Chicago Skirmish Wargames

When I first decided last year that I wanted to build a dwarf army for Kings of War, Song of Blades & Heroes and other similar fantasy rulesets, I didn't drool over photos of cannons, flamethrowers or organ guns. No, my tastes tended toward the more wild and primeval parts of dwarven mythology. I wanted a bear rider.

After a year of working on my dwarf army (and consistently forgetting about my cavalry needs when shopping at the game store), I've been able to achieve that dream. Last weekend I painted up Thorvald, Dwarf Bear Rider (14136) from Reaper's Warlord line.

 
It's a fairly simple paintjob -- lots of dark, smoky armor, with the whiteness of the polar bear fur to provide contrast. I'm planning to get this guy on the table later this month as we try out Open Combat, the generic medieval/fantasy ruleset developed by Second Thunder.

Here's a peek at my dwarf army as it appeared before Thorvald arrived to claim his rightful place at the head of the vanguard. I think I can muster about 1500 points for Kings of War by this point. Not a huge force, but a good start toward some truly epic dwarven shenanigans.

Check back in a week or two for a closer look at Open Combat!

-- Patrick, Chicago Skirmish Wargames club member