28mm Crusader castle?

[axabrax]

I'm starting a Third Crusade project and looking for a castle for sieges. Would be good if it can be configured as a castle or a wall and comes with a ruined wall section. So far I've found:

• Sally 4th (MDF)
• Plasticraft (plastic)
• MBA (hard resin)
• Warlord Games (plastic)
• Renedra (plastic)
• Vatican Enterprises (foam)

Right now I'm leaning toward Warlord and Renedra. Have to say the MDF doesn't convince me nor does the plasticraft. I'm also not a scratch builder so that's not an option. MBA is way too expensive and not in a "Middle Eastern" color.
Anyone have any other leads?  Anyone know which company they use for the castle walls in the Saga Crescent and the Cross book?

Thanks for the info

[jon_1066]

You can pick up the old Games Workshop ones on ebay as well. 

Hudson and Allen do some nice looking castle buildings but only really available in the US (and slightly underscale?)

[joekano]

Hey Steve,

Dwarven Forge just finished up a modular castle Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-forges-castles-3-d-modular-terrain-for-gam

Doesn't look like they are selling it in the store yet, but might be an option if you aren't in a hurry and have a lot of cash to drop.

Chris

[axabrax]

Thanks guys!

Moderator:  meant to post this in the medieval topics.  Please move there for me if you get a chance.

[axabrax]

@Chris: Dwarven Forge stuff looks interesting! Sounds like it will be available in July, but you're right, it's pretty darn pricey even unpainted.

[OSHIROmodels]

Grand Manner?

cheers

James

[Eric the Shed]

Games Workshop is straightforward and easily customisable...

create your own breaches - how I did it here...
http://shedwars.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/once-more-unto-breach.html



and don't forget Kiddy toy castles - my Norman Keep was built using foamcore, a games work shop gatehouse and round towers from  a kiddy playset

build details here

http://shedwars.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-keep-tales-of-shedwood-part-1.html



happy searching

[axabrax]

@Jim

I'm not a castle expert: Isn't Grand Manner's stuff Roman? Would it pass for Medieval?

[Legiocustodes]

Eric that castle looks awesome. I'm so nicking your ideas

[Eric the Shed]

Eric that castle looks awesome. I'm so nicking your ideas

go ahead...although credit for cutting the gate house for me goes to Jimbibbly...he has much better tools than me

[cdm]

Cost will depend where you live. In Australia you may as well sell your car regardless of which you go for.

It also depends if you're skirmishing, or back dropping the castle.

A lot of people have a problem with the H&A/Vatican castle being underscale. I love the castle, I own a ridiculous amount of it, but it does have limitations specifically relating to the tower footprint size. You may get 2x based figures in it, unbased probably 3-4, check the pics. The remainder of the sizing doesn't bother me at all. The catwalk is wide enough for a 40x40 base comfortably. They also make different breached sections. It's light foam, prime coated in grey, and is easy to get on the table with a basic paint job and looks sweet. There are also many wall variations with attached buildings, so it just doesn't look plain either. I use this for Helms' Deep. The limitations may or may not be an issue depending on how you intend to play with it.

The Grand Manor castle is *I think* the old Ian Weekley castle. Again I own a ridiculous amount of it which surprised Ian back then when he cast it for me in the 90's. My edition of it suffers from excess grease from mould release that I have never cleared up, and some very muddy detail. I would fully expect the grease to be an issue from that time and the rush casting, and not an ongoing issue for you to be concerned about. I gave up on painting it, which will be obvious from the pics. I found the detailing very muddy in parts and tough for my poor skills to cope with reasonably. The gate is very blobby for wall texture, as are random parts on walls and towers. The keep not pictured is a lovely big thing suitable for it's job with a huge flat top that can take a few catapults. You should check with someone who knows the current product as to how clean the surface texture is. Have a look at the natural yellow resin wall in the pic for the general muddyness, on the opposite of the wall it gets worse. I use it for a Gondor castle.

Figures are Copplestone normans and Blacktree crusaders. Siege tower by GW for reference.

[OSHIROmodels]

@Jim

I'm not a castle expert: Isn't Grand Manner's stuff Roman? Would it pass for Medieval?

I've had a look at the site and they don't seem to do the one I was thinking about anymore 

cheers

James

[cdm]

We were probably thinking of Magister Militum

https://www.magistermilitum.com/scale/28mm.html?cat%5B%5D=59613

I've had a look at the site and they don't seem to do the one I was thinking about anymore 

cheers

James

[Captain Blood]

Grand Manner did make a small castle which was extremely nice, but was - goodness knows why- a limited edition of just 100 as I recall. It was not modular though. Just a beautiful great lump of resin with the usual lift off roofs etc. And was pretty pricey IIRC...

German company Thormarillion make a similar one piece castle in light foam, called Schloss Wolfenstein. It's really designed for pulp gaming / WWW2. But could be converted very easily by carving off a couple of anachronistic details. I nearly bought one when I went to Die Tactica in Hamburg a couple of years ago. But didn't fancy trying to get it onto the plane home as hand luggage!

[Phil Portway]

German company Thormarillion make a similar one piece castle in light foam, called Schloss Wolfenstein. It's really designed for pulp gaming / WWW2. But could be converted very easily by carving off a couple of anachronistic details.

There is some lovely buildings on that site!