which are still available from Fantastic Miniatures through their eBay store (though none right now due to the holidays).

This breed of Squats includes 4 Berserkers, including 1 Limited Edition Champion, 3 Warriors in Heavy Exo-Armor, 3 Infantry Troopers, and 3 Heavy Weapons Troopers.

First is the Limited Edition Squat Berserker Champion. This Squat is a single-piece sculpt armed with a what is probably a Lasgun that also functions as a double-handed Power Axe. He has a rather complicated hairstyle, ornate clothing, and a malevolent glare.

From the back we can see that this Berserker has put a bit of forethought into equipping himself for battle, not very typical for his type.

This particular model is 186 of the series of 250, and came with the business card sized Certificate of Authenticity. A compact and effective sculpt that wards off any conversion attempts with his fierce gaze and big axe. But that lower right leg is looking rather vulnerable to the X-acto-wielding mutator, Mr Berserker.

The other Squat Berserkers came as a set of 3 Bodies and 6 separate Arms to mix and match. Berserker 1 has a Road Warrior in Ninja Booties outfit and 2 Very Large Pistols, 1 with a Very Large Bayonet. Like all proper Berserkers, he is in a lurching forward for the attack position.

These Berserkers were molded with pins in the arm-slots and holes in the arms, which affected the range of possible positions. But since the arms were separate from the bodies, there was still the opportunity to match the weapons with the bodies. B1 has his legs spread out, as well as his beard and hair above his ears, so he was given arms that would also be spread wide, and the nubbins sticking out on top of the guns work well with his hair tufts above his ears.

B1 has a nicely armored back with some fine spikes to give second-thoughts to any creeping Tyranids who might be contemplating an ambush.

Berserker 2 bears a Headband of Thorns and also a fondness for Skull-shaped belt-buckles. He has been given a fine machete with serrated edge. Also some sort of Flamer or a plasma-spewing gun, again with a bayonet should the fuel canister run dry before the enemy is crispy or the gun has exploded.

B2 is also nicely protected from treacherous assaults from the rear as he rages forth across the battlefield. B2 was given the Left-Arm with Big Flamer Gun as his stance was advancing forward with his left foot, while the machete arm worked better with the straight right leg, ready to hack to death any still-moving burning critters. The circular shapes on the Big Flamer Gun go nicely with the circular bits and buttons on his gear.

Berserker 3 shares the Mad Dwarfs Beyond Thunderdome style. His Mohawk hair and bald head went well with the potato-masher grenade as well as the shape of his probably-plasma pistol.

Lots of small ridges and bumps on B3 from combining his body with the Grenade Arm and the Plasma Pistol Arm. I pity the fool who makes fun of his parachute pants.

Overall, these Berserkers are a nice groups of frothy-mouthed additions to the Hungry Ghosts army. The sculpts all fill out their bases nicely, while the different stances allow them to be placed close together without getting their weapons caught together. Their style is also a departure from both the old Bob Olley Squats made for Citadel and the Scrunts Space Dwarfs made for his Olley's Armies brand. And while their upper bodies are well detailed, those bare arms and puffy pants leave a bit of room for adding some extra spikes or chaos symbols.
↧
↧

Space Dwarfs Beyond the Galactic Fringes: Fantastic Miniatures Squat Heavy Weapons

December 28, 2011, 10:28 am
$
0
0
Next on our Fantastic Voyage* are the Heavy Weapons Squats. As can be seen, these minis are single-piece bodies in the familiar Warhammer 40K Infantry Troika of Helmet-Hat-Bare Head (I keep waiting for Bear Head, but fear that dream will never come true...). These Squats were sold as a group, with 4 Heavy Weapon choices.

First a look at Gunner Karll. He bears more than a bit of a resemblance to the old Citadel RT303 series Gunner Karl (http://chaossquats.blogspot.com/2010/04/underdeepers-autocannon-team.html) but has pulled down his shades to protect his eyes from the flashy Grey Knights about to be blasted to bits. This Gunner Karlll is packin' a pistole in case any bugs get close in, something that the RT303 Karl should have thought of.

Gunner Karllll and the other gunners also share the love of tucked in puffy pants with the Fantastic Minis Berserkers.

From the other side, the Ginormousness of this Heavy Weapon can be fully appreciated. Is it a Missile Launcher? A Heavy Plasma Gun? A Heavy Plasma-Missile Launcher? Gunner Karlllll was given this Heavy Plasma-Missile Launcher since his slightly upward gaze matches with the upward tilt of the gun, and the bits of the gun that stick out on the top side look kind of like his hat.

Our Gunner with Helmet is sporting a tactical jumpsuit of unremarkable detail.

Gunner Helmut is firing a Las-Cannon type heavy weapon. Its bulbous center matches best with his helmet, while the ammo-cartridge at the back of the gun resembles his backpack. Another sculpt designed to blend in with the 40K Squats.

