Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Smith on March 09, 2014, 03:36:09 PM
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With a true 'tail wagging the dog' mentality, I've just started on a new project building a ship and am justifying it by claiming that it will eventually be for some Corsairs of Umbar (all of which are more theoretical than actual at this point):
(http://imageshack.com/a/img62/4549/71d6.jpg)
More pics and some words on my blog:
http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-good-weekends-work.html
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Whatever reason you come up with for making a FINE ship like this one I'm sure is a good one. She is LOVELY...keep up the GREAT WORK!
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Looking great so far - looking forward to seeing the crew. Any ballistae on board?
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Sweet! Nice planking!
We have still not figured out sails we like. Furled makes for easier play, unfurled makes great pictures (I like it if the sail is stiff and billowed for that purpose, gives the impression of movement). If you are concerned about big thumbs and breakage, I'd say go with the furled sail and the one mast, and let your imagination fill in the rest.
Jevenkah
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That is a great start, Smith.
It should be a mighty fine looking vessel in due course.
8) 8)
As for the mast: You already have a nice convenient socket on the lower deck.
Why not make a mast that slots in there and make it fully-rigged with an unfurled sail that can be removed when needs be?
That way you can have the full effect and it wont affect gameplay as you can remove when the obligatory 'clumsy-git' has to go near it.
Also it will be easier to store safely that way.
;)
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Looking great so far - looking forward to seeing the crew. Any ballistae on board?
No ballistae, but I think I might have a scorpion on board. It's about as much war machine as a ship of this size looks like it can handle. I was thinking about maybe locating it on a revolving platform at the front of the vessel, but that means more (albeit simple) conversion work, and depending on how I attach things, limits the versatility of either the ship or the artillery (it'll look odd being used on land on a rotating platform!). I'll probably just have it loose at the front - they're small enough that I think one could be reasonably manhandled by a few crew.
Thanks for the kind words and the advice on the sail. Right now, I think I'm leaning away from an unfurled sail - I'm highly unlikely to ever play a naval game in 28mm, and it'd just get in the way in 99% of the situations I can imagine using it. That said, a ship like this needs a sail, so I think the removable mast is a very sensible idea, and will go that route with dowel.
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In my mind, the ships of Umbar were dromons. Isn't there even a text in LotR referring to that? Hard to find a suitable model, though.
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In my mind, the ships of Umbar were dromons. Isn't there even a text in LotR referring to that? Hard to find a suitable model, though.
"Dromunds, and ships of great draught with many oars, and with black sails bellying in the breeze."
Yeah, he definitely had a Mediterranean medieval galley vibe going on there. Though my tatty old OED seems to imply that Dromond could be used as a generic term for a big ship of whatever type, so I guess there is some wiggle room. Especially as he mentions the oarred warships as something separate from the Dromunds.
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I agree entirely - slave rowers and a Barbary pirate feel really suits the Umbar fleet. If I ever expand beyond this initial scout ship and 15-man 'army', that's the way I'd go.
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Though the Corsairs were originally Nϊmenσreans (only later mixed with Haradrim), so you could easily justify their ship designs being more European than North African if you wanted. Equally you could go the whole hog down the Barbary Pirate route, or have a mix of the two.
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I have a plastic 1/72 roman trireme which I bought some years ago to convert to a small Umbarian galley raider. It needs heavy conversion but it is plastic, so it shouldn't be too hard. Rowers need to be cast, and put on a single deck, latin reg instead of a square, broader deck planking, different styled bow and ram......
(http://www.radekshipmodels.cz/userFiles/modely-web/022-roman-emperors-trireme-01.jpg)
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The HMS Umbar rolls on. An afternoon spent working on it and listening to the Skyrim soundtrack was an afternoon well spent!
The ship now has a finished hold door, a half-finished mast, and a base coat.
(http://imageshack.com/a/img27/9249/i6w3.jpg)
Some additional snaps and dead exciting commentary over on my blog: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/a-pirates-life-for-me.html
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A very quick additional picture of the ship with finished sail. Construction complete time to get painting!
(http://imageshack.com/a/img40/5002/1rk1.jpg)
Marginally more info at the blog: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/propulsionish.html
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Looks really great!!
Actually you're inspiring me, now I want a ship too ;D
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Lookin' good! The sail appears to give plenty of play space like that. Can't wait for the paint!
Jevenkah
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She's LOOKIN' GOOD! Keep up the GREAT WORK!
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Well, the ship is still a work in progress, and the Gripping Beast Arabs I want for most of my crew are not yet available... but I've just completed the building for my first element of Corsairs!
