Mapper - Metal Elves

Mapper · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2016 7:29 pm

Very nice, wish I had the space to build, store something that size.

Found a nice piece of bark in the yard; had a broken pillar looking for a home, wood filler on the bottom to hold it to the mdf - simple piece for the game table. Might add some more ivy, etc to it later, but it was nice not to have to paint or do anything besides just add some stirland mud to fill around the pillar.

Mapper · **Posted:** Tue Jan 19, 2016 7:12 pm

Thanks Claksack, I am kinda happy how it is coming together.

My eyes were too tired yesterday to do any detailed painting (watched too much American football playoffs on tv) so I dug out my terrain bits box where I throw bark, stones, etc that catch my eye.

I had bought a plastic chess set at a yard sale for 50 cents, kept the knight pieces and threw away the rest and put the horse heads in my box to do something with at some time.

Looked at them yesterday, cut the bottom off, pulled out a couple of corks and some washers and said what the heck, a Rohan statue.

Glued it together, puts some liquid green stuff on the head itself to give it some texture, model putty to fill in at the bottom and let it set. Tried painting it brown to give it a wood effect but the cork didn't lend itself to well for that, will have to try a dowel I think for a carved wood statue. Since brown wasn't working, redid in grey and ivory.

Two statues, game objectives, Rohan border stones, etc. done rather quickly, just needed time for the putty and then the paint to set.

fergus · **Joined:** Sat Aug 02, 2014 9:43 am **Posts:** 33

Fantastic work

And also very creative!!!

Oldman Willow · **Posted:** Wed Jan 20, 2016 4:44 pm

Nice idea

I used a Harry Potter chess set to make statues for one of my Halloween games.

The small bark piece is nice too.

Nevinsrip · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 3:34 am

I used the horses from a mini chess set on the tops of the poles on my Rohan Watchtower.
Drugstores sell them for 99 cents.

Mapper · **Posted:** Thu Jan 21, 2016 4:28 am

Nevinsrip - funny you mention that, I spent the day trying to find a store that sold mini chess sets, with no luck - I wanted to do the same thing. Do you have the name of who makes the chess sets? Do you have a picture of what you did?

OmW - I have seen Harry Potter chess pieces used in Frostgrave games on another blog. They look great.

Thanks Fergus!

YOrcShire · **Posted:** Sat Jan 23, 2016 9:23 pm

Simple but effective. Nicely done.

Mapper · **Posted:** Tue Feb 09, 2016 9:50 pm

Sorry, wrong franchise.

Finished painting Balin's Scouting party. In their search for Durin's Chamber they are led down a dead end, where other dwarves have met their fate.

I had been looking at my board and felt it still lacked something, so I built some floor molds using the dwarf casualties pieces from the Mines of Moria set to scatter about. I started out trying to age the skeletons but then I realized I wanted them to stand out more against the grey floor so I left them whitish.

Back to painting some more dwarves.

Baardeend · **Posted:** Wed Feb 10, 2016 11:02 am

I like what you did with the chess pieces. Very efficient with stunning results!
I like the idea for Durin's chamber as well. I understand your choice to keep the skeletons white, but maybe you can improve the look of them with a little "flesh" left on the bones?
Keep up the good work

Nevinsrip · **Posted:** Fri Feb 12, 2016 9:37 am

Mapper I got the mini chess sets at one of those 99 cent stores that are everywhere.
I don't have a pic but it looks fine.

Mapper · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2016 7:15 pm

I did find a smaller chess set at the dollar store, but I was looking for the travel chess set with the peg pieces to use the smaller head. Not finding one at a price I wanted to pay I decapitated a couple of horse charms (for a charm bracelet) and made a mold of the head. Took me several tries to get a good mold that wouldn't have air bubbles at the end of the nose but when I made some intentional flash between the neck and the nose it worked better.

This is all trial and error for a future project where I want to make a Rohan Great Hall. Put on my Captains house just to see how it would look.

GreatKhanArtist · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2016 3:44 am

Those look really great. I love the captain's house. I think the size of those heads will make a great Edoras.

I'm interested in the horn blower on the tower. He's a conversion, right? I'd like to know what you used for the horn arm. My lousy chess set is glass, so no luck here.

Lord Hurin · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2016 4:37 am

That Rohirrim Captain, is he based off of the Lakewood Militia model? He really stands out, but also fits.

Mapper · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2016 5:53 am

Rohan Hornblower - arm and horn from Wargames Factory ancient Germans. I hope Warlord Games keeps some of those spruces still available.

Rohan Captain - yes, Laketown Militia Captain, just switched to Rohan spear and shield

GreatKhanArtist · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2016 11:43 pm

I bought the Viking huscarls. I had a lot of fun with them. A lot of people bemoan the open hands, but I thought this worked well. They are a bit tall, so I based mine on thin pieces of MDF. They are quite workable proxies for Dunlending warriors. I have tons of components left over from these guys, so I can probably find a horn in there somewhere. It's nice to see you make up their orcs too, I thought about buying a box of them.

Nevinsrip · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2016 9:21 am

Nice job there, Mapper. Looks great.

Erunion · **Posted:** Wed Feb 17, 2016 11:42 am

Very cool idea to use the chess pieces. I might do the same for some pillar decorations.

Mapper · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2016 4:27 pm

Went to the annual model train show in the area this weekend, unfortunately the dealer that usually has the best terrain bargains wasn't there. It is amazing how digital model trains have become, from running the trains to sound chips you can buy for your set range from the usual train sounds to chickens for your coop, etc. Just as in the wargaming world, laser cut mdf is the new way for buildings and 3d printing is starting to make inroads into the hobby.

Couldn't walk away empty handed though, bought a set of Fall color Aspen trees. Don't know if I will add them to the bases of the Mirkwood Rangers so they are fighting under the boughs of Mirkwood or make a enchanted/scared grove for them to defend. Will probably go with fall colors when I do paint them.

My thread really isn't much of a work in progress, it is more of a "look, shiny object" one.

Crucium Giger · **Posted:** Wed Mar 02, 2016 11:23 am

Those are some nice trees and fit with the Mirkwood theme well.

Mapper · **Posted:** Fri May 13, 2016 7:31 pm

What with going on vacation and yard work, haven't had much time to paint. Wanted to try out using tea as ground cover so using my trees I bought at the train convention I thought I would make what I call a window sill project. Nothing in mind for any use other than to try something and put it on my window sill to inspire me to try something new.

Used a woodland scenics rock mold as my base, painted the exposed rock faces and then used a coating of just black tea to cover everything. Decided it needed something else so put the steps and floor blocks in and added the bark/rock at the other end. Don't know if I will add an autumn painted Mirror of Galadriel to the floor space or just leave it empty.

Used Bigelow Tea Orange & Spice as the next layer of ground cover. When I applied watered down glue to seal it, must have had too much water as it started to turn some of the tea red. Live and learn. Added more on top.

Quite happy with the tea as ground cover, have some other types I want to try on other projects or basing on figures.

Mapper - Metal Elves

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