Soothsayer's Skorne

Will put text in later... just quickly popping these on before I head to work. Enjoy for now!

Okay, have just typed up my stuff, so beneath the pictures you will find the text.







The Skorne are a faction within the Hordes campaign setting of Warmachine; unlike the steampunk-esque mech “steamjacks” (properly called warjacks) and the related technology levels of Iron Kingdoms, the Hordes utilize creatures and monstrosities, a more “traditional” approach to fantasy themed combat.

The reason I went with Hordes instead of Iron kingdoms, two game campaigns which can be pitted against each other, is simple: I have a great deal of Warhammer 40,000 stuff (an ork army, a Tyranid army, a Space marine battleforce, and a massive Tau army), and I quite frankly grew tired of shooty mechs, steam driven or otherwise. Additionally, the reason I chose the Skorne is that, well, let me explain.

I love Asian influences. Whether it be anima, manga, samurai, food, movies… whatever. With the Skorne, I have that. But don’t let the appearance fool you, these are not the honor bound warriors we all know, although they are honor bound to their House and ancestors. With this group, pain is the life, whether it be given to their enemies, or to their own rank and file. Torture is an art, being able to sustain one’s life beyond what is expected by use of pain, so that they may continue to fight the work of a true master.

The Skorne subjugate all opponents, and put the newly acquired slaves into their combat forces… and they push through the lands, capturing new flesh and lands to expand the Empire. Their Emperor, known simply as the Reborn or the Conqueror, is the exhiled ( and rightful) king of Cygnar (of the Iron Kingdoms), King Vinter, who has united the once nomadic and warring tribes of Skorne into a massive unified force.

I like the Skorne as much as I like my Tau… variety and model appearance. The appearance is simply the Asian influence, whereas the variety allows the Skorne to utilize a wide assortment of models, the only unifying factor is their armor color of red and gold.

Red? *scroll scroll scroll* But the ones I painted are purple and gold. What gives?

I like the color purple. My tau are purple (interestingly enough, the elite and squad leaders are gold), and so my Skorne are purple. There is a reason for this, though. Even though the Hordes book says the Skorne are to be red, black, and gold, I decided on purple as the primary color because Cygnar’s primary color is blue. I reasoned that the forces loyal to the Reborn would do him honor by altering their armor to incorporate his color into their own. Red + blue = purple.

Anyway…

The figures you see here are from the Skorne Warbox, a small force already collected so that you can play immediately after assembly and painting, and include two Cyclops Savages, one Titan Gladiator (the elephant looking thing) and Master Tormentor Morggoul. But, more on that later, as I just wanted to introduce my Skorne army, and not go into too much info all at once.

I should also add that these were painted with testor model paints, as I have a bunch of them lying around. I know I can achieve greater effects by using "real" model paints, but the way i see it, these turned out rather well, and I worked with what I had.

just imagine what i could do with the good paints!

I really do like your painting... But I just can't stand the Testor model paints... Don't know why..

Kudos on the paint job though!!

Shortly, in relative terms, I shall be adding to my Skorne army with the inclusion of one model... one model which shall set the Skorne down the path of victory. You and your forces of the Iron Kingdoms may have 'jacks, but nothing shall compare to the horrendous might of our mighty Mammoth!



This figure is being released in late February, and I have just pre-ordered it. Wait, Skorne don't "pre-order". Let me restate that: this figure is being released in late February, and I have just enslaved it, and my highly skilled paingivers are preparing it as we speak, to wreck destruction about the lands. Yes, that's much better.

The Mammoth is a gargantuan figure, larger than the large, large than even the titan class. How big? The base is 120mm, but to put it into perspective, here's this picture:



Please note that that is a 30mm base in shadow for comparrison. 30mm is what, a light warjack?

Now, since this figure hasn't been released yet, the stats are still in the rumored stage, but here's what I've found so far:
Fur:4

Quote :

SPD:4
MAT:6
RAT:4
DEF:8
ARM:20

(2)P+S:19 Fists (crit pitch)
P+S 17 tusks

RNG 10, RoF 3, AoE 4, POW 15 gun
Assult
Bulldoze

Animus: Repulsion


Weapons and Attacks

Quad Cannon - Low range, high POW, medium sized AOE and ROF 3! This baby will be the reason to bring the Mammoth. You can obliterate groups of medium armored infantry with it. The low range can be improved with the Cyclops Raiders Far Strike animus.

