Ratskin renegades #1

Now that's true blast (or rather: eeek!) from the past! 

A while back I decided to participate Oldhammer Weekend 2026 in for coming this October. The last time I was there it was fun - nice people, almost no powergamers (for the love of f#ck...🙄), nice colorful tables and armies - more-less like straight from oldie White Dwarf magazine. True candy store for each and every Middlehammer fan.

Oldhammer 2022 was cool event, but quickly I realised why I quit all that Warhammer (Herohammer) shit: 'cause it was shitty game. I mean the fluff was cool and models were really nice (my taste) but because all that overboosted characters, powergaming army list and other crap there was no fun. I came back mostly because of nostalgy and aesthetic factor - large armies look just fucking brilliant on battlefield. That's it.

And nothing changed by now but last year somehow I've managed to paint whole Chaos Warriors army of Slaanesh (once again - for display case only), and wanted to see them in action even once. In 2025 I even prepared entries for painting contest but life issues didn't allow me to participate, so this time I am going just not to "waste" that paint work.

There will be Warhammer Fantasy campaign but there also will be Necromunda based miniature/RPG session which I definitelly don't wanna miss. The plan is to play using total underdogs, and what can me more pathetic in Necomunda world then Ratskin brave? 😁

As for models looks like I got them in 2013 but somehow until now only 2 or 3 of them got paintjob. No idea why really - models are really cool but we dropped Necromunda gaming long time ago so my guess is the painting was aimed to models used on table: Bolt Action mostly. So I need a single brave for my RPG character, but since the whole gang is ~15 rats strong (eeek! eeek! eeek!) I decided get the all done. These are can be used also in other games but most important - should look really nice in display case. Models painted earlier were washed off so they all keep same painting standard and color palette. 

As usually in case of painting warband / squad / unit ratmen were painted in groups - 3 models at once. Somehow every time I try to paint more models at once the painting quality drops drastically. Here I am half-pleased: the first group got too bright flesh tone, I like much more the other trio - more like native Indian. Plus the varnish turned out kinda satin instead of matt, so when whole group is finished I might wash them off and paint again. So here's current progress:

The rat-pack:

Post-apo rodents trying to get into tasty bunker interior:

The boys about to face deadly Copplestone's Scavengers:

And here - Scarab Lord Chaosmorph is about to have some mouse-burgers:

The last one - sump riot squad supported by killa-kan (war-bot that is...) about to arrest some squeeking punks:

Hope to bring abother 6 rat-men next time! Eeeek! Eeeek!

Undead legionnaire (gift bit)

Looks like one more restless dead has just decided to leave the painting station looking for new home! 💀

I think there's proper time, place and purpose for every model rotting in the pile of shame to be painted and apparently this one has been bound to end up as member of the souvenir squad. 

Just like the previously painted legionnaire-gift, I had lots of fun painting this one. Although the sculpt is from mid-90's I still think it's supercool model for painting even for modern standards: easy accesable with every painting tool and spiced with juicy details, like cyber-enchantments or half face torn off. I'd really like to leark who made the model - whole line of oldie undead legionnaires (like these ones for example) is simply brilliant!

While I was working on it went back to high school time, when Warzone was still alive and operational. Of course, back days models were mostly crappy painted (if painted at all), and since we were just kids itn still early re-born Poland - there were much less minis around. These were just pretty expensive compared to our budgets (and I don't even mean Games Workshop stuff, which back days was already fuc#ing overpriced). Nevertheless we were having lots of fun running battles leading crappy armies on crappy battlefields (sticks from park as fallen trees, pile of books under green cloth as hill or even some toilet paper as running stream 😊 ).

Yeah, it was ton of crap but it was also ton of fun.

Cannot remember when was the last time I was remembering these oldie "Warzone times" but I am surely glad they re-appeared while painting the model. It's good to know there's old ghost sitting on one's shoulder, reappearing when least expected just take a look and remind it's still there 👻

Hope the model arrives undamaged and the recipient likes it. Also hope to get better background for post-apo / sci-fi models: that city park in the back is starting pissing me off...

Pistol Wraith (Cryx)

Last month a miracle happened: we had a Warmachine match! 😲

I am still impressed we've managed to assemble the game but definitely - my Cryx is hungry for more!

We played the latest edition - no back strikes, 360 degree line of sight, boosted warjacks etc. It was fine as game played after such a long break, but I think earlier version was much more "hardcore" so hope to dig out old rulebooks and give it a try. Anyway it was such a fun I decided to save some Cryx stuff from pile ov shame and the winner waaaaas... Pistol Wraith 👻

I remember that model was a blast when Escalation supplement was released - both as model and gaming unit. It was deadly on battlefield and I still consider it as one of the best and most characterful miniatures from Cryx line. There are some brilliant examples of painted miniatures in the webspace so my gaming model is no match for them, but I still like it and had lots of fun working on it. As for a base I used spare pile of skulls from screaming skull catapult and some placcy heads. I can actually imagine it haunting old battlefields, unable to leave unburied, restless bones. Or something.

