Mordor mayhem

Despite being a long time commissions painter for wargames I haven't gamed since 2010 or so (that is - excluding some of the games I've designed myself.) 
In 2010 roughly Games workshop introduced the laser pointer and I had a guy table flip because I "got him" on a technicality, that wasn't one, it was that his weapon, despite having line of sight, just could'nt reach. He went fucking nuts. Ever since then I've avoided games workshop games like the plague. However there is one that has really been calling me, my favorite, my own, my preeeeccciiiiooous. 

Yes, the lord of the rings, middle earth strategy battle game. There is something unique about the way they just "got it right" on the first try (or third, but more or less the first). Who knows, maybe they didn't go back again because of licensing or some other agreement. Maybe they did, somehow, despite their negative and greedy capitolistic sticky fingers, decide, "nah, we're done" with core rules. Either way I always loved it. It's so simple that even years after I stopped playing, I can still easilly follow along with youtube battle reports. 

After much consideration I decided on a Mordor army. My gaming style is way to chaotic for a good army, even though I adore so many of them and with the Evil one my OCD side will allow me to Mish Mash my force way more easily. I bought the starter battehost because I wanted the very radical Gothmog and plastic witch king (who appears to almost be a statistically broken unit) and I also bought some units online including a sprue or two or Oathmark goblins, as I've heard they're great proxies for Orcs, which was absolutely correct. 

Pictured above: Gw, GW, Oathmark, Oathmark, GW. They fit almost perfectly. They faces match and the scale is great, the legs are almost identical in style and the arm "seams" from their multi part nature is covered up really easily with a little paint or where it was really obvious, some green stuff and a little "copper shoulder pad". Note, I converted every model even a tiny bit, so these orc archers are all modified slightly. Though saying that, the guy on the left might not be. 

Some other basic conversions. Left, a simple arms twist took a "look at me i'm open, hit me and i'll die" model to a "eff off mate, i'm gonna crack your skull in" model. Middle, an arm twist removed another "hit me and i'll die" pose (what is it with GW single poses and this open arms pose, it's very silly) to a more menacing approaching enemy. I also slit the helmet and put an axe head in it but it's not to visible in this picture. The guy on the right was an arm twist and weapon replacement, my models probably aren't anywhere near tourney legal (and I couldn't care less, I really have zero aspiration to play in tournements). I love the idea that he's just picked up another weapon to lob at the enemy. 

I don't rightly remember eveything I did here but I really enjoy the "multi spear" on the right, I feel like he's a particularly twisted orc who enjoys mayhem and mashing up "hoomans". 

Talking of mashups, this guy is a big old mix of parts. He has GW legs, green stuff straps and shoulders with a very old warmachine left arm (i think), an Oathmark right arm, an "amazon" head on his right arm as a shoulder piece (from god knows what set), a GW shield on his back, a GW head from some sigmar ghost set (it had a particular gnarly mouth and I like the idea that he can't see, it's kind of stupid and orcish). On top of that his Banner is a mix of the Amazon set (spear), Skaven detailing and a copplestone dagger from his cavemen. Like I set this Orc is a real mutant of parts but damn if he doesn't look all of the sum of his parts and more. A real badass. 

I've gathered from my youtube binging that Captains are super important for Orcs...because the general rabble mostly sucks. This guy is a Oathmark goblin with a Dark elf head (I think) and a big amazonian shield that has been brutalized to look something akin to a Uruk shield with those big spikes. He is pinned onto some Airfix stairs. I enjoy the gore but i'm indecided as to whether i'm going to gore them all up yet. 

Gothmogs gitz wouldn't be anything without the man himself. I chose the mace as it appears really horrid to me, and I think I gave his sword to another orc. He's a surprisingly simple model, more or less dry brush, ink, highlight and then paint the red and skin. I think he came out really well. 

​Right! Some more pics below but keep your eyes peeled for more, I'll be adding a troll as soon as I can find a Proxie I actually like!