Warmaster Revolution Chaos Dwarfs Revisited

The Chaos Dwarfs are a vile black-hearted race, forever waging war in their relentless search for victims to enslave. Shrouded by the smoke of a thousand forces, the foul empire of the Chaos Dwarfs lies deep inside the Dark Lands. Far Below the bitter earth, the tortured slaves labour in chains, endlessly seeking out precious metals and minerals for their evil masters' plans. --Chaos Dwarfs, 3rd Ed Warhammer.

The Chaos Dwarfs never received a standard, mainline army book in the later editions of Warhammer Fantasy. Their primary official rules appeared in the 1994 White Dwarf Presents: Chaos Dwarfs supplement for 4th/5th Edition, the 6th Edition Ravening Hordes update, and Forge World’s 8th Edition campaign book, Tamurkhan: The Throne of Chaos. They were also absent from the original edition of Warmaster, although they eventually received an official army list in Warmaster Revolution.

I originally created my Chaos Dwarf paper counter set in 2021. That version was put together rather quickly and posted to the blog with only a minimal write-up. This new set replaces that older version, which I have now removed. I’ve reworked a number of the counters, particularly the heroes, and updated some of the unit names. Most noticeably, the basic infantry formerly labeled “Warriors” are now simply called “Chaos Dwarfs,” matching the current army list.

For this updated set, I used Warmaster Revolution Armies version 2.26, the most recent version available at the time of this post.

Printing the Counters
I hope you find these paper army sets useful. You can print them at places like Staples or Office Depot, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%.  I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. Note: This version is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.

Click on the counter set image above to download the complete army counter set in PDF format. The set has enough counters to create many armies of 2,000 points or less. Of course, if you need more counters simply print more copies!

Chaos Dwarfs Sample Armies
Chaos Dwarfs are a very different army from their more respectable Dwarf relatives. They still have extremely tough infantry, but they also bring slaves, cavalry, monstrous troops, magic, and some wonderfully unpleasant artillery to the battlefield. That gives the army a much broader tactical toolbox than simply forming a solid line and waiting for somebody to attack it. Chaos Dwarfs can hold ground very well, but they can also disrupt enemy formations, threaten the flanks, sacrifice cheap troops, and launch some very dangerous counterattacks. If you have any comments or suggestions on these lists or counters, please leave some comments below.

Chaos Dwarf Units at a Glance

Chaos Dwarfs Tough 4+ armour infantry and the backbone of the army.

Orc Slaves Cheap, aggressive infantry that work best when kept under the watchful eye of their masters.

Blunderbusses Short-ranged infantry firepower with an armour-save modifier.

Wolf Riders Fast, inexpensive troops with useful 360-degree shooting and evasion.

Bull Centaurs The army's mobile combat hammer.

Artillery & Magic Disrupt enemy formations first, then exploit the resulting weakness.

1,000 Point Armies

List 1: Balanced Chaos Dwarfs

10 units   |   Break Point 5

Qty	Unit	Points
2	Chaos Dwarfs	220
1	Hobgoblins	45
2	Orc Slaves	80
2	Hobgoblin Wolf Riders	150
1	Bull Centaurs	140
1	Death Rocket	60
1	Bolt Thrower	65
1	General	125
1	Sorcerer	90
1	Sorcerer Lord Upgrade	25
TOTAL		1,000

This is a good introduction to Chaos Dwarfs because it includes tough infantry, cheap slaves, fast cavalry, Bull Centaurs, artillery, and two spellcasters. This army list gives a good taste of nearly everything the army can do. The Wolf Riders provide speed, the Bull Centaurs provide serious combat power, and the Death Rocket and Bolt Thrower make it difficult for the enemy to ignore your deployment. Once you're familiar with this army, The Forge Line below is probably the more interesting tactical puzzle. It's a little less forgiving, but it begins to show what makes Chaos Dwarfs tactically different from ordinary Dwarfs.

Suggested Starting Brigade
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
Keeping the Orc Slaves with Chaos Dwarfs removes the extra command penalty theynormally suffer. This is one of the most useful habits to develop when playing the army.