So here it is. Hope to see it in action anytime soon.

Below: pistol wraith about to scratch Deathjack right between where it's eyes should be:

Here: some target practice in the city park with Mechanithralls:

And below - the only pic from recent game I've managed to get: Slayer and Reaper helljacks supported by Deathripper bonejack about to launch a charge against enemy Juggernaut (that was exactly the very same model I painted - I've almost cried while pulling it's arms off and ripping hull apart... Almost... 😁):

And next: something heavy... 🤖

Skeleton warriors (Highland Miniatures)

Painting skellies is kinda like knitting:

you get pissed - you paint some bones - you get better.

Too bad I didn't realize it bit earlier, but apparently better late then never.

Anyway last week I excavated another part of spoils of war looted during Oldhammer Weekend 2022: skeleton warriors unit from highland Miniatures range. Models look pretty cool: poses are different, proportions are correct - these guys definitely fit Warhammer range. There's one flaw though: since these are printed, they are also really fragile (those thin limbs and spears especially!). So fragile, several models arrived broken and it's even despite the fact they were pretty well packed. So yeah, if I could choose - purely of gaming purposes I'd pick plastic models instead of printed. Luckly I still had some spare limbs left by the previous boneheads unit, which added bit more vatiety to the freshly dug out death squad.

I have only 15 models from this line so I think these will be just support squad for the main unit or screaming skull catapult / second class character bodyguards. Of course - that is only in my head, because don't think there's even slighiest shade of chance these will move an inch after I put them in the display case hibernation chamber 😵

So here they are - corpses in the park. I think I've managed to adjust lighting a bit so photos turned out really decent:

And some scale shot: restless skeletons are defending city park against Dusk Realm Demon:

And here - skeletons supported by Mr Carstein himself and converted battle standard bearer are trying to convince chaos lord of Slaanesh city park and fresh grass is no place for heavy barded ponies:

Dwarf Slayer

One more old fart crossed off!

I am really glad it's not haunting me anymore, 'cause it spent last 3-4 years in washing liquid plus I really do not like the model ^^

As for the model itself - I got it second hand long time ago, and the plan was to paint it for gaming buddy. But after first painting attempt I realised I really, really do not like the sculpt so model ended up on the very bottom of Pile Ov Shame. It's spent several years in the hole, when I decided to wash it off off and give it another chance. I still didn't like the sculpt at all, so it spent few more years washing off instead of getting painted.

Until now.

It pisses me off there are still some miniatures waiting for Cthulhu knows what in the washing jar, so decision was made to save them all: one by one, starting with the piece I don't like the most ^^ Back days it was meant for souvenir, so it was painted as one - for the same buddy actually. He was Warhammer Game Master when we were still into RPG and was big fan of dwarves. Miniature's pose makes it kinda silly looking standing on ground level, among other rank and file models, but it's really cool leaping down. Decent material for display piece. So here it is: one more down, too many more to go:

And the scale shot - Mid Nor Scourge Bearer about to be decimated:

Gorkamorka ork nob

I was actually starting preparing some models for the upcoming historical painting contest but because cutting parts off the frames and assembling winter US infantry is pretty boring, I decided to work on little something, which has been giving me sad look from the back rank of display case for quite a long time... 🥺

There's a story behind this one - just like behind everthing...
A solid while back, when we were still into Necromunda, I was trying to get and paint basic gang for Gorkamorka. The game was dead for a long time already but those days some models were still available on second hand market. I remeber I managed to get placcy ork trukk (with wrecker ball and metal ram) and ork nob - or whatever it's name was in Gorkamorka. Joy, oh joy!!!

Really couldn't wait to strip the paint and start working to give old models new shine 🤗

Sadly back days I used different stuff to wash models and as it turned out shortly - this time I used the wrong one. Plastic trukk got bended and kinda melted, leaving only metal parts stripped properly. The vehicle got ruined so it became reservoir of conversion bits for further projects. Like Dakka-Dakka bot... 🤖

Since there was no Gorkamorka gang anymore and I still had cool model, all I could do was painting it - which I did. I've never played any sort of greenskins so it got display plinth, got some painting and sadly - got forgotten shortly after. Until now. As veteran painter and gamer I am kinda ashamed such a cool sculpt didn't get proper painting so after it's been re-discovered last week decision was made to fix that. Heil Gork and Mork!

It's Gorkamorka range so it got desert themed base and rather bright paintwork contrary to the previous version. In fact it's the second model from GM ork line I painted so far - the previous was sacrificed on COFC mini exchange. Until now I haven't found any practical use for keeping greenskin model so Mister Nob became a souvenir (like Necromunda Cawdor juve), only this time - airplane, or rather: fighta-bommer, goes to the other corner of the planet.

Hope it arrives safe and sound and recipient likes this one.

