Category: warhammer fantasy

The Siege of Volganoff at Warhammer World

The Siege of Volganoff pitted the disciplined defenders of the Empire against a massive, besieging Orc and Goblin army. At first, the defense held strong; Imperial wizards rained down destructive spells from high positions while artillery batteries systematically shattered the greenskin ranks. However, the Orcs retaliated with devastating assets of their own, deploying crude, ramshackle siege engines alongside flying monstrous beasts that swooped down to tear apart the garrison on the walls. As the deafening thunder of black-powder firearms clashed with the bloodthirsty war cries of the horde, the city’s gates began to splinter, leaving the ultimate fate of Volganoff hanging in the balance.

The Siege of Volganoff was originally displayed as the Siege of Altdorf at Games Day 2010 and was then put into place at Warhammer World in 2015. A few years later it was reduced in size. The Chaos forces were replaced with Orcs and the the “new” diorama was entitled the Siege of Volganoff.

I have always liked this diorama, which utilised the plastic Warhammer Mighty Fortress kit. The original Siege of Altdorf diorama was much bigger, but the castles in both are of a similar size. Volganoff loses the breached walls and a few towers, but gains a circular tower, which is a taller extended version of the now retired Witchfate Tor Tower of Sorcery.

Whereas the Siege of Altdorf had Chaos as the main protagonist, the forces attacking Volganoff are orcs. There is a wonderful scratch-built Orc siege engine. Defending are numerous Empire Steam Tanks. In the skies, Orc Wyverns attack from above. So much to see in this one diorama.

More photographs of the Siege of Volganoff.

High Elf Archmage on a Moon Dragon

This High Elf Archmage on a Moon Dragon was in the display cabinets at Warhammer World.

Soaring high above the battlefield on wings of shimmering sapphire and silver, a High Elf Archmage riding a Moon Dragon represents the ultimate synthesis of Ulthuan’s magical supremacy and martial majesty. These ancient, venerable mages possess a peerless command over the Winds of Magic, weaving reality-shaping spells from atop their colossal mounts. The Moon Dragon itself, older, wiser, and far more lethal than its Sun-born kin, shatters enemy formations with its devastating, pale-blue breath weapon. Together, rider and beast function as a majestic but terrifying force of nature, raining down arcane devastation while tearing apart the foes of the Phoenix King with crushing talons.

As with many models in the Old World range for Warhammer, this kit can be built as a High Elf Archmage on a Moon Dragon, or a High Elf Lord on a Fire Dragon.

Carnosaur

I have always liked the Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur model for the  Seraphone army for Age of Sigmar. I thought it had potential for a mount for either my Feral Ork army, or for my Old World Orcs and Goblins force. Another idea was for a mount for my Warhammer 40k Tallarn forces.

With the recent new release of Eldar Exodites (for Kill Team) it also got me thinking it could be ideal for an Exodite force as well. Unfortunately I missed out on the pre-order for the Kill Team Eldar Exodites as they appeared to sell out within five minutes everywhere. However my understanding is that the Eldar Exodite models will be available separately  at a future date. They appear to be very popular, so maybe we might see more Eldar Exodite models in the future.

The list price of the Saurus Oldblood on Carnosaur model is £58, so I did consider that this was a little on the high side for a conversion. However as one of the releases of Hachett’s part works, you could get the two sprues of the model across two weeks for £9.99 per issue.

What I did check out though was that you can get away with buying only one spruce, the one with issue #20. That sprue allows you to build the Carnosaur model.

The second sprue provides the parts for the different riders and the parts needed for the Troglodon version of the kit. So, I picked up two issues of #20 as I only wanted the Carnosaur model.

Dwarf Anvil of Doom

Dwarf Anvil of Doom

In times of greatest peril, the Runesmiths bring forth the Anvil of Doom, a relic of unparalleled antiquity and the most sacred of Dwarfen heirlooms. It is upon these ancient surfaces that the legendary rune weapons of myth were originally shaped. Imbued with the primordial magic of the earth, the anvil is a weapon in its own right; by striking its face with meticulous precision, a patient Runelord can awaken the dormant power bound within, channeling a devastating chorus of ancient runes to smite their enemies and bolster their kin.

Skeleton Archers and Skeleton Warriors

The most numerous and fundamental units in the armies of the Tomb Kings of Khemri are the Skeleton Warriors and Archers. These soldiers were once the living legions of ancient Nehekhara, loyal footsoldiers who were entombed with their kings to continue their service in the afterlife. Now, centuries after the great ritual that cursed their land, they are reanimated by the incantations of Liche Priests, rising from their sandy graves in a tide of brittle bone and rusted weapons.

Though individually weak and lacking the martial prowess of their living counterparts, their true strength lies in their numbers and unwavering loyalty. They march in relentless, disciplined ranks, forming the unyielding core of the Tomb Kings’ army, serving as an anvil against which the foe is broken. The Skeleton Warriors, armed with spears or hand weapons and shields, are a formidable block of infantry, while the Skeleton Archers, with their warbows, provide a storm of arrows to harry and weaken the enemy from a distance.

Dwarf Warriors

Solid, broad, and fiercely resilient, Dwarf Warriors are built for the grind of war.

When they advance, the momentum of their heavily armoured frames hits the enemy like a tidal wave of iron.

With a resounding crash, they shatter enemy defences and plow through formations, leaving only ruin in their wake.

These Dwarf Warriors were on display at Warhammer World.

More photographs of miniatures of the Dwarfen Mountain Holds.

Pull up the drawbridge

This small diorama was on display at Warhammer World. It features mounted Chaos Warriors attempting to attack a bastion of the Empire.

It could be an entrance to a castle, or perhaps a city wall.

It’s not a diorama I recollect seeing before at Warhammer World or in a copy of White Dwarf (then again I don’t buy every copy of White Dwarf). It was in the first section of the exhibition, which makes me think it’s old.

The Bretonnian Joust

I have always liked this jousting diorama, The Bretonnian Joust, by Dave Andrews which won the Open Competition in the 1996 Golden Demon awards. The level of detail is outstanding. There are hoof marks in the ground, created using clay. The manuscript on the back is handwritten.

Across the diorama are lots of figures adding to the story. The pavilion is made from foil, but is painted to look like cloth.

More photographs of Bretonnian miniatures and The Joust.

Skaven

I think I got one of the first ever Skaven models released for Warhammer Fantasy Battle. I never had a Skaven army, though I have taken a number of photographs of the models at various shows and at Warhammer World.

These are some of my original Skaven models from the 1980s.

I always liked the flamethrower model and concept.

There are rules for the Skaven in Warhammer: The Old World and most of the models for Skaven in Age of Sigmar would work, well they would need new bases.