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Author Topic: BSC2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower  (Read 2340 times)

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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BSC2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« on: January 11, 2025, 10:57:23 AM »
I saw the  new LOTR film "War of the Rohirrim" in December and bought the new Games Workshop LOTR starter set of the same name.

You can see my progress on that here https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=147656.45

I have an extensive collection of the GW LOTR models and will probably add more as new things come out.

I have the resin GW Minas Tirith gate and walls which is a magnificent set.

Unfortunately GW never made matching siege towers based on the film, "Return of the King".

The Meta Workshop design art is available on-line https://wetaworkshopdesignstudio.artstation.com/projects/182QKG?album_id=3370094

Here is the concept artwork for the siege tower. There is also a plan on the Weta page.



I plan to rescale it to match the GW walls and figures.

The film walls were about 19 meters high, which is about 315 mm at 1/60 but the GW walls are only 135 mm to the top of the castellations, so my version will be much shorter.

I want to build it mostly in wood and card using coffee stirrers, cocktail sticks and thin section wood.
« Last Edit: January 21, 2025, 08:31:26 AM by Mick_in_Switzerland »

Offline Burgundavia

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #1 on: January 11, 2025, 05:40:07 PM »
Well then, guess we should all pack up tools now. This is going to be good.

Offline Lost Egg

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #2 on: January 11, 2025, 07:01:13 PM »
Nice! I like how the metal armour on the tower looks like a fist raised in threat.
My current projects...Classic Wargame - An experiment in 24" of wargaming!

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=140633.new#new

Goblin Warband for Classic Wargame

https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=146832.new#new

Offline has.been

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #3 on: January 11, 2025, 10:26:57 PM »
Good luck.

Offline Ragnar

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2025, 06:42:53 AM »
This should be a fun build!
Gods, monsters and men,
Will die together in the end.

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2025, 09:45:31 AM »
Thank-you all for the encouraging comments.

@Burgundavia
I have entered BSC four times.
Last year was the first time I got past round 1.

Offline Gunbird

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2025, 11:30:26 AM »
That is going to be big! :O
Who is Gunbird? Johan van Ooij, Dutch, Mercenary Gamer, no longer mobile and happy to live life while it lasts >> http://20mmandthensome.blogspot.com/

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2025, 04:23:02 PM »
I watched this for inspiration - Siege Towers attack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcJwKVAaIWM
« Last Edit: January 17, 2025, 03:27:38 PM by Mick_in_Switzerland »

Offline snitcythedog

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2025, 06:11:43 PM »
Last year was the first time I got past round 1.
I have entered about the same number and never got past round one.  It is always a tight competition. 
A bottle of scotch and two aspirin a day will greatly reduce your awareness of heart disease.
http://snitchythedog.blogspot.com

Offline Burgundavia

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2025, 03:16:06 AM »
Thank-you all for the encouraging comments.

@Burgundavia
I have entered BSC four times.
Last year was the first time I got past round 1.

Well that made 2024 a record for both of us. I finished something and you nearly won!

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2025, 05:25:10 PM »
On Sunday, I cut up the picture of the Weta elevation drawing so that I had tower side below bridge, tower side above the bridge.
I then pasted this into word and resized the pictures so that the bridge is 135mm above ground to match the GW Minas Tirith Terrain.
This is quite a big change because the film walls are 315m high.

I also built a quick Lego model to test the dimensions with GW orcs, a Mordor troll drummer and the scenery.



Based on the Lego model, I almost doubled the height of the structure over the bridge to accommodate orcs with weapons.
I stretched the side elevation to make the top platform 60mm long.
I matched the front elevation and widened it so that the top platform is 50mm wide.

I printed these off and stuck them to card.
Then I drew on the structural poles and floors with a fluorescent highlighter.

Yesterday, I projected from the WETA drawing of side, front and batch elevations to work out the wheels and chassis.
I can now calculate the materials that I will need for the framework.

I may convert the troll drummer into a pusher.

I may also buy some Morannon orcs and make a densely packed group for the top platform.
« Last Edit: January 14, 2025, 08:01:29 PM by Mick_in_Switzerland »

Offline Lost Egg

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2025, 10:18:20 PM »
You have been busy. I'm digging the lego mock-up.

Offline AKULA

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2025, 08:11:58 PM »
A good idea with the mock-up

 :)

Offline Mick_in_Switzerland

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #13 on: January 17, 2025, 03:41:52 PM »
On Wednesday, I ordered a pack of Morannon Orcs and they arrived on Thursday.
The box contains two sprues of 12 orcs. About half of these can be used or easily converted to make a densely packed group.
One figure looks easy to convert to a ladder climber.

The troll is decoration rather than part of the competition build.
I have started to convert the troll drummer to become a tower pusher.
First, I removed the drums and drumsticks.
I drilled out hands to remove remainder of drumsticks.
I sawed through the arms at the left shoulder, right elbow and both wrists.
I have reassembled the troll with arms level at shoulder height and hands pushing a horizontal pole.
I will tidy up the sawn bits with Green Stuff and repaint him.

The tower could be made in plasticard with plastic struts and sheets.
This would be strong and easy to build.
However, miniature wood joinery will look better so that is the plan for the final build.

I went to DIY store and bought some wood and wood stain, for the next round of experiments.
I stained some wooden strips to a dark brown shade.
I had problems with last year (BSC 2024 Workplace) that staining the finished workshop frames did not work very well.
Glue smears did not absorb the wood stain.
This left bright areas of the stained wood. I am hoping that staining before glueing will look better.

I think I have a good construction plan for the sides but I am still trying to work out the geometry of the chassis and the front.
The angles and corrugations are very difficult to work out.
I think there will be several prototypes before I get the right form for the front.

« Last Edit: January 17, 2025, 03:56:51 PM by Mick_in_Switzerland »

Offline McMordain

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Re: BSC 2025 Mick in Switzerland's LOTR Siege Tower
« Reply #14 on: January 17, 2025, 04:55:32 PM »
I went to DIY store and bought some wood and wood stain, for the next round of experiments.
I stained some wooden strips to a dark brown shade.
I had problems with last year (BSC 2024 Workplace) that staining the finished workshop frames did not work very well.
Glue smears did not absorb the wood stain.
This left bright areas of the stained wood. I am hoping that staining before glueing will look better.

Yeah, I always forget this bit, then get annoyed at myself.  lol

Looking forward to the build. I want to do something similar as well in the future.

Bear Pirates Go To Hell!

 

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