While most of my Blood Bowl players are indeed “refurbished” 40k and WFB Orcs, I actually went and picked up a new box of Black Orcs in order to build some Blockers for the Orkheim Ultraz. Not only will the contents of that box come in handy for my Orcish warband for Mordheim as well, but I also wanted my Black Orcs to look suitably impressive and heavily armoured.
Fortunately enough, the plastic Black Orcs are perfect recreations of those cool late 90s metal models I loved so much when I was still playing WFB, and they also work really well as Blood Bowl models with only some minor adjustments: When building them, I cut off their weapons to just leave the armoured gauntlets. Apart from that, it was all smooth sailing. So here are my first two completed Black Orc Blockers:
As you can see, the heavy armour instantly differentiates them from both the Linemen and the Blitzers. I used pretty much the same paint recipe for their armour, though, to make sure they fit the overall look of the team. Let’s check out the models in more detail:
The first guy uses a helmeted head. And I only cut off his weapons’ blades, leaving the hilts looking like crude knuckledusters. As you can see, some of the armour plates were picked out in black for some added variety. Apart from that, though, I stuck to my usual recipe. I also added some Gorkamorka decals in yellow, once again.
And here’s the second model:
Easily one of my favourite models in the team so far: The pose and screaming face really tell you that it is ON now 
Plus the bare face really adds some personality to the model. I painted the mouth and tongue in a mix of red and purple and washed the mouth cavity with GW Leviathan Purple for some added depth.
For many people, the most important thing about Black Orcs is their skin colour. And while I wanted my own Blockers to look slightly different from my players, I didn’t want to use a completely different recipe for their skin. For one, my approach so far had produced a skin colour I really liked. And I also don’t like Black Orcs that have a completely different skin colour from the regular Orcs surrounding them.
So my solution to this particular problem was to repeat my usual recipe step for step, but mix in a drop of black for each step. That way, the skin of the Black Orcs ended up looking slightly darker and more desaturated. Take a look at this comparison image:
As you can see, the regular Orc has a bit of a yellowish tinge to his skin, while the Black Orc’s skin is slightly darker and less vibrant. While some people may think it’s still too light, I am rather pleased with the outcome.
So with that, my first two Black Orc Blockers were finished. And there’s eight more where those two came from. While some of those models will be used for my Mordheim Orcs, I guess I’ll eventually paint two more Blockers for the Orkheim Ultraz.
But first things first: Only one more Lineman to go, and then my initial team roster will be finished. And then, my first ever Blood Bowl game! So expect an update on these guys pretty soon!
Until then, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
P.S. Oh, before I forget: This Friday’s update will be slightly delayed. I promise you it’ll be worth it, though…
Filed under: Conversions, Orcs & Goblins, paintjob Tagged: bb, black orcs, blockers, blood bowl, conversion, orc, orcs, orcs & goblins, orkheim ultraz, paintjob, team
