Warlord Skarsnik, known by his official title as King of the Eight Peaks, or simply just the King under the Mountain, is the chieftain of the Crooked Moon Tribe and the most powerful Night Goblin Warlord in the whole of the southern Worlds Edge Mountains.

Miniature Review

Back in the day I started collecting Orcs and Goblins largely due to the original Skarsnik and Gobbla miniature. I loved squigs, and he was by far the biggest at the time. It makes me really happy that they redesigned the miniature, even if they've dropped the character name.

As squigs have since grown in size, they've made Gobbla truly huge to ensure he stands out on the battlefield. I love the huge tongue as it gives him a lot of character and makes him look a lot more ferocious than the other more comedic squigs.

Skarsnik's hat has also grown and having him stood on a rock gives him the height to make him still look in control of this beast of a squig. The smaller snotling also helps to make Skarsnik appear larger than he really is.

There's a few little details on him like a moon potion and sickle, but sadly not to the level of Skragrott. I guess this is due to him being an older miniature from the finecast days. Overall though I'm still really happy that he's been given a new life and can be at the centre of my Gloomspite army.

Painting Techniques

Gobbla

Gums

Barak Nar Burgundy & Bugmans Glow 1:1

Skin

Mephiston, Khorne Red and Gal Vorbak Red thinned as a glaze, focusing in deeper recesses each time. Also use Gal Vorbak Red to add some freckles to the skin.

Squig Orange & Fire Dragon Bright 1:1 to highlight raised areas

Scales

Eyes

Teeth & Horns

Baneblade Brown & Deepkin Flesh 1:1 mix, and watered down to glaze on. Then use watered down Baneblade Brown to shade the recesses, then the same again with Steel Legion Drab.

Claws

Use thinned Dark Reaper to add a chunky edge highlight. Then Thunderhawk Blue as a thinner edge highlight on the sharper points. Finally, use Fenrisian Grey as a dot highlight.

Staples

Mix Nuln Oil & Nuln Oil Gloss 1:1

Skarsnik & Snotling

Red Cloth

Mephiston Red & Incubi Darkness 1:1 mix thinned recess wash, then apply again 2:1 in the deepest recesses Glaze on Mephiston Red to help smooth blends.

Skin

Thin the Ork Flesh and glaze a few times to build contrast. Use thinned Incubi Darkness as a recess shade. Use Nurgling Green as a thin glaze to highlight the raised areas. Mix Screaming Skull & Nurgling Green 1:1 for the final highlight

Robe

Use thinned Dark Reaper to add a chunky edge highlight. Then Thunderhawk Blue as a thinner edge highlight on the sharper points. Finally, use Fenrisian Grey as a dot highlight.

Steel

Mix Nuln Oil & Nuln Oil Gloss 1:1

Teeth

Eyes

Cloth, Bone & Mushroom Stalk

Rhinox Hide & Doombull Brown 1:1 mix thinned recess wash

Golds

Shade with a 1:1 of Reikland Fleshshade & Reikland Fleshshade Gloss.

Teeth

Bottle

Eyes

Base

Rock

Mud

Roundup

I'm really happy with how he's come out. I used a lot more colours and a much longer process than I normally would, but as a centrepiece it really makes him stand out from the rest. I wouldn't paint infantry this way, but will at least take forward some techniques used in the future for other characters.