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Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: nic-e on April 02, 2018, 09:36:12 PM

Title: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: nic-e on April 02, 2018, 09:36:12 PM
As anyone that follows what i do will know, I like boats. I like naval fantasy adventure, high seas exploration and swashbuckling fun! But I find myself at a loss as to nice fantasy ships that aren't just medieval/renaissance ships.

To that end I've decieded to start building a few small ships to play swashbuckling high seas games in the Hyborian age.No cannons here, just catapults , balistas and the odd stray barbarian.

I sat down last night and scratchbuilt this little ship. It's not based on any real ship design , But this will probably prove to be the "Default" hull for future fleets, as i have idea son how to make some of the more exotic ships that could inhabit the primordial seas of the ancient world.

I've chosen a scale that allows a little on deck detail without being ridiculous, So I can add barrels, crates and weapons, and MAYBE even the odd crew member.

Materials and building technique are the same as my little airships, just plasticard and wire with a little bit of greensuff for the figurehead.

Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: OSHIROmodels on April 02, 2018, 10:33:29 PM
Cracking little build 8)
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Schrumpfkopf on April 03, 2018, 01:38:46 AM
Oh, I like this. Keep it coming. :--)
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: nic-e on April 03, 2018, 01:51:33 AM
Shall do!
cheers for the encouragement chaps.  :)
Sat and got it painted this evening, nothing fancy, just a tabletop standard. all the decking is freehand ,decided not to dirty it up too much as i want these to bright and tropical , not my usual grimdark. lol

I've put a picture of it next to a Pirates of the spanish main ship that i used as the hull shape template.
I'm lucky , My partner got me an easter egg with a tropical blue box that makes an excellent sea backdrop! :D

as always your C&C is welcome. :)

The lapiz is a fine ship.Not great, but fine. She's sailed the primordial seas for years, making trade runs between the ports and harbour towns at the oceans edge and the great cities of old Atlantis. Her captain, Ar'jraz proudly boats that her sails come from an old  Atlantean kings ship and have never torn nor frayed, even in the harshest storm.He is perhaps less proud to boast that those sails were stolen from a Kothi trader, and that he has never sailed to any of the great cities for fear that his ship will be recognised for the petty pirate craft that it truly is.
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: nic-e on April 04, 2018, 12:44:46 AM
Ship two begins!

I wanted this one to have unfurled sails to I've gone with a junk sailed ship. I've added the crossbeams for the sails and taken away the rear ribs that were going to form a sort of tent cabin.As much as i liked the look i think it looks a bit odd and out of scale.
I may go back to the idea in future,bigger ships.

I want this one to have a slaver/pirate feel so I'll add cargo and hull damage.

Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Little Odo on April 04, 2018, 11:48:41 AM
These are nice. I ma not normally interested in naval wargames, but these are very intriguing (and self-made - so much better than the shop bought stuff too).
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Hobgoblin on April 04, 2018, 12:26:03 PM
Those are superb!
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: nic-e on April 05, 2018, 10:58:07 PM
Ship number two is ready to tackle the waves.
I'm not happy with the sails on this one at all, and when I get the time I will replace them with better junk style sails.

The kothi slaver fleets are rightly feared by the coastal cities of the world. The Harpy may not compare to the the great slave galleys of the Kothi empire, But she has cut a bloody swathe across the primordial seas, looting and harrasing smaller settlements and unprepared merchants.few are the captains brave or foolhardy enough take their ships unarmed into the seas when the Harpy has been sighted.

Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: DivisMal on April 05, 2018, 11:13:56 PM
This project is absolutely stunning!

