<![CDATA[Latest posts for the thread "Terrain Conversion Contest -Changed to Orc Watchtower-"]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/8.page JForum - http://www.jforum.net Terrain Conversion Contest -Changed to Orc Watchtower- GW... Well as you can tell, I decided to go with a watchtower diorama type scene instead.

So the competition is for the best converted terrain piece as judged by the staff members. Originally I thought it had to be painted (since thats what we were told), so I was going to rather quickly going to paint it up this week, but found that it was only conversion, and next month is for the painting part.
Mine is basically an empire watchtower that is being raided by marauder warband being led by non other than Wulfric. Sinse the idea is that Empire would try to hold the tower from the top, Ive decided to have the marauders climbing the sides of the building via hooks and chains (that I got from my FW Warmamoth! Never thought Id find a use for them!), while one of them trys to bash down the door with a flail. So take a look at the pictures and tell me what you think! Any ideas or thoughts would be greatly appreciated, as I still got a week to build it (competition is on the 31st).

Full front view


Marauder bashing down door with flail


Marauder getting ready to climb the tower


Wulfric and his standard bearer watch over the mayhem


SPLAT? Empire standard thrown off the top and on to the ground


This guy will have a pistol held up in his right arm as if being heroic and making a last stand... alone... against 5 marauders... and Wulfric... fail?


Currently stripping a marauder that will be standing on the second upper ledge (right above the skulls) while holding on to the chain


Pwnd?! Marauder that is slaughtering up above


Monkey watches in awe as his master is killed... His face is priceless!


]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775593.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775593.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775601.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775601.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest

Pile the bodies high!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775613.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775613.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
SilverMK2 wrote:Yes, more corpses

Pile the bodies high!

Blood for the bloooood god!
more skulls for khorne more bodies for the pyre! and um.... uh some stuff! looks really good can't wait to see it finished!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775616.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775616.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
I would imagine there would be guys inside hiding, and thats why the marauders are still trying to break down the door. That was the only reason I had kept it at so few guys ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775619.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1775619.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776008.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776008.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776079.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776079.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
Have you thought about a boarding ladder?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776086.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776086.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
@SilverMK2, I actually have a marauder thats being stripped thats going to be climbing up the chain a bit further up as to get that point across better ]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776427.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776427.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776767.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1776767.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
I like the lone pistol-wielding soldier, but I feel like the standoff is a little... cliche? I'm thinking arm cocked, pistol to the sky, back against the wall, head towards the corner, as if preparing to turn the corner and fight... with absolutely no knowledge of the chaos marauders sneaking right up to the same corner. Lends a bit of comedy to the scene or a touch of drama, depending on how exactly you choose to model it (I can see it being made to feel tense or cartoonish).

Just thought I'd throw some vignette-style ideas out there, as I feel like narrative and dynamism are what really set the great dioramas apart from the merely well-built/-painted. If that's not a direction you want to take, then I'll just throw my lot in with the "moar corpses" crowd. It's looking good so far, but some additional carnage would bump it from "scheduled demolition by crew with crappy haircuts" to "siege by a badass warband" territory.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777745.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777745.page GMT Re:Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest @oadie, your idea for the lone pistoleer, was actually exatctly what I was trying to describe, you merely said it clearer and better than I! While I don't think I will put marauders right around the corner, hes definitely going to come off as a fighter! Although as you will see in the new picks, for the lawl, I decided to put the arm/head of the guy covering his ears (not glued on just resting there) and now Im having trouble deciding what to do! The fighty pistol guy, or the empire baby thats too afraid to fight! Thoughts?

Let me know what you think of the piece now as a whole! Its got alot of little details that add to it, but it also gets the point across that Wulfric and his force are bearing down on empire forces!

Edit: Also mind you none of the corpses are glued down yet so if you have any thoughts on better placement, please do let me know!

"ALMOST THERE!"


Dead....Dead....Dead.... Ooo hes ali....dead...


Somebody isnt too good at defending the west wall!


There wont be any more drumming from this fella!


At least he has a raised area to rest on! Oh wait hes dead too...


Alternate guy in the back... Afraid empire soldier or fighty empire soldier?
]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777881.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777881.page GMT Re:Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777884.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777884.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777893.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1777893.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest

I'm with Pagarus. Initially, I was just throwing ideas out, but seeing it now, I think "stand and fight" fits better with the overall feel. Besides, the head you have on him makes him look less like he's terrified and more like he has a KILLER headache. Don't think they include "wetting my pants" faces in the standard kits. Due to his placement, back against the corner, I still highly recommend trying to model him at the ready. I don't think you could get the same feel with a standard pose - he'd just look like a guy in the midst of fighting... well, no one. And in the wrong place.

I like how you braced the climber's feet on that little ledge, as well. I don't believe that GW makes any appropriate models sculpted mid-climb, so getting a natural pose isn't easy. Your positioning helps make his ascent a bit more believable, even if you can't get the pose exactly where you'd want it. It's all in the details, it seems.

I'm also glad you added more corpses. I think it really enhances the piece. Oh, and the placement is spot on, in my book. I wouldn't change a thing. Don't know how stiff the competition will be, but I'd give this high marks, were I judging. Keep it up!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778626.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778626.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778646.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778646.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778662.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778662.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778782.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1778782.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest

@Pagarus- I love the idea, I just don't know how it would work with the rest of the scene.

What I mean by that is, Ive tryd to make every little bit of the scene justified. "This guy climbs the tower, throws a guy off and stabs another" "This guy stabs an empire soldier and climbs the wall" etc etc. However, since none of the marauders (or empire guys for that matter... cause you know, friendly fire and what not) how crossbows or bows, it would be somewhat random and unjustified as a whole I think.

I might be able to do it with a javalin however, and put one of the bundles of javalins with the horsemen to justify that.

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1779078.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1779078.page GMT Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest

Automatically Appended Next Post:
i just thought- have you got to use a certain sized rectangular base, or would you be able to go for a more organically shaped base. At the moment, I'm not sure the base shape suits the diorama (in the wilderness). I would have thought that square/rectangular bases are better for urban dioramas?]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1780332.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1780332.page GMT Re:Watchtower Diorama Conversion Contest
On another note, they changed the prize (this being the 3rd time, and resulted in a major arguement with staff and people who made terrain) and now the second part of the contest (the converted/painted portion) will have the table prize... and I am now forced to completely restart my terrain. So why not make it a Orcified Watchtower to go with my main army!

So heres some pics of what Ive started, and sorry for the pictures being rather low quality. Its rather hard to make out some details, but Ill be sure to add pics once Ive started painting...
As for building I think Im pretty much done, except from carving up more spikes to add to the front, unless anyone can lend out some good ideas!

Front view... lots of spikey bits (even some spears that are hard to make out)!


Giant blast hole was made into a balcony type thing


Back view...


Side view...


It seems like the pictures are making the wooden frame things that are overlapping the fortress look very odd, but Im sure it will look much better once painting has started... So any ideas before I start painting?

]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799781.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799781.page GMT Terrain Conversion Contest -Changed to Orc Watchtower-
Having said that, I like the balcony and the added woodwork.]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799795.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799795.page GMT Terrain Conversion Contest -Changed to Orc Watchtower- And to be honest, I didnt even buy the watch tower from the GW store... I tend to buy all my GW stuff from a flgs thats quite a bit cheaper so Im sure they wouldnt notice it too much from me haha!]]> http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799803.page http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/preList/307319/1799803.page GMT