John's Catapult - Wheels

So now back to John's Catapult.

Here are the wheels for which I have a cunning plan.

Stick around and all will be revealed.

Gamling mounted with Royal Standard (2)

Here's the second of the two Gamlings.

I did have a stab at free handing the horse motif on the standard but soon chickened out.

Maybe one day!

The horse ic coloured with Dark Flesh rather than Mornfang Brown.

This meant that the leatherwork had to be shifted up to Mechrite Red.

 The banner edging too, I altered from Mechrite Red to Khorne Red.

The splintered shield is a spare from the recent Morannon Orcs.

The highlighting on the horse ended up with Vomit Brown.

Again I've varnished though I've left the banner in case I do ever have the nerve to try for a kinky horse.

Gamling mounted with Royal Standard

I've two of these models, bought from Ebay, I guess, and, for several reasons, they are a bit beyond my ability to make them look good.

This is the first of the two and I've plucked up the courage needed to try for some sort of horsey design* on the kinky green flag.

It's still a bit ragged round the edges but I've got to the point where every attempt to improve it only makes things worse.

The other area I'm a total failure at is the detail required on his armour.

Note though, that as usual, I'm showing a view from the other side of the model.

There's quite an amount of detail there and it's damn near impossible to find an image showing it - until now!

* At the ever ready advice from John, at the siege equipment workshop, I used a simplified design for the banner.

It's similar to the one he mailed me, though his actually looks like a horse!

Yes, it's gloss varnished and I am aware the spear point is missing.

Second Mordor Catapult

 This really is a second catapult, not just the first with an extra helping of muck and rust.

Note that one wheel was damaged on the way from the Black Gate, hence the different colour of the timber.

As these giants launch their payload, the beam swings up and crashes into the cross beam.

This batters the whole contraption forward at an angle so that the blade at the front digs into the ground.

Which is why we have mud and even a sod of grass collected on the front.

Talking of angles, how on earth did they aim the thing?
All I can assume is that they used crowbars to lever the back end, either right or left.

See below for mud, tuft and replaced wheel.

Weapon swap 2

 Here are the other two pairs.

The drills I ordered have not yet arrived so I'll get back to the second catapult next.

Weapon Swap

 Here be they weapon swap Morannon Orcs.

Actually, the first two pairs are not weapon swap, merely suffered an adjustment to be made to their weapon's position.

The fellow on the left is always the new one, the one on the right is the original painted some time back.

 In each case I've tried to make as many changes as I could within the restrictions of 'dark armour and items of red clothing.

In each case I've changed the skin and hair colour and altered any clothing that is not red.

These two pics are genuine weapon swaps.

Simple enough by sawing them both off at the wrist.

I've not used pins.but placed the join using a small amount of plastic cement and when firm used super glue's ability as a gap filler as extra strength.

Too much plastic cement softens the join and leaves it weak.

A back view might give a better idea of the clothing and hair changes.

First Mordor Catapult

 Here's the first catapult off the blocks.

The light brown base coat washed a couple of times in Nuln Oil seems OK, I'm just unsure about the rest of it.

It's very tricky to paint once assembled, especially this one as I've mislaid the small gizmo that keeps the arm in position.

This means the damn thing constantly flaps about and gets between your eye and the brush.

I think the metal needs more rust and grime.

The wheels I did a more conventional way, painting them with Mournfang, a light drybrush with Balor Brown and then a wash with Nuln Oil.

Both rocks are worked up from a base of Mechanised Standard through dry brushes of Dawnstone, Fortress and a light brush of white.

Then the iron bands, tyres and the bucket etc were painted black and then Boltgun.

Mordor Catapults Sprayed

Here are all three catapults with their base spray.

I've used a light brown from Cobra (half the price of GW) with the intention of washing the woodwork in Agrax or Nuln Oil to bring out the grain.

Behind them are the first batch of weapon swap  Morannon Orcs, also sprayed in the light brown as an experiment.