Lo! Marines of Umbar:
(http://imageshack.com/a/img716/8313/o5ph.jpg)
More photos, information and notes on the ruleset that'll be suffering the depredations of the crew of the Usurper over at my blog: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/umbar-rises.html
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Those mercs are a cracking combo of bits 8)
cheers
James
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Lovely set of hounculi. Fascinating what parts go into their making.
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Great job taking a bunch of 'mostly' historical bits and turning them into something very fantasy.
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Thanks for the kind words, guys!
As the weather here has been pretty poor, I've not made any progress paint-wise, so to keep busy, I put together one-sixth of the next unit for the Corsair crew of the Usurper. At this point, I've decided that the crew will be larger than originally expected, with a rotating cast of small unit options (a.k.a. a fervent attempt to keep my now horribly undersized ship relevant!).
So, without further ado, and minus his pack, I give you Bϋltungin the Mϋmakani, exile of the South and master of the Savannah Wargs:
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/35/jt1u.jpg)
As always, more detail and rambling on my blog:
http://www.plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/laughing-boy.html
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Stellar.
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Great work! All of these historical kits are really demonstrating cross-compatibility.
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A most excellent bit of kit-bashing, sir.
8)
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Definitely my favourite model so far, the as-yet unnamed troll for my crew:
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/713/mjpf.jpg)
I'm definitely in the market for names from those of you more familiar with Tolkien-esque languages. My current best option is Maugor "tough warrior" in the Black Speech.
A couple more pictures and the inevitable 'how and why' on the blog:
http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/they-have-something-troll.html
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I like that and definitely the fact he's armed with a pike :D
cheers
James
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Those marines are genius!
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Lots of updates from a post-Salute Bank Holiday weekend!
First up, the Umbar crew gets a captain and a first unit of corsairs:
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/838/x8ai.jpg)
More photos and waffle on the blog: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/oh-captain-my-captain.html
Second, the Umbar Marines and Bϋltungin the Mϋmakani get a lick of paint:
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/843/a9hqe.jpg)
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/843/tqhx.jpg)
A few more pics and some rambling here: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/umbar-goes-to-war.html
Finally, the crew of the Usurper get some firepower in the form of a (solitary) scorpion:
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/845/d8tz.jpg)
Details on why it looks like such an odd unit and (more) evidence for why I should really not be trusted with sharp things, here: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/an-excercise-in-compromise.html
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Coming along great 8)
cheers
James
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Coming along great 8)
Yep, looking good.
8)
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How about "Shakamub" for the troll? Black speech for "The Rock". He sorta looks like the Rock AND he could be referred to as " Shak" because he's tall :D
Awesome work!!
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Lovely work so far. I have that same troll/ogre mini and have recently painted it up (and modified its weapon as well!). While very soft on the detail it's got a great look, a really nice figure when treated properly. Can't wait to see you paint it up.
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Thanks guys!
Elbows, out of interest, have you got a pic of your interpretation of that model? I'd be curious to see it, especially with the amended weapon.
Name-wise, I think he's been stuck with 'Maugor' for so long that it's kind of stuck. I do, however, like 'Shakamub' a lot, and will be blatantly using that for another character. Or something. Once I figure out a reason for using it! :D
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The heavy hitter of my Umbar crew is now done and ready to go: Maugor the Troll.
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/835/6jig8.jpg)
Not 100% happy with the paintjob on this one, but can't really put my finger on why. Reckon that gets him a pass!
A few notes and larger pic at the blog: http://plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/saurons-blue-eyed-boy.html
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Looks great to me! A little more contrast maybe? Lighter hi-lites on the kilt? Just slightly... Maybe one more hi-lite color on the skin. Might give it a bit of a glisten.
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Really great work here. Some excellent conversion work on your troll. Very impressive.
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Looks great to me! A little more contrast maybe? Lighter hi-lites on the kilt? Just slightly... Maybe one more hi-lite color on the skin. Might give it a bit of a glisten.
I think that's it - there are no light tones anywhere, even just a small touch to set the rest of the darks off.
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After a prolonged period of time away from painting, I finally got back to the brushes over some time off last week.
That said, I'm very glad to say that the Usurper is complete!
(http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640x480q90/856/03jan.jpg)
It's not the classiest ship in the world, and I've not really disguised its origins as a Playmobil toy very well, but I'm happy enough with it (mainly that I actually finished a project!), and it should go nicely with my Corsairs of Umbar and historical pirates should I get distracted by On the Seven Seas.
More photos over at the blog: http://www.plasticmalpractice.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/all-aboard.html
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Great Project!