Last is the bare-headed gunner, in a kneeling position. Gunner Kneif got the Heavy Bolter type gun because it also has an angular shape mimicking a kneeling Squat. Also small and compact Kneif needed a small and compact gun.

From the right side, we can see...nothing special. Another simple design evocative of the Imperial-style Rogue Trader Squats.

Abbey Road view. Overall, the Heavy Weapons outshine the Gunners in this series. But that's nothing that a few tentacles and a pile of spiky armor bits can't cure. Maybe some severed heads here and there.

And the 4th Heavy Weapon? What the hell is it?

* A song of apt prophecy for our Squats & the Hungry Ghosts Mission-
They wipe out an entire race and I've got to write it down
But I'm still getting educated but I've got to write it down
And it won't be forgotten.
↧

Space Dwarfs Beyond the Galactic Fringes: Fantastic Miniatures Squat Infantry

December 30, 2011, 10:30 am
$
0
0
Part 3 of our tour through the Fantastic Miniatures Squats designed by Beardmaster Bob Olley. This time it's multi-part Infantry Troopers. These stout warriors are a bit of a mix of the Citadel Squats designed by the Perry Brothers and those by Bob Olley. Again we have the Warhammer 40K Infantry Troops Troika of Helmet-Hat-Bare Head, but the heads are swappable, as are the arms and guns.

The lack of weapon options is a stark contrast with the bounty of bits that would be offered with the Olley's Armies Scrunts ranges of Space Dwarfs. But since Hungry Ghosts feels the need to use every Space Dwarf and every bit at some point in time, it's a bit of a relief. On the other hand, Hungry Ghosts disdains tiny little pistols, so when these guys officially make it into the Legios Moriad XIV Expeditionary Force, they're going to need new guns.

Our first assembled Squat is Trooper Karl Marx, who has already been warped a bit with a Skaven Standard Bearer's Arm. The balding head reminded me of Squat Guild Master 1, so it got put on the Trench Coat Body.

View from the rear.

Left Side

Right Side

Chaos-upped with a Defiler Head!

A good capitalist, as all Dwarfs are, he had to cover his commie-looking head.

Next up Trooper Fidel Castro. At least his pistol is big and there's a skull on his cap. Will definitely need some mutating though.

Rear view, showing the large shoulder/back armor common to many of Bob Olley's Squats for GW.

Right side for details of Big Pistol.

Infantry Trooper 3 with Helmet Head. This Squat also features body armor similar to the Squat Warriors that first appeared in White Dwarf 108. Also a little bit of Baron Harkonnen in his pudgy styling.

Not that Baron Harkonnen.

This Baron Harkonnen.


Rear view, lots of space for spikes, maybe a tail or an extra arm, maybe both. But not for a neck. No need for one of those.

Showing off his complicated rifle, the envy of his pistol-packing peers.

All Together Now

That's about all the fun we're going to get from these guys until they take a bath in the bits boxes, so off they go.

BH again! He looks almost harmless here. Except for the Twihard nails.

↧

Thunder Chiefs Rough Rider Trollo and Other Distractions

January 19, 2012, 11:19 am
$
0
0
The last Thunder Chief is finally done...who we first met back in June 2010...but it's late now and so it's bait-n-switch time for a look at some of the endless little project that derail the Hungry Ghosts Supply Train.

A bit more progress on Storm Trooper Lammoth, who we've seen before, though not with Dark Eldar Talos scraps scattered about.

The Draconian, Space Marine from Chapter Krynn. That Dragon-horn head just kept looking at me from the bitz bins, can't remember where it came from...High Elves? Bretonnia? Swirly pattern makes me think Dwarfs, but it's just time to accept that there are now more plastic bits of Warhammer minis than my brain can contain. That said, though, he's got a Lizardman Saurus Arm with a Rogue Trader Eldar Meltagun lengthened with part of an Epic plastic Imperial Paladin Knight Titan cannon arm, Paladin also provided the Right Leg, Tomb Kings Chariot Crew Tabard, Blood Angels for the rest of the lower torso, Adeptus Mechanicus Chest bits, Dark Eldar Scourge Wings, Necromunda Pit Slaves Shears, metal Chaos Marines Shoulder Pads, and a hidden Tzeentch Horrors Tail 4.

Plus scenic diorama of the Warhammer food-chain: Ogre absent-mindedly (is that redundant?) drops a slab of ribs, ribs attract baby Steed of Slaanesh, Snotling thinks it's smart enough to net it, unaware that Draconian is going to snip its head off and flash fry the lot of them as soon as he turns around.

Scout tank, mostly from the big jug of not-Citadel bits I bought, Warzone Cybertronic Light Recon Vehicle with some anti-grav looking bits and Empire Steam Tank Engine for a turret.

Chaos Motorcycle- Warzone Imperial Hedgehog Necromower parts with (I think) some of the 2nd version of the Cybertronic Eradicator Deathdroid.

