Hobby WIP: Stormcast Ogres

While Age of Sigmar didn't really click with me, I did end up with a handful of Stormcast models from the Easy Build Kits. My original intention was to use them as a faction of zealous Goliath Paladins in some 5E D&D campaigns, but both of those original campaigns fell apart due to scheduling issues and then Covid and then to more scheduling issues, and well, that use was just not meant to be it seems. 

My goals for 2022 were to 1) build up a few new learner armies to add to my collection and 2) use them to try and run intro games to generate some local interest in Kings of War.

However, at some point in 2021 I realized that regiments of Ogre Warriors and such could unlock heroes for Kings of War. I was pretty sure that was not possible when 3rd launched, and I am still not sure when that happened (if you know, let me know, maybe I am just a fool and missed this since I didn't follow Ogres news closely). So, this (presumed) change to Ogre unlocks made them viable as a small learner army, and so I started picking up some second-hand Stormcast models on ebay, and ended up with a decently-sized force of about 60 models, all infantry.

I hobbied on these a fair amount in April and May leading up my wedding, so I think all but a dozen or so minis have been hit with primer and some base coats of paint at this point? Nothing is quite finished  yet, but a few units are getting pretty close. I'm hoping to have a good chunk finished up by the end of the month, so we'll see how that goes.

Test model for use as a Warlock. Just touchups left.

This use for the Stormcast models is not my idea. "Fancy Ogres" has been an idea in the community for about as long as there have been Stormcast models around. I do like this an awful lot though. The Stormcast are equally large (base-wise) to ogres, and so make for easy translations from one game to the other. They are also quite armored, and generally look more "Def5" than even the Mantic Ogres. All in all, this is a great use for these minis. 

Most minis thankfully came assembled and second-hand. This was part of a very late purchase to turn my duo of Easy Build Retributors from Sergeants/Warlords into a unit of Warriors. Probably Warriors with a Brew of Strength since they look so tanky still? Anyways, point being here that this range comes in way too many pieces and I do not like this approach to building miniatures. If I had to build this army up entirely myself, I would not have embarked on this project. 

Everything came assembled or got assembled one way or another, and I went to work cleaning up some of the gaps and mold lines of the second-hand minis. Once tidied up, everything got blasted with a rattle can of Retributor Armor Spray, as I wanted to try and make the army a unified color, and did want to go with a traditional golden color for this army.

I ran out of spray can near the end. Left is grey primer with the paint pot and right is the spray can. Different colors and noticeable, with the can being a lighter color.

Unfortunately, the rattle can color doesn't match well with the paint pot. Everything that got sprayed also got a layer of retributor paint as well. This is my first real outing with either, so can't say whether it's an odd can, an odd pot, not shaking/mixing one or the other enough, or if this difference is normal. 

The only Speedpaint test so far. Citadel's Zamesi Desert base coat with AP's Zealot Yellow Speedpaint.

Another "first" on this project is trying out the Army Painter Speed Paint. I picked up the smaller starter set back in March. I had planned to test out several AP colors on my test mini's robes, then repaint the cloth white and then test a few more, but my first haphazard experiment gave a nice vivid orange on the first sleeve, and I really liked it so it stuck. Having accidentally settled on a scheme, I've really only played around with the one color so far. Oops. I'll get around to trying out the other colors soon I hope!

I'm trying to keep this army really simple for my hobbying efforts. I think if I get a few good hobby sessions in, I should be able to get most of these table-ready in July. The month is already filling up fast though, so we'll see how how I do. More to come!