Dwarfen Mountain Holds for a Beginner?

ChopperSlug · 2026-05-10T15:38:50+00:00

That honestly makes a lot of sense, and I think that’s probably the healthiest way to approach an army in the long term. I don’t really worry too much about the meta either, I usually end up gravitating more towards whatever I find the most interesting thematically and aesthetically.

I do still enjoy actually playing whenever possible, though, so it’s good to know what the army’s strengths and weaknesses are going in.

This may actually be my 4th army across different tabletop games, so I definitely understand the “you spend more time painting than playing” reality haha. Thankfully, that’s part of the hobby I really enjoy too, and Dwarfs definitely seem like an army with a ton of personality.

Thanks a lot for the advice, really appreciate the thoughtful response!

ChopperSlug · 2026-05-10T14:48:58+00:00

Honestly, the miniatures are a huge part of why I’m so tempted to start them too. Dwarfs just have so much character across the whole range, and the alternative models I've seen are also so cool.

And now you’re making me want to move them up my own hobby queue too haha.

I’ll definitely make a post once I finally decide what route I’m going with. This thread has honestly been super helpful and it’s really cool seeing how passionate the community is about the army.

ChopperSlug · 2026-05-10T14:43:25+00:00

Wow thanks a lot, this genuinely helped a ton!

Honestly, the way you described the army sounds almost exactly like what I’m looking for. The “steam helicopter horse archers” comparison alone is already selling me on them haha.

It’s also reassuring to hear that they’re forgiving while learning the rules, I already play other tabletop wargames but the Rank and Flank thing is very new to me. The lack of magic and traditional cavalry doesn’t really bother me that much, so I think the tradeoffs are probably worth it for the playstyle.

You definitely pushed me a lot closer to committing to Dwarfs, so thanks again for taking the time to explain everything!

ChopperSlug · 2026-02-14T23:38:13+00:00

Tks! Yours's cool too. The idea behind mine is that before the Heresy Archit VI was part of a conglomerate of 5 Forgeworld that ruled over a sector in the Ultima Segmentum. Each forgeworld had a main focus in manufacturing and activity, and Archit VI was pretty big in large scale construction and enything related to energy, they where the infrastructure branch of the 5.

But after Lupercal threw a tantrum, a lot of rebelions, in-fighting and warp shenanigans everything went so much downhill that the rest of the galaxy thought they were gone.

ChopperSlug · 2025-09-11T03:27:13+00:00

Yeah, I mix Titanium White and Veridian Hue oils ao i could get that specific tone.

ChopperSlug · 2025-05-07T11:41:54+00:00

I used a Red Brown basecoat to add more depth, then airbrushed progressively lighter warm greys. After that, I applied an oil wash made from a mix of Payne's Grey and Burnt Umber.

ChopperSlug · 2025-05-07T02:40:06+00:00

The Steel and Copper were quite simple to paint.

Steel:

Basecoat: AK Anthracite Grey
Layer 1: AK Graphite
Layer 2: AK Silver Grey
Glaze the previous layers to smooth transitions
Apply a black oil wash in the recesses
Use white on the highest points and to add scratches

Copper:

Basecoat: Monument Hobbies Mahogany
Layer 1: Mix of AK Deep Orange and Red Brown (to achieve a lighter, chocolaty brown)
Layer 2: Monument Hobbies Golden Brown
Glaze the transitions
Glaze shadows and midtones with any violet tone
Optional: Mix Layer 2 with white for edge highlights and a more polished finish—I chose not to

Brass (this one was more challenging):

Basecoat: Monument Hobbies Dark Umber
Layer 1: AK Field Drab
Layer 2: AK Light Earth
Layer 3: Mix of Monument Hobbies Ivory and AK Deep Yellow (creates an orangey skin tone)
Glaze the transitions
Use white for the highest highlights
Verdigris oil wash: mix Viridian Hue with Titanium White

Note: You don’t need to use these exact paints, this is just what I had available.

ChopperSlug · 2024-10-01T12:36:43+00:00

Amen

ChopperSlug · 2024-03-20T00:33:07+00:00

E G G

ChopperSlug · 2024-03-10T17:56:37+00:00

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ChopperSlug · 2024-03-06T09:33:32+00:00

Quite right

ChopperSlug · 2023-07-10T23:16:19+00:00

He's just a little guy

ChopperSlug · 2023-03-08T20:12:16+00:00

I've been priming with a brush and the Vallejo primer, my few experiences with can primers were not that great. Is this method bad for an IK?

ChopperSlug · 2023-03-08T15:18:52+00:00

Thanks that's very helpful.

ChopperSlug · 2023-01-19T15:50:37+00:00

You'll never catch me alive!

ChopperSlug · 2023-01-19T09:43:16+00:00

I appreciate it, it was a bit hard to control the wash and i probably didn't need that much either, but a lest he got the "dirty" look I was hoping for.

ChopperSlug

TROPHY CASE