Orcs in the Mail

Right, it's time to crack this chainmail mylarky! This afternoon I had another stab at sculpting some mail and I have to say the results are much better. Well, at least the end result actually looks like chain mail, so that's a bonus.

The real secret really was taking my time and using a different dental tool. Before I had been using a self made needle tool, which was too fine really. I had a good look at the mail on the plastic moulds and released the holes were bigger.

Plastic Barbarian spear topped with a GW axe.

After swoppng for a dental tool the results were much better and seemed to match those on the figures.

Some results were better than others, but I seemed to improve with every attempt. I used the old classic method of producing a line of holes so close together, they push into the hole previously made. Once a row of holes is completed, turn the figure underside down and do a line going the other way.  As each hole is pushed in by the new one next to it, a chainmail link pattern is made.

These kettle helms from the Fire forge Sargent box are giving a nice overall look to the new unit.

These are more Uruks with green stuff cowls and armour bits on, a lot quicker than doing mail that is for sure.

I played around with putting the Orc arms on the smaller Goblin torsos, for a real ape like look.

"What about their legs? They don't need those..."

I also had fun using a tiny ball shaped tool to create hammered shoulder armour.

Frost grave Demons are very useful for extra Orc bits and pieces. Big armoured arms with brutal maces, very Black Uruk.

Here you can see the needle tool I made using a pen and the better dental tool. The latter gives much better results. Lesson learnt!

This is my best so far, I'm pleased it seems to match the chainmail shoulder armour.

 This horned helmet is from a Frost grave Barbarian box.

Oathmark Orcs

The Oathmark Orcs have finally arrived after what seems a lifetime of waiting.

I'm yet to make any of these up but they look quite good. Their arms are nice and ape like, being very long.

Their torsos seem a little stationery maybe for aggressive Orcs, but I suppose this is so you can rank them up better in the Oathmark game.

A nice selection of heads. Hopefully, these will become the fighting heavy Uruks of my armies.  

These should be fun to convert with other plastic sets too. A large selection of spare parts means that other human kits can be turned into Orcs to swell the numbers of foul folk. These long arms with bows look particularly Orcy.

UPDATE: well I put some together and had a play around.

I broke out some other plastic kits and tried out some different ideas. The long arms are great and give an instant Orcy look. To this end, I swopped the hand of this Orc for one of a Fire forge Sargent holding a spiked club. By just swoppng the hand you still keep the the long arm.

A GW weapon added for a brutal look. I find these Ungor arms quite useful for Orcs, brutal and thuggish.

There isn't really enough helmeted heads for my liking, so I made my own by combining helmets from the Fire forge Sargent box.

These big gaps will be covered with Green stuff sculpting. I have never painted fire before... The fire brand comes from a Fire forge 'Northerners' plastic set.

This is my favourite so far, a Warlord Games Orc with the new Oathmark arms added. They give a great Mordor Orc look from the book with their long arms.

Another Fire forge helmet spliced onto an Oathmark head. These new Orcs are quite big and chunky. Just remember to bend back the bows that are about to fire, it looks better and makes more sense.

Warlord Games Orc with new arms.

A Fire forge human with new head and arms. He doesn't stand as tall as the new Oathmark Orcs which is interesting.

UPDATE:

These new Orcs are pretty big and will make good Black Uruks.

A good head above the other Goblin filth in height.

It was time to bring out my box of models I have chosen to be Black Uruks. Most of these Uruk models are from Ral Partha. I was pleased to see the new Oathmark Orcs are a good size match with them.

This morning I built up the figures with Green stuff. I'm still trying to perfect chain mail, but it's not as easy as it looks. My results look okay when painted but I could still improve.

Nice nasty looking weapons on these new Orcs.

The Ral Partha Orcs are really nice, I bought a few of these a couple of years ago to use as big Uruk-Hai. The detail on them is very good.

 My Orc forces have spiraled out of control in numbers, so it might be time to get some elite units on the go. Technically these would be called Hobgoblins in the time of the Hobbit, as Sauron was still cooking up the idea of Black Uruks of Mordor.