How To Get Ahead With Battle Standards

It was about time my Savage Orcs had a Battle Standard; a dominating centrepiece to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy, and give the army something to rally around:

Hmmm.
I have to say, it's not really that impressive...

Oh, I see.

This has to be the most hybrid conversion I've ever worked on. From the bottom up:

• Legs: Savage Orc Musician.
• Body: Savage Orc Boar Boy Standard Bearer
• Banner Pole: coat hanger (which is a bugger to hand-drill)
• Banner: Chaos Marauder (kindly donated)
• Severed head #1: Empire milita
• Severed head #2: Goblin regiment
• Giant head: Giant kit
• Banner crosspiece: Goblin regiment
• Banner end #1: Savage Orc Standard Bearer #1
• Banner end #2: Savage Orc Standard Bearer #2
• Banner spike: Wood Elf cavalry

Work on this began in September 2012 (you may recall my 'work-in-progress' update - really stretching the definition of 'in progress') and it came about, not by design, but just an endless process of tinkering.

Step 1

I bodyswapped the boar boy standard with the musician on foot. I was after a boar boy musician - anything else was waste product.

Step 2

When I reattached the two spare halves, I was expecting to stick a club in his outstretched hand and put him with the Big 'Uns. However, he looked so promising, he got a battlefield promotion as the standard bearer. The hand was drilled (at the loss of the orc's pinky finger) and the coat hanger pole shoved through.

Step 3

A prosthetic finger was greenstuffed back on, and the banner top added.

I've been waiting a long time to use that spare Giant's head - the open-mouthed, screwed-up face expression is just begging to be impaled on something.

For a long time, I had it pegged for a unit of Dwarf Troll Slayers, but it appears the Savage Orcs got there first. I guess the Dwarves were just too slow.

ha ha ha

Step 4

When undercoated, it still didn't feel banner-ish enough, so I added a plastic cloth beneath it.

Step 5

And then the banner looked too narrow, so I added a couple more severed heads (there's clearly not enough severed heads going on here). For those counting, this is a banner comprised of 15 skulls/severed heads...

... 16, if you count the jawbone as a separate creature.

... 18, if you include the two animal heads on the Big Boss' furs.

... 19, if you include the skull symbol on the banner.

... 20, if you include the skull facepaint.

... I'll stop now.

"When I woke up, I had this splitting headache.
And now I can't feel my legs."

I decided to go for pale skin on the giant (so he matches the metal one I have), but I was wary of adding such a big blob of pink in the middle of the army (especially as I've eradicated it from all the other models to good effect). A base of Kislev Flesh, watered-down Flesh Wash, highlighted with Kislev Flesh got me started - I then added another wash of watered-down Black Ink, and Kislev Flesh highlights. The result was a really grubby flesh colour that looked good (so good, in fact, I want to strip my metal giant and repaint him properly ... damnit).

The scaly-skin helmet was just Dark Angels Green with Goblin Green highlights - but it came out so well with so little effort, I've put it on the list of potential skin colours for my Common Orcs.

"You want a carnosaur-skin helmet, guv? Yeah, we can sort you out. Strong as anything, this helmet is - nothing will break through it. Well... except for the underside, but why would you need protection there? Fifty marks to you, tosh."

I didn't want to drench the model in gore (since I didn't want to paint over all my hard work - plus I'm trying to limit the amount of red in the army), but I have an inkling that a spear through the head requires a touch of claret.

Following Gen. Kraken's sanguine advice, I got myself a pot of Blood for the Blood God technical paint, and applied it on the wound, running down a few channels on the face (and it does indeed work well). I'd already tried to create an 'messy insides' look around the spear head with Stirland Mud texture painted over chopped-up greenstuff.

I also made the top detachable with a couple of magnets - which will make it easier to transport. It's a solid enough fix (wobbles if you wobble it, but I don't fear it dropping off mid-battle).

I think I get away with it. Although a true professional would
have sculpted a severed spinal column hanging down.

I went for white furs for the model (Bleached Bone with Agrax Earthshade wash and Bleached Bone/Skull White highlights), since it makes the Big Boss stand out. I also like the idea that he's mugged a High Elf of Chrace and nicked his cloak.

I gave him the same skullface warpaint as the Big 'Uns, since I supposed he would be chosen from their ranks (yes, I am running out of ideas). I added a crack down the centre, to show his veteran status (and not in homage to Harry Potter).

Can't wait to get this base magnetised. You may be surprised to learn, it's quite top-heavy.

Noggchoppa - Big Boss with Battle Standard

"Noggchoppa is da champion of da Palaeolithic Waaagh! 'Ee krumped da mighty giant Nogg, den chopped off 'is 'ead to stick on da pole for all the ladz to see. It drips on 'im a lot."

"Also, he paintz 'is face wiv a cracked skull, which iz symbolic of the Epicurean principle of bodily absence. Waaagh!"