Man Battlestations Forum
Modeling => The Shipyard => Topic started by: Kelly on November 16, 2021, 01:00:32 am
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I have been testing out different options before starting to assemble my Armada ships, and my first priority was to find out what I could add to set my fleets apart. The scale on the ships is fluid, to be charitable, which is usually an issue for me, but the the skewing of the models is consistently more pronounced at the bow and stern which leaves the center as a good focus for conversion...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/11/16/1123921_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1123921-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.html)
I have not yet seen anyone post additions of scale crew, so taking advantage of the open decks of the Orc Smasher, I estimated the local scale to be 1/300 and put together several poses of crew for the cannons.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/11/16/1123922_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1123922-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.html)
After tacking them on in several different arrangements, I think their height is close enough to work and 8-10 on the deck of the final ship will be the final plan with a brighter color scheme so they can stand out against the rest of the model. Next up will be figuring out how else I can integrate in more crew...
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This looks to be a fascinating project - One I shall follow with interest.
Where did you source the crew from?
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I love the idea of adding some crew. Great idea.
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Here are some tests for lookouts atop masts. There are only a few types of Orc sails and masts which are shared across the ships of the faction with those sizes being scaled up or down depending on their class, so I will have to do some adjusting on these to keep two points of contact for their feet and left hands.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/11/20/1124356_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1124356-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/11/20/1124355_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1124355-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
The Orc Hammerfist has a covered deck, its cannons are inserts to place along the sides, so I am still working out what types of crew would work best for that layout.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/11/20/1124357_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1124357-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
Where did you source the crew from?
I have been designing the crew myself, they have all the dynamism of someone posing for a Civil War photograph, but they do pass the arm length test. There are not that many details that I can fit in on a quarter inch model, but luckily I can share these across factions since the scale is so small. Different colors for hands and faces and most of these will fit right in with the other factions' ships with open decks.
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While dry-fitting the masts I discovered how little clearance there is between the sails and the hull, and several possible points of contact exist to allow attachment to the hull for a more stable miniature.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/12/10/1126385_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1126385-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.html)
My first attempt at raising up the mast(s) is above, and I will definitely have to pin these. The original connections between the body of the ship and masts are designed to be sturdy with the main socket for taller masts being a pyramidal shape, and the shorter masts having cylindrical sockets to allow a little movement while positioning them. I definitely want to preserve as much of that original contact as I can and will be using black wire as additional connections where moving the masts / sails up is impacting the stability of the design.
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The first crew conversion is finally together...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/12/31/1128014_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1128014-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.html)
Affixing the crew to the deck was far simpler than I thought it would be, with a wire pin placed behind each Orc to provide stability while the glue dries, but the mast attachments were a nightmare. The original layout of the masts and sails did have enough points of contact to make assembly reasonable, but having to stretch the center mast to allow the crew placement resulted in having to bend or cut back all of the contacts. One point actually broke during the photo, so I will have to go back and add black wire for repairs.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2021/12/31/1128015_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1128015-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Smasher.html)
Overall, the crew really are not noticeable at arms length, with the possible exception of the lookout above, so I would say that this whole project ended up a wash.
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They are probably more noticeable when we look at the other side of the ship behind the sails and you might see them a bit better.
However, your final analysis is probably accurate.
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I don't know about your conclusion; They dont look at all bad and as I've found with 6mm gaming, some people do like to take a close look if you've put in the effort (Just watch out for the sausage-fingered ones, that's all! :) )
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Seas Aflame introduced fortifications into Armada, and here is my first attempt at a large fort, a 50 mm generic square for use either as a Land Fort or Sea Fort. I set each of the corners as a blank socket to allow the cannons to be turned to face the opponent...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/3/29/1136891_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1136891-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.html)
...or to allow different crew tops to be placed and show ownership of the fort. So far only one mission, Capture the Fort, allows the storming of fortifications, but I wanted to future proof these for upcoming expansions, or home built scenarios. (As an added benefit, the crew tops also make this PSB compliant)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/3/29/1136892_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1136892-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.html)
And looking forward, I also put together small mortars in case indirect weapons are later allowed for the large size fortifications. (100)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/3/29/1136893_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1136893-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Fort%2C%20Mantic.html)
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That's really nice! I like the basic design, and it looks like you could even scale it up if needed.
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Here is my next fortification, a 30 mm generic square to use as a Shore Gun Emplacement or Shore Mortar Emplacement. The interior of the palisade is open and double the size of the fort sockets, so loose PSB toppers can be dropped in to represent different weapons or crews.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/4/16/1138485_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Emplacement%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1138485-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Emplacement%2C%20Mantic.html)
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Looking great! Possibly the terrain pieces are better for this approach that the ships, given how the sails interfere with the view.