Tusks- As strong as an Enraged Gladiator's Tusks

Fists- As Strong as an Enraged Bronzeback's Fists

Critical Pitch {Pitch - Any weapon effect which includes the word "pitch" is code for a throw effect. It's similar to "Smite", but for throws. The thrown model suffers a damage roll with POW equal to the thrower's P+S (which makes it a bit stronger than a regular throw). Collateral damage has a POW equal to the attacking model's STR.}

Open fist {Open Fists are melee weapons which leave the hands of the warbeast or 'jack in question free to move and grab things. This could be simply because the beastie or 'jack is punching its enemies rather than bothering with weaponry, or it could be because they have something strapped to their wrists that leaves their fingers free. Open Fists allow a 'jack or beastie to make head/weapon locks and throws; they can also make a Double-hand throw if they have two Open Fists. Colossals and Gargantuans with an Open Fist can make Power Strike attacks.}

Special Abilities

Assault It get's to shoot as it charges.

Bulldoze Very strong ability for a Gargantuan. It can push stuff out of the way while moving. Note that with Reach if you push something 2 inches away (from base to base) and stop your movement you are still in melee range (as it is exactly 2 inches away)

Animus - Counterblast

Low cost, SELF range animus; One easy down payment, and the caster will be able to make an attack against anything that decides to enter the caster's CMD range

Then there's a ruleset for gargantuan figures; apparently, they can't be knocked down, thrown, or otherwise become immobile, and a few more. I need to somehow get a copy of this expansion rulebook (hint hint), whether I buy it or have it downloaded (hint hint).

Even if we don't play Warmachine, this would make a great figure to simply have. But if we do... mwa-hahahahahahaha! And yes, I already know that this is for expansion rules, and that we should probably learn the initial core rules first, and that, as an expansion, it would first have to be agreed upon by the players to allow its use. Doesn't make it any less cool, though, does it?

WooHoo!!!! Multiple cannon!

Shadowcrunch carried out 1 launched of one d6 :

1

Shadowcrunch carried out 1 launched of one d6 :

2

Miss...
Roll for deviation direction...

Shadowcrunch carried out 1 launched of one d6 :

1

...and distance...

Shadowcrunch carried out 1 launched of one d6 :

5

DAMN! Sorry Skorne commander!!!

Oh please. It's going to be more like "My mammoth makes a sucessful grab attack. What to do, what to do... throw? Or point blank shot? Hmm..."

Irregardless on how the scenario plays out, this is going to make one fine model. Something I'll have to take my time with. Maybe even buy some high quality paints.

Just putting this here for future reference, lest I forget... the official rules / stats for the mammoth are out as of January 20, and can be found here in this article.

http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/01/skorne-mammoth-first-impressions.html

Just ordered the Skorne Colors Formula P3 Paint Set, $16 including shipping. Now people can stop scoffing at my use of Testors, although I readily admit there may be some colors from Testors I'll be using.

As to the colors and what's all included, just follow this link: http://privateerpress.com/content/skorne-colors

The colors I'll probably be keeping from Testors would be gold and perhaps the metallic purple. I think Testor's does a better job with the gold, and the purple would be in keeping with the models I already have (I will put a lighter base, though).

Couple updates. First is that my paints came in yesterday, second is that I misread the pre-order form. Seems pre-orders needed to be in by the end of February, not that the model was to be released at that time; model will be shipped late March.

That's alright though. Gives me enough time to both plan how I'm going to do this beast, and save up for basing material and decent brushes and such. Would be nice to know what parts of this kit where metal and what's plastic, so I can determine if there'd be any customization involved.

My Skorne Mammoth shipped out April 18 (the company had sent me an email stating as such). I've been tracking its movements ever since.

It arrived at Dayton Ohio on April 19. As of right now, the evening of April 26, it is still in Dayton Ohio.

What the hell?!

This is being shipped via priority mail, USPS. For over a week, the priority shipment has been to sit idle?

Just contacted USPS customer service in regards to this issue. Egads, I am going to be sorely put out if something negative has happened...

My Mammoth arrived yesterday, and I am quite happy. It is a white metal / resin kit... the first resin kit I've had to assemble. Was not expecting this; the pieces are solid, nothing like the plastic sprue pieces I'm used to.

And heavy. Wow. I could club a baby seal with this thing and have it crying for mamma with one whack!

There is one slight problem, though. The assembly instructions are not instructions. Oh no. It's a breakaway / diagram. On a piece of paper no bigger than an index card.

I'll post some pictures tonight so you have a better understanding of what I'm talking about.

Okay, time for some glorious pictures. Think of it as a "proof of concept".

First off, we have the box. Ooo. 9.25 by 6.25 by 3.75 (inches).



