Warhammer: The Old World is on the horizon, and with it comes the opportunity to build vast armies from the World of Legend. But what if you wanted to make them even vaster? A unit filler is a creative way to bolster your troop count and spice up your squares – a modelling project set on a larger base that fits into the middle of your unit, representing multiple individual models. Once you’ve taken enough casualties, simply remove the filler. Popular YouTuber Pete the Wargamer had a go at converting some fillers of his own, and here he explains more about his project.
Pete: Unit fillers offer a great opportunity to personalise your army without having to modify every single model in each of your units, especially if you are someone who enjoys kitbashing and converting. They are essentially mini-dioramas, giving you the space to get a bit more creative than you could on a single 25mm base.
My plan was to create two unit fillers: one for the Tomb Kings and one for the Bretonnians. I began with the forces of Khemri, with an idea that revolved around a ruined obelisk that has been re-empowered and is now unleashing its energy to reanimate the corpses buried by the sands.
The basis for this obelisk is the Ossiarch Bonereapers Bone-tithe Nexus. The Bonereapers have an aesthetic that is not totally dissimilar from the Tomb Kings, so some of their parts can work well together. I cut the pillar into separate pieces, and a few carefully-placed rocks were used to create the floating effect. Having them loosely hover one above the other would give the impression of the fallen monument being reformed by a powerful Necrotect.
From here, the next step was to create the streams of energy swirling around the obelisk. These are sourced from the Spirit Hosts kit, and just needed a little adjustment here and there to fit flush against the obelisk.
My idea for the Bretonnian unit filler was very different. After all, with most of the Bretonnian infantry blocks being peasants, something as arcane as a floating obelisk wouldn’t fit with their aesthetic. So I kept things simple and built… a cart. This was constructed using leftover parts from another conversion and consists of two wheels, an axle, a platform, and a couple of wooden struts, all sourced from a Skaven Plague Furnace.
Next, the cart was laden with resources and equipment, with the first of these being a chest taken from the same Bone-tithe Nexus we saw before. This was followed up with some Peasant Bowmen Stakes, a couple of Men-At-Arms shields, and various other accessories found within the Bretonnian infantry kits.
Both mini-dioramas were mounted on 75x50mm bases, making them perfectly sized to replace the central six miniatures in a unit of 20. With everything built, they were given a paint scheme to match their respective armies.
Whether you’re the kind of person who already enjoys kitbashing or you’re someone who is a little apprehensive about converting your minis, I’d highly recommend adding a few unit fillers to your Old World army. With just a few leftover bits and a little imagination, you can make your army truly your own.
Thanks Pete – very smart stuff. Hopefully this will get people’s creative juices flowing – let us know on Facebook and Twitter what your plans are for unit fillers. You can catch Pete on his YouTube channel and Instagram page.