Black Uruks!

Tin 'o' orcs!

A tin of grizzly large orcs finally get their bases. These are Black Uruks and are the elite of Mordor. Their skin is dark and they are larger and better armoured than the majority of their kin.

I'm quite fond of this base as I found a good place for my favourite conversion. The orc with the wine skin looks like a sly advisor to the brutish leader. I was also pleased with the torch, I've never painted fire before and was pleased with the result.

These orcs were painted quickly with base colours, then washed with Army Painter dark tone from the tin. I wanted these Black Uruks to be very dark and the dip seemed like a perfect solution. I also used flattened brush bristles to create crude orc swords, designed for hacking.

The idea for this unit was inspired by the release of the larger Oathmark orcs. I used helmets from Fire Forge plastic knight sets, to give the unit a unique look. The kettle helms will help set them apart from other goblin formations.

To this motley lot was added other large goblins that caught my eye. I even bought some resin sculpts from eBay. These are quite fragile, so I have tucked them away in the middle of the bases. The metal and plastic figures should take the brunt of any knocks.

Smaller orcs armed with bows follow in the rear, adding their darts to the assault. 

A warg mounted officer orders an assualt.The orcs at the front carry large hammers and axes for breaking down defences.

"Did you find the beater of drums?" Yes I did, it was a shaman of sorts. This base could add some magic option to the battle...

Some nice Bob Olly sculpts from Real Partha. These make for great Black Uruks with their fancy armour.

A Mordor shield made using my Superglue technique... crude, but definitely orcish.

 The resin sculpts from Medbury miniatures had some very nice helms. Almost War of the Roses looking. I thought they would fit in nicely with the kettle helms of the converted guys.

Stolen Dwarf shields, taken from the dead or looted from forgotten armouries.

I'll keep them in here for now so my cats don't tread all over them. Now I have to finish the bases...

 

Damage Limitation

wheres me gun gone?

After buying some badly damaged figures from eBay, I had the idea of doing battlefield repairs on them. For this, I went back to my old trusted friend...the brush bristle.

I had two thickness of bristle, the smaller one is good for flag poles and bayonets. The larger, thicker one can be flattened and turned into blades. It also came in handy for the rifle stocks. I had to look out in hard wear shops until I found the right size and strength of bristle. 

Quick fix and as tough as nails. Never leave a man behind...in the box.

I used the Gel Superglue to add a little detail. This will just make some contrast with the smooth bristle.

As figures are expensive these days, battlefield repairs are a good way to amass a force on the cheap. This wounded soldier must have a design weakness in his rifle, as quite a few had the same damage.

The plastic bristles stick together really well, which means bayonets are easy to make.

A sabre means another officer is saved from the bits bin.

More standards for the Rebs.

While I was messing around with the glue, I tried some plasticard slings for the muskets. These were a nice touch and added some more detail. Hopefully this new addition will take the focus off the crude bristle gun.

UPDATE:

Well I had to rush one of these new musket guys to the front of the que. The results are good I think. I used the fine tip permanent pen to just put some extra detail in, like the ramrod. I first put the gunmetal colour down then black lined around it.

 This figure has just had his Dip brushed on so is very shiny.
 

I think it will be impossible to tell the brush bristles from a distance now, especially with my eye sight. I do hate seeing figures go to waste so I'm glad I made the effort.