When opened and everything is exposed, we have this. Please note that there is a container of resin pieces and white metal pieces. Also, the base measures 4.75 inches across.



For a further breakdown, here are all the resin pieces...



and all the white metal pieces. These pieces scare me, they are really flexible. Afraid of snapping one!



Here we have the assembly instructions. I love how helpful this is. Bastards.



There. Finally, the pictures are done. Kind of. The next four pictures are of the cards (everyone loves cards!). Hopefully you can read the text, see just what it is you'd be facing.

Card 1, front.



Card 1, back.



Card 2, front.



Card 2, back.



So that's everything. The mighty Skorne Mammoth. I don't see myself assembling this anytime soon; need to find out what glue works best for resin products, plus I have a Tau Riptide to finish (need to get some small magnets for the weapons systems). Now to preview this post, see how much room the pics take.

Okay, preview's done. Not too bad; I was a bit worried as the average file size of these pics was 1.2MB!

Lastly, I just want to say how impressed I was with the model itself. As you can see by the pieces, there isn't any mold lines on the plastic (sorry, resin) and no flashing on the metal. A far cry from 40K stuff (although the kit for the Riptide was amazing, but more on that later).

Holy shit that is a HUGE monster!!!! Neat!

Doing some online research... I'm tossing a bunch of Skorne Mammoth related links here so I don't lose track of them. Feel free to view them if you wish.

Mammoth Build

Utilizing Mammoth

I've been sitting on the mammoth model for quite a few months now. Every so often, I'll go online to find tips to assembling a resin model of this scale, or I'll try to find someone who posted a step-by-step of their mammoth assembly. In the in-between time, I've been sanding and taking care of some surface imperfections or casting residue, dry fitting here and there, and slowly building this kit within my mind so that I knew what to expect.

Ugh.

Making an attempt to start assembly here at the shack, seeing as how the company's closed for the holiday and I have little else to do. As much as I love this model, both in scale and design, I would also have to say that this is going to try my patience. Dry fitting reveals that I'm going to need to use a large amount of putty to fill in seams, some additional grinding and putty use to get pieces to aling orfit properly, and because of the weight, I may have to try my hand at pinning.

Most of the complications I can understand, it's the gaps between pieces that boths me. In any other model or subject, the gaps would be fine and could go towards the model's theme, but not in an organic subject. Also, and in particular the right upper arm, the rope that is wrapped around the arm (in an attempt, I believe, to help hide the seam when joined) is too thick; there's a noticeable flat surface that is wider than the rope itself, so I'm going to have to figure out how to sand, shape, and detail ths area so that it matches the other arm.

If this were a smaller model, I could easily see myself sanding off all the rope and adding real rope, but there's a lot of rope on this figure.

I've just got to take my time with this, be patient. Do what I can do, and make the best of it. Chances are the defects that I see can only be seen by me, that others may not be as critical. They'll see the final product and go ooo and ahh, so that should be all the inspiration I need.

I have gotten to the point where my Mammoth model is just about assembled, save for all the small white metal pieces. Nice model, but there were a few problems.

1. Seams suck. There's going to be quite a bit of filling and sanding, let me tell you.

2. Wrinkles or other details don't match up between one piece or another; I'm going to have to figure something out for this.

3. The tusks. Ugh, the tusks. Doing a quick google check shows that this is a problem for many. First part is, the tusks would prevent the mammoth from punching / hitting anything; the second is that the right side tusks hit the table surface, even when on the base. Forums say to mount the mammoth onto an object and then to the base, but to be careful so the tail doesn't hit table surface.

4. Some pieces, such as the lower left cannon, was molded wrong; doesn't fit onto the assembly proper. Lots of sanding.


No, I'm not complaining... too much. I picked this up for at least $20 under the suggested retail price through a pre-order. If anything, my kit was one of those released before issues were resolved, so some errors are to be expected.

If anything, this has given me the start of a negative opinion on resin models. This was the first full resin model I've assembled, and I'm not too impressed, especially when it comes to improper fit / seams needing massive fill. There really was no reason why this kit couldn't have been a full plastic one: details would have been better, and it could have benefited from a greater range of customization.

Still a nice model, though.

I can't wait to see pics of the finished product!!!!

Tonight I'll be taking pictures. Need to update the Avon bottle collection (picked up two frog bottles for Gail and me, shared collection), and was going to make an album on all the Punisher stuff I have, so I'll take some of the mammoth as well.

Only thing not on the mammoth yet are the little white metal tassels and the base. Need to make a slight hill on the base or something so the figure isn't touching the ground in any sort of way.

