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Miniatures Adventure => Medieval Adventures => Topic started by: The_Baron on May 02, 2017, 04:32:44 AM

Title: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: The_Baron on May 02, 2017, 04:32:44 AM

Hi all,

Well I grabbed these two sets from a bring and buy the other night with the intention of converting them to 25mm (ish). The giant boxes were chock full of hard plastic towers and walls for a fraction of the price of the admittedly lovely Renedra castle so I thought I would give this a shot.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81adKvlpPkL._SX355_.jpg)
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41GlLWmjzVL.jpg)

A little background - these will be for a Game of Thrones project, and the models I am using a comprised mostly of Lord of the Rings & historical ranges. Therefore they are smaller than modern 28mm models, so I think the conversion is not too much of a stretch. No need for 'historical' accuracy here. The idea will be that they will be set up as a long wall section (maybe with one corner), to represent a smaller section of a larger castle.

The Ivanhoe kit (with it's round towers) will be used to represent the 'Mud Gate' (for some Lannister vs Baratheon action),
(http://www.fantasticmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/mud_gate_from_kings_landing.png)

and the other more generic northerner one, used as the back side of Castle Black or, Winterfell
(https://cdn3.volusion.com/stlse.vzhek/v/vspfiles/photos/408809-3.jpg?1435328777)

Ideas so far include an earth berm at the base to raise the height a little bit, as well as cutting the tower entry doors a bit larger. The main gate is a bit small, but comes with a lovely portcullis. This could possibly be used a smaller sally port with a new main gate scratch-built from a wall section.

Has anyone else done this conversion? If so I would appreciate some guidance and/or photos of your work.

Cheers, The Baron

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: The_Baron on May 02, 2017, 08:13:38 AM

Thanks for the reply & tips! I agree, if there are any piece missing it will be a plasticard & milliput job for sure. I may even be tempted to paint these sections in a slightly different colour and size of stones, to make it look like repairs from a previous battle.

Quote from: Humakt on May 02, 2017, 07:08:17 AM

I wonder if the height of the crenallations may not also prove to be a problem. I never had that since I kept the tower roofed. But if you want figures on the wall you may find they stand a little too proud, even more so when you take into account the added height of any bases.

That's a good point, but I think I have a couple of things going for me here - firstly, the 25mm figures aren't that tall, and secondly I'm using the Renedra flat green bases which add hardly any height (unlike say standard warhammer or lipped bases). I will grab a comparison photo to illustrate, it honestly seemed just right.

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: Agent Brown on May 04, 2017, 12:07:11 PM

1/72 castle and 28mm figures-
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MQJ3UizlFwE/VWrod3RRAbI/AAAAAAAAGAM/RCPKobxwSvE/s1600/32.jpg)

Taken from here http://rebelbarracks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/seize-town.html (http://rebelbarracks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/seize-town.html)

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: Harry Faversham on May 04, 2017, 03:31:37 PM

:-* I've got that Zvezda castle... time to find it out, methinks!  :-*

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: The_Baron on May 04, 2017, 11:28:03 PM

Quote from: Agent Brown on May 04, 2017, 12:07:11 PM

1/72 castle and 28mm figures-
Taken from here http://rebelbarracks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/seize-town.html (http://rebelbarracks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/seize-town.html)

Brilliant! Thanks for the photos  :D   To me a scale change looks achievable. I think the battlements are passable as-is. If the whole wall can be raised on a rocky berm at the base to add a bit more height I think it will work fine. It is suitably imposing and for a fraction of the price

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: The_Baron on May 07, 2017, 11:04:51 AM

OK here's some scale photos as requested. Boromir/Sean Bean/Eddard Stark for scale.

Battlements - good enough
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185052.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185052.jpg.html)

Particularly in the towers
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185118.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185118.jpg.html)

The walls are just too short though to be imposing
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185111.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185111.jpg.html)

And the gate is very nice but not much more than a Sally port.
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185040.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185040.jpg.html)


Here's my prototype fix for the height issues. Idea will be different quarries for the stone, so will paint slightly different colours. Will meld this together a bit so not a straight line. Height is now much better
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185158.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185158.jpg.html)

Winter is coming...
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185212.jpg) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/Mobile%20Uploads/20170507_185212.jpg.html)

Time to put this into full scale production. Circular tower extensions will be tricky.

Cheers, The Baron

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: The_Baron on May 08, 2017, 04:39:03 AM

That is a really good idea! I think I will do this on half the walls, to use on the mud gate side. For the uninitiated (me included), a google image search turns this castle up as the Krak des Chevaliers. The ramp at the base is called a Talus or Glacis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krak_des_Chevaliers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talus_(fortification)

Gate section is definitely going to be a full rebuild. I am going to make it essentially the width of one wall segment. Something along these lines I think. Although I may have it flanked by a tower each side
(http://i1098.photobucket.com/albums/g362/riverside_adama/gate.png) (http://s1098.photobucket.com/user/riverside_adama/media/gate.png.html)

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: dinohunterpoa on May 17, 2017, 01:15:36 PM

Baron, there's an AWESOME conversion of a 1/72 castle into 28mm for a Robin Hood scenery in this big thread here:

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=32695.0 (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=32695.0)

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8106/8627131042_bcd49b3c70_b.jpg)

 ;)

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: Dan on May 21, 2017, 04:37:42 AM

Thanks for plugging my conversion of a Castle. Unfortunately I did not TAG the Castle posts together as I just put them under the Robin Hood TAG. I did a brief write up here of the conversion.

http://wadesworldofwargaming.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-castle-from-beginning.html

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: dinohunterpoa on May 21, 2017, 04:51:09 AM

Quote from: Dan on May 21, 2017, 04:37:42 AM

Thanks for plugging my conversion of a Castle. Unfortunately I did not TAG the Castle posts together as I just put them under the Robin Hood TAG. I did a brief write up here of the conversion.

http://wadesworldofwargaming.blogspot.co.nz/2013/08/the-castle-from-beginning.html

Dan, your Robin Hood stuff is just AWESOME!  :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*

Thank you very much for the new link!

What rules did you use?

EDIT: Do you still play Legends of the High Seas? I'm asking that because I have a MegaBloks Stormstalker that needs a proper conversion and a new home!  ;)

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: Dan on May 22, 2017, 10:36:20 AM

Thanks, we modified The Lord of the Rings rules from GW. Its been ages since I looked at that collection but are thinking of using Lion Rampant.

I've not done anything with my MegaBloks ships as I decided that painting Zulus would be a good idea. ::)

Title: Re: Converting Imex 1/72 castles to 25mm (ish) scale
Post by: dinohunterpoa on May 22, 2017, 11:33:13 AM

Quote from: Dan on May 22, 2017, 10:36:20 AM

Thanks, we modified The Lord of the Rings rules from GW. Its been ages since I looked at that collection but are thinking of using Lion Rampant.

Clever choice, LOTR works very well for small scale, character-oriented games!  

Quote from: Dan on May 22, 2017, 10:36:20 AM

I've not done anything with my MegaBloks ships as I decided that painting Zulus would be a good idea. ::)

If you get the pirate fever back again, please let me know!  ;)