Kommordore Deffgit and The Gloomwyrms - part 3: Kommodore Deffgit

The Gloomwyrms were orruk sky-pirates who hailed from the shadowy ports around the Penumbra Sea in Ulgu.

They liked to lurk in the darkness waiting for a passing ship. They would follow their prey, watching for a mistake that they could use to their advantage, before pouncing on them, boarding and overwhelming the crew.

But they were not averse to luring ships into danger through false signals and other dirty tricks, then picking over the wreckage at their leisure.

Kommodore Deffgit was old for an orruk, but only because he was clever. He didn’t ever let-on his full plans, he was sneaky and scheming and always had something devious going on. He was a dirty fighter and was happy to use tricks and traps and poison to get the upper hand. He had been too close to blasting cannon for so long his hearing was going, so he spoke too loudly a lot (often without realising it) and frequently shouted “Whatsat?” with one hand to his ear and made people repeat themselves - but he mostly did this to distract people and/or give himself a little more time. He was secretive and cruel and often took pleasure in cruelty, his kunnin’ and guile always exceeded his physical strength.

+++

Kommodore Deffgit was originally one of my Mordheim characters from 2008, who I reimagined for Warcry in 2021 as an Orruk Kruleboyz Killaboss with a new Stabgrot friend. But after I completed them my Kruleboyz warband project stalled as I couldn't think of a way to convert the Gutripperz that really appealed to me, so they have just been sitting on a shelf ever since...

But while I was at Warhammer Fest I had an idea for the look and theme of the warband, that also ties-in to the forthcoming Animosity campaign, Animosity V: The Fated Blade (which is set in Ulgu) So I bought a box of Gutrippaz and Mugruk da Watcha, the event-exclusive Swampcalla Shaman, on Sunday morning just before the Warcry tournament.

They will hide in the shadows rather than in swamps, so some of the themes and styling of my Kruleboyz background will get a new twist. A light reskin of the rules with a slightly different flavour.

For example: instead of a Killaboss, Deffgit will be a Sneakaboss. Instead of a Swampcalla, he will be accompanied and aided by a Shadowcalla Shaman. Their Gutrippaz will be called Backstabbaz. The whole crew will be decked out in battered bicorns and make heavy use of black crows feathers for decoration.

+++

Since then I have partially repainted Kommodore Deffgit and Reef to better fit-in with this new idea: I darkened Deffgit's hat and coat and added a freehand pattern around the bottom of his coat. I also picked out a few other details that looked half-finished.

And I changed Reef's bird costume from a dead parrot to a dead raven - a little nod to the classic painting on the cover of the original Mordheim rulebook!

+++

Then I got to work on the rest of the warband, starting with the event Swampcalla model.

I really like the nautical themes that were already part of the model, the sea-shell armour is great! I cut off the spikes and added a greenstuff bicorn hat with a crow's wing for decoration, and Kroot skull spikes as feathers on his shoulders.

Rognor Deadeyez - Shadowcalla Shaman

It's hard to see in these photos, but I also added a pistol under his coat.

+++

Jag

One of the Dominion Gutrippaz, with a cloak from the Aleguzzler Gargant kit, a greenstuff bicorn, Kroot spine feathers, a Blight King axe, a Freeguild Outrider pistol and a Kroot pistol, and a Mordheim Militia left hand.

I have started building a couple of the multi-part Gutripperz I bought at Fest. When they are done I think paint the four of them before I build more.

+++

Update 2023-05-21

Gruk

I forgot to take photographs when the greenstuff work was done! So here they are with ready for painting (just grey zenithal basecoat and drybrush Ushabti Bone so far).

Borgo

The Gutrippa Boss parts, with a few bits box extras.