List 2: The Forge Line

10 units   |   Break Point 5

Qty	Unit	Points
2	Chaos Dwarfs	220
1	Blunderbusses	90
2	Orc Slaves	80
2	Hobgoblins	90
1	Hobgoblin Wolf Riders	75
1	Bull Centaurs	140
1	Earthshaker Cannon	90
1	General	125
1	Sorcerer	90
TOTAL		1,000

The Earthshaker's Real Role
I don't think of the Earthshaker primarily as a weapon for causing casualties. Its real value is disrupting enemy formations. A successful drive-back has a much better chance than normal of causing confusion, and nearby units can be affected, too. That makes it a particularly useful weapon to fire at an enemy formation you intend to attack shortly afterward.

2,000 Point Armies

List 1: Mobile Assault

20 units   |   Break Point 10

Qty	Unit	Points
4	Chaos Dwarfs	440
1	Blunderbusses	90
4	Orc Slaves	160
2	Hobgoblins	90
4	Hobgoblin Wolf Riders	300
2	Bull Centaurs	280
1	Black Orcs	110
1	Earthshaker Cannon	90
1	Bolt Thrower	65
1	General	125
1	Hero	80
1	Great Taurus	80
1	Sorcerer	90
TOTAL		2,000

List 2: Combined-Arms Chaos Dwarfs

20 units   |   Break Point 10

Qty	Unit	Points
4	Chaos Dwarfs	440
2	Blunderbusses	180
2	Hobgoblins	90
4	Orc Slaves	160
2	Hobgoblin Wolf Riders	150
2	Bull Centaurs	280
1	Earthshaker Cannon	90
1	Death Rocket	60
2	Bolt Throwers	130
1	General	125
1	Hero	80
2	Sorcerers	180
1	Lammasu	35
TOTAL		2,000

Tough infantry holds the center. Artillery disrupts. Wolf Riders interfere. Bull Centaurs hit whatever the other parts of the army have made vulnerable. This probably is the 2,000 point army to use first. It has enough artillery to influence the battle without turning the army into a static gun line, and a Break Point of 10 gives it plenty of staying power.

Starting Brigade Structure

I would begin by thinking of the force in several independent formations rather than one giant battle line.

Iron Brigade #1
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
The Chaos Dwarfs provide durability while the Orcs provide cheap attacks and additional bodies. Keeping the slaves with their masters also eliminates their special command penalty.

Iron Brigade #2
2 Chaos Dwarfs + 2 Orc Slaves
A second independent block gives the army two strong points rather than one enormous formation that can be disrupted all at once.

Fire Brigade
2 Blunderbusses + 2 Hobgoblins
Keep this formation behind or beside the main infantry. The Blunderbusses are useful close-range support troops, but they are not as durable as ordinary Chaos Dwarfs.

The Hammer
2 Bull Centaurs
These are the army's main mobile combat reserve. Keep them somewhere they can exploit an opening rather than throwing them at the first enemy unit they can reach.

The Nuisance Department
2 Hobgoblin Wolf Riders
Protect flanks, shoot at vulnerable troops, threaten artillery, evade bad fights, and generally encourage the opponent to waste attention on 75-point units.

The Artillery Park

The Combined-Arms army includes an Earthshaker, a Death Rocket, and two Bolt Throwers. They do not all have the same job.

Earthshaker
As mentioned in the notes to The Forge Line 1,000-point army, the Earthshaker primarily is a disruption weapon. Fire it at formations you may want to attack soon. Confusion and drive-backs can turn an orderly enemy brigade into a collection of individual problems.

Death Rocket
The Death Rocket is much less dependable, but considerably more entertaining. Aim it at something worthwhile and accept that Hashut may occasionally have his own ideas.

Bolt Throwers
Less spectacular, but dependable. Sometimes boring competence is extremely welcome when the artillery piece next door has a misfire table.

