Gargantuan Squiggoth

Gargantuan Squiggoths are monstrous creatures approximately the size of a small Imperial Titan. Their size is the result of their breeding using the special, high-quality feed formula of the Snakebites Clan. These giants are sometimes used as mounts by the most powerful of Ork Warbosses.

Gargantuan Squiggoth from the Forgeworld Display Cabinets.
Close-up of the head.
Howdah
Gargantuan Squiggoth from the Forgeworld Display Cabinets.

I’ve always liked this huge squiggoth. I have the smaller squiggoth, but never bought the big one. Back in 2005 I wrote:

I like the smaller version (which I have) but not sure about the bigger brother.

The gargantuan model is still available from Games Workshop, and is not cheap at £345, but that is a lot more than the £200 it was priced at when it came out.

Currently it is out of stock, and I suspect it might be retired soon, as happened with the other Forge World resin models.

That Whirlwind is back…

In al the recent previews one certainly stood out for me, and that was the Legion Astartes Whirlwind Missile Tank for The Horus Heresy.

Image

The Whirlwind is a certified Astartes classic combining the venerable Rhino chassis with a huge missile launcher that hurls storms of explosive warheads into enemy ranks, whether it has line of sight or not. The sophisticated range-finding and targeting auspexes mounted to the launcher allow multiple different kinds of munitions to be loaded and fired independently, from standard high explosives to incendiary Pyrax rounds.

The Whirlwind is an Imperial artillery support vehicle based upon the Standard Template Construct (STC) Rhino armoured personnel carrier (APC) chassis that was used by the Space Marine Legions. 

This new model reflects the original conversion from 1989. The original Whirlwind was a conversion using a slottabase and plasticard for the rocket launcher. This was published in the September 1989 issues of White Dwarf, #117.

Whirlwind

You can see the instructions in this post.

Since 1989 we have seen many different versions of the Whirlwind which have evolved from this original conversion.

“Original” Space Marine Whirlwind
Ultramarines Space Marine Whirlwind on display at Warhammer World.
Space Wolves Whirlwind at Warhammer World
Space Marine Whirlwind
Ultramarines Whirlwind at Warhammer World
Deimos Pattern Whirlwind Scorpius
Space Marine Whirlwind Hyperios on display at Games Day 2005
Sons of Horus Deimos Pattern Whirlwind Scorpius

I have also preferred the original conversion to the newer versions, so it should be no surprise that I will probably get one of these when they are eventually released.

Shokkjump Dragsta

The Shokkjump Dragsta combines two of the foremost triumphs of the Mekaniak’s art – recklessly fast speedsters and deranged weaponry. It is perhaps unsurprising that it has become one of the most popular forms of transport amongst the Mekboyz of the Kult of Speed.

Shokkjump Dragsta
Shokkjump Dragsta

Ork Speed Freeks Miniatures Gallery

Plastic Grey Knight Terminator

I had both a Grey Knights Terminator with Psycannon and a regular Grey Knights Terminator. These were metal models, which went together very easily. I had given them both a black undercoat. I decided I would then give them a basecoat of Leadbelcher. I has forgotten how dark Leadbelcher can be, probably exacerbated by the black undercoat as well. Wondering if I should get a lighter metallic spray for the Grey Knights armour.

I also had a plastic Terminator, which I followed a similar painting process to the metal models. This was a black undercoat and then a spray of Leadbelcher.

Plastic Grey Knight Terminator

I will use this as a test model and use paint to see the end result. If it doesn’t work then I will strip both the metal terminators and the librarian as well.

Epic Orks

I have quite a large collection of Epic Ork miniatures from the time of Epic 40000.

Epic Skorcha
Ork armoured vehicles on the move
Epic Bowelburna
Ork armoured vehicles on the move
Lunbursta Assault Tanks
Epic Squiggoth
Epic Bowelburna
Epic Lungbursta
Epic Ork Buggy and Wartrakk on patrol
Epic Gunwagonz
Epic Trukk
Epic Skorcha
Epic Grot Bomb Launcha conversion of Wartrakk and Ork Rokitt

Great War demonstration game at Games Day 2007

This was an amazing display game from Games Day 2007.

British Infantry advance through the ruins of a French village.
Mk IV Tank Male slowly trundles forward crushing the barbed wire obstacles in its path.
Ruined house
Heavy British Artillery Gun
Ruined house

Photographs from Aly Morrison’s and Dave Andrews excellent World War One demonstration game which uses the Warhammer Historical rules and was on display at Games Day 2007. The game was full of wonderful details and well painted miniatures and excellent scenery. I spent ages looking at it.

Caladius Grav-Tank Annihilator

Based upon the technology of the Coronus Grav-carrier, the smaller Caladius grav-tank is designed to utilise the firepower afforded by the heaviest elements of the Legio Custodes’ arsenal on a highly mobile, protected platform. Given the fusion of advanced systems and weapons, the Caladius is perhaps the most powerful battleline armoured unit of its size in the Imperium’s forces, utilising technologies and materials derived not only from the Dark Age of Technology, but from developments made as a result of the Great Crusade’s two centuries of warfare.

A particularly powerful variant was the ‘Caladius-Annihilator’ which featured an enhanced capacitor-fed Arachnus blaze cannon potent that is enough to pose a threat even to super-heavy armour.

These Legio Custodes Caladius Grav-Tank Annihilators were part of the displays at Warhammer World.

Legio Custodes Caladius Grav-Tank Annihilator
Legio Custodes Caladius Grav-Tank
Legio Custodes Caladius Grav-Tank Annihilator

Thinking about Stranger Things on the tabletop

Image

Well we have had the final season and final episode of Netflix’s Stranger Things. Apart from taking a while to deliver on all five seasons, I have enjoyed the programme, really liked the 1980s vibe of the whole thing.

The final season does offer quite a few gaming opportunities in recreating some of the conflict scenes from the series.

The scenarios would be much more narrative than straightforward battles. How much turns can your soldiers survive when faced with the Demigorgons. This could be in and around the Military Access Control Zone (MAC-Z) in Hawkins, or the Gable Ridge Road Base in the Upside Down.

Saying, that there are quite a few scenes from earlier episodes that also could be recreated on the tabletop. Thinking here much more about the Hawkins National Laboratory and the hunting down the Demigorgon. I am thinking a Space Hulk style scenario.

You could also use the series as inspiration for creating scenarios in the 1980s where the military and government forces find themselves in conflict with things out of the ordinary as well.

iFelix Top Ten Blog Posts 2025

Image

In 2025 I published 269 blog posts.

In 2024 there was 378 blog posts. In 2023 I published 271,  I did 319 in 2022. In 2021, I posted 162 times. In 2020 I posted 436 blog posts, in 2019 I did 143 blog posts. Compare that to 2018 when I wrote just 21 blog posts.

There is no top ten individual blog posts, as WordPress broke the stats as I have ads on the site. So this means I don’t know the stats for individual blog posts.