Scale shot: Dakka-Dakka bot is still the largest orky model I painted so far 😜

And here's the previous, Necronunda styled paintwork (the one and only survived picture I found on the bloggy):

PS. For obvious reason the post has been prepared earlier, but it's been released after the parcel reached the destination. Orkz like surprizezzz 😁

Deathjack (Cryx)

One more Warmachine monstrosity just got crossed off the list. Toruk be praised for that!

When it was still in work-in-progress stage I was seriously afraid I might just put it away back into pile of shame - assembling was pain in the ass already, not mentioning the painting ahead. But all in all decision was made to give it a chance. Just like in case of Lich Lord Terminus model was painted dismantled, and assembled before washing / weathering. Still pain in the ass but I was the only way to get it done.

As for color choice I wanted something different then "classic" Cryx colors. It's rather striking models so I thought painting it bright should make it even more eyecatching. When painting was more-less finished I wanted to give a try to some OSL (head, arms, skulls) but it turned out such undertaking, having only blood red and some medium yellow, might have been not the best idea 😁 I think I might get some much more striking colors and re-do the glowy bits.

Since it's big model it was first sprayed with solid layer of standard, matt varnish and then airbrushed with Vallejo matt to make sure it's gonna be matt: not glossy, not satin, no shit like that. But after everything dried it turned out there's "frost" / "mist" on the whole piece, so everything had to be sealed once again with Revell matt. No idea what was the reason - my guess it's because of damp air (spray was used in the cellar) but have no clue really... 🙄

So here it is - ready to kill for Toruk!

And some scale shot. Sure to make it "correct" I should bring out infantry from Warmachine line, but oldie Necromunda models are slightly smaller, so the overall effect is even better. So here you can see Deathjack about to devour notorious Karloth Valois and his re-animated minions...

Moon Clan (Chaos beastmen) #5- finished! 🤘🏻

"...and it will be a time of great strife, when the moons are united in darkness and the dead shall walk the earth once more..."

The Children of Chaos project is finally finished. Models have actually been painted a while ago, but now they got proper display base. As for the base used about 10 years ago I painted other unit standing on the same thing - Fabius Bile's  Plague Marines. Back days those chaotic creatures got a trophy on Pyrkon painting contest, and now - beastmen were planned to appear on Oldhammer Weekend Poland 2025 (3.10-5.10.2025).

I even signed up for Warhamer Fantasy campaigh, but sadly real life kicked in and hobby plans got dumped. Oh well, maybe nexy year. Or maybe never...

Like mentioned before - working on these oldies was lots of fun. These sculpts are essence of Warhammer spirit for me, and no printed / digitally designed hi-tech boring model can change that. Right now to take a step back from Warhammer I brought good ol' Deathjack on painting desk, but after it's done I deeply hope to assemble another warband from old range. Don't think I have enough junk to assemble Rogue Trader style band, but surely I have enough greenskins for the project...

Looking at viewers counters these models were damn popular compared to other stuff I paint. No idea why - my guess is GW released fresh Beastmen armybook or something. But we'll see what happens when new stuff leaves painting desk. So here they are and back to work...

Take care! 🐐

Deathjack (Cryx)

This year I've been painting mostly Warhammer Fantasy stuff so the plan is to shift to something different from cute and vivid Chaos stuff. Washing-off container was full of models, but arm of Deathjack emerging from paint stripper was clear sign what strikes painting desk next.

This thing is painting and assembling nightmare. I know that not only pinning all those metal bits was one, fuc#ing pain in the ass, but also it's the third Deathjack I've been working on... Yup - apparently I am kinda sadomasochistic 🥴

I was pretty sure some pics of other Deathjacks were posted somewhere on early stage of blogging, but I must have been wrong. The only photos available now are the ones on CoolMiniOrNot: model from ~2007 and model from ~2010. Back days we used to play Warmachine a lot, but after the game fever worn off and true life kicked in, the game was dropped and I sold most of my Cryx collection. Some years later it turned out my buddy was getting rid of remains of Warmachine stuff and I was lucky enough to get some badly assembled and thick-coated models. It was actually the same guy who managed to assemble Cybertronic Eradicator Deathdroid's legs wrong way so as you can see - it was serious case 🤪 

As for and model - it's big, metal, heavy and pain in the ass to paint. As you can see compared to Warhammer Inquisitor (or whatever the hell this guy's job is) DJ is probably larger then dreadnought. As for Inquisitor - I got it during one of Chest of Colors miniature exchanges long time ago (thanks again TMZ!). Because the model has lots of hard to get spots, decision was made to paint the parts first and assemble them later - just like I did with Lich Lord Terminus. Should work...

The only thing to consider now is choosing colors. I don't think it's gonna be gaming model ever, so it doesn't have to stick to original Cryx aesthetics. I am thinking about bright armour plates (baige? bone? grey?) and dark metallics (brass? tinny tin?) with some glowing effect, but that's just the idea. I want to make the right decision, paint it and NEVER EVER PAINT THE 4TH ONE 😁