Chaos Cycle Rider in Squished-Bug Position - GW AD&D Rust Monster body hiding under Genestealer Patriarch Back, various 90s Chaos Spawn Limbs, Chapterhouse Alien Tentacle Head, Legs of a Heresy Leaping & Creeping Critter that I think is out of production.

Space Dwarf Experimental Aircraft- GorkaMorka Death Kopta parts, Scrunt Pilot, Tyranid Trygon/Mawloc bits.

Hungry Ghosts version of Nork Deddog, made from little Dark Horse Miniatures Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Terror Bears with a Cities of Death Lamp-Pole to give them the Ogryn-height. Feasting upon a Space Marine Casualty and a Squat Head. So cute when they have brains on their fuzzy widdle paws and mouwfs.

Chaos Squats Conversion Beamer Heavy Weapons Team, The Elephant and The Porcupine.

The Elephant, plastic Squat body enhanced with Chaos Terminator head (just in case anyone needed any more proof that their heads are too small), some plastic Dwarfs, Empire, Dark Elf, Tau, Space Marines, CSMs, and Dark Eldar bits (see if you can find them all).

The Porcupine. If anyone offers you some shiny new Necrons, Dark Eldar, and Tyranid bits, say Noooooooo!

Nothing says Conversion Beamer like Necron bits.


I forgot that The Elephant also had a bit of the old Wood Elf in him.

Oh, it is late and I am as low on the sanity points as when GW gave the green light to add the Jokaero to the Grey Knights army list. Hurrah for sense of humor! WTF? for inappropriate place.
↧

Thunder Chiefs Rough Riders Number 10: Trollo Foutengeur

January 29, 2012, 7:30 pm
$
0
0
The Hungry Ghosts Thunder Chiefs Rough Riders squad is finally complete with the addition of Trogoth "Trollo" Foutengeur, a shameful 19 months after his primordial gestation in the bits box. Trollo here raises the question, though he is clearly 1 miniature for gaming purposes, what does he score as for miniature painting progress? 1 base = 1 mini? Trollo's bike's wheels are sliding over the edges, and our Pit Slave is barely hanging on. Vehicle + Driver = 2, Pit Slave is large angry base-flocking? Vehicle + Driver + Victim = 3, and we have a mini-diorama on the cavalry base? Is this best left as an argument for Legolas & Gimli?

Anyway, we've gone completely Road Warrior with this Biker. Like a spiky bat out of hell, Trollo is waving his shotgun in the air in a mad attempt to plow down his foe from the Cursed Earth using his bike's engine pipes before getting his head blown off by what even our Chaos Squats must recognize as a freakishly large pistol.

Trollo's Land Rocket starts with the very-pointy Spiked Skull Battering Ram from the Warhammer Siege series. To maintain the round shape, the rear section of the Ram is surrounded by 2 curved toothy jaw-plates from the Ogre Hand with Bear Trap, by getting rid of the hand part. To maintain proper skull levels, the gap in the top was filled with the Skull with Spike bit from the GorkaMorka Wrekka Trukk.

The front part of the engine was made to spread out to the sides, similar to the handlebars, Trollo's arms, and his seat back, with a tilt upward for a triangular shape. The central dome is the rear cover of the plastic Dwarf Cannon with a nice curved spike from the decades-old Skeletons sprue. Once again, smoke launchers are called to duty as exhaust pipes, this time a double-stack of the Space Marines Dreadnought launchers.

The bulk of the front engine section, wheel, and axle is made from most of the Seat from the 2nd version of the Blood Bowl Dwarf Death Roller (minus the long pipe). As we can see, the Seat provides a nice set of pistons and pressure chambers, while the front wheel fits into the bottom gap between the Ogre-trap-jaws. On the other hand, substantial regions of the Seat have a wood grain pattern which needed to be hidden with a nice Shovel (metal from the old Dwarf Miners Equipment sprue) and some greenstuff to strap down the shovel and attach the front an rear halves of the motor-trike.

Trollo from the right, with Dwarf Beer Stein close at hand. The curved studded engine pipes about to pummel our Pit Slave are from a 1990s Chaos Warriors Musician Horn bit. Both hide the wood grain pattern on this side. The rear wheels and chassis under Trollo are from the Ork Hop-Splat Gun. The handle bars are the top half of the Ork Bike Front Wheel part, with the front wheel and spokes used for fellow Thunder Chief Ken. With a similar rivet pattern, a conveniently sized curve, and a reasonable amount of skulls, Chaos Terminator Trophy Racks have been placed behind the rear wheels.

The Trophy Racks also fit right in between the wheels and the rear section of the engine, which is a Space Marine Servitor Heavy Bolter Backpack with some plastic bits to make it more interesting - ribbed thin tube from the Rogue Trader Eldar Arms, thick tube from RT Ork Power Axe, curved canister from IG Flame Thrower Backpack; Explosive Tipped Axe from the usual source, the Empire White Wolves sprue.

Trollo's fearsome-but-luxurious winged skull seat is from 1990s Vampire Counts Lord Melkhior, bent to Squat-height with the bottom nicely sliding under Trollo.