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Here is my Hammerfist conversion, replacing the rotating hammers at the front with a standard ram. I have seen several different methods of taking the stock rotators apart with cuts to make them look more reasonable, but I put together a morning star as a replacement and will be saving the production parts for later. (In keeping with the spirit of positivity on the forum, I will just say I am 100% positive the Hammerfists should not be put on the table without reworking them somehow)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/1/1139856_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1139856-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
And to make them PSB compliant, more crew for the deck...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/1/1139857_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1139857-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Hammerfist%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
...I gave the spearmen shields in the same style as the ones molded onto the Orc Smasher to tie them together, and will probably make some loose shields for the other ships.
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Looks great! The Dhow-style sails make it a lot easier to see all the work you put into the crew for these.
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Here is another fortification; building off of my 50 mm generic square, I put in towers for use as a Watchtower which in the game is also the large category just like both Forts. Each is also socketed to allow easy switches of PSB tops for control changes, and I will put together more flags to match other fleets’ colors as I get to them…
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/13/1140935_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Watchtower.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1140935-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Watchtower.html)
...to allow for easy measuring to the footprint of the fortification during play, the dock at the bottom is not attached, and is only there for visual appeal. I'll probably make different types of scatter pieces to go along with each different fleet to tie them together to the generics.
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Here are crew conversions for the rest of the starter box Orc ships...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/21/1141827_sm-Armada%2C%20Blood%20Runner%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1141827-Armada%2C%20Blood%20Runner%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/21/1141829_sm-Armada%2C%20Bomb%20Boat%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1141829-Armada%2C%20Bomb%20Boat%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
...both fall into the diminishing returns category since the masts had to be raised different heights, cutting and re-cutting down my existing spacers for masts, and since these upper decks are closed, there were not a lot of choices to populate them and bring everything up to PSB code. I do not plan on getting an XL size for these, and the smallest ship for the faction is only about an inch long for the squadron, so that may be it as far as the Orcs go.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/5/21/1141828_sm-Armada%2C%20Blood%20Runner%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1141828-Armada%2C%20Blood%20Runner%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs.html)
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I began working through the Basilean ships from the starter set using what I learned from the Orc crews. First, I only used the PSB poses from the earlier ships, but I narrowed down their width to put in a little contrast between the races since they are a human faction as opposed to orcs. They do not stand out, but I did want more muted colors for these decks, so the striped sails could have room to be the focal point on this fleet.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/6/18/1143898_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gunbrig%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1143898-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gunbrig%2C%20Mantic.html)
The mortar on the front is a disc and recess mount, so I set a magnet in the bottom of the mortar so it can freely rotate to face targets.
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The next starter Basilea ship is the Gur Panther, again with risers on the masts to allow room on the decks for crew. Planning out my color palettes by fleet has restricted my choices on what colors I can use for the crews to keep them differentiated, and I think I will have to really pack the decks more to balance out the neutral colors for the Basileans.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/6/26/1144353_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gur%20Panther%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1144353-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gur%20Panther%2C%20Mantic.html)
...and a closer view for PSB certification.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/6/26/1144354_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gur%20Panther%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1144354-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gur%20Panther%2C%20Mantic.html)
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Below is the next test crew conversion for the Orc fleet: one Rabble ship. According to the background the Rabble are crewed by goblins, so I reworked the regular PSB crew down from 6mm to 4.5mm and angled all of their legs to have them hanging off of the sides of the ship since there is no real deck to speak of on these. The Rabble Squadrons are in the Tiny size category, barely over an inch and a half, and are meant to be dual based on a 30mm square, but there was barely room for two stock Rabble to fit, much less with crew overhanging both sides, so I will be basing these individually.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2022/8/4/1146993_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Rabble.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1146993-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Orcs%2C%20Rabble.html)
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Really captured the feel of a well-crewed but less that well-organised assult team carrier there. I love your conversions just as art pieces alone. (Y)
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Love these little adds.
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I have not had much progress on my Armada Basileans, one Elohi was finished before the end of the year with raised masts to allow room on the deck for PSB crew, but it involved a lot more work than any of the other medium sized ships so far. With all of the cannons below deck on this ship, I put on swords and shields as the prior gun crew poses would be out of place. There are no shields I had to match from the rest of the current range, so I did half pointed versions to tie them into the Basilean range from the original Kings of War.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/17/1162698_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Elohi%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162698-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Elohi%2C%20Mantic.html)
Anyone comparing this to Mantic’s production shots will note there is only a hand wreathed in flame instead of an inch long staff… after several attempts at repairing that breakage I decided to cut my losses and cut down that part of the figurehead. And then, I thought how hard could it be to just cut out the rest and make the next Elohis stand out?
