Ork Battle Fortress – Skullhamma

This Apocalypse conversion from 2007 took the then new Imperial Guard Baneblade super heavy tank and it was converted into an Ork Battle Fortress, the Skullhamma.

Larger then a Battlewagon, Battlefortresses are used by richer and more powerful Ork Warbosses as super-heavy assault vehicles and mobile command centers. These enormous heavily-armed vehicles bristle with heavy cannons, energy weapons, and explosive launchers. As a rule any Ork vehicle of sufficient size will be called a Battlefortress by the Orks themselves and like most Ork vehicles there is very little standardization and they are highly customized, though several variants exist such as the “Dethrolla” and “Skullhamma”. Nonetheless, these vehicles are a match for any enemy counterpart on the battlefield short of a Titan. Ork Mek Boyz consider the construction of a Battlefortress to be one of their greatest achievements.

I first saw this conversion at Games Day 2007. These photographs were taken when it was on display at Warhammer World in 2024.

I do like the details on this model, the tracks have been converted and some of the road wheels have been replaced.

When this model was first shown I did consider buying a BaneBlade to copy the conversion and create my own Skullhamma. However as I wasn’t too sure about how it would turn out, also time and money, decided I would leave the idea as just that an idea. In the end I got a Battlewagon.

More photographs of the Skullhamma Battle Fortress.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport

These Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport were on display at Warhammer World.

Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport
Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport
Solar Auxilia Dracosan Armoured Transport with Leman Russ in background

The Dracosan Armoured Transport is a heavily armed personnel carrier, manufactured to the highest standards and configured with systems that allow the Solar Auxilia to traverse the most hazardous battlezones. The Dracosan is large enough to accommodate a full strength section of 20 Solar Auxilia infantry, protecting them from all but the most intense enemy fire while using its own weaponry to pound enemy positions to dust.


Legions Imperialis: The Battle for Ceres City

This was the Legions Imperialis Diorama at Warhammer World. One of the reasons I wanted to visit Warhammer World was to see what Legions Imperialis models they had on display. I was not to be disappointed.

Ceres City changed hands nine times during the campaign for control of the Delta-Garmon system, and the diorama captures the Blood Angels and the Titans of Legio Solaria waging war against the Iron Warriors and Legio Fureans.

More photographs of The Battle for Ceres City.

Plagueburst Crawler

Plagueburst Crawler

Plagueburst Crawlers are lumbering, formidable siege tanks whose huge ram-blades, thick armour plating and daemonic energies provide them with incredible resilience. Their fearsome plagueburst mortars boast a parabolic fire arc and terrifying range, while the shells they fire combine high-radius explosives with lethal clouds of corrosive spores to inflict damage comparable to that of Imperial Demolisher cannon. The remainder of the Crawler’s weaponry is intended to slaughter the foe up close, spraying diseased slime and hails of vital shells at any who approach.

Arvus Lighter

Arvus Lighter on display in a Necromunda diorama at Warhammer World.

Arvus Lighter

The Arvus Lighter is a small, general purpose cargo shuttle that is widely used by the Imperium of Man for many tasks, both in space and on the surface of planets. The Arvus is commonly used by both Imperial Navy warships and Imperial merchant vessels, including Rogue Traders. The Arvus is just one of many types of small, void-capable shuttles used by the Imperium. The Arvus is piloted by a single pilot, and is not equipped with any weapon systems, in fact, the Arvus possesses only the most basic navigation equipment, external sensors, and proximity alarms. The Arvus has a powerful engine that allows it to carry heavy cargo to and from a planet’s surface.

This was the Forge World resin model. Since then a plastic kit of the Arvus Lighter has been released.

Arvus Lighter Miniatures Gallery.

Grot Tank

On my last visit to Warhammer World, they did have a Grot Tank in the display cabinets. They also had a box of them for sale in the shop. Now I was very tempted to get a box to add to my current fleet of Grot Tanks. However in the end I went with some Old World miniatures. Alas the Grot Tanks have been deleted from the store and are no longer available. I am a little disappointed.

This was the Grot Tank at Warhammer World.

Grot Tank

The lunatic product of the deranged imaginations of grot riggers and scavs that have spent far too long basking in the insane genius of the Big Meks, Grots Tanks are diminutive armoured vehicles made to imitate the far larger Ork Wagons and Tanks.

Grot Tank

I really liked these models and I bought them when they were released, but alas they spent many years on the Grot Tank workbench before I got some real painting done and virtually finished all four tanks.

See the Grot Tank Miniatures Gallery for more photographs of these little tanks.

Genestealer Cults Goliath Rockgrinder

Built to withstand the pressures and challenges of underground mining, the Goliath Rockgrinder is a devastating piece of equipment when turned to aggression. Surging forward into the massed ranks of the enemy, servo-mounted weaponry seeking and destroying priority targets, the Rockgrinder drives ever-forward, its sawtoothed drilldozer ripping apart anything foolish enough to stand in its path. The fourth-generation cultist standing atop the vehicle efficiently uses its industrial equipment as a weapon of war – heavy mining lasers, seismic cannons and clearance incinerators, though designed for mining and gathering resources, are perfectly suited to annihilation.

Ork Shanty Town

This Imperial assault on the Ork Shanty Town to rescue a downed Valkyrie of the Militarum Tempestus.

More photographs of the diorama over the years, it started off as an Ork diorama at GamesDay 2009.

Aeronautica Imperialis

Aeronautica Imperialis is a game of aerial combat set in the Warhammer 40,00 universe. While ground troops push forward to secure tactical objectives, winged squadrons push forward in the skies to decimate enemy positions and intercept enemy fighters.

With the release of Legion Imperialis, we saw the retirement of Aeronautical Imperialis. Well a Horus Heresy version of the game was retained. In the display cabinets at Warhammer World (in 2023) there were a few Aeronautical Imperialis models on display.

I really like the Aeronautical Imperialis models and have a fair few Ork models on my workbench. It’s a pity it has been retired and we’re not going to see any new Xenos models for a while.

See the Aeronautical Imperialis Miniatures Gallery.

Orks at Warhammer World

At Warhammer World there were lots of great and beautifully painted Ork models.

More photographs of Orks.

Ork Miniatures Gallery

Ork Speed Freeks Miniatures Gallery

Various Ork models on my workbench.

Feral Orks Workbench

Grot Workbench

Ork Workbench