Pirates in the hyborean age is a quirky, funny idea with great potential. There are quite good pictures of Aegean rowing boats of the Early Bronze Age (and also British and Nordic war canoes) which might serve as archetypes as well as the sailing ships from the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean (e.g. the Uluburun shipwreck).
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Timotl on April 06, 2018, 12:48:22 AM
These are not my usual scale but I love them!!! SOOOOOOO well done. Keep them coming.... :-*
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Schrumpfkopf on April 06, 2018, 03:13:26 AM
Excellent progress, I can see warriors with crude armor on the decks. I really like the photos as well, this is coming together really well.  :)
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Duke Donald on April 06, 2018, 04:59:28 AM
These little ships are lovely.
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: Pijlie on April 06, 2018, 06:11:54 AM
What a very interesting and creative project. I am contemplating something similar but then using the 28mm figures that came with the Conan boardgame. I have this Black Coast pirate galley design slowly taking shape i my head :)

I will be following this for inspiration!
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. A new project.
Post by: DonVoss on April 06, 2018, 06:44:25 AM
Great idea and execution... :o

Like the ships...:)

DV
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: nic-e on April 08, 2018, 01:41:10 AM
The third ship is done.Started and finished it tonight.

I found a much nicer way to make unfurled sails that I'm very happy with, And i used a needle and thread to do my rigging this time rather than try to do it all with knots .

The jade fin is an attack ship from the Atlantian empire. While old Atlantis now lies beneath the waves, many of it's island settlements stand defiant, determined to reclaim the former glory of the old empire.
While this ship may not inspire the same terror as the ancient war galleys of the empire, She won't be matched in speed.For whilst many sailors and captains claim Atlantian craftsmanship of their vessels, few of these can hold a candle to the grace and wonder of a ship wrought in the docks of the sunken isle.
Atlantian ship shave no barriers or railings, For a true child of Atlantis is a child of the sea, and it is said that they can keep their footing on deck in even the harshest of storms.


I tried to base this ship on Greek and Pheonocian designs, So it has no railings and has a point designed to break the waves and the hulls of enemy ships.The sails are painted to match the Lapiz, perhaps lending credence to the claim that the Lapiz bears atlantian sails.

I made the sales by sandwiching the wire crossbeams of the sails between two pieces of tissue using matt varnish. It gives a nice easy to work with sail that can be painted and shaped.
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: OSHIROmodels on April 08, 2018, 07:11:26 AM
Brill  :)

Are you working to an actual scale or just what looks right?
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: nic-e on April 08, 2018, 02:20:28 PM
Brill  :)

Are you working to an actual scale or just what looks right?

Just what looks right. I think they could out around 1:400th scale? So each ship being roughly 20 metres in length. that seems about right to me.
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: nic-e on April 16, 2018, 09:52:10 PM
what's a ship without an ocean?
Well , mostly an oddly shaped and structurally questionable house.
Luckily That's not a fate that will befall my ships as i begin building my own little sea.

Just a 2x2 board, I figured since these are pre gunpowder ships that most of the fun will be in boarding.

I took a quick pic with my islands and ships, And then went ahead and started putting down the still water effects.
I'm going for a flat calm Mediterranean seascape, SO i'll be building up a couple of layers of glossy blue water.
The first layer has shrunk and cracked, Bu ti expected that of vallejo still water, And i know from experience that a second layer will sit on top fine.


Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: Lost Egg on April 17, 2018, 08:11:54 AM
Looking good. :D
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: Oldben1 on April 17, 2018, 04:37:30 PM
First off, the boats are incredibly detailed.  I love all the rigging.

I am very intrigued by your islands.  I'm trying to make some hilly terrain for my Japan setting.  How did you make them?
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: nic-e on April 17, 2018, 06:25:32 PM
First off, the boats are incredibly detailed.  I love all the rigging.

I am very intrigued by your islands.  I'm trying to make some hilly terrain for my Japan setting.  How did you make them?

I go through the process in the workbench , I put up a log about them called Teeny tiny islands.
but the short of it is that they're a plasticard base, sanded down to form a beach.
then a big lump of white milliput ,roughly formed to shape and then textured using various bits of slate, just press them in and pull away.

The trees are push pins covered in torn sponge . they're very very simply to make but alot of fun.
Title: Re: swashbuckling in the Hyborian age. Hail atlantis.
Post by: Oldben1 on April 17, 2018, 08:21:22 PM
Well you make it sound so easy! :D