Trollo himself is one of the Squat Pirates with no official name. His cyber-arm and shotgun are from the Necromunda Pit Slaves Chief. His wooden peg-leg was replaced with a metal peg of long-forgotten origin. Aside from his fat belly, we gave Trollo some more 3-dimensionality with another Eldar Guardian Arm tube added to the Pit Slave Arm, some little belt pouches, and a Khorne Berserker grenade conveniently placed right below the lit cigar.

Armless Trollo was supplied with a right arm from the Confrontation Human Bare Arms sprue (hurray for GW proportionality!). It has been made less bare with the addition of an armored shoulder plate from a WFB Empire something-or-other, supplemented with a small backpack bit from the Mordheim Accessories sprue and some cloth-streamers waving in the wind, chopped off of an Empire Knight Head.

Trollo also violates the all-Citadel regulation with an Antenna attached behind his ear, from a very old Dark Horse Miniatures Robotech Veritech mecha. His foot pedal is just a lump of greenstuff.

A closer look at Trollo's prey - this one is Necromunda Pit Slave 2. That pistol is bigger than his head (huzzah for GW proportionality!).





Oh, I also added a
big-ass Horn in the
center of Trollo's forehead -
Look Mommy, Unicorns do exist!
















Trollo versus the Eldar. The inclusion of an action-posed enemy on the base makes things a little weirder on the table-top, compared to the usual use of corpse-position additions. This Eldar War Walker appeared in White Dwarf 323, as part of the new round of Eldar made for 40K 4th Edition (eBay, not painted by me, color-scheme is not nearly complex enough).
↧
↧

Thunder Chiefs Rough Rider Bikers on Parade

January 30, 2012, 8:30 am
$
0
0
Now that all of the Hungry Ghosts Rough Riders are finally revving up their bikes and readying their explosive-tipped hammers, we will have a retrospective meditation on the Thunder Chiefs

Thunder Chiefs Captain D.R.T. "Dirty D" Zobdafi

Captain Dirty D rides a converted Exo-Armor Trike

The Captain himself is the Squats Warlord Biker with the Necromunda Pit Slave Buzz Saw Arm
(counts as Power Weapon)

Next is Melta-Gun Specialist Darrin "Flombo" Flomberg riding the Squats Motor-Bike Mk2, accompanied by giant rat

The Squats Mark 2 cycle appeared only in White Dwarf 149

Spc Flambo is the Squat Hearth Guard Biker with Ork Bionik Shoota Left Arm and half an Epic Ork Battle Wagon Turret on the right

Now Flamer Specialist Greebo "Longhorn" Hijar, riding a lightly converted Squats Motor-Bike, 3-wheel variant

Longhorn's Flamer is the Imperial Guard Catachan version, with Cadian Fuel Pack for extended firepower

Longhorn is the Squat Guild Master Biker with Gor Beastmen Horns

Dane "Klawful" Kakkerlakker follow on the 2-wheel version of the Squats Motor-Bike

Klawful is Squat Biker 4 with Las Pistol embiggened by a 'donation' from Chaos Cultist Demogogue 1. No points for spotting the Genestealer contribution to the Hungry Ghosts Fund. Like Longhorn, Klawful avoids use of the standard Headlights options

Klawful is accompanied by a Giant Rat who shares his taste for pointy appendages and wings

Juan "Blanco" Raja-Pala has received the least converting of the Thunder Chiefs. As hinted by the name, this Squat Biker was modeled after Games Workshop Master of Miniatures John Blanche

Blanco (Squat Biker 3) also uses the standard Squat Bike in 3-wheel mode

Raising the front wheel and adding a Giant Metal Skull is a simple but effective way to make the bike look different from the others


↧

Thunder Chiefs Rough Rider Bikers on Parade, Part 2

January 30, 2012, 2:30 pm
$
0
0
It's conversion time for the Thunder Chiefs

Now all of the Squats Motor-Bike options have been used. Zigmunt "Revnant" Zobair needs to distract attention from that. A Big Antenna and Chaos-Shield Wheel Covers work for the back

Revnant (Squat Biker 6) has gotten a bit more dramatic in the front. The Headlights bit has been used, but used to chain half a Necron to the spokes

Hopping along is a damned Eldar Striking Scorpion, head attached to puny chicken-shaped robot body (from a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mouser)

Biker Lemmy "Babyarm" Kilmister rebuilt the entire front of his cycle, using an all-terrain gripping track in place of the front tire, and an imposing horned skull for steering

Babyarm (Squat Biker 2) also replaced his puny pistol with a nice spiky Kroot rifle, and has taken the term "head light" quite literally

Kenneth "Ken" Haringsbeens has totally tossed aside the Squat Cycle Construction Manual, producing an all-terrain half-track able to squish the defeated (Pit Slave 3) beneath its bulk