I'll be using Warplock Bronze on some areas rather than an all over covering of Boltgun Metal, as previously.

Both experiments will be interesting. (But shtupid!)

John's catapult 2

The excellent Mordor siege engine workshop known as John Curtis, duly handed over his scratch built Mordor Catapult.

A fine job of work John - many thanks.

I'll endeavour to give it a decent paint job and recruit a likely Troll and team to operate it.

Castle walls, watch out!

 Incidentally, as I understand the rule book, it is suggested that one of these contraptions can be reloaded and fired in the same time as an archer can set an arrow and loose his shot.

Even more ridiculous is that the addition of a Troll doubles this rate of fire.

I've yet to use these in battle but would guess that one shot every eight moves would be more realistic.

I'd also suggest that without a Troll, only scatter shot can be used.

Show me an orc (or three) who can stagger over with a damn great rock and heave it into position in the 'bucket'.

So, John. When do you start on the full sized one?

Catapult Crew 2

Here's the crew for John's scratch built catapult which I hope to get a look at tomorrow morning.

I think they are rather smart.

Perhaps too smart for Orcs?

And too colourful?

Perhaps another coat of Nuln Oil?

I've tried to switch clothing colours around so that they are not too like the first crew.

I originally thought to use Gorbag (minus his Mithril Shirt) with two random orcs but then, what would I use these guys for?

Catapult Troll 4

 My first mistake was to start with a base spray of  Mephiston Red in an attempt to end up with a seriously different looking Troll.

The small patch of Greenstuff is an attempt at a cloak for the arm if it turned out too bad.

After the ghastly bright vermillion base I tried Dark Flesh - still too red (Ok with black as a base but the Mephiston leaked through)

Then a coat of Scorched Brown with a little Dark Flesh added, dry brushed with Steel Legion Drab and Balor Brown (mainly on the back)

 I'm not over the moon with him but he is different enough from the first one.

The new arm certainly didn't have enough scales so I may rethink some sort of cloak.

Catapult troll 3

Replacing the troll's left arm has given me a mismatch on the skin.

The trolls supplied with catapults are scaly on the back of the arm, drummer trolls etc are not.

I've experimented with plastic glue but find super glue placed carefully using a cocktail stick looks OK.

I won't really know till the paint job is complete but, if it's a disaster, he'll have to wear a natty little cape!

(I realised, too late, that I do have some thick plastic glue which might do better still)

Meanwhile, I'm building up the rock pile on the base.

Catapult troll 2

The more upright stance created by standing him on a bank of Milliput, the slight lean in the opposite direction to the original and, mostly, the arm swap complete with hammer, should make these two look very different.

There will be a colour change too, of course.

I'd thought of using this fellow for the third catapult but think he's altogether too fine for manual work.

I thought of him because of the existing rocks but I think now I'll keep looking out for a troll on ebay and start from scratch.

Catapult troll mods.

While waiting for John's catapult to arrive, I've made slow progress on the third machine.
Slow because I'm still knackered from the 'flu.
The catapult is nearly complete and awaiting a paint job but there is very little I could do to change it's appearance. even if I thought that necessary.
However, I don't want identical trolls hanging about - you know how easily confused they are, so I looked at mods.
Trimming back his 'flying helmet was easy enough and I may cap it with a metal helmet.
I've also enlarged his rock somewhat, with Greenstuff, and hope to have him on a slope, reducing that crouch.
I'm now looking at giving him a different left arm to enable it to be raised and perhaps adding a rock shattering hammer in the drummers hand.

John's Mordor Catapult

My good friend John, chief construction engineer at the Mordor siege machine workshops, has sent over this photo of his catapult.

It's an approximate copy of the GW one I'd assembled before Christmas.

Excellent work John.

I look forward to seeing it in the flesh and enhancing it with a good paint job.

I regret that might be it for a while as being laid up with 'flu and a day in hospital are taking a little getting over.