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I've come into possession of a Games Workshop rarity... a mail-order only Wood Elf Chariot from around 1997/1998. It is built around the base of the 4e High Elf chariot, but has four steeds (using Wood Elf Dragon rider shields to cover up the connection points between three overlapping yokes) and the walls of the chariot are made using Orion's cloak. At least that is what I was told! The model is only partially assembled... I was told that a photo of the final model exists in a GW black and white mail order flyer from that era (I think he meant one of the old mail order posters, but I am not sure).

Does anyone remember seeing this, or even better, still has the flyer/poster that has the picture? Any old GW mail order crew that remember selling this model?

I never heard of it before so I get interested into searching for and found this old ebay listening.

http://www.ebay.it/itm/322336532123

It says in the description "Wood Elf 4 horse Chariot

This was bought when GW were producing lots of new Wood Elf models with the 4th Edition Wood Elf Armies book in the late 90s.  Purchased direct from their 'Mail order Troll' service and was not available in the shops. Special very limited edition model

Fantastic rare chariot which is a great addition to any Wood Elf army
"
So it seem to confirm what you are saying.

Here is the only picture that still is up from that listening and you can see the chariot in it.



I want that model




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Oh and, 45 euro for all that, someone is very lucky...


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Oh, my mistake, the only the chariot was 45 euro

I think it's funny how people think the 3rd Edition Wood Elf chariot is a rare model, when the 4e/5e one is actually much more rare based alone on the fact that it was limited run, mail order only. The only other picture I've found is Jon Kerr's heavily modified version:

https://mobile.twitter.com/Jon_Kerr_T4G/status/717829035942871040

I've talked to him, and he was the one that suggested an "official" GW photo existed in a mail order flyer.

Can you do me a favor and take a photo of the individual parts you have laid out? I also collect 4th/5th edition wood elf and would be nice to have if I stumble on some bits that could be from it!

That chariot is scratch built, I'm fairly sure of it. The horses are from that era's glade riders. I've seen wood elf chariot's before and they had really skinny horses.
Probably converted from the Tiranoc chariot kit.

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
Can you do me a favor and take a photo of the individual parts you have laid out? I also collect 4th/5th edition wood elf and would be nice to have if I stumble on some bits that could be from it!

The model is stowed away at the moment, but off the top of my head I can tell you exactly the pieces that I have (which make up a complete model):

Three chariot yokes (from the 1993 High Elf Tiranoc Chariot)
Four shields (from the 1997 Wood Elf Dragon, no clue why you would need this many!)
One chariot body (also from the 1993 High Elf Tiranoc Chariot)
One central "haft' pole (also from the 1993 High Elf Tiranoc Chariot)
Four plastic Elven steeds (1996)
One Wood Elf Scout champion and one Wood Elf Scout standard bearer (1997)
Two plastic wheels
One Wood Elf standard top (the deer skull, from 1996)
Orion's Cloak (1997)
And two wheel scythes (from the 1998 Chaos Chariot)

Unless the wheel scythes were added after the fact, these would date the model as being from 1998 at the earliest. When I assemble it (after someone shows me an official photo, of course), I am going to leave the two outer steeds attached to their yokes, but the yokes will not be attached to the central yoke (so I can use it as either a two or four-horse chariot each game).

Cool thanks
Having a official photo would be cool indeed!


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Look I found this ancient website which describes of a guy converted this very chariot.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/machiara/bestofforum5/convertingchariots.html

"The third chariot was made from parts bought from Mail Order (as featured in White Dwarf #236). "

I am looking at white dwarf #236 but cant find any mail order parts or pictures. But there is a article about chariots and features a picture of another wood elf chariot with 2 horses.

Did white dwarf #236 include a separate mail order catalogue maybe with a picture of it, or just the parts?
And did the guy on the website originate the conversion?







