The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Swordfyshes, part 1

The Swordfyshes are 10 sky-ship pirate orruk Ironjawz Ardboyz from the Harrowmark. 

They are mostly made from 40k Ork Nobz and the old plastic Greenskinz Orc Boss, some with a few Flash Gitz heads (additional greenstuff work on others - hats, bandanas, eye patches, beards, etc.), and a selection of added nautical gubbins like pistols, charts, compasses, powder flasks, ropes, billhooks, telescopes, etc.). Their weapons are mostly Ogor & Orruk Brute swords and one or two Boar Boy hook-hands.

This crew has been a long time in the making! Bilgewater, Rukbadruk and Barnacle Nog were all finished years ago (and for other warbands). Those pirate orruks have already had adventures with their separate crews, having featured in either Warhammer Fantasy Battle, Mordheim and AoS Skirmish games over the years.

The most recently completed members of the crew (Seatun Fall, Kutter Kand, Ballast Banko and Dinghy Dakmeff) all sat on my painting desk for over 4 years, half-finished. I finally got the inspiration to finish them last week. That sense of completion gave me the impetus to make a few more for the crew, to bring them up to 10 models. I have built 2 so far, so one more to build and 3 to paint to make the Swordfyshes a "Reinforced" AoS unit.

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Kaptain Battendown - Ardboy Boss

Crusty old sea-dog (sky-dog?), commander of the Swordfysh, a battered but heavily armoured sky-ship that specialises in ramming and boarding. (Edit: I have replaced the photos of the Kaptain after looking at him for a few days I realised he needed a reason to be holding his left arm out, so I added a squig parrot - a Squiggot!)

Mr Flea - Ardboy Drummer

Rukbadruk - Ardboy with Banner

Formerly a crew member of the Ogresun but he was expelled and marooned after attempting to lead a mutiny.

Bilgewater

Formerly the Kaptain of the Cleavermaw, but ousted by a successful mutiny led by Kaptain Mogrum. Bilgewater tried unsuccessfully several times to form his own crew again but eventually gave up and joined the Swordfyshes. 

Kutter Kand

Lost his left hand and right eye in a boarding action but has not lost any of his enthusiasm for the fight.

Ballast Banko

Collects maps in the hope that one day he will learn to read them.

Dinghy Dakmeff

Has developed a taste for exotic alcoholic drinks and carries a barrel of his latest acquisition (currently a cherry brandy from Aqshy).

Seatun Fall

His preferred weapon is a strange mechanical choppa that was stolen from an Ogor Maneater. He calls it the Snappa. He also carries the skull of a former shipmate on his back, and he argues with it constantly. 

Mainstay Bite

(Not built yet)

Barnacle Nog

Formerly a crew member of the Ogresun. He left after the old Kommodore handed over the ship to Kaptain Salty Ogbad. He didn't dislike Ogbad but he felt like it was a good time for a change. His fortunes have not fared well since leaving but he has high hopes for his prospects since he joined the Swordfyshes.

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I aim to build the last Ardboy and then to get paint on them asap after that.

Kommordore Deffgit and The Gloomwyrms - part 1

Orruk sky-pirates, hailing from the shadowy ports of Ulgu around the Penumbra Sea, the Gloomwyrms like to lurk in the darkness waiting for their prey to make a mistake.

The first of the Gloomwyrms on my workbench is Kommodore Deffgit - an old character of mine who is due a remake. He was the leader of a Mordheim warband many years ago. He was an Orc Boss in Mordheim, but now he will be reimagined as an Orruk Kruleboyz Killaboss, with a little Stabgrot friend, for Warcry and AoS.

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First "structural" step of the build - gluing the plastic parts together, including coat-tails made from a Hexwraith barding. His belly-plate was the Stabgrot's shield:

Then adding rough greenstuff to fill gaps:

Reef got plastic parts glued together at this point too. His head was a 40K gretchin's. The bird parts are from Tzeentch Arcanites. The bird skull was from the Bonesplitterz Savage Orruks' Bone Totem.

The final stage of the build, a few days later, was adding a more careful layer of greenstuff and his greenstuff hat (with a bone from a Crypt Ghoul's arm as a hat-pin).

And a couple more plastic parts - a feather and another bone in his hat, pistols and black-powder flasks.

The next stage is painting. They are both undercoated and zenithal-primed and ready.