INSPECTING THE TROOPS - ADAM NICOL
ALRIGHT YOU MISERABLE LOT! FORM UP!
We are gonna to be talkin' to a commander today! We are gonna be getting the ins and outs of what it takes to be in charge of this Man's Army! You grunts better be listening out if you want to make it our of the next war alive! Pipe down there Pike!
Right then. Lets see what this week's Commander has to say to you lowly lot!
So... Who are you, and how long have you been playing GW games?
I am Adam “Gruffy” Nicol I've been kicking around this hobby since around 88/89, but got into it proper around 91/92 with a Night Goblin army. I've usually stuck within Fantasy, but have dropped into 40k a few times. I took a massive break between 2004 and 2016, but the mix of AoS and the new direction of GW, plus a general lacklustre feeling towards the Action Figure collecting I'd done for over a decade grabbed me by the tentacles.
There's a slight smell of Heresy here... but let's press on. What's your Army of choice?
I have an unhealthy love of Greenskins. The Goblins always held so much character, and that's come across in the Grots and Orruks of the current iteration, however Skaven (I await the Skaven of AoS with unhealthy and unholy fervour) have been my army of choice throughout the decade. Grey Seers planning schemes within schemes, and hiding at the back of a giant mass of bodies. The creaking unreliable war machines exploding and careening around the battlefield. The idea that they are somehow the Master Race whilst they struggle to form a simple expansion of territory. Skaven fascinate me, and much like other Warhammer Only races (Zoats, Fimir, Chaos Dwarves) they are so unlike a lot of “traditional” fantasy races, they always feel like they are “mine”.
Currently, I am Undead, I have aimed for the idea of vast plains of bones being used from troops, for war machines, and for weapons. This army was raised from the sun bleached remains of a gigantic battlefield, left alone for hundreds of years until...something... discovered it.
Oh yes... and Tzeentch. I do love the the Architect of Fate.
In 40k, it's much the same. Genestealers draw me in for their insidious ways, the Cult part of the Genestealer mythology is a terrifying prospect. I often look at army building from the sociological view. How did it happen, what is the themes that caused the army to form. For the Cult, I love the idea of a Forge World being infected, and the Cult using the Mechanicus knowledge to give praise to the Four Armed Emperor with the addition of extra limbs and the like.
What is the centrepiece of your army?
For the Undead, my Bonewalker Engines. The Black Chariot has become the Arcanic Totem, based on the Baba Yaga hut, whilst the Mortis Engine has become The Mortis Crawler, a giant lumbering abomination designed to be the first thing anyone sees. The Undead has a load of insults built into it, such as Stormcast style armoured Graveguard with Deamon styled heads.
The severe lack of Sigmar's Grace is strong here... I am loathe to ask, but, Who has shown themselves worthy in your forces?
There is one... One whose name has become legend within my Orruks. Balruk The Weirdnob. Whilst there are many who claim the name Fist of Mork..... Balruk has become the Foot of Gork. His ability to call down The Foot has been disgustingly successful, killing a Chaos Lord in a single turn, routing Stormcast from the battle, and in one moment of jaw-droppoing bafflement, squashing a entire unit of Deamonettes of Slaanesh into the mud.
Greenskins and Undead... Whilst I go over here to alert the Guard, Tells us what would be the dream army you would like to see?
Skaven Clan Skryre in a biomechanical steampunk force. Clanking, smoke belching creations stitched and wielded together from all sorts of machines and monsters centred around the Parasite Engines of the background. There's something of that in the idea of a new Chaos Dwarf force as well, machines and golems striding around corrupted Duradin (in big hats of course) whilst rockets and missiles fly overhead.
Thank you for taking the time to share your Non-Imperial Heresy. If there was a bit of advice you could give to someone about army building as you are dragged away to await re-education in the Dungeons , what would it be?
Let the theme of your army show itself to you. Explore what makes you interested in that army, and expand on it, even if it's just in conversions. It makes the army more “yours” and you share in the defeats and victories in a much more personal way
