Hi

I know this area is for role-playing but I’m hoping your experiences may assist me.

My interest is in making wargame sized figures but for the past year and more Life has prevented me from following this hobby. To assist my recovery I’ve been provided with a box of Games Workshop’s Dwarf Miners with the suggestion that I build and paint them for a competition a local shop will be holding in September.

I’d like to make them into a unit of Discworld miners but they have however to still comply with the Rules for GW’s Warhammer.

So far the figures come with candles on their helmets. They have picks, which I will need to convert to the tradition Discworld one of having an axe head on one side.

I am thinking of adding items of dwarf bread, the occasional set of high heels and may convert the command group into having Knockermen armour. (the rules however wont allow the flame lance)

I don’t remember reading much about the Discworld mining procedures – for instants do they use blasting powders or the equivalent of sticks of dynamite? Or other hand held mechanical devices?

I would be grateful for any suggestions on additions I can give this unit to give the appearance that they are from Discworld.

Many Thanks

I don't think explosives have been mentioned much, not in relation to mining anyway, but I guess they might use some kind of alchemical device. They might just dig though, and use pickaxes.

Do Warhammer Dwarves use gunpowder etc?

Thanks for the reply, Maljonic.

Because of The Gonne story I’ve always assumed that gunpowder or its equivalent has yet to be invented on Discworld so I will remove all evidence of sticks of explosives.

One of my mates says that there’s a reference in one book to the miners having fluorescent tattoos but cannot find it. Can anyone confirm this and say what the tattoos are of?

Minor Spoilers for THUD! and JINGO follow:
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They have markings, on their forearms if I recall correctly, that are tattoed with Vurm blood. (Thud!)

Explosives as such have been invented. Leonard of Quirm abducts Nobby and Colon with the equivalent of a fireworks rocket/bazooka in Jingo. Nobby knows about them, and it seems pretty common knowledge.

I don't think the dwarfs use it though. I'm guessing blowing up the mountain that you live in might not be considered wise.

Many thanks for your helpful comments. I’ve managed to do a little research and started my figures, although progress has not been as quick as I hoped.

The photo (sorry about the quality) shows, the kit and size of figure, a basic figure, a figure with a changed axe, high heels and dwarf bread, and the start of a conversion to a knockerman.



The figures will represent a combination of the Copperhead and Uberwald miners in that knockermen and safety lamps will be represented. I’m not sure about the various items mined though; gold, fat and treacle, but might try to show them on the banner somehow.

The competition ends in a week but I don’t think I’ll finish in time – I will however post a photo of the completed painted group when ever that is.

Ace, sounds cool. Good luck in case you do finish on time. I came 3rd myself in a GW painting comp ages ago, it was quite cool to see my model on display in the window for a month or so.

Hi again

Thanks for the advice given before; unfortunately my Life isn’t a sorted out as I thought, and another road accident didn’t help matters.
Anyway I have eventually finished the Dwarfs I started. Because they are a Warhammer unit based on Discworld some compromises have had to be made but I’m pleased with the result.

The Knockerman’s flame lance uses parts of the original figure’s steam drill and I think gives a reasonable interpretation of the tool as used in Thud rather than the earlier books which suggested a long pole with a flame on the end. I kept the sack of oil soaked rag balls and the cricket in its box on the helmet.

Nice job! The knockerman looks awesome.

Brilliant! I agree with Bauke, the knockerman is particularly awesome.

What are you all looking at, I can't see them?

There's a big image in JAK's post. It takes a moment to load.

Ah, must the the latest Firefox update disallowing images by default or something...

They look great JAK! Is that a bread-stick one of them has? Did you use inks as well as paint?

They are awesome, I love the use of dwarf bread ! And the knockerman is amazing...

Hello again

As you liked the dwarf miners I though you might like to see a unit I’ve just completed based on the Watch.

Under Ankh-Morpork law every Gentleman is required to raise men if the city requires. The banner is based on Lady Ramkin’s Coat of Arms - the motto translates as “She Won't Take No For An Answer” - so with the unit’s uniform in her colours of green and red we know who really wears the trousers in the Vimes’ household.

The figures are different bits of Games Workshop Empire and Dwarf sprues with green stuff putty work to fill the gaps and add extra straps etc., although Colon, Nobby, Vimes and Littlebottom had specific green stuff detailing. Littlebottom had the most work to make her wickerwork pigeon box, iconograph and heels. The Dwarfs are basically the parts that make Hacknee, who is a straight build, chopped and repositioned. Spears are from a plastic coated metal rod that I found at the local model shop. Gives the strength of metal to avoid breaks but you can use plastic glue.

Sergeant Detritus is from my Watch characters page and has been rebased to fit in with the rest of the group. Soon after I started making this unit Games Workshop announced their 25 year anniversary of Warhammer so I dropped the idea of using Clarecraft pewter figures for the main characters and constructed them from Games Workshop parts.
First group of figures



We have Washpot, Carrot, Silas, Sam and Littlebottom. With Sam’s dislike for Guilds I don’t think the unit would have a musician but with being an ex-town crier and carrying his watchman’s bell Silas could fulfil this position in the unit if required.

Second group



Stronginthearm, Keenside, Nobby, Colon, Ironbender, Ringfounder

The rest of the unit



Errol, Detritus, Buggy on a pigeon that has escaped from Littlebottom’s basket and Hacknee.
I had intended to included little extras like the dis-organiser, Washpot’s pamphlets etc. on bases but decided there wasn’t enough room so some have gone on Detritus’s base and Errol and Buggy now have their own.

The complete unit –




The unit is currently in my local Games Workshop shop after coming first in a painting competition run as part of the Warhammer anniversary events – and yes Maljonic it does feel COOL!.

Wow, that's a lot of good work there Jak, and congrats on that prize !