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Or it might be that the scan I'm looking at is incomplete, or the us version is different from the uk version.
Because it says that the name of the guy who did the 2 horse conversion is Russ Charles. And googling his name leads me to this page http://warhammer.org.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=125378&start=0
Where someone ask which white dwarf issue his army was featured in and Russ himself comes in and says issue 236. But I cant find any army in the us version just 1 pic of a chariot.

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
Cool thanks
Having a official photo would be cool indeed!


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Look I found this ancient website which describes of a guy converted this very chariot.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma2/machiara/bestofforum5/convertingchariots.html

"The third chariot was made from parts bought from Mail Order (as featured in White Dwarf #236). "

I am looking at white dwarf #236 but cant find any mail order parts or pictures. But there is a article about chariots and features a picture of another wood elf chariot with 2 horses.

Did white dwarf #236 include a separate mail order catalogue maybe with a picture of it, or just the parts?
And did the guy on the website originate the conversion?







Automatically Appended Next Post:
Or it might be that the scan I'm looking at is incomplete, or the us version is different from the uk version.
Because it says that the name of the guy who did the 2 horse conversion is Russ Charles. And googling his name leads me to this page http://warhammer.org.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=125378&start=0
Where someone ask which white dwarf issue his army was featured in and Russ himself comes in and says issue 236. But I cant find any army in the us version just 1 pic of a chariot.

White Dward 236 UK is White Dwarf 235 US, and judging by the website's usage of GBP (£), I am guessing that he means White Dwarf 236 UK. Unfortunately, I've looked in both 235 and 236 and found nothing! The only thing that comes close is Russ Charles' conversion of the 3rd Edition Wood Elf Chariot on page 67 of White Dwarf 236 US. That uses the 3rd Edition chariot body, haft and wheels with some 6th Edition armoured High Elven steeds.

The good news is that Angelfire website confirms the part list I quoted above, so that is now three sources which confirm the exact part list (Jon Kerr, the Angelfire website, and my own model). The Angelfire website definitely did NOT originate the conversion, as it is confirmed by Jon Kerr and myself. To be specific, since there are two conversions described on the Angelfire website, the actual "official" GW Mail Order conversion is described on the Angelfire website as:

The third chariot was made from parts bought from Mail Order (as featured in White Dwarf #236). The list of parts looks like this:

3 High Elf Tiranoc Chariot yoke (cut and glued together to allow for four horses)
1 High Elf Tiranoc Chariot base
1 Old Chariot haft Tiranoc
1 Wood Elf standard top (I might well end up not using this)
1 Wood Elf Scout Standard (as crew)
1 Wood Elf Scout 2 (as crew)
1 Orion cloak (this one was cut in two and used as the sides of the wagon)
4 Wood Elf Lord shield (I will probably not use all of these)
4 Sprue Elven steed
1 Spoked wheel sprue

I payed £16.00 for all of this (including postage)

A close read of White Dwarf 236 US shows that Troll Magaine #20 has a chariot deal. I'll check it out when I get home later tonight and post if there is any mention of the Wood Elf chariot there.

If its anywhere it got to be there!

 DanceOfSlaanesh wrote:
If its anywhere it got to be there!

Hopefully, we'll see. By the way, there is also a rare "Mail Order only" Orc boar chariot from the same era. I've got two of those, so I can post part lists if anyone is interested (it's based off the Beastmen Chariot). I wonder if there are any other rare Mail Order chariots from the 90's (other than the three wolf Goblin chariot, which is barely a custom kit anyway and appeared in at least one annual catalog).


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Well no luck unfortunately. While the blurb on page 107 of White Dwarf 236 US says Troll 20 has chariots, Troll 20 does not in fact mention any. I flipped through it several times and see no mention of "Da Trollz' discount chariot lot." I actually scanned quickly my entire Troll mag collection (from 1 to something in low 40's, missing only two issues) and didn't see the Wood Elf chariot.

Well at least the Angelfire website corroborates some details. Now it's just a matter of figuring out where the four shields go.

How strange!

On this pic it looks like the shields are just glued on the base plate. But of course can never be sure he built his the "official" way.