Lead Adventure Forum

Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: TWD on July 14, 2013, 09:30:23 PM

Title: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: TWD on July 14, 2013, 09:30:23 PM
I've started assembling a Warbases watchtower.
(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r195/webdeak/Scenery/tower050_zps906e1122.jpg)

Behold the work on my blog:
http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/warbases-dark-ages-watchtower-1.html
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step
Post by: steharan on July 15, 2013, 10:29:41 AM
Nice review Tom, I look forward to the finished product.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step
Post by: TWD on July 15, 2013, 08:41:43 PM
The second part is now on the blog

(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r195/webdeak/Scenery/tower053_zps51bd04d0.jpg)

http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/warbases-dark-ages-watchtower-2.html
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step (part 2 added 15/07)
Post by: WillieB on July 17, 2013, 10:15:46 AM
Really like this one. I'm going to get me 2 at Crisis. Thinking about adding a lower (stone) storey on one.
Thanks very much for sharing!
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step (part 2 added 15/07)
Post by: TWD on July 17, 2013, 01:08:56 PM
The exciting tale continues with added thatch and render:

(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r195/webdeak/Scenery/towerthatch008_zps3adef022.jpg)

More here:
http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/warbases-dark-ages-watchtower-3.html

Thanks for the feedback chaps. I think its a nice, cheap piece of kit.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step (part 4 added 18/07)
Post by: TWD on July 18, 2013, 12:40:08 PM
Now with added paint

(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r195/webdeak/Scenery/paintedtower064_zps757a5001.jpg)

More here:
http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/warbases-dark-ages-watchtower-4.html
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: TWD on July 19, 2013, 01:01:38 PM
At last, all done:

(http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r195/webdeak/Scenery/churchntower016_zps70595a85.jpg)

More pictures and brief explanation on the blog
http://tomstoysoldiers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/warbases-dark-ages-watchtower-finished.html

Really enjoyed puttting this together and it looks great (to my eye) for the time and money spent.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: warburton on July 21, 2013, 11:10:21 PM
Simple and effective. Looks great!
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: Mitch K on July 22, 2013, 06:39:39 AM
Smashing work - you'll get tons of use out of this, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: TWD on July 22, 2013, 10:44:53 PM
Thanks all it was easy to put together and a bargain too.

Hoping to burn it to the ground tomorrow night.
:)
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: guitarheroandy on July 22, 2013, 11:05:03 PM
Bloomin' Saxons...always burning and looting... Why can't you do something constructive like flower arranging or something??!!!  :D

Seriously (for a mo) that's a great little model. Total bargain by the sound of it and even something that my hamfisted building capability might manage...
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: axabrax on July 23, 2013, 03:53:15 PM
Looks really nice. I thought about grabbing one of these for our Dux Britt games, but weren't these towers pretty much exclusive to the walls on the German frontier, and wouldn't they function primarily as observation posts/barracks behind a separate wall? They don't really seem to afford much defense other than climbing in and hiding and I wonder about their use in other places than Germany. I settled on something more like this tower from Grand Manner (http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/Raised_timber_framed_watch_tower--product--11.html).
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: Mitch K on July 23, 2013, 07:02:47 PM
Looks really nice. I thought about grabbing one of these for our Dux Britt games, but weren't these towers pretty much exclusive to the walls on the German frontier, and wouldn't they function primarily as observation posts/barracks behind a separate wall? They don't really seem to afford much defense other than climbing in and hiding and I wonder about their use in other places than Germany. I settled on something more like this tower from Grand Manner (http://www.grandmanner.co.uk/Raised_timber_framed_watch_tower--product--11.html).

The reconstructions of the towers from the Gask Ridge in Scotland resemble these pretty closely.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: axabrax on July 23, 2013, 07:06:10 PM
Yes, I think you may be right: I just leafed through my Osprey volume on the Arthurian Forts, and it looks like this style of tower was in fact used in Britain. It would still be behind a wall and not a lone-standing structure, but now I have a reason to pick one up as well!

The reconstructions of the towers from the Gask Ridge in Scotland resemble these pretty closely.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: Mitch K on July 23, 2013, 07:41:17 PM
Yes, I think you may be right: I just leafed through my Osprey volume on the Arthurian Forts, and it looks like this style of tower was in fact used in Britain. It would still be behind a wall and not a lone-standing structure, but now I have a reason to pick one up as well!


Have a look at http://www.theromangaskproject.org.uk/index.html (http://www.theromangaskproject.org.uk/index.html) There is some evidence that these towers were not in fact behind a wall, but were a set of separate signal stations. Note however the Gask Ridge is an early frontier, centuries before the Dux Brit era. Still the existence of a tower type that could be copied in an area where there were few fortifications is not totally implausible.
Title: Re: Warbases Watchtower Step By Step Complete
Post by: TWD on July 23, 2013, 09:35:26 PM
I'm assuming they're more for spotting the enemy coming and sending a signal by...erm...setting fire to the roof... or similar rather than being in and of themselves defensive.
It's also pretty tiny and wee to really look too imposing - but I'm fine with that I like my scenery representative rather than 100% accurate.

Glad there's evidence of something similar  - good enough for me!

I have considered a base, with possible defensive fence around it - but that's maybe for another day...

Andy, don't you already own one of those lovely Grand manner ones - this would look like a tiny toy next to that!

No burning took place tonight - war was cancelled due to bad weather in the Nottingham area!  :(

Thanks for all the feedback  chaps.