[WFB] Ogre Pirates, Update 21: ConVic results in Options

[threemcs]

I just got back from Rumble in the Bronx. I won a battalion boxed set for my efforts in army presentation, so I thought I'd have a dip at another heavily themed army. I had a change in game philosophy at Rumble, too. I took a relatively soft army (3rd softest there) and realised that I thoroughly enjoyed playing it. Playing an army you don't expect to win with really relaxes the mood, and I had a hell of a good time playing on the weekend. With that in mind, I decided to start at the bottom: Orgre Kingdoms! At some stage during the drive home, I decided pirates would be a good theme to work with- immediately identifyable and plenty of things to work with. The other bonus is that ogres are essentially a larger scale, so conversions should be a little more convincing.

I'm still waiting for that first box to arrive, should be here on the weekend when Mouse drops off the terrain at Hampton. So here are my musings on the army so far:

Tyrant- I want to tyrant to be relatively captainy. I probably won't base him on a tyrant model, as they're very heavily armoured and I'm not sure this will suit. I'll probably dress a bull up in some green stuff clothes and go from there. Big cutlass and a pistol (handgun), maybe a few 'prosthetic limbs'. I'll replace all gnoblar add-ons with parots, monkies and the like (ie, sword-parrots, luck-monkies, etc...)

Bruiser BSB- the first mate will probably be similar to the captain, a little less ornate and carrying the Battle Standard. The standard itself will probably be a pair of sails, arrganged one on top of the other. Naturally, they will be decorated with a jolly roger. Look-out gnoblars will sit in sircular crows-nests, but similar in other respects to the currect ones.

Butcher- this guy will actually be a gal. Gonna model her off the voodoo woman from the monkey island series. Specifically, the way she looks in the recent releases- she looked amusing in 'Launch of the Screaming Narwhal'.

Bulls- the bulls will have a variety of hooks, peg-legs, tri-corner hats, bandanas, cutlasses, eye patches and as much other generic pirate iconography I can squeeze in.

Iron Guts- As bulls, but with bigger weapons. The Standard Bearers will have sails, like the BSB, but with only one sail on each.

Leadbelchers- not a lot needs doing ot these guys. I may give them swivels for their guns.

Trappers- these guys are gonna be scaling some rigging, which will be on masts sticking out of their bases.

Scrap Launcha- I'm gonna try and find a model ship, roughly 100mm long and convert it to have an empire cannon occupying most of the deck, with gnoblars crawling all over it.

Maneaters- Obviously the pirate maneater. Otherwise I'll just dress some bulls up in nice clothes and give them handguns.

I don't really think I'll include any giants, yhetties or gorgers; they don't really suit the theme and thus I don't want them. This army will very much be style over substance, I'm not going for an event-winning list here!

I'd also like to get some Pirate Slayers into the mix. Maybe as an expansion force.

The whole army is going to be modeled onto individual rafts, which will cover most of each individual base. I may try to model the captain onto some sort of prow (The display board will have the rest of the ship that he is captaining).

Each unit will have one model with magnetisable arms. These will be wound counters; each arm is one wound. Once a whole ogre is killed, a whole model is removed and the arms replaced. The removeabe arms will probably be on the standard bearers, as they are usualyl the last model in a unit. The standards will also be removable in all cases, so I can hand them over when they get captured.

WIthout anything physical to show yet, it's all pretty pie-in-the-sky, but I hope to get crackin at it ASAP. Most of it is stuff that I have done in one form or another before, so I'm confident I have the techniques to get it done. I'll keep you posted.

This post has been edited by threemcs: Jul 12 2010, 06:13 PM

[Zippy Wonderdog]

I think you should also use the pay master Maneater, just file the iron studs off his coat and you can take or leave the pay chests as you like.
As for other stuff a Slavegiant could be a Seagiant, paint the giant green and add seaweed to taste. The Yhettees and Gorger could be apes which would keep with the monkey theme.

[stryder]

Sounds awesome, looking forward to seeing it done.

[Bloodnut]

think "happy gilmore"..............................

YOU CAN DO IT!

[Jester of Death]

id be using the pirate maneater as your tyrant.



JoD

[(sic)]

give them all peg legs, peg arms... even peg heads!
itll work well...

[Crump]

Mate I have some of the parts from the pirate maneater - namely the head, gutplate and anchor arm.
Lmk if you're interested and I'll send them to you once my exams are over - I can't use them for anything so might as well give them to someone who can .
I expect updates tho.
Cheers,
Crump

[threemcs]

So I started making the bases today. First up were the rafts:

They're gonna sit on top of some 'waves':

The second one on the left is what I hope to do to all of them; wave pattern on the rest of the base.
Together:

Here's an ogre for scale (it's a bit blurry, sorry):


None of these are great photos, but they give you an idea. I'll be duping all four in resin for the whole army. I plan on putting a bit of a 'wash' on the movement trays.

