Project Log: All-Tree Army with Scratch-Built Stuff (PIC HEA
Posted: 18 Oct 2007, 20:37
Evenin',
Back during the Nemesis Crown campaign, I decided that I wanted to attend at least one of the 4 USA Megabattles. The one I picked out was "Under the Hanging Tree". I attended the Games Workshop store in Glen Burnie and actually got to fight against the Hanging Tree model that was on the GW website.
So, at first, I concidered trying to finish my Dwarves in time (This was about two weeks before the event). I messed with them a bit and realised there was no way I was finishing 500 points of Dwarves in two weeks. I'm not sure where my inspiration for what I was going to do came from; But, about a week before the megabattle, I decided, "I'm going to go with an all-tree list!"
Now, I wanted nothing but trees, so I didnt use the Wood Elf list; I used the Ogre Kingdoms list. I feilded what "counted as" a Tyrant, 4 Ironguts, 8 Bulls, and 2 Maneaters. But the list isnt whats important; its the modeling thats important.
So, what I did was, I got a bag of GW monster bases, a package of green stuff, and went out into the yard and rounded up a bunch of twigs. I then proceeded to work day and night and, in one week, built 14 Treemen that, in the end, towered over even the Warhammer giant. I then proceeded to go to the megabattle and get a firm "What the crap?!" reaction from everyone there. In the end, I slew 40 orcs (including their general), 20 undead, and scored 7 wounds on the Hanging Tree - the entire rest of the Forces of Light could only score 3 wounds on the tree COMBINED. So, that was a great success and a ton of fun.
After the battle, I kept stalling on taking pictures of my treemen and posting them somewhere, and I just put them on my top shelf where the kittens couldnt get at them... or so I thought. A few weeks back, one of them got up to the top shelf, and sent 14 uber-fragile stick-and-glue creations hurtling about 8 feet down. So, I am currently in the process of rebuilding and reworking them; they were a mite crude the first time around since I was in a hurry. In addition, now that I had my all-tree thrill, I decided to stop using the horrible Ogre rules and go over to real Wood Elf rules, and have since bought two boxes of Dryads.
Currently, I have only restored two of the models, which will be counting as Tree Kin. Very, very, VERY imposing tree-kin. And everything that isnt a joint, face, foot, or foliage is an actual stick. I have gone through and completely re-foliaged, re-based, and re-painted them.
First, tho, heres the two Dryads I have painted so far... nothin' much to say 'bout 'em...:
Now, on to the Tree Kin models. First we have the one I have dubbed the "Pirate Tree", because of his pike-arm and missing eye. I wanted to depict him as a very bitter forest spirit.
Heres a frontal of the whole model. He's one of my favorites, and is the only one who survived the shelf-fall intact.
Rear view; I didnt give him much foliage, but gave him lots of spiky left-over Dryad bits.
I didnt have time to do the feet the way I wanted to the first time around, so this time I green-stuffed him some root-feet. I tried to make it look like the roots dissapeared into the ground.
Closeup of his face and torso. All the limbs are real twigs.
His trademark head-thing. I dont know why I gave him that, it just looked cool, and looks even cooler with the new paintjob.
Another front view, with a Dryad for size comparison.
And now for the other one, which is the next in his unit... Getting these things to rank up is horrible.
Ol' Sadface with a Dryad for scale comparison. Speaking of his face...
... here it is in more detail.
Side view, primarily showing off his foliage. I bought a bag of Woodland Scenics trees and cut them up for his back foliage; the origional version, I just stuck foliage on real twigs. It looked okay, but not that great.
Rear view.
And lastly, him ranked up with ol' Pirate.
Thanx for looking; I'll have more up soon. I worked out my list and I am feilding 1 Treeman Ancient, 1 Treeman, 3 units of 4 Tree Kin (Or 4 units of 3, whichever), a Branchwraith, and 3 units of 8 Dryads. I will NOT be taking any Elf units; If anything, I may eventually take an Eagle. The point of the army is to evoke the "Last March of the Ents" feel from Lord of the Rings; these tree spirits are very pissed off and are taking matters into their own giant hands. The basic army fluff is that they're part of Drychas woodland uprising; They're attacking anyone they think has done/will do harm to the forest.