Character Commands

Character	Primary Command
Hero	Iron Brigade #1
Sorcerer #1	Iron Brigade #2 + spell support
Sorcerer #2	The Hammer or The Nuisance Department
General	Critical movement or anything that still needs fixing

Chaos Dwarf Magic

The Chaos Dwarf spell list is unusually useful because each spell does something quite different.

Word of Fear
Causes a friendly unit to count as causing Terror for the Combat phase. Bull Centaurs are an especially attractive target when they are about to enter an important fight.

Flaming Hand
Gives a Sorcerer who has joined a fighting unit three additional combat attacks. Situational, but useful when the Sorcerer is already involved in an important combat.

Meteor Storm
Draws a line through the battlefield and attacks every unit crossed by it. Look for diagonal or oblique shots that can catch several enemy units at once.

Volcanic Eruption
Attacks every enemy unit within 30cm of the Sorcerer. It is difficult to cast, but potentially spectacular when several enemy formations have become crowded together.

Why Take the Lammasu?
In this list, one Sorcerer will ride a Lammasu. Its main advantage isn't combat. It flies, making the Sorcerer much easier to reposition, and it can attempt to dispel hostile magic affecting nearby friendly units. Think of the Lammasu Sorcerer as a mobile support piece rather than an expensive combat character.

A Simple Battle Plan

1 Turns 1-2: Disrupt

Don't race the infantry forward. Establish useful firing lanes, move the cavalry toward the flanks, and let the artillery begin breaking up enemy formations. Early casualties are nice. Confusion, drive-backs, awkward facing, and broken brigades may be even more useful.

2 Turns 2-3: Pressure

Bring the Blunderbusses into useful range. Let the Wolf Riders begin causing trouble on the flanks, while the Bull Centaurs remain positioned to counterattack.

3 Turns 3-4: Hammer

Once the enemy is confused, separated, damaged, or facing the wrong direction, send in the good troops. Bull Centaurs are much more valuable finishing a compromised enemy formation than charging something simply because they happen to be able to reach it.

4 Turn 4 and Later: Break the Army

Stop thinking primarily about destroying the enemy's most impressive units. Look for the quickest route to its Break Point.

A Basic Deployment

The exact formation will depend on terrain and opponent, but the basic idea is to create layers. The infantry holds the center, the cavalry protects or threatens the flanks, and the artillery sits far enough behind the fighting troops that the enemy cannot reach it without first solving several other problems. Honestly, this is the basic deployment for nearly any combined-arms army, from those in Warmaster all the way through Napoleonic warfare.

WOLF RIDERS

ORCS | CHAOS DWARFS     CHAOS DWARFS | ORCS
ORCS | CHAOS DWARFS     CHAOS DWARFS | ORCS

BLUNDERBUSSES | HOBGOBLINS

BULL CENTAURS              WOLF RIDERS

EARTHSHAKER    ROCKET    BOLT    BOLT

Don't Play Chaos Dwarfs Like Ordinary Dwarfs

Remember, the Artillery shapes the battle; it shouldn't be the battle. With that being said, it's tempting to form a defensive line and simply shoot, but that wastes too many of the army's advantages. Chaos Dwarfs have Bull Centaurs, Wolf Riders, slaves, Blunderbusses, magic, and disruptive artillery. As mentioned earlier, the artillery should make the enemy uncomfortable enough to move or reorganize. The rest of the army then exploits what happens.

Chaos Dwarf Rules Worth Remembering

Orc Slaves Suffer an additional -1 Command penalty unless brigaded with Chaos Dwarfs, Blunderbusses, or Black Orcs.

Hobgoblins & Wolf Riders Have 15cm shooting and 360-degree vision for shooting and evading.

Orcs & Hobgoblins Normally cannot brigade together unless Chaos Dwarfs or Blunderbusses are also present in the brigade.

Earthshaker Has an increased chance of causing confusion after drive-back and can disrupt nearby troops as well.

Earthshaker + Death Rocket The army may take only one of these artillery units in total per full 1,000 points.

Great Taurus A flying character mount that causes Terror.

Lammasu A flying Sorcerer mount that can also attempt to dispel hostile magic affecting nearby friendly troops.