Really really hard as it turned out… far more work than putting together crew and pinning up masts combined, but the existing figurehead is roughly the same scale as the Battles of Westeros pieces from Fantasy Flight. I have boxes of those, and picked out two to cut and fit into the front of the second and third Elohis.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/17/1162699_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162699-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic.html)
The replacements took paint well and I do not have to worry about them breaking as they are incredibly soft plastic. The different fronts will make it easier for ship management instead of the letter tokens from the starter, and I have literally handfuls of different weapons from the out of print BoW boxes that can be used for any future Elohi fronts, I just need a break for something with a little shorter build time.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/17/1162700_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162700-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic.html)
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...I just need a break for something with a little shorter build time.
And since the Sloops are not much more than an inch tall, I think they qualify as shorter…
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/26/1163170_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Sloop.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1163170-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Sloop.html)
Even though they are tiny, the curve of these sails do leave more room than I expected on the deck for placements of PSB crew, far more than the Orc Rabbles. My first attempt on a Sloop was the only one that included the freestanding cannon that comes with these, but I could not get it to look right, so I will be saving the remainder of the cannons to fill out another larger Basilean ship’s deck. For all of the rest I am just putting on an assortment of printed crew.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/26/1163171_sm-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Sloop.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1163171-Armada%2C%20Basilea%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Sloop.html)
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While not technically conversions, these Dwarf Hunters do include the magnetic insets I am planning on using across all the Armada fleets for basing and storage. These are still too small for any PSB integration, and while they broadly appear to be close to the Dwarf Thunderer, their details of outline and layout are different enough that I had no areas to easily tie in the wooden decks or additional spot colors of blue on the other Dwarf ships.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/7/22/1171554_sm-Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Hunter%2C%20Mantic.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1171554-Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Hunter%2C%20Mantic.html)
Guess which of these three were Vault prints?
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Next ship test for my Dwarf fleet is this Fury. Again the ship is totally enclosed, so no opportunities for PSB integration, and also no decking options to match the wood from the first ones, the design of the Fury did have good options to spread out the color palette in a balanced way.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/18/1173069_sm-Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Fury%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173069-Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Fury%2C%20Mantic.html)
My one regret is the rivets on the dragonscales along the side. They were an ordeal to highlight and they look very out of place as opposed to the armor plating. I have never been shy about adding to models, but hardly ever remove anything… if I paint another Fury, I’ll be slicing each of those off and may go back to remove these at a later point.
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I am still reworking my basing plans for Armada, but whatever shape they take, they will have plenty of details added. My first test pieces for ships' boats are a little over 3/4 of an inch should easily fit around most medium and small size bases.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/9/4/1174018_sm-Armada%2C%20Armada%20boats.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1174018-Armada%2C%20Armada%20boats.html)
Also along the bottom are the first debris pieces. Barrels did not work out as they were far too small, and masts will probably be too outsized for bases, so unless inspiration strikes, assorted plank lengths will be the extent of anything floating.
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The Dwarf ships are all heavy, single blocks and I thought it might be time to work on something a little lighter…
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/9/8/1174279_sm-Airship%2C%20Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Mantic.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1174279-Airship%2C%20Armada%2C%20Dwarves%2C%20Mantic.html)
…like their airships! These were a little difficult to manage while painting as they are very top-heavy, but the main issue was that they have a heptagonal cross section for some reason (I have another heptagonal project I have been putting off for months) and my plan was to break up the expanse of the balloon. Seven is impossible to divide, and it was at least a week of trials until I remembered that that multiplying by two will always result in an even number, so here we are with a 14 checker pattern.
No PSBs again, I think all the Dwarves in the setting are smart enough to stay inside when the shooting starts.
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I really like the envelopes on those air ships! The alternating colors on the panels really make them pop.
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One of the first thoughts I had for Mantic Vault models was using translucence by printing in clear resin, and the Trident Realms release gave me the perfect subject to finally test.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/10/31/1178151_sm-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Kyr%20Angler%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Trident%20Realms.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1178151-Armada%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Kyr%20Angler%2C%20Mantic%2C%20Trident%20Realms.html)
The Kyr Angler was printed with plain clear resin as I have not yet tested out how dye ratios will affect the curing process, and after hollowing out, the glowing portions just received a plain blue wash. The remainder of the model was primed with a brush and then built up around the glow parts. During the painting process, I held the model up to a lamp for light-proofing and mostly kept the appropriate areas together, but I definitely should have stretched the stl out wider for ease of access on the inscribed back plates as I did lose some detail along the spine.
Three trials so far, and nothing is set yet on the final lighting… the latest is a set of cut-down Christmas lights, but I definitely will be using this on a 75mm base to represent the Kraken from the base scenarios which should allow plenty of room for batteries within.
Will I do an entirely lighted fleet? Not anytime soon, or probably ever… this took far longer than any other conversion, but I am glad I have at least this one as a scenario centerpiece.
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That looks fantastic! Clear resin opens up all kinds of possibilities.
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Nice use of clear resin and lights! Very cool.
I think it probably turned out better than a glow-in-the-dark paint approach.