Ken has managed to use parts from Warhammer 40K, WFB, Epic 40K, Warmaster, Necromunda, and Inquisitor to create his man-crusher

Our master mechanic is Squat Biker 5, with spindly legs swapped from a Dark Eldar Warp Beast and muscular arm taken from a Lizardmen Saurus

Using just 1 Squat bit is Otzo "Spinne" Sluitdiep. Spinne's tracks and front wheel share the same Ork-source as Ken, and Spinne's half-track is mostly Orky in origin

What is not Ork is a melange of mostly Chaos and Imperial parts

Spinne is also a paella of parts, based on an Epic 40K Knight Paladin, with limbs from a Chaos Dreadnought Power Scourge and elsewhere

We also keep piling on the Pit Slaves
(#1 this time)














On the road to Sturgis

↧
Search

Finally the Iron Claws Have Arrived!!!!

March 17, 2012, 2:50 pm
$
0
0
The Hungry Ghosts Chaos Squats have finally been joined by Iron Claws Avi (20), and Grenadiers 25 and 29. Those Grenadiers are hard to find. They have been given proper names, Spc Gizo Bimun and Spc Biloru Guma

But how long will they survive?

Angry confrontation or potluck lunch?

Coming soon!
↧

Guldgubber: Ancient Miniatures of the Northmen

April 10, 2012, 8:51 am
$
0
0
Hungry Ghosts is sick again, and thus will create a diversion. Travel back in time to the Viking Age and view some ancient metal miniatures recently discovered in Denmark. The artifacts are from the collection of the Bornholms Museum near Copenhagen.

These figures known as Guldgubber or Guldmaend are of uncertain purpose - some represent gods, kings, or warriors; others perhaps sacrificial victims, or commemorative wedding gifts. They are made of gold or a gold-tin, and are rarely found.

This Guldgubbe with a crown-like object on its head was found in August 2011 by Vestermarie in Denmark.

Here is another Guldgubbe found at the same site. He clearly has a Dwarfish appearance despite the shameful absence of a beard.

This picture illustrates the size of the Guldgubber in mm. Our noble Guldgubbe is about 15mm wide and 30 mm tall, while the Dwarf is rather square in shape, about 25mm x 25mm.

More about this pair can be found at the link below, which is also the source of the photos.
http://bornholmsmuseum.dk/arkeologi/abegubbe.htm

A more recent find, just a month ago, inSmørenge near København. This Guldman has a more complex 3-dimensional shape and defined facial features. The increased level of detail suggests a representation of a more important personage or a more valuable sacrificial offering to the gods. The age has not been determined yet. He is about 35mm tall and 10mm wide, but is missing his slotta-tab.

More details are available from the Borholms Museum about this
http://www.bornholmsmuseum.dk/arkeologi/aktuelt.htm














This pair date from approximately 500-600 A.D., and were discovered in 2005 in Pedersker. They are between 25-30mm tall. The bent-legged posture suggest that they may be representations of deities, which were seated upon thrones in a miniature altar made of wood or bone. The stretched arm position may be a symbol of the deity providing forgiveness or accepting a prayer or sacrifice.

Details from Bornholm again: http://bornholmsmuseum.dk/arkeologi/nyefund9.htm

This flat and rather abstract example was found in January, also from Smørenge. It has a similar emphasis on the arms and hands, typical of other finds. The flap on the neck represents a collar, of which the other half has broken off. (http://bornholmsmuseum.dk/arkeologi/amandgubbe.htm)

This concludes our tour of golden statuettes from the age of the great migrations in Europe. As we can see, there is a great variety in the artistic style of the Guldmaend. And, as many of these Guldgubben were found recently by amateurs working near large cities or in remote locations, many more remain to be uncovered.

More can be learned about these gold men and their wide variety of shapes in the article linked below by Margrethe Watt (in English):
http://www.uppakra.se/backup/docs/uppakra10/U10_06.pdf

And a couple more articles for our Swedish readers by Lars Lundqvist:
http://fornvannen.se/pdf/1990talet/1996_027.pdf
http://fornvannen.se/pdf/1990talet/1993_065.pdf

↧
↧

Space Marines Before Warhammer 40K: A New Page in the Book of Grudges

April 11, 2012, 10:15 am
$
0
0
Just a little fun with the creative originality of Space Marines and the trademark status of the term. This is by Mark Rattner, published 1977. Look, Drop Pods!

Why poke the Imperium? Because Squats do not forgive or forget, but prefer to relive the insults and fuel the grudge-engines. Thus:

White Dwarf 240 (January 2000)

This is the issue that spawned forth the lies about the extinction of the Squats, in the Mailbox page (p. 97). The letter and response are below.

Letter from Concerned Squats Commander

“WE WANT SQUATS!
Sorry, I just assumed this was how most people have been reacting since the Squats were dropped from the 40K universe. This race was the reason I joined the Games Workshop family in the first place. If I was so impatient back in mid-2nd edition and started collecting my second choice army (Space Marines), I would have quickly lost interest and never became the obsessed freak over the game that I am today.