Final Thoughts

Since my teenage years in the 1970s, I’ve had a slightly unnatural fascination with dwarfs. Maybe it’s their stubborn, defensive nature that appeals to me. When I started playing Warmaster roughly 25 years ago, dwarfs were naturally my first army. (And, of course, my second army had to be High Elves!)

But there’s something especially intriguing about Chaos Dwarfs. They’re dwarfs, but they’re also much more than that. That variety is what makes the 2,000-point Combined-Arms army my favorite of all the armies on this list. The infantry, artillery, cavalry, and magic each have clearly defined roles, which creates many interesting tactical decisions during a game.

The key to playing Chaos Dwarfs, especially with the Combined-Arms army, seems to be resisting the temptation to make one part of the army do everything. The Earthshaker doesn’t have to destroy a unit if it can leave that unit confused. The Wolf Riders don’t need to win a major combat if they can force the enemy to turn an entire brigade around. The Orc Slaves don’t need to survive if their sacrifice leaves the enemy exposed to a charge from the Bull Centaurs. Meanwhile, the Chaos Dwarfs themselves can keep doing what Chaos Dwarfs do best: standing their ground, grinding forward, and making the enemy regret coming too close.

That interplay between all the different parts of the army is what I find so fascinating about them.

And with that, another lengthy post comes to an end! I hope you enjoy the counters, try out some of the armies, and have as much fun playing Chaos Dwarfs as I’ve had putting this set together.

Ogre Kingdoms Warmaster Fantasy Paper Army

The Ogre Kingdoms are a brutal, gluttonous race of massive, nine-foot-tall humanoids living in the Mountains of Mourn. Driven by an endless, ravenous hunger, their society revolves around fighting, eating, and worshiping a crater-god called the Great Maw. They fight as powerful mercenary armies across the world for gold and meat.

Not one of the armies in the original Warmaster rulebook, the Ogre Kingdoms is one of the expansion armies created for Warmaster Revolution. For this set of counters, I used version 2.26 of Warmaster Revolution Armies, which is the latest version as of this post.

Printing the Counters
I hope you find these paper army sets useful. You can print them at places like Staples or Office Depot, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%.  I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. Note: This version is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.

Click on the counter set image above to download the complete army counter set in PDF format. The set has enough counters to create many armies of 2,000 points or less. Of course, if you need more counters simply print more copies!

Ogre Kingdoms Sample Armies
Ogre Kingdoms is an interesting army because it does exactly what you would expect Ogres to do: hit hard, take up a lot of room, and make subtlety somebody else's problem. The catch is that Ogre units are expensive. A small Ogre army can become dangerously close to its Break Point very quickly, so I've been experimenting with lists that combine the big hitters with enough cheaper units to give the army some staying power. If you have any comments or suggestions on these lists or counters, please leave some comments below. Have fun experimenting with these free counters!

1,000 Point Armies

List 1: Classic Ogre Hammer

6 units   |   Break Point 3

Qty	Unit	Points
3	Bull Ogres	315
1	Ironguts	140
1	Gnoblars	30
1	Rhinox Riders	200
1	Tyrant	125
1	Bruiser	80
1	Butcher	90
1	Scroll of Dispelling	20
TOTAL		1,000

This is a very straightforward Ogre army. Bull Ogres form the main battle line, Ironguts are your tougher infantry hammer, and the Rhinox Riders are the "please remove that part of your army" button. The downside is the Break Point of only 3. Lose three units and dinner is over. I would use this one for learning Ogres, because it teaches you exactly what the army does well: concentrate force and hit something very, very hard. (Note: This list is from Warmaater.info.)

List 2: Gorger + Rhinox = Smash!

10 units   |   Break Point 5

Qty	Unit	Points
3	Bull Ogres	315
1	Gorgers	110
1	Rhinox Riders	200
4	Gnoblars	120
1	Sabretusks	40
1	Tyrant	125
1	Butcher	90
TOTAL		1,000

I actually like this one quite a bit for casual 1,000-point games. You give up the Ironguts from the first list, but cutting them allows you to jump from 6 units to 10. Plus, having Break Point 5 instead of 3 gives you considerably more breathing room. The Rhinox Riders remain the obvious hammer, but the Gorger with infiltration presents a completely different problem for the enemy. Meanwhile, the Gnoblars and Sabretusks give the army inexpensive units that can screen, support, occupy ground, or simply avoid getting eaten long enough to help preserve the army's Break Point.

