Recommendations requested - blunt weapon troops/orc cavalry (test model added!)

[boneio]

Hello!

I have a non-urgent need to create a warband-sized force (dragon rampant at most) wielding only blunt weapons. Ideally they should look like professional soldiers rather than thugs, including at least some wearing robes and armour, and a few cavalry in the same vein. I'm not afraid to do some converting and/or very minor sculpting. Having looked around I can find the odd figure fitting the description but it's usually one figure in a pack etc.

More left-field, I'm interested in ideas for orcs riding horses rather than boars/wolves. I've seen that alternative armies have a couple of pony-riders so I've put in a order, but again I could use at least a unit of 6-12 of these. Anyone got any bright ideas? Ideally they need to look like quite 'civilised' orcs with well-made weapons and armour rather than rags and jutting brows etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Lowtardog]

You would need to swap out weapons but these guys are nice http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=221_222_46_203_204



Out of interest why impact weapons (I assume clubs, hammers etc?)

[dadlamassu]

Look for clerics and religious types as many are modelled with clubs, maces, star and moonlight, morning star, war-hammer etc.  You can rearm standard figures too.

Orcs on horses - you could try marrying up Victrix plastic Numidian cavalry legs and horses with Orc bodies (Warlord miniatures are selling sprues of orcs for £1.50 in their sale just now)
https://www.victrixlimited.com/products/numidian-cavalry


https://store.warlordgames.com/collections/sprue-sale/products/orcs

[boneio]

You would need to swap out weapons but these guys are nice http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=221_222_46_203_204



Out of interest why impact weapons (I assume clubs, hammers etc?)

Funnily enough I already aim to use the stygian orcs for the normal foot troops.

I should have specified but the impact weapon troops are humans. They are for use as a religious order in my d and d game whose God forbids edged weaponry.

[boneio]

Look for clerics and religious types as many are modelled with clubs, maces, star and moonlight, morning star, war-hammer etc.  You can rearm standard figures too.

Orcs on horses - you could try marrying up Victrix plastic Numidian cavalry legs and horses with Orc bodies (Warlord miniatures are selling sprues of orcs for £1.50 in their sale just now)

In another coincidence I already picked up one of those orc sprues thinking it might be good for conversions. The numidian cavalry would work for light cavalry I think, or possibly heavier with some greenstuff. The orcs should generally look a bit more civilised than say Kev Adams orcs, perhaps even more like half orcs would traditionally be described.

The figures are for a religious order so the clerics etc are essentially ideal for character models but I'd like a band of fairly ordinary troops armed with impact weapons. Happy to swap things out but struggling to find a source of maces, hammers etc.

Thanks both for responding :-)

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Alternative Armies for orcs on ponies.  https://www.alternative-armies.com/collections/goblin-hordes/products/oh17-orc-pony-riders.

Renegade miniatures for more civilised orcs http://www.renegademiniatures.com/orcs/orc0105.htm

Or you could use hobgoblins - Otherworld or Alternative Armies or for an oriental look go for Mirliton.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

I forgot Sgt Major Miniatures for the old Vendel orcs http://www.frothersunite.com/files/wk/sc/orcs/orcs1/imag/vendlsml.jpg

I did rush reading your post.  I thought you needed horse riding orcs and civilised orcs, but I now see you want civilised mounted orcs.  Sorry.  I hope my posts are still of some help.

[Hobgoblin]

There's a pony-mounted "Eastern orc" here. I'm not sure of the manufacturer, but I think I've seen other pony-mounted orcs in the same range - possibly also available from 2nd City Games.

[dadlamassu]

In another coincidence I already picked up one of those orc sprues thinking it might be good for conversions. The numidian cavalry would work for light cavalry I think, or possibly heavier with some greenstuff.

I was thinking of making your orc cavalry using the horse and legs of the Numidians with the torso of the orc. 

These are 20mm but you get the idea

[SotF]

Depending upon what you want for the weapons and scaling.

I'm assuming that you want 28mm scale.

So, one thing that I've done to make a few interesting weapons for clubs is to take a round toothpick, a slightly wider dowel, some printer paper and some tiny rhinestones.

Cut the toothpick into a length slightly longer than the orcs forearm (for a single handed one, for a double the length of the arm), and a dowel piece of the same length (for double handed, about 3/4 the length of the toothpick). Use a drill the same width as the toothpick and in one end of the dowel drill in enough that you can glue the toothpicks end into it. Glue it in place and use a bit of sandpaper to smooth out the top and bottom of it.

