Herding the Runtz

My mate undeadhighelf kindly sent me three Grotz, providing me with the perfect opportunity to expand my Blood Axe warband with a Runtherd and his minions. Usually part of the Squig Katapult crew, they make great looking assistants working in the Squig Acquisition department of the horde.

Stab, net and stash – the three steps of squig hunting

Once a warband reaches a certain size, it’s really time to hire a GR Manager to keep all those pesky employees in check that are not like Orks motivated enough by the prospect of the next good scrap. The Runtherd is a firm believer in the carrot and stick approach to leadership. Unfortunately for the Gretchin, the squigs ate all the carrots.

Grot Resource Management is a thankless task

Headin’ out to hunt sum squigs

The Goffs Get Bullish

The second started-but-never-finished unit in my Space Orks army for Warhammer 40k was a mob of Goffs. I had painted two metal figures with heavy weapons and a Gorkamorka Nob with a Warhammer Fantasy Orc head plus two plastic miniatures to start these off and now managed to complete another ten.

Like many of us, this Nob collects Space Marines

The paint scheme is appropriately no-nonsense, with dull metal, a few browns, a bit of red and a lot of black, accentuated with the typical chequer pattern on shoulder and back plates.

Choppas swinging, the Orks close in

Comin’ to stomp all over ya

Whipped Into Action

My Space Orks army for Warhammer 40k has been in the works for a couple of editions now (and by that I mean stored away in a figure case). Largely built and with some undercoat and base colours on, only half a unit of Grotz and a few Goff Orks were completed. For reasons unknown but most likely linked to a disturbance in the Waaagh somewhere, I felt the urge to finish the moderately sized Gretchin mob this week.

With a little encouragement the Gretchin advance

There are more Grotz to paint in my collection, but my current army list just includes this small band as a filler. Combined with the Rogue Trader era mob I’ve got 30, nearly enough to start a revolution and split off into its own faction. I do own the Red Gobbo and always had my eye on some scrap tankettes, so the Runtherd better keep a close watch over this rabble.

Up close and personal

A prod in the right direction

Stomping Grounds

Now that the Goff Clan has enough wheels it is time to give da boyz some two-legged mechanical support in the shape of Dreadnoughts and their larger cousins, the Stompaz.

Dreadnoughts seemed the perfect fit for the footsloggin’ Goffs and they just look dead good in black with red and white chequered markings. The Stompaz are also a fitting embodiment of the spirit of Gork and pack some serious punch. Ultimately I might attach them to a Warlord but now they are part of the clan itself and help to alleviate any command and control problems since they can operate independently of the Nobz.

Stomp, smash, kill!

Dreadnoughts are leading the way, eager to clamp and crush their enemies

Blasting and bashing their way through the city

I also painted up the plastic Imperial ruins that came with the last boxed edition of the game. Some drybrushing over black and a bit of Agrax Earthshade around the base was all it took to get them onto the table.

The once proud Imperial city lies in ruins

Da boyz an’ da big boyz

More Dakka All Around

With the infantry horde done, the Goffs are getting armoured support to crush their enemies. Fitted with deathrollers and grabbing claws, these vehicles complement the Goffs’ close combat capabilities, while also adding some serious mid-range firepower.

I had two of the original Bonebreakas and a Gibletgrinda to hand, while the rest of the vehicles are built from the later plastic battlewagons that took all their design elements from those tanks.

Space Ork Bonebreaka Squadron of the Goff Clan

Space Ork Gibletgrinda Battle Fortress of the Goff Clan

Space Ork Gutrippa Squadron of the Goff Clan

After fighting half way through a battle against the Imperial Guard Tactical Company I built previously, it became clear that this was lacking stopping power against more heavily armoured opposition. Therefore I commandeered a Baneblade Super Heavy Tank and attached it to the company.

Baneblade Super Heavy Tank of the Imperial Guard

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