BattleTech - The Board Game of Armored Combat
BattleTech Miniatures and Terrain => BattleTech Miniatures => Topic started by: hakoMike on 26 May 2013, 22:53:48
-
Hi folks,
Sometime in the deepest, darkest 80's I purchased a 1/48 Ostall (Unseen Locust) and a 1/200 Glaug (Unseen Marauder) because of their anime connections. Now, 25-some-odd years later I would like to recreate a scene from the Battletech manual I remembered from back then. The scene (page 11 of the 1987 Battletech Manual) shows a Locust pilot triumphantly surveying the wreckage of his kill, a Marauder, from atop his mech. The Ostall has never been assembled, and after some consideration I've decided to convert the Glaug (already painted in Macross scheme) to be the wrecked Marauder.
So, here we are so far...
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SGzFsJqS1v8/UaLUu8xh8sI/AAAAAAAADMs/1DzxTntbKiQ/w1170-h878-no/wip1.jpg)
The Marauder shows its age, as my modeling-fu was weak then. The Locust is a nice simple kit, but will need a little work to make it more like the artwork. The legs have a locked knee, which I may cut and reposition to get the more upright stance of the illustration. I will also need to cut a hatch in the top and model some of the interior if I am to have the pilot stand there half out. Any ideas on a 10 or 15mm fig that might work well here?
The setting is also up for grabs. The illustration shows mountains in the background but no real sense of where the battle took place. I am thinking an urban setting would be fun, and allow for painting some urban camo.
So, more to come as I sporadically work on this.
-
Your Locust is missing its toes - this link to an image of the assembled kit show them.
http://www.hobbyxstyle.com/BaseProductImages/384/s400-1-32_ostall_big_b.jpg
Look forward to seeing progress!
Remember, it's OK to provide a link to images of the Unseen, including packaging & toys, and OK to include images of kits or toys you own, but not OK to include images of packaging etc.
W.
-
Yeah, the Locust toes are still on the sprue. I was just fitting a few things together to see what might need to change for the final scene.
So I'll be okay if all I show are images of the actual models that I'll be using for the diorama?
-
yup. You own them, they are yours, you are free to do with them as you wish, and post pictures of them as you wish. Not sure why you are unable to show the packaging for things you own, but I think it's better just not to.
-
Because lawyers.
I did have it explained once, but my head still hurts. It's sort of a combination of "we don't control the art, art is different from things, don't play with sweating dynamite".
I used to have all those Crusher Joe mini kits, then kids happened. You can see pieces of them in some of my oldest kitbashes ;)
-
Today I made a pilgrimage to RIW hobbies in Livonia to see if they had any appropriately scaled figs for the pilot. Rather than walk away empty handed I bought a blister of Flames of War U.S. Company HQ. There were about 16 unique sculpts in that little blister, and no more than 3 of each sculpt. Amazing variety. Anyway, I found one that would have a casual lean pose (as opposed to the triumphant stance of the original illustration) and I liked the more martial appearance of the FoW fig. I clipped the base and he should work nicely. Deciding where the hatch should go was a challenge. There is a great painting of Locusts (and Stingers) on a recon mission, with the pilot standing on top of the mech looking through binoculars. The scale difference between that pilot, who appears to have emerged from a hatch near the nose, and the illustration I'm modeling my scene after was extreme. The pilot in my scene might have been able to fit his head in a hatch that size, but certainly could not use it for entry/exit. I opted to just scribe a rectangular hatch in the top. I need to decide whether to have the hatch open to the rear (like a car hood) or split down the middle and open to the left and right. Either way, I get to model the interior of the Locust, so I'll leave the body halves unglued until then.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-89PU_X1FKuU/UaPLlNaraNI/AAAAAAAADNI/crHo9kOJWx8/w1171-h878-no/wip2.jpg)
Hooray for three day weekends to get hobby stuff done!
-
Very exciting, can't wait to see the progress.
-
Busy, busy. Every time I think I'm done for the day I keep on working. Cockpit is coming along. Needs restraints and ejection loops.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GtCUD8X9-HI/UaPppsYe8sI/AAAAAAAADN4/mzSByJSL40w/w1171-h878-no/wip3-cockpit.jpg)
-
Love the cockpit details. Very cool!
-
Looking great. I shall be watching this with a good deal of anticipation
-
TAG. Most interested.
-
I got "committed" to the job and tore the Marauder apart. Most of the pegs broke rather than give up the embrace of the holes. No major damage was done.... yet. >:D
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A9Vx5VmLwkk/UaSqNrZjJxI/AAAAAAAADOY/vsGNRJFgJRk/w754-h565-no/marauder-in-pieces.jpg)
The Locust pilot surveys the carnage.
