*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 29, 2024, 11:05:04 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Recent

Author Topic: Tolkien Orc Kitbash p.24 - Second batch of Uruk-Hai, and more trolls painted.  (Read 54512 times)

Offline Captain Blood

  • Global Moderator
  • Elder God
  • Posts: 19311
I’ve wanted to make and paint some 'True-to-Tolkien' orcs for ages.
Having had a sudden, inexplicable urge to kitbash some plastic over the past day or two, I finally got around to starting on some :)

The Oathmark goblins provide a good base -  although I’m not convinced they’re really as Tolkien describes. (They do look a little like they’ve been influenced by that weird 1978 animated The Lord of the Rings movie though. Perhaps it's all the horned helmets).
As far as the descriptions and references in the books go (and there aren’t that many), Tolkien’s orcs are simply armed and equipped. It’s a mail shirt, a simple conical helm, large round shield, spear, bow, sword. Scimitars are specifically mentioned in a couple of places. That’s about it.

There are several learned threads here on LAF discussing all this, so I won’t go over it all again. Suffice to say orcs have been so hideously bastardised in gaming and pop culture, that most people’s idea of an orc is nothing like Tolkien’s original invention. His orcs certainly bear zero relation to the silly, semi-comic, bright green and gurning little baldies that have evolved from 40-odd years of ‘orks’ peddled by Games Workshop and its multitude of imitators.
Nor are the Peter Jackson / John Howe / Alan Lee versions much like what’s described in Tolkien. That gothic and extravagant hodgepodge of baroque plate armour pieces – distressed of course - synthesises a melting pot of historical arms and armour styles: From Byzantium to the Wars of the Roses via Samurai Japan, various S&M dungeons, and the Iron Masters of the Industrial Revolution. When it comes to orcs, the designs of professional Tolkien illustrators have much more to do with their own imaginations than anything described in Tolkien’s books.

Okay - rant over ;)
 
Hybridising the Oathmark Goblins with the new Victrix Saxons allows me to put simple nasal helms onto goblin heads - and to use Saxon bodies for some of the bigger, more upright, ‘man-orcs’, or ‘half-orcs’.
Those two sets form the basis of these assemblies, but there are also bits from around 15 other plastic sets - Fireforge, North Star, Perry and Gripping Beast. Plus a bit of Green Stuff here and there. I’ve mixed in a few of the Frostgrave cultist heads too - in Tolkien, there are a variety of orc types, some more manlike, some less. Some almost completely human - or human with a dash of orc.

(They certainly sound human. When you read the few segments in Tolkien where he puts actual dialogue into the mouths of orcs, they sound like people. Tolkien saw his orcs as debased, degenerate people, not wild animals. You only have to read the Shagrat and Gorbag episode to hear the voices of the all-too-human criminal underclass. Tolkien’s orcs are East End gangsters. They sound like the Krays. Harsh, vicious, violent scumbags - but cunning, clever, calculating, and with very human-like motivations. Not little green men. And not unthinking beasts).

Anyway, I digress… Again ::)

Here are the first dozen. I hope to get them painted fairly quickly. I was going to paint some with the red eye of Mordor, and some with the white hand of Isengard. But I recall Mordor actually has orcs of all shapes, sizes and varieties within its ranks, so will probably do all these as servants of Sauron. And then maybe a second unit for Saruman.

I haven't been completely doctrinaire about it, by the way - I have allowed a few horns and a couple of bits of plate to slip through... ;)
I've tried to stick mainly to more proportionate / realistic-sized weapons though.

The figure on the left in the first group is a homage to the unit of (identical) Minifigs orcs that I possessed around 1977 - that was several weeks' pocket money, but proved the envy of the school wargames club :D

The figure looked something like this anyway - armed to the teeth (although I seem to recall he was also wearing some kind of chainmail dungarees – very 70’s lol)




















« Last Edit: July 26, 2021, 01:53:52 PM by Captain Blood »

Offline Gibby

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2352
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2020, 09:44:50 PM »
Well those are magnificent!   :o


Offline Elk101

  • Moderator
  • Elder God
  • *
  • Posts: 10510
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2020, 09:49:20 PM »
They look really good. Can't wait to see them painted up.

Offline Blackwolf

  • Potato Cup 3 winner
  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Galactic Brain
  • *
  • Posts: 6225
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2020, 09:50:17 PM »
Those Richard are truly excellent  :-* :-* :-*
« Last Edit: May 25, 2020, 10:48:24 PM by Blackwolf »
May the Wolf  Walk With You
http://greywolf1066.blogspot.com.au/

Painting Clubs Joined: APC,MPC, PPC,PAPC,LPC.

