Spent some time this weekend bashing together the "howdah" / platform for my lizard archers.
It definitely needs some walls but my first attempt did not work well and ended with my hands covered in super glue. Fortunately, hot water, soap, and olive oil got it off my hands eventually.
The platform was originally going to be the narrow side to the front but then it would overhang the tail, which bothered me more than overhanging the sides. I don't know why.
Admittedly, if I didn't base the figures it could be smaller, but I like the option of being able to use them dismounted. Horses for courses.
The logs are bamboo skewer pieces painted water-down Raw Sienna, so that there are patches of dark and light, which to my eyes is like bark missing in some places.The vines holding the platform in place are florist wire and twisted masking tape. I will paint that eventually as well.
I also finished the remaining red palms I had in progress (four total) and made some weird paper pom-pom type foliage (the two short blue paper things). They aren't much on their own but massed together they make decent low cover/concealment and look suitably like alien jungle. I'm not so keen on the blue mid-height "tree" on the right as it reminds me of some deep sea tube worms - fortunately, as with all my paper tube trees, i can easily swap out the leaves for something else.
Figure-wise I knocked out another Austro-Hungarian LMG figure (Armies in Plastic, no picture). It's not the right LMG for the A-H troops, but beggars can't be choosers. I use the LMG and MP 18 figures to indicate stormtrooper bases. Accurate or not, I reason that some German weapons were in use by the Austro-Hungarian army.
I've got three HaT Carthaginians on the table now and will probably start three WW1 Italians or three Foreign Legion at the same time, since it takes so many coats of orange to do the Tanitian look.
I love it John! Any opposing force that sees this crashing through the jungle towards them will be suitably intimidated I'm sure! The FFL may run at the very sight of the "Triceratop Battlewagon!! You've done a great job! I personally like the blue and red foliage. I use aquarium plants for my sci-fi terrain and there is a lot of blue and red! This is funny, we were sitting at our favorite Greek restaurant the other day and I noticed all of the classical decor. The first thing that came to my mind was, "boy, they look just like John's Tanitians!" They definitely used the same orange!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brad! I can't wait to be able to get these forces on the table. A lot more jungle to make! I was inspired by aquarium plants when choosing the colors.
DeleteYour mention of the restaurant got me thinking about what the Tanitians might eat and I ended up down a rabbit hole of diets of the Ancient World!
I think I'd just leave the fighting platform as it is. The multi-coloured flora is really nice, just right for SF games
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maudlin Jack! It's growing on me in its current state - this is probably the height of lizard carpentry as it is.
DeleteI don't think I've ever seen any evidence that Venusian (?) fighting platforms were any smaller than this or had walls. I've certainly never seen a photo of a real one that was like that..... Surely walls would inhibit jumping down to fight hand to hand and make climbing back up harder if needing to retreat. Looks just right to me.
ReplyDeleteps Love the foliage.
Thanks, Ross! A good point about the walls inhibiting hand to hand combat. I can't find my Osprey on Venusian fighting platforms so this one will probably stay as it is.
DeleteAnother option I have used is small carboard gift boxes. You can get them from clearance and craft shops. Metal chain is useful for reins and girth belts.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion! I have a few small gift boxes in my craft pile - I may do that for some other dino transports.
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