The history and characteristics of the Squats are interesting and unique in the 40K universe. In the 2nd edition rules they were a mix of Orks, Imperial Guard, and Space Marines... with a grudge! The honor, toughness, and excellent weaponry (I would have loved to see a Mole Mortar in action) were the big draws to this under-appreciated army. Also, something very cool about the 40K universe was the fact that it was a sci-fi mirror of the Fantasy world. Nearly every race from Fantasy had its high-tech cousins represented in the 'far, distant future', and that's how the people liked it! Would you even consider robbing the Fantasy world of Dwarfs. With their wonderful weapons and bitter-sweet rivalry with the Elves? I don't think so! Nor should we players of 40K have to do without. Just the humble opinion of one dedicated fan. Tim Gutierrez”

Response from Games Workshop

“Would you believe they were all eaten by the Tyranid invasion? Or, due to the Squats biker life style, everyone of the was arrested for disturbing the peace and sacrificed to the Emperor. Where do you think they get all of those souls anyway? All kidding aside, it doesn't seem likely the Squats will ever again see the light of day. When they were out they never seemed very popular, showed up at our stores, or tournaments, and didn't sell on top of all that [Note that this claim is directly contradicted by Jervis Johnson in 2002]. Their look was really outdated compared to the hundreds of other great Warhammer 40,000 models. Don't send us hate mail, it's just the cold hard facts of the 41st Millennium.”

Commentary from Hungry Ghosts

Would you believe you sound like a huge dick? All kidding aside, this is a flippant and disrespectful response to a devoted and enthusiastic customer about a favorite product. Comments like this are why there is so much Internet Hate for Games Workshop.

But let's make it clear: the “Eaten by Tyranids” comment is not Warhammer 40K Canon. It is just an asinine comment by an unidentified GW employee who does not understand:
1. Squats (very few of them have a Biker lifestyle, and the comment about the lifestyle is insulting to actual real world human bikers),
2. GW's business (Squats were not selling poorly),
3. or customer service (the sarcastic tone of the response).
Let us also make it clear: Based on our source above, there is an equal chance that “The Emperor Ate All The Squats” as “The Tyranids Ate All The Squats”.

And never forget this admission:
The Book of Grudges will never run out of pages.
↧

Squats in Epic 40K Part 4: Super Heavy Metal and Very Big Guns

April 12, 2012, 9:11 am
$
0
0
Finally, the final chapter on the Squats range for Epic Warhammer 40,000. Many a keg has ripened since last we visited the 6mm battlefield, but it is time to end this tale.

Above, one of the last glorious scenes of Squats victorious in combat against the green hordes, from the 1996 Epic Catalog (North America). A mighty fortress armed with artillery from the Land Train towers over the Ordinatus Gologotha and accompanying fast attack bikes and battle tanks.

Here we have the Ordinatus in Packagicus Status. Do not be fooled by the packaging, the Golgotha is named for the eponymous Squat Homeworld. And we know the Imperium would be entirely lacking in Ordinatii without Space Dwarf advanced technological prowess:

“Geronimus Undersen devised an Ordinatus [Armageddon] as a defence against the marauding war machines [of Chaos]. Undersen mounted a massive starship weapon onto a land-bound chassis, giving the Imperial forces an immense machine powerful enough to destroy even the largest and most heavily armored foes. This idea was by no means original, and followed the concept behind the famous Squat Titan-killer – the Cyclops.” (White Dwarf 191 p. 52, Nov 1995)

The battle scene above is itself a celebration of the power of the Squats, with the Ordinatus Golgotha's mighty Hellfire Missiles repelling the invasion of Homeworld Golgotha by the Ork Warlord Ghazghull Thraka:

“Ordinatus Golgotha was constructed in the recaptured strongholds of the Squats. Golgotha's terrifying Hellfire missiles devastated the Orks, slaying thousands over the course of a week. The Orks were routed from the Squat Homeworld and since then the Ordinatus Golgotha has always been in the forefront of any battle against enemies who have a strong numerical advantage.”(White Dwarf 191 p. 51, Nov 1995)

As is common to the known Ordinatus war machines, the Golgotha is composed of 3 parts - a command module in front with a large tractor base behind, upon which is placed the largest weaponry a land vehicle can bear. Which is not to say that the Ordinatus tractor is weakly constructed: it is the planetary crust and its unstable fault-lines that limit the firepower.

Indeed, a poorly documented Ordinatus war machine demonstrates the strength of the Squat design, proving critical to the salvation of the Imperial World Priam:

“This huge tunnelling machine [Ordinatus Priam] was assembled during the siege of Priam, a city overrun by the traitor forces in the Horus Heresy. The immense creation was designed to tunnel through the planet's crust and and then navigate through the white-hot mantle underneath. This rendered it undetectable to Priam's defences and allowed four companies of elite Imperial Guard troops to storm the city's Generatum Vulcanis, breaking the siege. However, Ordinatus Priam was irrevocably damaged during the attack, as parts of its heatshielding gave way.” (White Dwarf 191 p. 48, Nov 1995)

We can only speculate at the nature of this metal-monster, as the standard Ordinatus tractor platform seems poorly suited to tunneling many miles deep into the planetary mantle.