2,000 Point Army: Double the Gorgers, Double the Fun

The basic idea: At 2,000 points, the army really begins to breathe. This Ogre Kingdoms list allows two Gorgers and two Rhinox Riders, and that opens up a much more interesting style of play. Ogres in front, Rhinox Riders threatening the flank, and two Gorgers waiting to appear somewhere deeply inconvenient.

17 Units   |   Break Point 9

Qty	Unit	Points
6	Bull Ogres	630
1	Ironguts	140
4	Gnoblars	120
2	Gorgers	220
2	Rhinox Riders	400
1	Sabretusks	40
1	Scrap Launcher	75
1	Tyrant	125
2	Bruisers	160
1	Butcher	90
TOTAL		2,000

Starting Brigade Structure

Warmaster brigades aren't permanent formations, of course, but I would probably begin the game thinking about the army in the following groups.

Main Hammer
3 Bull Ogres + 1 Ironguts
This is the toughest conventional formation and belongs near the center. The Ironguts can take on the nastier fighting while the Bulls provide the mass.

Second Ogre Brigade
3 Bull Ogres
Advance, threaten, and make the enemy commit. There is no prize for charging the first thing that wanders into view.

The Cheap Seats
4 Gnoblars
Screens, supports, flank guards, terrain occupiers, and four inexpensive units contributing toward that very useful Break Point of 9.

The Fast Wing
2 Rhinox Riders + 1 Sabretusks
Deploy both Rhinox units on the same general flank at the start. They can move together while the army develops, but I wouldn't consider them permanently joined at the hip. Break off the Sabretusks when they can go there own way. Two Rhinox units hitting the same part of an enemy army can be horrifying. On the other hand, splitting them later can force the enemy to protect two different areas. The important thing is the threat they create. Sometimes a unit earns its points before it rolls a single combat die simply because the other player has to react to it.

The Gorgers

Start both Gorgers off the table because a deployed Gorger threatens one place. An undeployed Gorger potentially threatens every legal infiltration point on the battlefield.

Remember, Gorgers can be withheld from normal deployment and infiltrated after the game begins. Their entry point can be in dense terrain or on a table edge other than the enemy's own edge. They suffer their normal -1 Command penalty, but ignore distance modifiers when receiving orders.

That makes them excellent independent troublemakers. The important thing is not to think of them as another pair of units that must immediately charge into the front of the enemy army. With three Hits and 5+ Armour, they aren't indestructible. At 110 points each I don't want to throw them away just because a target happens to be within reach.

Gorger Principle: Make the Ogres and Rhinox Riders the first problem your opponent has to solve. The Gorgers should be the second problem.

What Should the Gorgers Hunt?

Excellent Targets Artillery Exposed missile troops Damaged units Isolated support units

Good Targets Exposed flanks Isolated cavalry Units caught in awkward positions Troops diverted away from the main battle

Usually Avoid Fresh heavy infantry from the front Large intact brigades Strong defensive positions

Character Commands

Character	Primary Command
Bruiser #1	The Main Hammer brigade
Butcher	Second Ogre brigade + spell support
Bruiser #2	The Fast Wing, The Cheap Seats, or whichever flank needs help
Tyrant	Central reserve, critical orders, emergency movement, and Gorger infiltration

A Very Important Command Point
This is standard Warmaster knowledge, but it bears repeating. Don't automatically use the Tyrant (General) first. If a Bruiser (Hero) or Butcher (Wizard) fails an order, that character stops issuing orders. If the Tyrant fails an order, the entire army's Orders sub-phase ends. Ouch!

Therefore, I would try to get the routine movement accomplished with the Bruisers and Butcher first. The Tyrant can then handle the critical order, rescue something that didn't move, or attempt a Gorger infiltration without risking the rest of the army's movement before anyone has done anything.

