GW Skullvane Manse as observatory/skulls removed

[War In 15MM]

Back in 2011 I became attracted to Games Workshop’s Skullvane Manse.  For years I owned two that awaited my decision to build the manse modified as a pirate refuge and gun platform, and the second as the more standard manse observatory.  In April 2019 I began work on the pirate refuge version that I posted on LAF’s Pikes, Muskets, and Flouncy Shirts page on April 21.  This week I completed the observatory version of the manse that I’ve posted here.  While the pirate refuge version is much different from the two options that came with the original model (an observatory or a rampart), both the pirate refuge and the observatory share one major modification… the hiding and removal of GW’s iconic skulls.  In both cases I hid the huge skulls that form much of the base of the model under rock-shaped Milliput.  The smaller skulls that occur in various places on the models I removed with a hobby knife or hid with Milliput.  The structure that holds the observatory is composed of three levels.  The first level contains the entrance to the observatory and a few windows.  The second level is dominated by huge skulls, and the third level is the observatory dome and telescope.  The second level of that structure is the one that required the most work because all of those huge skulls had to be cut off and replaced by a covering of stone bricks sculpted from Milliput.  In order to add some additional color to the structure and to hide a door and a few other GW symbols, I added more Milliput scored as shrubs.  On the observatory version of the manse I elected to leave off the ruins of the bridge or ramp that I included on the pirate refuge version. Consequently I also used shrub-sculpted Milliput to cover the door that led out to that bridge.  I'm very happy with the end result of the observatory (and the pirate refuge) and believe that without the omnipresent skulls it is a structure that offers far more options for use.  I believe that GW will be reissuing the manse under a new name in November 2019.IMG_2922 by Richard Garretson, on FlickrIMG_2923 by Richard Garretson, on Flickr

[Blackwolf]

Well done,looks great!

[OSHIROmodels]

That looks much better 

[Hobby Services]

Assume the pirate version had the tower part out over the edge of a seaside cliff, hopefully with a proper plank for our heroes to be forced to walk? 

Good job hiding all those skulls.

[Panama]

Great bit of work

[white knight]

I agree it looks much better this way.

[Chairface]

Much improved!

[mweaver]

Indeed yes - nice work all around, and good job with the de-skullification.  GW has produced some interesting plastic terrain through the years, but the skulls tend to be really annoying.

-Michael

[War In 15MM]

Actually I've played hide-the-GW-skulls on several projects.  I used the Garden of Morr cemetery in both my Victorian and Gangster era cities.  In that case I once again hid the skulls using Milliput, not as rock but as shrubs covering the skulls.  In my spaceport collection I used the GW reactor and hid the large skull under a technical-looking part taken from another kit.  My guess is that as long as GW produces a great looking item that would enhance one of my projects, I will do my best to hide the skulls so I can incorporate the piece in my project(s).