The Devil Dogs Mercenary Company for hire!

The morning had started as a crisp, clear winters day, fresh white snow had fallen, but was now rent with furrows from Khadoran bombardments currently ranging in on their southern enemies.

"You there, Devil Dogs is it? Why are you not in position?" A Cygnaran journeyman cried as he ran up to the unit.

"Aye we're the Devil Dogs alreet" replied Bowdyn, casually whipping his chain-net back and forth as the others readied hand cannons and pick axes, "we're waiting on our boss to get back from your high-ups, then we'll move".

"Bloody Mercenaries" the journeyman sighed and marched further on.

"I think ve vill see action soon comrades, ze Khadoran singing is becoming louder" Andrei warned as he kept lookout towards the enemy.

A few moments later, Captain Sam MacHorne made her way along the line looking for her company.

"Boss, Boss, over here, what's the word?"

"Mornin' my lucky chums, word is that we'll be busy. A major push by those northern idiot's today, so's the word. No offence Andrei" she said, looking at her Khadoran gunner.

"Ah none taken kapitan".

They all ducked as they were showered with clumps of snow and dirt from a nearby explosion.

"We're to head towards hangman hill and see if we can do anything about this bombardment" McHorne said over the din.

"Yes" she continued, "I know this will be a hard slog, but if the coin is there..."

 "We do not care" the rest of the Devil Dogs shouted as one finishing the motto of the company.

***

A whistling shriek heralded another incoming artillery shell and the Devil Dogs ducked their heads as they sprinted through the slush. They were getting close to the Khador warjacks' now and the heat from the steam boilers had melted the dirty snow around.

Ash and smoke drifted lazily in the air from the machines and gunfire. The gunners ahead of MacHorne fired punching several winter guard off their feet.

"Bowdyn, net that destroyer, gunners cover, heavies do your thing, but try to save the cannon arm" she shouted, and the troops rushed to follow her orders.

Within moments Bowdyn and two others were hacking with their pickaxes at the stricken Warjack, its own huge axe pinned to the floor by the heavy chains Bowdyn had cast at it.

The gunners by this point were firing their heavy alchemical scatter shells at the second Destroyer keeping it stunned in a cloud of disorientating smoke.

"Stop right there Cyka, you vill die for zis insult to ze Motherland!" A Khadoran voice rang out as the enemy Warcaster charged MacHorne with his axe swinging.

She turned and parried, tried to shoot but his free hand battered her cannon away. He swung again trying to cut across her stomach, but with the slush underfoot she slipped and fell backwards loosing grip on her sword.

"Shit, ze boss, ve need to get to ze boss, she's in trouble" Andrei shouted seeing the situation unfolding.

The Khadoran loomed over her, axe raised high for a killing blow, when he was overtaken by smoke and thunder. When the smoke had cleared and MacHorne has shook the ringing from her ears she looked around to find that the unfortunate man had disintegrated from the waist up.

Turning to look their own Warjack which they had outpaced with their sprint had finally caught up with them just in time. Smoke still curled from the twin heavy cannons depositing soot across the dark green armour plating.

"Thank you Rusty" she said, using the affectionate nickname she had for it, before motioning it off to counter the second Destroyer which the heavies we're now heading towards.

'If the coin is there, we do not care' MacHorne mentally intoned to herself as she pulled herself up and recovered her weapons...

*****

Back to Warmachine for this next post and something a little different from my recent Cryxian gear.

This time I delved into the murky world of the Mercenaries and painted up the unit of Devil Dogs, accompanied by a salvaged Warjack.

In Warmachine terms these guys are an anti-Warjack unit. You hire them point them at the enemy Warjacks and let them do their thing.

Their leader, Captain Sam McHorne, took control over the company through a gambling game and reorganised them to fight against the newer Warjacks. After the previous leader has neglected to update their wargear and left them stuck facing off against infantry with no way to protect themselves from the steam robots attacking them.

To this end I chose to paint my unit in a uniform dark green with metallic armour, figuring that McHorne would have kitted them out not only with weapons, but uniforms as well.

Captain McHorne in the middle flanked by her two gunners.

The three "Heavies" which come in the box with their pickaxes and the chain-net for tying down Warjacks.

Lastly, their salvaged 'Jack.

This was a Cygnar light Warjack (I don't know the type), but someone had taken a Dremel of such to the top plate which was a metal add-on and not completely obliterated the Cygnar symbol there.

A little work with a needle file removed most of the rest of the symbol with what is left looking like a damaged salvaged plate.

Figuring that the Devil Dogs could always be looking for edges on the field, I attached this to them and painted it up in the same colours as the unit.

As this Warjack uses coal rather then Necrotite like the Cryxian ones, I took pains to weather the smokestacks for accumulated soot, as well as make the entire lower section dusty.

I can't see the mercenaries cleaning this thing too much, apart from for maintenance or maybe punishment duty.

For the Dragon Rampant rules for this unit, I am considering fielding them as a unit of Heavy Foot with the Mixed Weapons option from the Light Foot added to them for their guns.

I'd possibly add a second Light Warjack to the unit to justify the twelve wounds for the unit.

Six infantry at one would each and two light Warjacks at three wounds each.

This would make the unit itself cost Six points, that's about average for a unit in Dragon Rampant.

Hobby Bingo time and these complete another "Unit of 2+ models" box and add another ten points.

This brings my new total up to Seven Hundred and Ten points now.

Until next time...