A Simple Battle Plan

1 Turns 1-2: Threaten

Advance the Ogre brigades and put the Rhinox wing somewhere the opponent cannot comfortably ignore it. The Gnoblars screen and support. Normally, keep both Gorgers off the table at this stage.

2 Turns 2-3: Dislocate

Look at how your opponent reacted to the Ogres and Rhinox Riders. Now bring in the first Gorger where that response has created a weakness.

3 Turns 3-4: Overload

The second Gorger brigade appears. Usually put it somewhere different from the first. The enemy now has to worry about the Ogre battle line, the Rhinox threat, and trouble developing somewhere behind or beside the main fight.

4 Turn 4 and Later: Break the Army

At this point, stop thinking about destroying the enemy's most impressive units and start looking for the easiest route to its Break Point. A damaged or isolated unit may be far more valuable than another round of pounding away at the enemy's toughest formation.

The Pressure Pattern

This isn't really about surrounding the enemy. It's about making the enemy solve too many problems at once. If they reinforce the flank against the Rhinox Riders, another part of the army becomes weaker. If they turn troops around to deal with a Gorger, fewer troops are facing the Ogres.

Don't Get Too Greedy With Infiltration

It is tempting to place a Gorger as close to the enemy as possible, but proximity to the enemy makes the command roll harder. Infiltration also counts as the unit's first order, so any attempt to move it again is a subsequent order.

Sometimes the better entry point is 25-35cm away.
The Gorger appears somewhere threatening but doesn't have to make an immediate all-or-nothing charge. On the next turn it can threaten artillery, missile troops, damaged units, or the rear of the enemy line.

Dense terrain is particularly useful because Gorgers don't suffer the usual dense terrain Command penalty. Once deployed, they also continue to ignore distance modifiers. That lets the Ogre characters stay near the main army instead of chasing after the Gorgers.

Final Thoughts

Of the lists here, the 2,000 point Double the Gorgers, Double the Fun army is the one I'd most like to put on the table. It still looks and behaves like an Ogre Kingdoms army. There are six scary Bull Ogre units, Ironguts, and two units of Rhinox Riders coming directly at the enemy.

The difference is that the two Gorgers make the army much less predictable. They don't need to win the battle by themselves. They only need to appear in places that force the enemy to react badly.

Whew! This is the largest article I've done for Warmaster to date. I've been working on this since someone asked for it a few years ago. Since this post is chock full of info, I won't be posting just yet the counter sheets to the master page. I hope you enjoy the counters and the rest of the article. Let me know in the comments what you think, what I got right, and what I got wrong. Cheers!

Chaos Dwarf Warmaster Fantasy Paper Army

The paper counter set for the Chaos Dwarfs is done and available for download. Plenty of style and counter choices, even for those who do not want labels on their counters. Keen eyes might spot new Orc counters that look more like Warmaster 2000 than those in my current Orc set. To download the Chaos Dwarfs PDF, just click the images below. Same as it always is. Enjoy.

Beastmen Warmaster Fantasy Paper Army

The Beastmen are the true Children of Chaos. Grotesque hybrids of fierce animal and primitive human, these horned and stinking warrior-beasts infest the blighted forests that cover the Old World. Their savage tribes explode from the depths of the haunted woods to wage bitter war against the civilized races. So profound is the Beastmen's hatred of order and reason that they seek to drag the world kicking and screaming into a barbaric and primal age. -- Warhammer 7th Edition

Finally, my Beastmen counter set has arrived. You can find the army list for Beastmen in Warmaster Revolution 1.1 and in Warmaster Trial Armies (2009). I think you should be able to get a 2000 point army out of these counters. Most of the images are of Games Workshop miniatures from across their Beastmen ranges. Even some old Foundry and Harlequin miniatures are in the set. As always, I try to allow gamers to customize their units (mixing and matching stands) as much as I can, which is why some units, like Dragon Ogres and Minotaurs, have more units than needed.

