Heresy & Heroes

Hello, Blood Bowl fans! And welcome to the post that shows off the first images of my very own Varag Ghoul-Chewer. This was the model that I was going to take to the Forge World Open Day but I didn’t have a chance to finish him. Well, I’m glad that I took my time and didn’t rush anything, because I’m particularly happy with how this massive orc turned out now that I’m finished with him. Let’s take a closer look at the latest addition to my Blood Bowl team.

So, I painted him in very much the same way that I’ve shown on this blog before – a process detailed in this tutorial. He’ll be playing for Da Mighty Redz when I get them all done (getting closer now), so it’s that same Mephiston Red armour and for his flesh, I used a blend of Waaagh! Flesh and Moot Green paints mixed pretty much 1:1 for the base. I probably did give this chap a few extra layers of highlight just because I want him to pop a little more, and I think it’s worked quite nicely, but it’s pretty much the same method apart from that.

Rather than assign a legend like Varag Ghoul-Chewer a squad number, I’ve gone with a crudely drawn star motif that I thought was fitting of a player with this guy’s reputation. Also, as all the other players in the squad have numbers and names based on Liverpool Football club players, I didn’t want to confuse that. What’s more, there’s a lot less rust on this guy – he’s a star player so I’d guess he can afford to keep his gear a little better than the team grunts.

One thing that I’m really happy with on this miniature is the weathering and effects. From the mud placed on the raised boot, to just the general wear and tear all over, he definitely looks like he’s been sprinting around a muddy pitch for more than a few minutes. I also cracked out the Blood For The Blood God technical paint to decorate Varag’s massive weapon. I don’t like overusing it, so it’s just a hint.

The squig gave me some issues, and it’s probably the weaker part of the model. The eyes didn’t come out quite as I’d liked, and there could be more highlighting on the flesh. But over all, I’m very happy with this miniature and I look forward to fielding him.

But I didn’t get the chance to field him in that painting competition, so it’s only right that I let him stand on his plinth at least once. Here he is in the glory he never really got:

And if you’re worried about him toppling over, I should tell you that there’s a 2p piece superglued to the underside of his base. It’s made him so much more stable. He was a bit wobbly on the desk top before that so he’d be very precarious on that plinth without the added weight, and the 2p piece is the perfect size and weight for these bases..

And now I need to get back to my painting desk – there’s a lot I still want to do this year and I’m aware of time running out. Not only do I need to get this Blood Bowl team done, but there’s a certain red painted legion that needs my attention too. I hope your painting efforts are going well. Onwards!