Online OSHIROmodels

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Elder God
  • *
  • Posts: 27708
  • Custom terrain a speciality.
    • Oshiro modelterrain
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #4 on: May 25, 2020, 10:12:31 PM »
They look great  8)

Not sure about the Conan wannabe in the middle of the second batch though  lol
cheers

James

https://www.oshiromodels.co.uk/

Twitter account -     @OSHIROmodels
Instagram account - oshiromodels

http://redplanetminiatures.blogspot.co.uk/
http://jimbibblyblog.blogspot.com/

Offline Belisarius

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Mastermind
  • *
  • Posts: 1608
    • Yahoo groups Ulster Wargames Society
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #5 on: May 25, 2020, 10:27:21 PM »
Very interesting preamble, Richard. Oddly enough, these half human Orcs would unsettle, maybe scare me , far more than any slime  green , fantastic, cartoon version. I seem to recall, from the books ,  that unspeakable things were done in the dungeons of Mordor to produce a hybrid race of semi bestial human warriors.

Offline Hobgoblin

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4912
    • Hobgoblinry
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #6 on: May 25, 2020, 10:31:40 PM »
These are superb! Quite apart from the inventiveness of the kitbashing and the fact that they all 'read' really well as figures, the new helmets really improve the Oathmark heads by making them bigger.

All of these great, but I think the first three are my absolute favourites. Brilliant stuff!

Offline Dr Mathias

  • LPL Champion (S6,S7) Bronze Medalist (S5)
  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4490
  • Purveyor of the one-and-only Miracle Elixir!
    • Dr. Mathias's Miniature Extravaganza
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #7 on: May 25, 2020, 11:03:22 PM »
Following with great interest :)
a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice.
Dr. Mathias's Miniature Extravaganza

Offline BeneathALeadMountain

  • Mad Scientist
  • Posts: 681
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #8 on: May 25, 2020, 11:31:12 PM »
Great stuff, really inspiring and an excellent bit of conversion that looks like actual original miniatures (if that makes sense - it’s praise, just not very well described). How are you going to paint them?

BALM
Beneath A Lead Mountain - my blog of hobby procrastination and sometimes even some progress
https://beneathaleadmountain.blogspot.com/

Offline Faust23

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1623
  • Father of Sorrows
    • Strategic Elite: Skirmish Wargames for the Discerning Strategist
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2020, 12:03:58 AM »
I always enjoy your hobby exploits Captain Blood! Looking forward to these when they're painted up.  :)
Author of the Origins Award 2013 Nominated Brink of Battle: Skirmish Gaming through the Ages; Epic Heroes: Skirmish Gaming in the Realms of Fantasy; and Scrappers: Post-Apocalyptic Skirmish Wargames published by Osprey Games

Offline CTMM

  • Librarian
  • Posts: 113
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2020, 12:33:09 AM »
 
  Beautiful figures, I have always preferred the Tolkien idea of orcs as well.
  Also can't to see them painted.

Offline syrinx0

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • *
  • Posts: 3146
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2020, 12:49:44 AM »
This isn't kit bashing.  This is plastic magic.  Really fantastic group overall.  As others have said, definitely looking forward to seeing how you paint them.
2024: B: 0; P: 148; 2023: B:77; P:37;

Offline Dilettante Gamer

  • Scientist
  • Posts: 411
    • The Dilettante Gamer
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2020, 01:52:34 AM »
Delightful creations!
With goodwill to all and malice towards none...

http://dilettantegamer.blogspot.com/

Offline Ragnar

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Mastermind
  • *
  • Posts: 1354
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2020, 02:56:12 AM »
Excellent kitbashing there.  I also enjoyed the rant(s).
Gods, monsters and men,
Will die together in the end.

Offline Sinewgrab

  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2907
  • All to all, by my mustard!
Re: Captain Blood's Tolkien Orc Kitbash
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2020, 04:42:19 AM »
Oh dear.  You already make me feel inadequate in WW2 and historicals - do you have to go and get into fantasy too?
"There is no known cure for the wargaming virus, only treatments with ever increasing doses of metal."

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
5 Replies
2208 Views
Last post February 25, 2016, 09:43:13 AM
by Dr. Zombie
42 Replies
8267 Views
Last post February 13, 2016, 02:03:15 AM
by Vermis
20 Replies
3516 Views
Last post December 05, 2020, 07:08:21 PM
by Captain Blood
5 Replies
1374 Views
Last post October 14, 2021, 05:39:18 PM
by Wilgut Spleens
0 Replies
824 Views
Last post November 13, 2021, 03:07:00 PM
by dadlamassu