The Return of the Mork

Pootle here with a quick summary of my newly modelled Ork Warboss, Bludteef.

Back in the (very) early 90s Orks were tremendous fun (not that they're not today, but there was so much randomness about what they could do on the battlefield). In one battle I paid points for three random rolls on Bionic Bitz for my warboss, Bludteef, and generated Tracks (double his 4" move), a Fuel Injection Implant (+2" move and +2 initiative) and a Cyborg Body (+2 toughness). Because this was a pretty good set of results I decided to keep the same character for subsequent games (as my opponent had seen me roll this up he was quite happy with this) and, because of the tracks, I decided to build a specific model to represent him, which was probably my biggest modelling challenge up to that point, not helped by the fact that most of the component bits were metal and I pinned and glued everything with (very slow-drying) two-part epoxy Araldite. 

I used a power-armoured Ork Nob stuck on top of the tracks from an epic-scale Knight, and set off by a Gretchin from the back of a Wartrak Scorcher. I added an unfeasible number of guns, a large double banner (all my Nobz had back banners back then) and a collection of heads from my bits box. I loved the result and have been fielding him repeatedly in my games since coming back into 40k.

Back in the day Bludteef was the biggest and baddest model in the army, but now, due to scale inflation, even a regular Boy looks like he might have a chance of winning a scrap, let alone the bigger Nobz. 

He's in Warbike mode here...obviously...

So I decided that a new version was in order. I liked the look of both the Warboss Grukk model and the new Warboss in Mega-armour so decided to magnetise both options. I wasn't sure what to use for tracks and was looking at a number of options until Monkey suggested that some from a Kataphron Destroyer might work. Not only that, but he had just given Stylus some spares and Stylus kindly agreed to donate one to me for the project (so, whilst I'm thinking about it, thank you both very much indeed!). The tracks turned out to be almost exactly the right size for the new, larger bodies I'm using.

I really wanted to echo the original model as much as I could and, as luck would have it, I had a duplicate of the lead Gretchin to stick on the back. I also copied the double back banners and assorted heads that Bludteef has collected over the years.

The Grot on the back is possibly my favourite bit - he adds a lot of character; I'm so glad I bought two when I was building the original version

I even decided that as he was on tracks he could conceivably be played as a Warboss on a Warbike. As the Kombi-Rocket wasn't an option there and there was no sign of dual Dakka Guns, I chopped off the top half of the rokkit and stuck two Big Shootas together which could be fielded either as a Kustom Shoota on a regular Warboss, or played as Dakka Guns if he's played as a Warbike. I'm not at all sure if I'll do that, but it's nice to have options (and I can't resist adding another three magnets!).

I think I know who would win this fight