When that's dry, take the paper and cut a small strip about half the width of the minis hand, use a bit of glue to tack it to the toothpick part slightly above the bottom of it and tightly wrap it upwards, almost to the join part and tack it in place to create a grip.

Then you take the rhinestones and work a pattern onto the dowel part as studs for your warclub...the "pattern" can make it work in different ways by the regularity (Or even full coverage if you want a more metal look), also stick one on the bottom of the toothpick and one on the top of the dowel part.

If you want you can scratch in more woodgrain for the dowel and toothpick.

If you have some fine wire, you can add bands and other things to it, or even use a blade to create them by etching them into it.

Works great as a kanabo/banded club or other similar things while being rather easy to make. Sure it takes a little bit of time, but they're cheap and you can mass produce them with little difficulty.

[Hobby Services]

FWIW, practically any axe can be converted into a mace of sorts with a bit of trimming.  Should be plenty of options out there.

If you don't mind doing hand swaps for new weapons, there are a fair number of robed types in Old Glory's Vampire Wars range:

http://www.oldglory25s.com/index.php?page=3&cat_id=521

They tend to be overfond of pointy edged things for your purposes and the cross iconography probably needs to go, but as base figs for conversion they're a good start.  Like all OG stuff they're also very cheap with the 40% OG Army membership.

[boneio]

I forgot Sgt Major Miniatures for the old Vendel orcs http://www.frothersunite.com/files/wk/sc/orcs/orcs1/imag/vendlsml.jpg

I did rush reading your post.  I thought you needed horse riding orcs and civilised orcs, but I now see you want civilised mounted orcs.  Sorry.  I hope my posts are still of some help.

No problem, thanks for the pointers! The Vendel orcs look great for foot troops but I think Sgt Major Miniatures is now defunct?

There's a pony-mounted "Eastern orc" here. I'm not sure of the manufacturer, but I think I've seen other pony-mounted orcs in the same range - possibly also available from 2nd City Games.

Ah yes, he's still available from Ral Parth Europe I think. Might order one to see how it looks.

I was thinking of making your orc cavalry using the horse and legs of the Numidians with the torso of the orc. 

Yeah that's how I understood your suggestion, I just wasn't very clear in my post, sorry. What I meant was that I'd need to armour the legs somehow or use them as light cavalry as these orcs are intended to be well-equipped. I'll see if I can find a few of the Numidians rather than buying a whole box.

Depending upon what you want for the weapons and scaling.

I'm assuming that you want 28mm scale.

Correct, and that's a great mini-tutorial, thank you! Might just give that a try.

FWIW, practically any axe can be converted into a mace of sorts with a bit of trimming.  Should be plenty of options out there.

If you don't mind doing hand swaps for new weapons, there are a fair number of robed types in Old Glory's Vampire Wars range:

http://www.oldglory25s.com/index.php?page=3&cat_id=521

They tend to be overfond of pointy edged things for your purposes and the cross iconography probably needs to go, but as base figs for conversion they're a good start.  Like all OG stuff they're also very cheap with the 40% OG Army membership.

Those are pretty much ideal, but I'm in the UK. Will have a look around for a UK stockist.

Point taken about the axes, I hadn't thought of that but should be quite a simple conversion.

That broadens my options a great deal as mounted knights with axes are now viable.

[boneio]

Ok, think I've got a plan for the orcs.

These cavalry have similar armour to the warlord games orcs so a simple head swap should work: https://www.grippingbeast.co.uk/GBP05_Arab_Heavy_Cavalry--product--4999.html

And if not, their torsos are separate to the legs so I can try the warlord torsos on there.

[boneio]

First test model below, made using Gripping Beast Arab heavy cavalry and the Wargames Factory (now Warlord Games owned) orc infantry sprues.

...I'm pretty pleased! It needs a bit more tidying up and some gap-filling etc., but this essentially achieves the 'subtle' orc look I was going for. Some might find it looks more like a half-orc or hobgoblin but I think it'll work for me. We'll see how well I manage to paint it up.

The spear-thing is a bit too fantasy for my taste but it does I hope reinforce that the chap isn't some ordinary human levy but an orc with a different culture.

Both sprues came with three models so I've two more to put together.

[Hobgoblin]

Looks good! One suggestion I'd make is to cut one of the blades off the polearm - so that it becomes a pointy thing more suitable to cavalry use. I've done this to use the same polearm with Chronicle wolfriders, and it immediately looks more appropriate. You could either cut the other blade off completely or fashion it into a backspike or hook.