When it comes to defending their settlements from the rampaging beasts that haunt the wild places of the Old World, the trusty bolt thrower is the weapon of choice for most Dwarf households. Easy to manufacture and maintain, these constructs of hard wood and steel have stopped countless monsters in their tracks before they could ever get their claws onto the inhabitants.
I picked this early Citadel set up when planning my army of Dwarfs for Oldhammer a few years ago. I like its construction which shows the Dwarfs’ mechanical engineering skill.
The bolt thrower is lined up and ready to fireThe spotter signals to take the shotThe loader is ready with the next projectileA set of gears allows the bolt thrower to be aligned with great precision
If a spear isn’t enough to penetrate the hide of an attacking monstrosity, then the double handed swing of a Slayer’s axe has to finish the job.
This is the first of five Giant Slayers I’m adding to the army. A small unit that will lend a lot of colour and character to the force.
A wild eyed Slayer charges forwardA Slayer’s ferocious appearance is matched by his actions
Having just finished Prince Ulther’s Dragon Company, I felt like painting some more Imperial Dwarfs for Oldhammer. Staying with the theme of dragons, I thought the flame cannon would make a great addition to the contingent. They might not have a dragon to call upon, but with typical ingenuity devised a contraption to bring the power of its fiery breath onto the battlefield.
Fire in the hole!
This set has always been a favourite of mine, though I never owned it until a few years ago. The 80s Citadel Dwarf range for Warhammer contained some very quirky sculpts full of character that didn’t take themselves too seriously.
Risk of a singed beard is an occupational hazardThe roar of the flame cannon rivals that of a real dragon
The first regiment for my Oldhammer Imperial Dwarfs is finished. Prince Ulther’s Dragon Company is going to form the backbone of my small force, with a unit of crossbowmen, a throng of warriors and a battery of war machines to follow.
Prince Ulther’s full regiment assembled for warDwarf Ironbreakers are used to being surrounded by swarms of enemiesDefiantly the Dwarfs await the Dark Elf attackThe Ironbreakers form into a shieldwall
In addition to the regular warriors making up the company, I’ve included a sculpt from Citadel’s Dwarf range that’s very much in the same style and aiming his pistol, ready to fire off a shot. Clearly, he’s not entirely confident in blackpowder technology yet.
One last shot at close quarters before the melee erupts
The distractions have been manyfold lately, but I am working away on my dwarfs and have completed the first half of the Dragon Company.
Amongst more troopers to fill the ranks, this also includes Prince Ulther’s trusty lieutenant Borri Forkbeard and the standard bearer carrying the Dragon Banner.
Borri Forkbeard oversees the raising of the Dragon Banner
I kept the banner design much simpler than on the original unit and closely tied it together with the colours and decorations on the regimental uniforms and shields.
The banner displays the heraldic colours and symbol of the Dragon CompanyLike Prince Ulther, Borri wields a double handed axe in combat
I am using three different shield types for the troopers which appeal to me as the most dwarven shapes, and that work well with the dragon emblem.
I started working on Prince Ulther’s Dragon Company a couple of weeks ago as the first regiment for my Oldhammer Dwarf army. I had the full set originally, but apart from one trooper I don’t know where they might be stashed these days, so I took the opportunity to buy them again a while back. I put down base colours on all 20 fighters, painted their movement tray and am now working on finishing them in groups of three, starting with the command section.
“When Dwarven armies assemble, it is usual for some of the most renowned warriors to form small units of hard-hitting battle-troopers. These fiery Dwarfs will gallantly storm gates and prepared positions.”
This description of Iron Breakers from Warhammer Armies fits these doughty fighters perfectly, so I am fielding them as +3 shock elite with pistols as additional equipment.
Prince Ulther gives the command to summon his company
Prince Ulther is a flamboyant character with his plumed helmet and richly engraved double handed axe, so I kept with his original paint scheme from the regiment box set and painted his flowing locks and beard a bashful blonde.
Prince Ulther swings a massive double headed axe in combat, when he is not waiving his helmet around
The symbol of the Dragon Company is a green dragon on a red field. Since that is hard to pull off (at least for me) on small shields with bosses, I went for a very stylised form that can be applied on various shield shapes. Anyone who can guess where I got the inspiration for the emblem from wins nothing in particular but should feel proud of themselves. Hint: the post title contains a second clue.
Prince Ulther’s shield displays the green dragon that gave the company its name
The musician is a lovely sculpt, a great example of the Perry twins’ gift for sculpting well proportioned regimental figures with the perfect amount of characterisation and detail.
The company musician’s shiny silver horn echoes around the mountains
I can just see this guy blowing his silver horn as the command for the troopers to lock shields and receive a greenskin charge before swinging around his pistol arm and shooting the onrushing goblin champion point blank straight between the eyes.
The horn blower has his shield slung over his back to keep his pistol cocked and ready
I like how the troopers are armoured and armed to the teeth, ready to break any enemy assault and smash their way through into the heart of the hostile lines.
Visor down, shield locked in front and axe raised for the swing, this warrior means businessThe Dragon Company’s fighters are wearing heavy steel mail and plate armour
Next up will be the standard bearer, champion and second troopers.
The Lost and the Damned 