The hive-spires of Necromunda are throwing open their doors this weekend as Necromunda: Ash Wastes arrives for pre-order. Featuring the enigmatic Ash Waste Nomads, the souped-up Outrider Quads of House Orlock, and oodles of new desert-themed scenery, the box holds limitless potential for building, painting, and converting.
Seeing all of this scorching (literally) new content led us to ponder what wonders the hobby community will come up with this time. As an experiment, we scattered the Ash Wastes box out into the wilds between the hives, and sure enough, strange pictures began to return to us, strapped to the legs of unwitting Dustback Helamites.
Ben Mac
Ben from Cult of Paint has focused on House Orlock and has produced a spectacular muted colour scheme that still manages to incorporate their classic blue fabric.
This gang also features some tidy head swaps, creating some cool and flavourful characters amongst this hardened bunch. We’re particularly fond of the flame-bearded Outrider and his beautifully painted hair and goggles.
Colin Ward
Colin has treated us not just to the Ash Nomads, but to some impressively realistic sand-blasted scenery too.
The chipped paint on the hab units revealing rusted iron below really sells the idea that these are the abodes of desert-dwellers thriving in spite of constant storms.
He has opted for a more colourful palette for his nomads, their faces a pale, alien blue with buglike shining eyes.
Kristian Simonsen
Kristian has treated us to a delightfully disgusting Dustback Helamite rider.
Bug-haters beware – this dune-crawling critter sports a disturbingly lifelike gleaming chitinous shell, offset by the realistic gleam in its eyes. Its elegant rider is no afterthought, with incredible luminous eyes to guide them through the constant swirling dust tornadoes. The highlighting on the fabric also gives it a beautifully weathered feel.
Mikael Silvanto
Mikael has opted to get firmly stuck into the desert scenery, with awesome results.
His raised hab-blocks sport the militaristic green and rampant rust of a sandstorm-ravaged outpost. The unifying deep green of the colour scheme suggests a hardy structure, built to last and damaged only superficially by the rust and sand clinging to its corners.
Vincent Knotley
Vincent’s nomads prove that you don’t have to spend forever on a model to ensure it looks fantastic, employing mostly Contrast paints, washes, and drybrushing.
This shimmering red and desert-sand yellow colour scheme is a feast for the eyes. His Ash Nomads only required a basecoat, a thinned-down layer of Wyldwood, and some select highlights. The result is a stunning gang that looks like it took months to complete, with realistic fabric textures, sand-blasted metal, and some gruesome goldenrod bugs.
Crystal McHaffie
Crystal has gone above and beyond creating a cinematic shot for her Orlock Outrider Quad.
She’s suspended it on a gravity-defying scenic base featuring convincingly sandy rocks and real dried plant pieces, as if coming down from an epic jump over a rocky ridge. The bottom half of the vehicle is realistically weathered with sand where the buggy would be most scraped by passing dunes.
Are you feeling inspired? Necromunda: Ash Wastes is available for pre-order this weekend. You can also subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news about additional Orlock and Ash Nomad models which will be arriving on the scene sooner rather than later.
Adam Fasoldt
We’ve previously talked to Adam about his Orky obsession, which has naturally extended into the Ash Wastes. His giant WAAAGH! is known to be accompanied by human hangers-on, inspired by the destructive energy surrounding them.
His masterful Ash Nomads conversions take this one step further, referencing the human Diggaz who traded with, fought against, and emulated Orks in classic skirmish game Gorkamorka. Ork iconography* has been carefully grafted onto the bodies of the Nomads, with many sporting custom heads and weapons.
* Orkonography, surely?