Durgin Paint Forge: April Patreon

Diese Monat gibt es unter anderem Bergwerker bei Durgin Paint Forge.

Kit focus: Ori, the Iron Warrior

Ori Grimgaze is the personal bodyguard of Thugni Olafsson, a dwarf whose strict sense of honor stands out even by the high standards of his kin. Raised alongside Thugni as beard-brothers, Ori has always been the steady counterweight to the noble dwarf’s exuberant nature (some might call it his infamous recklessness…): where Thugni is impulsive and boisterous, Ori is quiet and contemplative.

When Thugni secretly decided to set sail to reclaim the ancient ruins of Zorn Uval, disobeying both his father and the entire clan, Ori didn’t hesitate for a second to follow his lord, despite Thugni begging him to stay behind, sparing him the shame of shared disobedience. Ori simply took a seat on the boat without saying a word, until Thugni had no choice but to accept it: unmovable, as always.

And thus began their greatest—and perhaps final—adventure.

 This kit is a reboot of a character originally sculpted for the first Kazhuk Izril range: the Iron Warrior.

I was never completely satisfied with the original design—the mask gave us a lot of trouble and went through a couple of redesigns I never fully believed in. Plus, the pose felt a bit bland and not quite in line with the idea I had for the character.

Later, while working with Davide Tedeschi (another talented sculptor who collaborated with me on this range) on the Hounds of Zorn Uzul, we managed to come up with a very interesting design for a dwarven helmet.

That’s when I realized I had finally found the right direction to improve the Iron Warrior’s helm!

Using that as a base, we stripped away the more steampunk/modern elements to better align it with the medieval/Nordic fantasy style of the Kazhuk Izril bloodline—and voilà, a helmet I was truly happy with!

With a more statuesque pose and a more detailed suit of armor, the new Iron Warrior finally took shape!

I’m very pleased with this kit, even though I’ll probably clean up a few minor details before production—some of the rings and half-gloves on the hands are a bit tricky to paint and don’t add much to the overall model. But these are just small tweaks.

I’d also love to make a version with a more heroic pose, wielding a drawn sword instead of the spear—but there are many other kits I want to create first (sadly, resources are limited and need to be used wisely!).

I hope you enjoy this kit and have as much fun painting it as I’m having (I’m almost done with mine!).

Due to popular demand, Ori is back on Patreon for a second release (he was originally published in October), so if you want to add this brave, armored warrior to your collection, join the Patreon and download the STL file now! 😀

Thank you for your support!
Matteo

Kit Focus: Borik the hermit

When Thugni and Ori realised they had a stowaway on board—Olga, Thugni’s young daughter!—they decided to make port at Kar Nodin and entrust the girl to a distant cousin of the noble dwarf. After all, if such an undertaking already seemed mad enough for seasoned adult dwarves, imagine it for a child!
However, when the two discovered that Thugni’s elderly relative had left months earlier on a pilgrimage to the Great Temple of Grundur, they had no choice but to accept the whims of fate and get used to the idea of having a little girl as their travelling companion.

It was there that they met Borik, a burly devotee of the cult of Vidarr, known to all simply as “the Hermit.”
Returning to their ship, the three found the wild dwarf passed out at the prow, dead drunk.
Upon waking, Borik introduced himself to the bewildered dwarves and explained that he was seeking transport to the Great Temple of Vidarr. He had gathered a number of ancient relics which, by tradition, had to be brought to the temple as offerings to the great Bear God.
Among them was what appeared to be an ancient dwarven waystone, found by Borik near the Whirling Islands and carried on his back ever since—such was the dedication (and strength!) of this wandering dwarf.

Thugni’s surprise turned into pure disbelief when he recognised, engraved on the waystone, the rune of his clan.
Neither he nor Ori could decipher the other runes—too ancient for their knowledge—but deep down, he felt the encounter with the hirsute dwarf bore the mark of divine will.

„Do you know anyone who can read these runes?“ Thugni asked Borik.

„Do I know someone? By Grundur’s lost eye, of course I do! There’s an old madman living in the forests of Svart, known as the Lord of Crows. If anyone can read these runes, I’m sure it’s him.“

And so, Thugni’s company—now made up of four unlikely adventurers—set off for Svart.