I also finished what I am going to do with the cockpit. With the pilot standing there very little of the interior is visible, and since I plan on gluing the body shut it hardly seems worthwhile to go any further.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cO5PVza7juY/UaSqNlb-JbI/AAAAAAAADOU/8HjjMeHrSCc/w754-h588-no/wip4-cockpit.jpg)
All I've done is add the ejection loops, some restraints and I replaced the control handles with thinner tubes (the ones before were just way too thick. I will now paint the interior and move on to assembling the Locust in its entirety. I've already drilled out the machine gun and medium laser barrels.
-
This is really exciting to see your progress. I've got the same Ostall model, so I'm looking forward to seeing how yours ends up looking.
Tagged.
-
I have a feeling that this is gonna be really cool looking when you're done! :D
-
Worked on the Locust cockpit and pilot a bit tonight, as well as cleaning up the Marauder for its ultimate demise.
Cockpit was probably more detailed than it needed to be for how much will be visible in the final scene.
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6Jh3gaeGD7s/UaV5sS23rfI/AAAAAAAADO0/dyMkg18YnfM/w972-h745-no/cockpit-painted.png)
Basic color blocking on the pilot done. Detail in this scale is a little squishy so I'll have to take some pains to make the face look decent. Also, he still looks too much like a WWII guy... gotta think of something to make him look more mechwarrior-ish.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Tx00fQmN6U8/UaV5rgOjUlI/AAAAAAAADOw/6JXP_qLqWuk/w606-h745-no/pilot-wip1.png)
Gotta decide if I'm going to continue with the Locust now or build up some scenery for the Marauder to lay across.
-
I must say looks like Patton
-
Basic color blocking on the pilot done. Detail in this scale is a little squishy so I'll have to take some pains to make the face look decent. Also, he still looks too much like a WWII guy... gotta think of something to make him look more mechwarrior-ish.
the uniform is ok, its the helmet that is the visual problem, so one way would be to file it back, so closer to the actual head size, then either leave bald, or try and sculpt some hair.
other way is to sculpt some extra onto the helmet and make it look like a neuro helmet.
i think the first option would look better and closer to the artwork.
really love what you have done so far, keep up the great work.
-
the uniform is ok, its the helmet that is the visual problem, so one way would be to file it back, so closer to the actual head size, then either leave bald, or try and sculpt some hair.
other way is to sculpt some extra onto the helmet and make it look like a neuro helmet.
i think the first option would look better and closer to the artwork.
Also, MechWarriors tend to fight wearing cooling vests & shorts, which means bare arms & legs. (Yes, there's the initially rare Star League full-body cooling suit, but ...).
I'd personally not be game to file the arms down though.
W.
-
Man that looks awesome already! O0
-
There is a great painting of Locusts (and Stingers) on a recon mission, with the pilot standing on top of the mech looking through binoculars.
I'm going to assume you are talking about this... http://www.solaris7.com/files/members/4302/Recon_Boxed_Set_10-801_Front_Cropped-001A.jpg (http://www.solaris7.com/files/members/4302/Recon_Boxed_Set_10-801_Front_Cropped-001A.jpg)
I love the interior of the Locust... I think all the detail is wonderful. Even though you won't see a lot of it when you close her up, YOU will know it's there.
As for the soldier/pilot... I've got to go with WorkTroll on this one... Pilots should be shorts and bare-chested, with a neuro-helmet on. Seems wrong to be in fatigues and a combat helmet... But having looked around a bit, I can't seem to find one that works
Caz
-
You are a very compelling bunch. :)
Behold the startling transformation from WWII army type guy to kinda-sorta mechwarrior!
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IhTEYHFJqnw/UabSV5C4neI/AAAAAAAADPI/G5Utcoc9QTk/w698-h759-no/pilot-transform1.png)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XtOmI-jpOnM/UabSYnubh5I/AAAAAAAADPc/vzCnHweMCYY/w644-h759-no/pilot-transform2.png)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wyMNBnoAdVA/UabSYohAnTI/AAAAAAAADPY/H1RxyFxDwBU/w716-h759-no/pilot-transform3.png)
It's not shorts all the way around, and I went with goggles, but it's a whole heck of a lot better now I think. After reading some of the comments I went and bought an $11 single speed rotary tool from Harbor Freight after work. I then set upon re-sculpting what I could to remove the helmet and sleeves. Not. Easy. Yikes. The fact that he looks as good as he does is as much luck as anything I think. His complexion is somewhere between Edward James Olmos and The Hound. The beard was sort of a spontaneous thing, but I liked it and decided to keep it.
