About three years ago my friend and I decided we'd make Helm's Deep sort of on a whim. It took the better part of three months of intensive work in the summers and more on-off work throughout the school year, but it was mostly done by August 2011, and I took some photos the other day so I figured I might share. The Hornburg, the one statue and the caves are the only parts remaining to be completed. It sits separately, and is placed comfortably onto a 5' x 4' gaming board, though my friends and I typically use a 8x4 with it. I take some degree of pride in that in my not so humble opinion, it is the most true to the movie version of the castle I have seen short of Weta props. Without any further rambling (or bragging), here are the photos (excuse the messy basement).


An overall shot:






The keep:




The Deeping stair


Main Gate


Main and postern gate


Inner courtyard










Thanks for looking, any feedback is welcome!

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http://napoleonicstrategybattlegame.yolasite.com/

Great model, but wasn't the door in the gatehouse tower hidden and camouflaged in the stone? I believe you called it the postern gate

How did you make the rocks, cliff and cave?

LordElrond

Wow. Brilliant! The detail is excellent. Can't wait to see the caves.

Very, very nice work. Looks great!

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"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”

Who will get to keep it, you or your friend?

Possibly one of the best Helms Deep models I have ever seen. Brilliant work! How did you do the stone work?

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"...that there's some good in this world Mr Frodo - and it's worth fighting for."

Me wants badly.

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If you don't let me in, Frodo, I shall blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill-Gandalf

Very nice. Seems to be missing a statue of Helm Hammerhand though.

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You don't have to be great to start. But you do have to start to be great.

Yes
That's why he wrote that he needs to add the one statue. I presume that he means helm hammerhand

That is one nice Helm's Deep. I really wish I had room to make something equally epic =(

Oh yes. I had forgotten that by the time I'd scrolled down to examine all the lovely pictures. My bad.

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You don't have to be great to start. But you do have to start to be great.

With so many awesome pictures, that's an easy mistake to make.

Like the others said; awesome!

Thanks to everyone for the kind comments!

Lord Elrond - I could only find this view of the gate, so I went off that -http://www.framecaplib.com/lotrlib/html/episodes/images/ttt/ttt0925.htm. I also just kind of wanted to make a cool looking iron and wood door.

The cliffs are done with a styrofoam base, and then plaster casts of Woodland scenics rock molds glued on. The gaps are filled with plaster. Some of the cliff is done by applying expanding spray foam, tearing it into irregular shapes, and covering it roughly with plaster of paris. My one beef with this technique is that you need to wait for the foam to expand fully - at least a week I would give it - and you also need a really solid base - 1/4" hardboard at least. I used 1/8" and didnt wait long enough, so there are some spots with cracks in the plaster.

Constantine - it stays in my house mostly because I have the room - we even made it to fit perfectly on top of a cabinet in my house. Though it's no big deal, we live across the street from each other.

And I'm on that Helm Hammerhand statue, but it may take a while with me returning to university in a few days.

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http://napoleonicstrategybattlegame.yolasite.com/

Outstanding

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My Miniatures Blog (covering LOTR/Terminator/Doctor Who/Warpath and more!):
http://cruciumgiger.blogspot.co.uk/

Amazing piece of terrain! I am most definitely impressed.

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Respectfully,
Jonathan

Do what is right, love mercy, and walk humbly

Battle Companies

Fantastic work, I wish I had the patience and time to make something like that! It's fabulous!

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“A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.”

Brilliant work!!

Such passion and thought has been put into this scenery. I wish i could be bothered to make stuff of such epic proportion

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You would of had me crawling on all fours like a BEAST!

Truly amazing!

I've seen several Helm Hammerhand statues go on eBay, it might be worth checking out.
Edit: Two statues for a tenner - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HELM-HAMMERHAND-RUINED-STATUES-PLAY-ALONG-HELMS-DEEP-PARTS-STATUE-LOTR-AOME-/380510599676?pt=UK_ToysGames_ActionFigures_ActionFigures_JN&hash=item589832f9fc

Yeh I got those for my helms deep. They are very good.

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You don't have to be great to start. But you do have to start to be great.