The Chaos Dwarfs are one of the most sinister and cruel races in the entire Warhammer Old World, ruling an empire of infernal machinery and lightless mines with a barbed lash and the borrowed power of a fallen god. So when I saw these utterly adorable little clay sculpted figures, I had to ask their creator, the clay sculptor Clay_Junky, what spirit of darkness (or cuteness) had possessed him to make them.
Clay_Junky, who prefers to go by his Reddit handle, says "I love dwarfs. Period." This band of Dawi-Zharr ('dwarfs of the flame' in the Zharralid language, lore fans), were his first Warhammer: The Old World creations.
You'll find many more dwarfs and silly little guys on Clay_Junky's Reddit profile. His sculptures are made mostly using polymer clay, specifically "the brand Fimo from Staedler", which can be baked in a domestic oven to harden. He advises that it "makes some nice cancerous steams too, so you better ventilate the room".
He uses craft wire to create "stable skeletons for bigger figures". He tends to make his models in parts, focusing on simple forms that he bakes, then assembles using super glue. He credits the YouTuber Anvil of Doom Miniatures as a big inspiration for his Chaos Dwarf sculpts, particularly this video making a custom war engine:
As well as the Chaos Dwarfs, he's made an inspiring Dwarfen King and his court for the uncorrupted Dwarfen Mountain Holds. Reflecting the importance that the beard holds in Dwarfen society, Clay_Junky has taken to sculpting and firing the body of his dwarfs first, and only crafting their beards once they've cooled.
He's planning to make more figures from other Warhammer the Old World factions, but says "with all the ideas I have, it might take a while". He adds that he has "also explored the idea of Cheesehammer – Warhammer as mice", and that he "made a pretty good cheese tank". We're not certain if that's a Fimo model that looks like a cheese, or a model made from cheese – given his evident creativity, it could be either.
Sadly Games Workshop no longer makes official models for the Chaos Dwarfs, but they do have rules in the Old World. They're also one of the playable Total War: Warhammer 3 factions.
If you're a nerdy crafter, we'd love to see your work in the official Wargamer Discord community, whether you're riffing on a famous IP or creating something totally new. We have a dedicated art channel, and we've been blown away by the things people are creating. I'll give a shout out to Mike the Fish's amazing dioramas here, which look like they come straight from a LAIKA stop motion animation.