Monday 16 June 2014

Acceptable in the '80s: Marauder Miniatures' Chaos Dwarfs and Dwarf Regiment


White Dwarf 117 contains little that would interest the hardcore Warhammer Fantasy battler. Rogue Trader and the big box games dominate the proceedings entirely. Then two pages of brightly coloured miniatures draw the eye and reveal two ranges of miniatures that would become some of the most collectible from any period before or since. 

The Marauder chaos dwarfs and the dwarf regiment!

Now what makes the chaos dwarfs even more remarkable is the fact that they are little tributes to the earlier chaos warrior range from about 1985, the one with the Slambo miniature in. Can you spot the model that apes his design in the photograph above? These models are great fun and fit in very closely with the scale and themes of previous Citadel stunties. Beware if you want to set about collecting these as I have seen one or two of them reach quite high prices for chaos dwarfs, though they are all pretty readily available on online auction sites. It is also worthy of noting the colour schemes given here as I feel the tones chosen are top notch and there is a great deal of inspiration here for any enthusiast attempting to paint up any heavily armed chaos warriors, thugs or dwarfs. 

I have yet to begin collecting Marauder in any great amount but a set of these lovely models will be at the top of my list when I begin doing so. 


Oh, how I remember this regiment! I can recall loving these for the moment I flicked through the pages of this WD and planned how I could possibly afford them on £5 a month pocket money. I can recall searching under the beds and behind the sofa to amass enough to get my hands on these. The pitiful collection of copper pennies I unearthed wouldn't even have paid the postage and to this day I still haven't managed to get hold of any of these. Probably because everyone else is after them too!

I am happy to go out on a limb and say that this collection is probably the best range of dwarfs ever produced, with the command models worthy of particular praise. So full of character and little detail, these models seem to breathe life to the paint that is adhered upon them. They are just excellent, excellent, excellent! The two ranges at the bottom of the page, in the glory days of ordering whatever you could, allowed you to create whole regiments of greatswords, halbardiers and musketeers. A very well thought out range this. Which just goes to show why they are still so popular twenty-five years later. 

I am envious of anyone of you fellow enthusiasts who owns a collection of these! Do these wonderful models have any more fans out there? If so, please share you thoughts on them in the usual way! 

Orlygg

10 comments:

  1. There is an eBay auction up currently for 3 of the dwarf regiment rank and file Joes. I have been on the fence as this us not a current project, but the number is manageable.

    Love these guys.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to find out there are other fans of these models reading this blog. As you say, many of these models are still fairly easy to get hold of, its the prices they reach that set the challenge!

      Delete
  2. Your blog got me back into minitures about three months ago and since then I must have spent £200 on oop figures. Luckily, I have the dwarf regiment in my collection purchased when they were released. They truly are wonderful figures full of character. Would love to own the others but they are pricey on ebay!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well I am glad you have returned to the light and have found satisfaction in the world of old school models once more. £200? Is that all! Your next challenge is to get those models painted and on the table. Old lead is too good and should never just be horded away in draws.

      Delete
  3. I adore those chaos dwarfs and I'd love to have one or two of them in my collection.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hopefully it will be so some day, as I hope it will be in my own collection Kevin!

      Delete
  4. Dwarf pikes for sale here!
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/11-DWARF-SPEARMEN-REGIMENT-DWARFS-MB1-Metal-Pikemen-Marauder-Warhammer-1991-5-/331236620203?&_trksid=p2056016.m2518.l4276

    ReplyDelete
  5. The MM90 chaos dwarfs "mini me" phenomenon is discussed here.

    ReplyDelete