Monday 26 October 2015

He Said Wyvern; I Said Why Not, Vern?

We have another SkypeBoot coming up (going back to 8th Ed, 2500pts - so it should be a humdinger). And as a change of pace, Kraken will be fielding my greenskin army.

As I was listing the models I had available, Kraken causally asked: "I don't suppose you've got a wyvern rider?"

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
Yes, but I wouldn't say it was *totally* finished.

I know the duties of a good host - I had a week to get painting!

I've always liked this particular interpretation of the wyvern - not classical, but a very orky underbite and pot belly. Certainly not to be confused with dragons, which is always an issue.

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
Here There Be Wyverns

This was how it looked pre-magentising. I had the devil of a time getting a neat fit with the wings, and in the end they took two magnets apiece, plus a bit of reshaping the socket with greenstuff before I could get a fit that wouldn't wobble off when I moved it.

A ninth magnet on the neck was to secure the rider (and allow me to use a rampaging monster if the warboss gets cannonballed off).

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
Magnets: a wing-wing situation.

I picked up most of the model on eBay, a reasonable price, considering it lacked horns, tail and a rider. But I was quite happy with the bitz I managed to substitute:
  • Stegadon horns from this unit filler (bigger than the regular ones)
  • Plastic tail from a Manticore
  • For the rider, just a regular plastic boar boy...

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
Giddy up!

I had a nice metal boar rider Warboss lined up, but the extra weight on the beastie's neck kept toppling the model over, and it proved a bugger to magnetize.

This is a much simpler job - popping a wee magnet under the bum of one of the new plastic boar boys. To try and beef him up, I added the metal jaws to his helmet (which nicely mirror the wyvern's teeth) and added a second blade to turn his regular axe into a battleaxe.

In terms of paint, there wasn't much to work with - just flesh, armour and strapping. I did add a check pattern to one of the vambraces, which came out well. I would have done it on other pieces of armour, but I was more than happy with how the rusty metal look appeared.

He's not as imposing a full-on Warboss, although I have plenty of models on foot and boarback to do that job, so this one is definitely just a wyvern-jockey with big ideas.

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
18" leadership bubble, here I come!

He also has the distinction of being the first Common Orc in this army - which means I had to decide the paint scheme for orky flesh on the fly (boom boom). I wanted something lighter than my Black Orcs, darker than Savage Orcs, more verdant than Night Goblins and not as snotty as Snotlings.

  • Flesh: Castellan Green base, Agrax Earthshade wash. Elysian Green highlights
  • Armour: Chaos Black Undercoat, Ironbreaker drybrush, Typhus Corrosion wash, Ryza Rust highlights
  • Straps: Balor Brown base, Brown Ink wash
  • Horns: Chaos Black Undercoat, Ironbreaker drybrush, Tinny Tin highlights
  • Trousers: Mechanicus Standard Grey base, Agrax Earthshade wash
  • Shield and haft: Tallern Sand base, , Agrax Earthshade wash
  • Eyes: Blood Red

As luck would have it, I quite like the colour scheme: sufficiently dark and dirty to give the Common Orcs an identity within the greater Waaagh! (who knows, I might actually get around to painting some now!)

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
If the wings look familiar, it's because you're seen them on every other flying model ever.

The wyvern itself was a different challenge: I wanted it to be green, but not in the same way as any of my other orcs (or trolls, for that matter). I was running out of greens - but I had held back Death World Forest or just such an eventuality.

  • Underbelly and wing supports: Death World Forest base, Agrax Earthshade wash, Elysian Green highlights, Nurgling Green Highlights
  • Scales: Chaos Black undercoat, Castellan Green highlights, Nuln Oil wash, Nurgling Green Highlights
  • Wings: Balor Brown base, Agrax Earthshade wash
  • Horns and claws: Zandri Dust base, Agrax Earthshade wash
  • Tail sting: Emeral Green, Agrax Earthshade wash, Tallern Sand highlights
  • Eyes: Bilious Green

A painting and conversion update for an Orc Warboss on Wyvern for Orcs & Goblins, Warhammer Fantasy Battle.
The wind beneath my wings

And so my challenge is finished - a whole two days before deadline and ready to thunderstomp me into pieces.

Then I discover that Kraken is also hoping to field a Rock Lobba, a second Doom Diver, two Night Goblin Shamans, and an Orc Bully.

I'll fetch me brushes...

6 comments:

  1. I've also decided to field one of the goblin shamans on a gigantic spider. And Common Orc Boar Boyz instead of Savage. And a unit of six Stone Trolls. And actually, can I play as Tzeetnchian Beastmen instead?

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    1. No problem. And if you'd like any of my banners to be redone in freehand, just let me know your favourite Pre-Raphaelite painter, and I'll get to work.

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  2. Ah - I remember now where I've seen the extra rules: the Storm of Magic wyvern can have a Spike Tail or Impaling Horns as options. Needless to say, if I ever play that, I'll be taking both.

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    1. It'd be wall-to-wall Warpfyre Dragons from me. The top end ones that can cast spells.

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  3. The wyvern is beautiful!!
    totally stunning, but i have to say it, i didn´t like the rider so much.
    great work anyway

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    1. Thanks! Yeah - the original metal rider is a better model, but I didn't get him with the spare (and he would have never magnetised anyway!)

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