I may eventually mix the High Elf and Wood Elf sprues and make an Avelorn army like my original High Elf army was supposed to be but I did not have the skill to implement. But, thats a project for another day; all I want at the moment is my uber-themed Tree list :-D
Cheers,
- Zandur
Back during the Nemesis Crown campaign, I decided that I wanted to attend at least one of the 4 USA Megabattles. The one I picked out was "Under the Hanging Tree". I attended the Games Workshop store in Glen Burnie and actually got to fight against the Hanging Tree model that was on the GW website.
So, at first, I concidered trying to finish my Dwarves in time (This was about two weeks before the event). I messed with them a bit and realised there was no way I was finishing 500 points of Dwarves in two weeks. I'm not sure where my inspiration for what I was going to do came from; But, about a week before the megabattle, I decided, "I'm going to go with an all-tree list!"
Now, I wanted nothing but trees, so I didnt use the Wood Elf list; I used the Ogre Kingdoms list. I feilded what "counted as" a Tyrant, 4 Ironguts, 8 Bulls, and 2 Maneaters. But the list isnt whats important; its the modeling thats important.
So, what I did was, I got a bag of GW monster bases, a package of green stuff, and went out into the yard and rounded up a bunch of twigs. I then proceeded to work day and night and, in one week, built 14 Treemen that, in the end, towered over even the Warhammer giant. I then proceeded to go to the megabattle and get a firm "What the crap?!" reaction from everyone there. In the end, I slew 40 orcs (including their general), 20 undead, and scored 7 wounds on the Hanging Tree - the entire rest of the Forces of Light could only score 3 wounds on the tree COMBINED. So, that was a great success and a ton of fun.
After the battle, I kept stalling on taking pictures of my treemen and posting them somewhere, and I just put them on my top shelf where the kittens couldnt get at them... or so I thought. A few weeks back, one of them got up to the top shelf, and sent 14 uber-fragile stick-and-glue creations hurtling about 8 feet down. So, I am currently in the process of rebuilding and reworking them; they were a mite crude the first time around since I was in a hurry. In addition, now that I had my all-tree thrill, I decided to stop using the horrible Ogre rules and go over to real Wood Elf rules, and have since bought two boxes of Dryads.
Currently, I have only restored two of the models, which will be counting as Tree Kin. Very, very, VERY imposing tree-kin. And everything that isnt a joint, face, foot, or foliage is an actual stick. I have gone through and completely re-foliaged, re-based, and re-painted them.
First, tho, heres the two Dryads I have painted so far... nothin' much to say 'bout 'em...:
Now, on to the Tree Kin models. First we have the one I have dubbed the "Pirate Tree", because of his pike-arm and missing eye. I wanted to depict him as a very bitter forest spirit.
Heres a frontal of the whole model. He's one of my favorites, and is the only one who survived the shelf-fall intact.
Rear view; I didnt give him much foliage, but gave him lots of spiky left-over Dryad bits.
I didnt have time to do the feet the way I wanted to the first time around, so this time I green-stuffed him some root-feet. I tried to make it look like the roots dissapeared into the ground.
Closeup of his face and torso. All the limbs are real twigs.
His trademark head-thing. I dont know why I gave him that, it just looked cool, and looks even cooler with the new paintjob.
Another front view, with a Dryad for size comparison.
And now for the other one, which is the next in his unit... Getting these things to rank up is horrible.
Ol' Sadface with a Dryad for scale comparison. Speaking of his face...
... here it is in more detail.
Side view, primarily showing off his foliage. I bought a bag of Woodland Scenics trees and cut them up for his back foliage; the origional version, I just stuck foliage on real twigs. It looked okay, but not that great.
Rear view.
And lastly, him ranked up with ol' Pirate.
Thanx for looking; I'll have more up soon. I worked out my list and I am feilding 1 Treeman Ancient, 1 Treeman, 3 units of 4 Tree Kin (Or 4 units of 3, whichever), a Branchwraith, and 3 units of 8 Dryads. I will NOT be taking any Elf units; If anything, I may eventually take an Eagle. The point of the army is to evoke the "Last March of the Ents" feel from Lord of the Rings; these tree spirits are very pissed off and are taking matters into their own giant hands. The basic army fluff is that they're part of Drychas woodland uprising; They're attacking anyone they think has done/will do harm to the forest.
I may eventually mix the High Elf and Wood Elf sprues and make an Avelorn army like my original High Elf army was supposed to be but I did not have the skill to implement. But, thats a project for another day; all I want at the moment is my uber-themed Tree list :-D
Cheers,
- Zandur