Here we have Paingiver Morghoul.  Hi, Morghoul!  Standing tall at just over one inch...  what a man...


Oh look, Morghoul has gone for a walk.  Wait...  what's this?  There seems to be something standing directly behind him!


Watch out, Morghoul!  A Mammoth has kept up behind you!  You best be careful...


Not to worry, Morghoul has his friends to keep him safe.


Couple more shots, just for the heck of it...

'Crunch, the Lady, and child number two came by my homested two Sunday's ago, and during the brief visit, 'crunch checked out my mammoth. His words when the Titan Gladiator was placed next to it?

"Holy shit, that's big."

Yep. Can't say that was the first time I heard that either.

Games come and games go. Interests spark further purchases while older games sit by the side. I don't buy Tau stuff for 40K as much as I used to (though I still do), and, for me at least, Dropzone Commander still seems like the best bet as far as a gaming future goes. But with that, my interest in Warmachine kind of waned.

But, with 'crunch saying that you guys have been playing a bit, have been getting a better feel for the rules and the game, my interest has resparked. I still haven't watched any battle report videos or how to videos (I did that with DZC); I intend to, just haven't yet. And then there's that frito-lay guy... he's been pushing Warmachine again.

So alright already! Time to dust off my skorne!

This morning I ordered the skorne faction book. I've been out of things for a while, and though I can check things online, having the book will help me in determining what I need, what models will best suit me. In addition to that, just now I've placed an order for the skorne all-in-one army box. Thanks to the exchange rate with Canada, I was able to pick up the box and shipping costs for only $114.

There are some models or figures I would love to have right now... the titan bronzeback for starters. But I'm going to hold off until I get the book.

...

Yesterday I did some double checking, and found out that yes, the skorne are able to hire mercenaries. There's this one warlord merc (the name escapes me, but I have it posted on Facebook) that is willing to work with the skorne. You know what that means... I can field some warjacks. I know, I know, concentrate on my initial army first, instead of planning ahead.

Gawd dammit.  Grover took me to a gaming store down in Oshkosh after work yesterday... Adventure something, I don't remember.  A lot of Flames of War stuff, a lot of Warhammer and 40k stuff (the new skaven models look amazing!), somegamesI haven't heard of, a fair share of Warmachine and Hordes, so on and so forth.

Came home with some Skorne figures.  One of them is  must have.  Imagine a creature that has been tortured beyond all hope... an infant animal.  An animal so broken and twisted that the sight of it numbs you, that its cry freezes you.

Quote :

Affected enemy warjacks lose the Arc Node advantage and cannot be allocated focus.

 
Not warbeasts... warjacks.

Been doing some reading and cross-referencing and, you know, general work stuff, when I stumbled across a race from Star Wars called the Yuuzhan Vong. See their image below.




Now, besides a similar appearance to the Skorne, if you were to read their bio (which can be found at the wookipedia), they even share some traits. I am not saying that this is where Privateer Press got the idea from the Skorne, but it is rather striking.

So then I reasoned that, after doing some searches for miniatures, that the Vong could probably make for a nice stand in for the Skorne. There are several sellers on eBay selling warrior groups, and those could be had for a lot cheaper than a standard Skorne infantry platoon. However, the Vong minis just don't look that good... nothing a good paint job coulsn't fix, I suppose.

And then, when I was going through the item's descriptions on eBay, I found one in which the seller was saying he was using the Vong as a stand-in for the D&D race known as the Gith. Who? Well, first their image.




Now, please note that Gith was a character, who in turn created or spawned (or whatever) two races: the Githyanki and the Githzerai. Ahh, here we go, an image of both gith races...




It now seems I have several options to fill out my Skorne ranks. These all share common elements in appearance, so a general themed look would still be possible, while adding a bit of visual variety to distinguish one group from another.

Thoughts? Opinions? If I were to get these figures, would you guys allow me to use them?

Feetal's fraggin Gith! Yes, I would allow you to play with your dolls. "No sir! I didn't see you playing with your dolls again!"

Tah-dah, my first non Tau conversion.  But wait, this figure isn't Skorne... why, it's a mercenary.  Why am I posting it here?  Dimple... the Skorne can take mercy in battles that involve two or more warcasters, and Magnus the Warlord will work with them; this is the Mangler  heavy warjack, designed by Magnus.

And okay, it isn't a big conversion, but it is something.  Those chains were a pain to set in place and have dry!

Huh, the pic is upside down.  I'll just correct that at work tomorrow.  **Further edit: corrected the warjack's name.**