I have never played Beastmen in Warmaster or Warhammer, so this was a new army for me. I know there are 10mm Beastmen out there from Pendraken at least. I do have some 15mm Beastmen from Splintered Light's Kickstarter last year or so. I got those for Dragon Rampant, but the miniatures sit unpainted. Each of the units in the 'skirmish' set I got from the kickstarter is short a few miniatures for units in DR. But that is another story for another post.

Well, I hope some of you find this Beastmen set useful.

Printing the Counters
You can print the counter sheer at places like Staples, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%.  I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super 77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. (Note: This set is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.)

Click on the counter set images below to download the the complete army counter set in PDF format.

Albion Warmaster Fantasy Paper Army

The mysterious, mist-bound isle of Albion is a dangerous place. On the one hand it is a land of endless opportunity, the battle-hungry eager to carve a niche for themselves into its hallowed ground. On the other it is a bleak expanse of moorland full of pitfalls for the unwary. The army of Albion is filled with barbarian warriors and mystical creatures. --"Albion Unofficial Warhammer Codex" by Mathias Eliasson

This set has taken me longer to complete than I had expected, mainly due to the holidays and a malaise from months upon months of lockdowns during the Coronavirus outbreak. While others used all that "down time" to crank our painted armies or binge game, my family felt the opposite. We found ourselves unable to focus much on gaming, especially since we all had to work from home every day. When we had free time, we wanted to get out of the house! In many respects, we feel like we have lost a year of our lives. I know many feel the same way. Anyway...

Finally, I present the finished set of counters for Albion. Aside from a few stand-alone Albion miniatures, this is an army that Games Workshop never made for Warhammer or Warmaster that I am aware of, making it more challenging to find good images to use.

A Bit About This Set
Albion has a Celtic/Briton feel to it, so I borrowed some counters from my Warmaster Ancients Celt-Briton set. However, I changed how I make Chariot counters. I like seeing the entire chariot instead of just the riders. While I recycled a unit of classic Warhammer Ogres from a previous set, I also created a new set of Ogres. My favorite counter is the Druid on a Giant Eagle, though I think it might be a giant hawk. Regardless, it looks cool, and I would love to push that real miniature around the table! I hope this Albion set fits the bill. Remember, you will also need to download the separate Giant Eagles for Warmaster Albion set!

The Future
I'm not sure what I'll work on next. I have bits of 10 other fantasy and historical sets I've been messing with the past few years. Republican Roman is closest to completion, which means I would have to do some enemies for them! Then there are the Beastmen and Chaos Dwarves fantasy armies. So many choices! Plus I want to get back into painting real miniatures instead of pushing digital cardboard around!

Printing the Counters
You can print the counter sheer at places like Staples, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%.  I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super 77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. (Note: This set is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.)

Click on the counter set images below to download the the complete army counter set in PDF format.

New Giant Eagles for Warmaster Albion & High Elves

While finishing work on my Warmaster Revolution Albion army counter set, I was going to copy the old Giant Eagle counters from the High Elves set over to the Albion set but changed my mind after looking for some new images online. In the end, I found so many new images of the newer Games Workshop eagle miniatures, mostly from The Hobbit line, that I couldn't choose what to use!

So, I decided to use them all, allowing you all to choose which counters you want to use for your armies. You can also choose how you want to create your units. Want all three counters the same image? Okay, you got it. Want to mix and match? Okay, you got it! I like having many choices.

The finished product is a single, stand-alone sheet of Great Eagle counters. The counters with the dark green labels are for the upcoming Albion set. The light blue labels can replace the High Elves counters I posted a while ago. Also, the new labels just say "Eagles" for style reasons--I didn't want the labels eating up images. I think we all know these are really big eagles anyway.

Tonight, I realized that somewhere along the way I began using two different fonts for the counter labels! Most of my fantasy and historical sets use the Verdana font, while some newer sets use Tahoma. It's not really important, but I made sure these new eagle labels use the 'proper' font for that set. Tahoma is more compact than Verdana and will probably become my new default font, unless folks make a good case to keep Verdana. (I don't have the $$$ to use a fancy Adobe graphics program, relying on my trusty Paint Shop Pro instead, so tiny fonts are challenge.)