Back then, I wanted to include a classic barbaric element in the range, but I didn’t want to fall back on the usual Trollslayer archetype.
So I envisioned a sort of barbarian-ascetic, adepts of a primal cult: the cult of Vidarr.
Many dwarves of Inneath believe that during the cataclysmic events that shook the world centuries ago, the father of the gods—Grundur—sacrificed himself to save his children, channelling his divine energy into the earth to prevent Inneath’s total destruction.
It is said that Grundur, returned to the land, now wanders Inneath without memory in the form of a giant pale-furred bear: Vidarr.

The Disciples of Vidarr cut ties with their clans and with civilisation itself, dedicating their lives to a single goal: restoring their god’s memory.
By reconnecting with the wild forces of nature, almost like ascetics, the Disciples of Vidarr wander in search of ancient artefacts, building temple-museums overflowing with priceless relics, in the hope they may help awaken the god’s memory and reconnect him with his past.
As naive as this belief may seem, the Disciples pursue it with unwavering devotion—a true fanaticism.

Together with Carlos Pérez Bugedo, the sculptor of this little wonder, I wanted to make this strange relationship between these dwarves and the relics of the past more vivid and explicit.
Borik carries very few personal belongings: a small pouch with essentials, a keg of beer, and a second flask for more alcoholic nectar. Yet the relics he’s gathered during his travels are countless, including the massive waystone that, as you’ve read, will play a central role in Thugni’s saga!

I believe we’ve reached a new standard in character design for this category of dwarves: the wild, feral look that reflects the ascetic path which gradually transforms the bodies of these wanderers, bringing them ever closer to the bear-like aspect of their god—and now also the deep connection to Inneath’s ancient past, the true cornerstone (pun intended!) of this cult.

What secrets does the waystone Borik found in the Whirling Islands hold? Will this hirsute hermit one day meet his god?
The quest of Borik and Thugni’s company hasn’t even begun, and yet so many pieces of the puzzle are already falling into place.

While you’ll have to wait one more month to meet the rebellious little Olaffsson, Olga, Borik’s unsupported files are already available (pre-supported files will be released next week)—don’t forget to download them!

Kit Focus: Dwarf Miners

Despite their undeniable skills, it’s clear that these lads had some serious bad luck with their “Underground Advance” dice rolls—they’re among the very last infantry kits to join this range!

Jokes aside, this kit is really close to my heart because it embodies a very strong archetype for this race: the Dwarf Miner.

I love Colin Dixon’s classic concept—his Miners were actually the very first regiment I ever painted! So I tried to embrace a rather old-school aesthetic, without altering a design that, at least for me, draws its strength from its simplicity.
You’ll find all the classic hallmarks of this regiment: dripping candles on their helmets, sturdy ringmail coats, and pickaxes tough enough to break through solid rock (or the head of a damned Elf!).

I wanted to offer three pose options: pickaxe carried over the shoulder, held in both hands, or resting on the ground. The pickaxe heads (there are six of them) are separate, allowing for a wide variety of combinations between poses and weapon heads.
This kit is, of course, fully compatible with the other infantry regiments, adding even more kitbashing possibilities to the already vast range available to you. In this spirit, I decided to separate the miner backpacks and make them compatible with the standard Dwarf bodies—this way, you can build themed Guild Expedition regiments (or even use them for Mordheim)!

I’ve also exported the Champion’s pickaxe so it can be used with regular miner weapons… or even with weapons from the Lord’s kit! If you’ve ever wanted to make a Miner Lord, now you have everything you need.

 There’s even a Miner with a map—a small Easter egg (pun intended!) tribute to a very old GW miniature tied to one of my childhood memories. (Back then—I was 11 years old—you had to call the GW headquarters in Nottingham to order via Mail Order. That was my first—and only—phone call in English. The things we do for Dwarves!)

Naturally, the Champion can be equipped with a mighty steam drill, proudly showcasing the supremacy of dwarven craftsmanship.

The Dwarf Miners now join the ranks of the Lords of the High Peaks, standing shoulder to shoulder with the Iron Brethren in the reconquest of Undgrin Ankor.
If, like me, you’re a great lover of tradition, you won’t want to miss out on this new regiment. (Non-supported files already available; pre-supported files coming next week.)

Quelle: Durgin Paint Forge bei Patreon