Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Adventures in the Far East => Topic started by: Sumatran Rat Monkey on 13 May 2013, 09:08:37 PM
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Have an idea for something, courtesy of the RONIN thread, and am now wondering- anyone know of:
A. a 28mm Samurai figure wearing a horned helmet with a skull mask (preferably in heavy, ornate lamellar armour, and wielding a katana or tachi), or
B. A suitable head for creating the above via headswap?
The skull mask is the most important part- I can convert/rework the rest of the helmet if need be, although I would prefer the figure and/or head be from a fantasy or historical figure, rather than sci-fi. At least not blatantly sci-fi, at least- I can file off a few bits of wires/asst gubbins, if need be, but as with the skullmask itself, I'd much prefer to not have to essentially resculpt it, since if I'll be mating it to either a Steve Saleh or Perry Bros. sculpt, and I really don't know that I'm capable of matching that standard, since they're more than slightly badass.
Anyway, thanks in advance!
- Monk
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I'd probably find a plastic skull (GW might be too big for most historical samurai figures – Wargames Factory might be better), and shave down the back until there's a flat 'face-plate'. This could then be reshaped to fit the helmet. Oddly, I've been having a similar idea for a Chinese Fantasy conversion...
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Wargames Factory used to make a skeleton box set too. The plastic they use is pretty easy to work with, so you could probably just cut the face off one of the skulls and glue it right over the top of one of their samurai figures to look like a mask.
Optionally, you might want to look at the samurai figures from Bushido or Kensei. They might have something more like what you're looking for.
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http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/samurai/latest/02505
Maybe like this one?
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I'm pretty familiar with most of the samurai ranges out there, I can't think of a figure with a skull mask without being an actual skeleton. I'd go with a plastic skull, drill the eyes out a bit.
Are you going for full face mempo or lower half skull? I'm curious :)
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I'm pretty familiar with most of the samurai ranges out there, I can't think of a figure with a skull mask without being an actual skeleton. I'd go with a plastic skull, drill the eyes out a bit.
Are you going for full face mempo or lower half skull? I'm curious :)
I'm not sure now, honestly!
I was initially thinking full-face, but then as I got to thinking about it post-post (so meta~!), I started thinking about lower-half.
Especially since, if I just go lower, then I could ostensibly create several different versions of the same figure and still have him being instantly recognizable:
1. In full lamellar, lower mempo, and horned kabuto;
2. In a straw takuhatsugasa, lower mempo, & kimono or traveling robes;
3. Long hair (no tonsure) pulled up in a topknot, mempo, and hakama, bare upper torso covered with tattoos.
I think, ultimately, I may end up just having to keep trying to sculpt a skull half-mempo from scratch until I somehow accidentally produce one I like, then having them cast (or teaching myself to cast them), and using them to convert figures.
...or, more likely, using them convert separate heads, so I can continue my compulsion hobby of building figures from disparate bits from multiple lines, periods, genres, and manufacturers.
Not that I have a problem or anything! lol
- Monk
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This head may be of use.
http://heresyminiatures.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=267
Although it is fantasy based and has a third eye. If you chopped it up a bit it could look like a mask.
From heresy miniatures spare heads range.
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This head may be of use.
http://heresyminiatures.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=267
Although it is fantasy based and has a third eye. If you chopped it up a bit it could look like a mask.
From heresy miniatures spare heads range.
While I absolutely love Andy's work and own a bunch of Heresy figs (I particularly love the 10th Anniversary Boris & the full range of Trenchcoat gangers), I don't think that head would work for what I have in mind, alas.
It's the proportions, alas- fantasy figures are almost always built to a more heroic scale than historicals, and on top of that, the particular figures those heads were originally designed for are some fairly robust individuals anyway, I believe.
Good source for inspiration, though, and worth ordering a set for use as a study guide and comparison sculpt (not to mention, I've wanted an excuse to spring for them for years, anyway, since I haven't collected fantasy in a decade, nor played in even longer).
Thanks for headsup!
- Monk
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Too true. The third eye probably doesn't help either. I bought a bunch of them for use on some sci fi troops to give them a bit of a twist. They fit really well but then again that's heroic scale too. :?
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Have you looked at the Steel Fist sculpts?
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Puppetwars has a Samurai head with Skullmask, but am not sure how it will look sizewize, will depend on what kind of mini you want to convert.
http://puppetswar.com/product.php?id_product=141
I only have their Werwolf heads and used one to convert a Copplestone Gangster into Sabretooth, which went well ;)
Ever thought about using heads of Undead Samurai?
Clan Wars should have some.