In Fall 2019, Games Workshop’s Christmas Marketing was centered around the (re-)release of Da Red Gobbo model. It’s a Gretchin/Grot revolutionist, who in this iteration has a Santa-like motif. I haven’t painted an Ork since 2nd Edition, and currently had no Orks, and had no plans to get any Orks, so I thought I’d safely ignore the whole thing.

In late November 2019, I went to my local Games Workshop store (now called Warhammer Heartland) to buy some paints and supplies. The gentleman there said there would be a painting competition and events for Da Red Gobbo model. I wound up buying Da Red Gobbo model.

I got home, looked at my pile of things to get tournament ready, and yet decided to start painting the Christmas-themed gremlin thing.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to win “Best Painted.” I know there are much, much more talented painters at my local GW store. But, I know my strength lies in creativity and electronics. So I put my creative juices to work .

I dug through some models that have been languishing in a box and found a Space Marine Land Speeder that I painted back in my 3rd Edition Days (circa 1997). That got me thinking that this could be a Grim Dark Santa Sleigh that Da Red Gobbo and “Da Revolushun” commandeered. I had a couple of Grots lying around that came with a model I bought second-hand. I decided those guys would be the co-pilots.

I had some garlands and trees left over from a terrain piece I started and never finished. And, to light-up Da Red Gobbo’s star and flame to his gun, I went to my stockpile of Zinge flickering LEDs and transparent flames.

Then, a trip to the store (mostly Dollarama) for supplies. I found some ornaments that looked like Christmas Gifts would were almost the right scale for the sleigh. I also found a necklace that had light-up Christmas lights.

I felt like It needed to be more than just a creative conversion and lights. It needed MORE. And so the piece de resistance was adding festive music! I went to Wal-Mart and greeting card that had the electronics to sing “Jingle Bells” with chipmunk-like voices. Perfect!

First, I had to break down the Land Speeder: Rip out the Space Marines, chop off the “spoiler” on the top to make room for the presents, and drill a bunch of holes for the electronics wiring. I felt kind of bad mutilating the marines, but they would get life again… as bodies on enemy bases :p

As for the Red Gobbo, I decided I wanted to have the option to remove him from the Land Speeder, so I hid the battery and switch in an extra-large base I disguised as a Christmas present. His “Icon of da Revolushun” has a star at the end. I replaced that with an LED and made a translucent star around it so the whole star would light up. From the muzzle of “Kustom grot blasta” I wired a flickering LED inside a translucent flaming lens.

• 

• 

The hardest part was probably the music. The circuit board and speaker were actually quite large, about the width of the Land Speeder, so I couldn’t fit it inside. It did fit below, and in the final product you can’t see it unless you turn the vehicle upside-down.

Painting the vehicle, naturally it had to be red for Santa, and because “red wunz go fasta.” The plow in the front is really for a tank, but Santa’s sleigh transitionally has some sort of plow. The candy cane striping makes it festive. The sharp pointy bits make it grimdark.

With a final festive nod, I named it “Slay Ride”

• 

• 

I entered it into the painting competition at the Games Workshop Heartland Town Centre store and won for Best Conversion! Yay!