The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Plunderblades and the Portwreckas, part 3

I got hold of the new Ardboys kit a few weeks ago but I have only just got round to building them. I replaced all of their heads with heads from a mix of Ironjawz Brutes, old orks even older orcs, and Bonesplitterz Savage Orruks. Brute heads fitted pretty well and the join will be reinforced by the greenstuff hats - I probably should have added tongues to more of the ones with open mouths though.

I left off their shields (and saved them to armour the prow of a ship at some point!) and replaced their left hands with hands holding weapons (mostly from Brutes, but also some from Orks and Orcs!)

To mix up their look a bit I made 6 Ork Beast Snagga Boyz into extra Ardboys, by adding Brute forearms and shoulder armour plates (and a boot, from a Freebooterz banner, to replace a bionic foot in one case!).

I will make up the numbers for two units of 10 by adding four of my existing models - two Ardboy Bosses (made from Ork Nobz) and two Glyph Bearers (also made from Ork Nobz - probably a drummer and a standard-bearer).

This was taken before I started work on greenstuff hats, but you can see that the 6 Beast Snagga Boyz blend in pretty well.

+++

As well as giving them all impressive hats, I am adding additional nautical gear to all of them. Things like pistols, powder and shot pouches, ropes, maps, and trophies.

+++

+++

+++

This one has a Bonesplitterz Savage Orruk head:

+++

+++

+++

So far I have 7 ready for undercoating. I usually work in smaller batches, so this might feel like a bit of a slog, but I think I will try to complete the build and greenstuff of the other 9 before I move on to painting.

I might paint them in small groups though!

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Plunderblades and the Portwreckas, part 2

I've completed another two new models for the pirate fleet! I may give them a run out in Warcry, possibly even in Age of Sigmar, but they were mainly converted and painted just for the fun of it. While I waited for the new Ironjawz release!

They will definitely feature in my stories for Animosity Campaigns as background characters. Probably shown from the point-of-view of Kaptain Mogrum and the Cleavermaws.

+++

Kaptain Borgoth, Megaboss, commander of the Plunderblade.

Armed with a Boss Choppa, in the form of a big sword, in his right hand and dagger in his left hand. He also wore a Kharadron rifle (that he used as a pistol) at his side. He favoured a big bicorn hat with tentacles and an orruk-skull for decoration. He was very proud of his big bushy beard, and spent a lot of time fussing with it. An unrolled navigation chart/map was pinned to his back, and while no-one was completely sure if he knew it was there, they also didn't want to ask.

Borgoth was known for his formidably loud and commanding voice and was often described as jolly, booming or "larger than life". But he was equally capable of still, brooding menace, hearty bonhomie and explosive rage.

Here seen standing among a big pile of loot - barrels, sea-chests, a navigation book, an empty bottle and assorted shipwreck timbers.

+++

Kaptain Ogdrog, Megaboss, commander of the Portwrecka.

Armed with a Boss Choppa - in this case a really big two-handed axe. He wore an iron gob, an eye-patch, a big asymmetrical bicorn hat with a gold dolphin for decoration, and a Kharadron "pistol" at his side. He lost both an eye and a finger at some point in his career, but unlike most pirates he didn't have an "exciting" tale to tell about the incidents.

Ogdrog wasn't given to eloquent speeches, or long monologues; his usual conversation was almost monosyllabic. He usually let Borgoth do all the talking - their two ships often sailed in consort and both their crews were used to adventuring together.

Here seen having lived-up to his ship's name, standing on the ruins of a port town, surrounded by wreckage, flotsam and jetsam.

+++

A couple more shots with a different backdrop and slightly different lighting.

The Ironfang Pirate Fleet - The Plunderblades and the Portwreckas, part 1

The combination of new Ironjawz models on the way and a very generous from @Daemon_Hammer on Twitter have got me making more pirates for the Swordfyshes.

+++

MegaKaptain Ogdrog, of the Portwrecker

This big fella is converted from the Warhammer+ Megaboss - Bazdrogg Nekk-choppa, who already had a cool eye-patch. I added the open left-hand from the Maw-Krusha kit, a big greenstuff hat with a tiny fish hatpin made from a decoration the old Empire Great Cannon kit, a Kharadron rifle as pistol, a Kharadron anchor on his back-chains.

He's standing on stone ruins made from the base of a Realmgate and some nautical-looking odds and ends from my bits box like an Ogor barrel, a Mordheim pub sign bracket and some glass floats that might be from the Hobbit Lake-town house kit, or an Idoneth kit.

+++

MegaKaptain Borgoth, of the Plundablade

Converted from the Maw-Krusha Megaboss, with the sword and dagger options in that kit, a greenstuffed big hat with a orruk/ork skull hatpin, a big beard made by adding greensuff texture over an Ogor Mournfang bit, another Kharadron rifle as pistol.

Because of the angle of his feet he's standing on a pile of shipwrecked loot made from two barrels and a chest from the Bone-tithe Nexus kit, a Skaven Plague Monk book and some timbers from a Screaming Bell.

+++

I'm going to start painting both as soon as I can, and there is likely to be a third MegaKaptain joining them later, if/when I can get hold of the one that will be with Stormbringer Magazine issue 68. That will be published sometime around June 2024... I think?