[Skabradisdead]

Looking good so far man! Can't wait to see the modeling start!!!

B

[Keyser_soze]

For a slave giant you should have a Kraken. Like in Pirates of the Carrabiean movie.
Also you have to have striped pants and puffy shirts.
maybe have some parrats as swrod gnoblars...
If you wanted a Rynox ryder i can only think to have an ogre in a dingy with wheels on it. Maybe with a mast like a yacht as a way that it could actually move... something a bit like the old grot cutter from gorka morka.

[threemcs]

Ok, got a test ogre nearly complete.

Modifications include the bandanna and the subtraction of gut plate. I didn't like the gut plate for the pirates- too heavy looking. I've since added a belt the the pants, but I'll get that shot up later. The bandanna came out ok, but I think I'll work on my design. I also shaped the sword a little bit to better approximate a cutlass. I want to add a finger guard (probably just a bit of wire) to take it a step further.


You can see that it's all pretty intercahngable. I can have a naked ogre if I want (to save on points), or give him the ironfist for some more versatility. Both the arms come off, so that I can use them as a wound counter.


I've also completed the putty on the bases. LAst steps are to glue the planks down, then apply some sand to simulate white water. Then I'll seal them up and cast them! Then the real fun begins!

[rathpex]

awesome man!

Look what happens, I take a few weeks off for exams and the like and you get all pirat-ie.

If Axemaster falls on International talk like a pirate day again and you dont use these AND Talk like a pirate, a part of me will die inside :~)

[threemcs]

If Axemaster falls on International talk like a pirate day again and you dont use these AND Talk like a pirate, a part of me will die inside :~)

It's on! If I end up annoying all my opponents- so be it!
Gonna be down at the club this weekend? Or exams not over yet?

[threemcs]

I'm pretty close to completing the unit of bulls. I'll probably do another at some stage, but my initial list only has one, so I'll stick with it for now. All of them have removable arms and hands (the bulls so that I can give them fists if I choose, the muso because he'll be the last one left and I need to be able to take him apart ofr wounds counters.


The original bull is nearing completion- I just want to put a buckle on his belt and I'll say he's done. I'm pretty happy with how the second one came out.


I'm pretty chuffed about the musician. This is the cutsey style I'm aiming for- a little ridiculous but fairly in character (with pirates, not ogres).


The bases are also ready to mold. That'll happen tomorrow.

[Alfract]

Looking good so far. impressed with the musician, all you need now is a monkey on his shoulder with cymbals

[threemcs]

The first unit off the rank. Greenstuff is finished, and the bases have been cast.

If I can get the whole army to this standard, I'll be happy!

Another shot:


I've also made a bit of headway on my standard poles. Each will support a (hopefully) billowing sail, decorated with variants on the jolly roger. The big on in the middle will sport a second, smaller sail. Each will have a crows nest at some point, to house look-out gnoblars.


Close-up:


This post has been edited by threemcs: Oct 23 2009, 10:45 PM

[Skabradisdead]

DUDE!!!

I LOVE THE ACCORDION!!! You need a dancing monkey... Hmmmm... Maybe not... That is more street muso than pirate I suppose...

B

[Sutters]

love the concept here mate, keep up the good work,

i will be keeping track of how you go with the sails, i once used calico cloth soaked in PVA then handled into the shape i wanted on a model ship i did, works really well. just an idea, i'd hate to be using greenstuff on that much sail!!

good luck

[threemcs]

love the concept here mate, keep up the good work,

i will be keeping track of how you go with the sails, i once used calico cloth soaked in PVA then handled into the shape i wanted on a model ship i did, works really well. just an idea, i'd hate to be using greenstuff on that much sail!!

good luck

I'm going for even lighter weight- using tissue paper! Given a few coats of watery PVA, it retains its shape really well, and it's night enough to blow with a blow dryer to acheive a fairly realistic shape. Photos of them this morning I think.

Cheers Brad. I have actually managed to procure an empire monkey, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it for the captain. If I could get another one, I'd consider it.

This post has been edited by threemcs: Oct 25 2009, 08:17 AM

[threemcs]

Ok, the sails are complete. You can see all three in the top left, and a few individual shots. The BS stands at a bit over 20cm tall, so will definately dominate the battlefield! I like how they came out, and I was glad I put the effort to stick studs on the metal reinforcement.

The masts look a little crooked at the bottom. This is because they're magnetised. They line up at a particular orientation, so not to worry.

I've also made headway on my first butcher. As promised, she's modelled after the voodoo woman from the Monkey Island games. Right now, kinda looks like an ogre in a fat/preggo suit. I want to get her the dress, and some voodoo looking things to hold onto, and she'll be done. The 2nd butcher is going for a bit of a Baron Samedi look- black suit and top hat, with a skull mask painted on.