Ship Trapped in Ice

[Wallyocerous]

I am looking to tap the neverending flow of ideas from this site for some help with a project I'd like to take on.  I recently finished reading The Terror by Dan Simmons:

http://www.amazon.com/Terror-Novel-Dan-Simmons/dp/0316017442/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5630933-4961408?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1186377059&sr=1-1

I was very intrigued by the setting of the novel - most of it is set aboard two ships locked in the Arctic ice.  There is a beast out on the ice that is killing off the crew one by one.  I thought that this would be a great setting for a wargame, fighting off the beasts from the snow with a bunch of stalwart polar adventurers!   :mrgreen:

I'm thinking of getting a ship (doesn't have to be waterline) of the appropriate size (of a British explorer ship in the 1840's - don't think the book said what kind of ship) and building up the "ice" as styrene.  Any help as to what type/brand/size of ship to use and possible manufacturers would be a big help, as well as how to paint it suitably frozen!  Thanks!

[Buzgob]

There was a lovely table with a submarine trapped in ice and the crew went out for a penguin hunt. I think it was on this forum. Very nice. Maybe you could steal ideas from the maker (I wish my memory for names would work just a bit better   ).

[Hammers]

My WWI german sub has a terrain piece arround it which looks like this. I don't remember postinga  a picture though. Maybe I should.

[fastolfrus]

I thought the uboat with the ice was actually in an arctic base ?

[Hammers]

I think you are confusing me with someone  else. I have no Arctic base scenery.

[Malamute]

What a truly great scenario. It would make a stunning terrain piece.

It sounds like a cross between Frankenstein which starts/finishes with a ship caught in the ice and the Shackleton arctic expedition.

For inspiration perhaps look at the photos of the Shackleton expedition:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.shackleton-endurance.com/Images/shackleton%2520images/Endside.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.shackleton-endurance.com/images.html&h=412&w=320&sz=55&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=uqm59Aw1NFI4OM:&tbnh=125&tbnw=97&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshackleton%2Bendurance%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2004-39,GGLD:en

There are loads of photos of the Endurance as it was slowly engulfed by the ice flow. The ice clinging to the rigging etc would make a fabulous model. You also have to have the boat tilted to one side.
 
I have seen modelling material for ice in a railway model catalogue. the snow should not be difficult to do.
For figures Copplestone and Westwind do polar explorers and Copplestone has sleds and Huskies/Alaskan Malamutes  

What do you intend to use for the creatures?

For the ship, try some of the pirate ships that are available and convert them. I know Blackcat bases are releasing a pirate ship soon. Geboom here has a range, there is also Merrymack shipyard available from Old Glory and Village Green did pirate ships.

You can tell I am excited about this project.  I love all things polar exploration related. This has so much potential for a superb looking game good luck and keep us posted
 

[Westfalia Chris]

Great idea! I´d say that the key point for the ice parts is flatness, so you might consider getting XPS for the core part, painting the surface white, and then applying a sheet of adhesive, transparent plastic to it, which will give a little depth to it and a glossy sheen as well. Or just use foamboard, paint overall white, and gloss varnish. I´d just leave any "rough effect" to piles of snow, although ice can be rough as well if crumbled, it just doesn´t look "icy" when you model it like that.

As for the sub, I assume you´re talking about Knoxville´s excellent Antarctic Base table which he made for Tactica this year. I don´t recall the exact title of the thread, but you could search the workbench forum for entries by the user "knoxville", or visit this site which has some pics of the table "in action":

http://hamburger-tactica.hq-cooperation.de/pages/fotos2007.html

[knoxville]

Oh yes! A ship trapped between floating ice shells, sea monsters lurking below... I think I have to build another table