Ignoring the Imperial white-washing, here are all three released Ordinatus war machines as shown in the 1996 Epic Catalog.

Now that we have discussed the power of the Squats on the land and underneath, we must dismiss any notion that the Squats neglected airborne weaponry.

The most common craft is the Squat air forces is the Iron Eagle Gyrocopter, seen above in the blister pack of three available in the 1990s. The gyro-engines allow great tactical flexibility for this staple aircraft- precision vertical take-off and landing even on moving platforms, and swift directional changes as well as the ability to hover stably for sustained fire at enemy hard-points.

The Iron Eagle Gyrocopter is commonly found paired with the Colossus Super-Heavy Battle Platform. The Colossus is equipped with a flexible array of weaponry. Two large cannon are available to assault Titans, Gargants, and fortresses, while medium sized guns blast away at tanks and battle-wagons. Small arms are plentiful and welcome aid in defeating swarming infantry. The Gyrocopter and Colossus together become a hammer and anvil against opposing troops, with the Iron Eagle mowing down those fleeing from the mighty Colossus. And if that is not enough, powerful rockets are ready for long-range assaults simultaneously with the mid-range Titan-killers and tank-destroyers and the short-range anti-infantry weaponry. A gun for all occasions.

When the heavy fire is needed from the skies, the Squats turn to the Overlord Airship. With multiple wide-arc cannon offering 360 degrees of fire, the Overlord towers above the puny Eldar Harlequin below. Made with advanced self-repairing materials, the Overlord is a sturdy platform for war at any altitude.

Like the Land Train, the Air-Wing of the Squats military was released in Summer 1992, with the Ork and Squat Warlords Epic 40K Rules Supplement. And, yes, there are more things wrong with that combination than just the order of the racial names.

Moving right along, at some point we all need to blast something out of orbit or across a mountain range...

For that, we have the Goliath Mega-Cannon. The finest self-propelled artillery piece in all the galaxy, introduced in White Dwarf 153 (June 1992). As noted,

“The Guild of Engineers is a powerful part of Squat society. It knowledge and experience in the art [of] mechanical construction is legendary.”


But the Mega-Cannon may be too Mega to be effectively or efficiently used in some situations. In these situations, the Squats use multiple Thunderfire Cannon, each with multiple barrels for a continuous deployment of targeted firepower. The Thunderfire can also provide protection for your Goliath Mega-Cannon when needed. Also known as the Thunder-Fire, it was the last new Squats item released by Citadel, in November 1994.

Now the controversial Leviathan. There is absolutely no question about the Leviathan's potent firepower, nor its ability to safely transport a mass of infantry to enemy hard-points.

But some may be confused by the origin and manufacturers of these Super-Heavy War Machines, believing them to be a creation of the Imperium's Forge Worlds due to exposure to post-1996 Imperial propaganda and thought-control beams.

As noted when released in late 1991,

" This awesome vehicle [the Leviathan] is made by Squats and supplied to the Imperial Guard as part of the mutual exchange of materials between the Squat Homeworlds and the Imperium." (p. 30)

Let us also pause to remember the false promise of Leviathan variants made in White Dwarf 163 (July 1993).


Finally, the Cyclops, released in winter 1994. The Ordinatus Armageddon is plainly small beer when compared to this monster it was derived from (cf. above). The Cyclops is what happens when you combine a Colossus, Leviathan, and Goliath into one massive machine.

“the Cyclops is able to pulverize even the largest of Titans into bubbling piles of slag” (WD 170, Feb 1994).

Complicated enough to need assembly instructions, the Cyclops's major weapon is the huge Hellfury Cannon. In addition to this, the Cyclops is also equipped with two Melta-Cannons, a Battlecannon, and two racks of Doomstorm Missiles. Also "tons of bolters" And a vicious Battering Ram.

"Do we have enough guns?" is a question that should never be asked.

Our Epic voyage is now complete. Here is one last look at the war machines of the Squats featured in this post, also from the 1996 Epic Catalog. Those with keen eyes will see that the Colossus and Leviathan are misidentified. Sloppy humans.
↧

Ourse Beeruin: Terror Bears Nork Deddog Replacement

April 13, 2012, 9:27 am
$
0
0
Proof that Hungry Ghosts actually finishes something. I have always hated the 40K Ogryn, so the quest to complete Chaos Squats versions of all of the Imperial Guard special characters was not going to involve any Space Ogres.

But Hungry Ghosts has also loved his little Terror Bears since they were released by Dark Horse Miniatures in 1985. So using the mental heuristic "do the opposite", one giant stupid Ogryn was replaced 3 vicious little bears. Adorable yet deadly. Still, they have been given one single name as the act as a single character. One suggestive of beer and ruins as well as bears.

