WIP: Ragnar Blackmane (conversion) #1

The conversion so far

The original Ragnar Blackmane miniature was released in 1992. That same year, a friend of mine introduced me to the Games Workshop hobby, starting with the 'Epic' range. It was almost a year before I started to explore Warhammer 40,000. At the time, my friend had just started to collect Space Wolves. (I started with Ultramarines.) He bought Ragnar quite early on. One of the few models from that era that is still on sale (albeit now in Finecast instead of its original lead and later 'white metal' versions), it's fair to say it's a classic. It is, however, looking a little dated when compared to more recent releases. So when an opportunity to create an alternative version of this model came along, I couldn't resist...

Last year, Games Workshop released a boxed set called Stormclaw as part of a campaign series. The set included two very small 'armies' of Space Wolves and Orks. Included in the box were two exclusive special characters. One of which was a Space Wolf character called Krom Dragongaze. This character, pictured below (left) is supposed to be a Wolf Lord: the leader of one of the twelve 'great companies' within the Space Wolves chapter. It's a fantastic model in its own right, but when I started my own Space Wolves force, my historic connections had already drawn me towards fellow Wolf Lord, Ragnar Blackmane's great company and I had no use for poor Krom.

Krom Dragongaze (left) and the original Ragnar Blackmane (right)
(Pictures taken from the Games Workshop website and used without permission.)
(Both painted by Games Workshop's own 'Eavy Metal team.)

It was never lost on me, however, how similar the Krom Dragongaze model is to the original Ragnar Blackmane. As both of them are Wolf Lords, perhaps that explanation is enough, but I wonder if there might be more to it. Both models feature many of the same traits. Look, for example, at the breastplates of their armour. Both are adorned with chains instead of sculpted details. Both feature a rune hanging from them (a 'K' for Krom and an 'R' for Ragnar). Both wear cummerbund style belts with opposite facing wolves and the traditional diamond-shaped gem. Both have backpacks with wolf head exhausts. Both wear long cloaks and a wolf pelt about their shoulders. There are a few differences, of course—not least the more modern styling applied to Krom that demonstrates the difference twenty-plus years can make. But essentially they could be alternative sculpts of the same model.

I wonder perhaps if that was the original intention for Krom. Perhaps he was intended to be an update to the much-loved Ragnar Blackmane. Perhaps, at some point in the project, the powers that be at Games Workshop decided that he might be better as a limited edition alternative character, hence the different style of head and alternative combat weapon. This is, of course, pure speculation on my part. Either way, it was a conversion opportunity just waiting to happen if the right components turned up.

Fast forward another year and we've just seen the release of some upgrade sprues for some of the space marine chapters. Among them was a sprue for the Space Wolves, including a frostfang (the double-edged chainsword wielded by Ragnar Blackmane) and a few other choice components that could complete this conversion. I've been reluctant to purchase the old style Ragnar model as it doesn't fit with the aesthetic of the latest releases, but that has left my wolf pack without a leader. As my Krom Dragongaze sprue was gathering dust and unlikely to be used for anything else, temptation finally got the better of me.

Ready to paint...

With the conversion work done, I now have to hope my painting can do it justice. Watch this space...