I hope you enjoy these counters and find them useful. Let me know in the comments below. (In this post, I almost said 'The eagles have landed!' but I fought the temptation!)

Printing the Counters
You can print the counter sheer at places like Staples, using 110lb card stock paper printed at actual size. You can also print on regular paper and then glue the counters to wooden bases. (Check the older posts on how I did this with my Empire army.) Do not print the pdf to "fit margins." Always print at 100%.  I like printing the counter sets on good copy paper, spray gluing the dull side of a 'Silver Age' comic backing board with Super 77, attaching a sheet to the board, and then cutting out the counters using a sharp Xacto knife with a steel ruler. Using the backing boards makes for cheap, sturdy counters. I like keeping the shiny side down to make moving them easier on a table. (Note: This set is designed to fit Silver Age and larger comic backing boards.)

Click on the counter set image below to download the sheet of Giant Eagle counters set in PDF format.

Cool "New" Warmaster YouTube Channel

I just want to give a quick shout out to iainmstanding, an excellent YouTube channel from the UK featuring current videos about the various Warmaster systems, including Revolution and Ancients. The video below is a "Warmaster Battle report for newer players describing how the rules work. 1000 pts of Daemons take on 1000 pts of Albion." Other videos feature tips and tactics. Lots of good stuff and hopefully more coming! Check them out. And don't forget I have free printable counters for many Warmaster fantasy and historical armies; a great inexpensive way to check out Warmaster.

 

 

Albion, Covid, Silent Victory, and Whatnots

 It's not easy teaching an old dawg new tricks! It has been ages since I posted to the blog. Since all of us at the college got thrown into online teaching this semester, my time has been consumed with re-learning how to teach composition and literature classes as a "Remote Synchronous Online" professor. That means I was one of the few who got to teach live virtual classes using Zoom, Canvas, Nearpod, and who-knows-what-else.

Since August, I had been putting in 12 to 14 hour days every day learning how to become an online prof, so I could give my students a good online experience. I care about them, and they know it. I pray for them as a class, and some ask me to pray for them individually. I had students going though all sorts of problems at home. A number of them became seriously depressed and overloaded. Some got help, others just dropped out. I feel bad for our young adults and children. Anyway, this semester is over. Hopefully next semester will be better. I'll still be online, but I learned a lot the past several months.

Albion? Albion!

On my laptop I have a folder labeled working where I keep folders for all the Warmaster and Revolution army counter sets I'm still working on. When I finish I counter set, I move its folder over to the completed set of folders. Makes sense, right? Well, this evening I was looking through my Warmaster folders, looked in the working folder and got confused. Albion folder? Why is that folder still in the working section? I posted the Albion counter set way back in summer, didn't I? As my students say, "Oh snap!" I never posted it! Actually, I think it's complete, but I need to check the army list to make sure. Then I need to make the counter sets. Albion before Christmas is my goal!

As a request, I'm making a set of what I'm calling generic counters. They won't have any Warmaster unit labels on them. Each counter will have only one copy of that counter. They all come from my earlier sets. This way folks can print the sheets without wasting ink on stuff they don't need because they play a different game. I also realized that some of my counters sets are too dark, like the Celts-Brittons set. So I've begun lightening them. I'll re-post those sets asap. I want to make some other tweaks as well to sets. More on that later.

Silent Victory 

Earlier this year, I got GMT's board game named Silent Victory. It is a one (or two) player board game, where the player commands a single submarine in the Pacific during WWII. Think Run Silent, Run Deep. It is a very narrative game and fulfills my love of submarine warfare. I named my sub after a real one, the USS Plunger.  I love the play one words there! Go here to download all sub reports. I finished my first patrol of the campaign and have several more to go. (I even downloaded the reports from the Plunger. They are fascinating to read.) If you want more info on this game, you can check it's Boardgame Geek entry at this link. I highly recommend it!

BTW don't tell the spammers. I'm allowing comments again, but everything will be moderated. I miss comments!