So now we have a nice mini-diorama. The Ogryn-size base is large enough for all 3 bears and a Space Marine Casualty/Lunch mini from the late 1980s, with leg (accidentally) broken off. The Terror Bears are small enough to fit nicely within the Marine's sprawled arms and legs.

Also crammed on the base is a Lamp Post from the Cities of Death set, and a metal sign bit from a Champion of Nurgle with the bird snipped off. Thus, my obsession with filling up the entire base for a model has been sated.

My plan was to use the Terror Bears in a manner that fits their different poses. Pain Bear with his raised arms was placed in the center, using the ancient tactic of creating the illusion of being larger to frighten off enemies. Doom Bear is behind the lamp, his pose is one of a tilted observer.

Fear Bear has a bit of a strange stance. His sharp teeth are clearly emphasized, his arms are stretched out, but not completely, with his claws turned inward. Fear Bear either just landed from a jump from a high location, or should be holding something. Since I wanted to keep the bears as a unified force, I opted for the "holding something" position to avoid suggesting he just dropped down to join Pain Bear and Doom Bear.

What's Fear Bear got? Space Dwarf Head. Since all Squats and Squat bits must appear in the Hungry Ghosts army at some point, the plastic Helmet Head needed to be used. The original plan was to use it on a plastic body, but that body now has a Chaos Terminator Head on it.

Plus the size of Fear Bear's arms and the Squat head could be positioned so Fear Bear seems to be talking to the severed head, which adds to the creepiness of the Terror Bears. It also serves as proof that there will be no special treatment of ordinary Squats by the Chaos Squats. And to use more red.

I wanted to give this creation a height near that of the Ogryn it represents, but at the same time did not want to distract the focus from the Terror Bears. So the Lamp Post was painted in greys and blues, both to meld into the color of the sky and to blend with the black base and blue armor of the dead Ultramarine. This was fortuitously enhanced by the broken leg, placed next to the Lamp Post and Marine to provide an intermediate height level for the transition from lamp to Marine to base. And, like the Lamp Post rising above, the Bolt Pistol was painted grey, fading out to white as it crosses the boundary of the base.

This process is one of the interesting paradoxes of military miniature painting. You want the Lamp to be noticeable (because it looks awesome) but at the same time not too noticeable. Similarly, in real-life military gear and vehicles, you want to camouflage your soldiers and vehicles with proper color choice and use of materials to break-up the shape of the human body or tank. With military miniatures, however, you want your work to be attention-grabbing. So how do you make something both camouflaged and irregularly shaped and visible and identifiable at the same time?

Paradoxes aside, an all-blue Space Marine is boring, and Space Marines don't seem to care about camouflage. So most of the torso of the Ultramarine was painted in the yellow also favored by the Ultramarines, with brown shading, some nice red blood from the bullet holes in the chest, along with red studs on the shoulder pad. Red was also used for the eyes of the Terror Bears, as we are still working with furry little Khorne worshipers.

The Ultramarine was given a tan skin color somewhere between the yellow of the shoulder pad and the brown of the Bears and Sign Post. This serves to provide a bridge from Pain Bear to the Sign Post.

From the back side, we can see just how cozy the bears are with each other. Doom Bear's left arm wraps around the Lamp Post toward Pain Bear while the right arm nestles under Fear Bear's arm. Pain Bear's threat-pose is angled toward the Sign Post, which is painted in the same colors as the Bears. The dead Ultramarine's arm is also visible, extending across the base of the lamp.

Cropping out the upper Lamp Post shows the unified positioning of the Terror Bears and their sign. For you TMNT experts out there, the sign represents the fourth Terror Bear, Nightmare Bear, who disappeared at some point in the past 27 years. I feel old.

Which Sign Post is tough to get a good picture of in detail, but says "TERRER BEARS" on it in red. (Bears can't spell, and neither can the Ogryn they represent)

Overall, we have a nice example of two of the Hungry Ghosts principles of miniature design:
1. Use the base, all of the base. It's not just there to prevent the mini from falling down.
2. Chaos, Khorne, or whatever else, do not fear to use all colors from black to white in a single miniature. Just use them in the right proportions to achieve your artistic goals.

This illustration shows all four Terror Bears. Nightmare Bear is at the lower left. Fear Bear is shown with an Edvard Munch man rising out of his skull, which unfortunately does not appear on the miniature. The picture is by Eastman & Laird, creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Terror Bears. I believe it is from one of the TMNT Role-playing Game books from Palladium, not the comic book.

This one is by a fan of the Terror Bears, though I am not sure who, and is too much fun to not include.

Terror Bears in the blister pack. Nightmare Bear strangely has different proportions from the other Bears, both in body and base. Looks a bit more like a Terror Monkey with that arm-to-leg ration and slim torso.
↧
Viewing all 50 articles
Browse latest View live
Search