I also used the new rotary tool to cut a bunch of balsa into little bricks for a rubble pile. I dumped them on the plastic base and then liberally dumped thin superglue over the piles. After my eyes extinguished, I sprayed a little kicker to make sure it was all cured. I'm just playing around at this point, seeing what looks good and what doesn't.
(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BGW1gmULZpg/UabSY-k02gI/AAAAAAAADPg/r_wDINAobTw/w1012-h759-no/rubble-wip1.jpg)
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the progress. Let's just hope I can get it done before my Reaper Bones show up.
-
Dude, you Rock!! O0
-
this is an incredibly cool project!
and that cockpit is amazing!!!
-
Looks great. The changes done to your mechwarrior really came out good. Luck or skill is irrelevant when it comes out looking awesome
-
I just figured who my pilot reminds me of...
(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r8bCaCUSNuQ/UaipewTAp9I/AAAAAAAADRM/PdvxMs_RW5I/w400-h233-no/area88-greg.jpg)
from Area 88!
-
It's not shorts all the way around, and I went with goggles, but it's a whole heck of a lot better now I think.
You are right... It's not short and a neuro-helmet... But it certainly does look a lot better then what you started with... And I think the goggles and beard are great additions... Well done. O0
I was looking at my copy of "The Rules of Warfare"... Are you planning to add as much extra detail to the outside of the Locust, as you did to the inside? It would be a shame if you didn't.
Caz
-
I was looking at my copy of "The Rules of Warfare"... Are you planning to add as much extra detail to the outside of the Locust, as you did to the inside? It would be a shame if you didn't.
I don't think I have book... I'll have to "search" my "basement" (wink wink) to see if I can find it. Any additional tech detail I can find would help a lot. The pictures vary dramatically. The pg11 pic definitely shows some pistons behind the knees, but the recon pic (referenced earlier) looks almost completely identical to the legs on the model kit, right down to the bend in the wiring. I think I have enough creative license to trick it out a little.
EDIT: duh, that's the book I got the picture from. :-P Do you have a page in mind that shows what you are talking about?
-
EDIT: duh, that's the book I got the picture from. :-P Do you have a page in mind that shows what you are talking about?
Same page (11)/picture that shows in the background of your original picture... It looks like you have Rules of Warfare as a PDF (?), where I've got the dead tree version. I couldn't see it well enough in your picture, so I pulled my book out...
There is the cylinder shaped piece to the left side of the pilot's left foot... I like the look of the back of the legs better that picture, then the cover of the Recon Lance boxed set I posted the link to... I haven't seen the front of the cockpit (it hasn't been included in any of your pictures), so I don't know if it will be open or how closely it matches... Plus the sides of the model look flat, where the pictures have all kinds of panel lines and detailing... All little stuff, but it is all stuff that helps the model go to the next level (and considering the cockpit you did, you obviously have the skill to do it).
Caz
-
First off, thanks to everyone for the compliments and advice. I'd like this to be really nice looking, and you folks know the source material so well that I can rely on you to steer me in the right direction. O0
I did a little image searching, and implementing some hydraulics like a backhoe has would add to the look a lot. I would have to extend the shins up and back to get the pivot point I'd need, but I have some brass rod/tube that would be ideal for this. In terms of the body, some access panels on the side might work, or maybe some sensor arrays. I will definitely be painting the kind of tiled look that the recon box cover has.
Would a transparent panel in the hatch (which I have yet to show) seem plausible? Nothing huge, just a sort of "sun roof" type thing.
-
Would a transparent panel in the hatch (which I have yet to show) seem plausible? Nothing huge, just a sort of "sun roof" type thing.
I've been looking at the original artwork
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/d/dc/Locust.jpg (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/images/d/dc/Locust.jpg)
Going back to one of your earlier ideas/questions "I need to decide whether to have the hatch open to the rear (like a car hood) or split down the middle and open to the left and right"... I think you should do the "split down the middle and open left and right".... Have a piece on the inside of the hatch (left or right doesn't matter), that the other side of the hatch sits on...
I think the front "windows" should be mirrors (I'm sure you could find a sheet of mirrored thin plastic somewhere)...
But that piece just above the windows.. The cylinder piece... Make that into a periscope... It already looks like a lens on the front... And according to Wikipedia's entry on periscopes "Tanks use periscopes extensively: they enable drivers or tank commanders to inspect their situation without leaving the safety of the tank."... It's perfectly positioned. Gives you a chance to do a glass effect (instead of the skylight you mentioned). And it makes sense..
Caz
-
This is very cool and I will following this as you do it. I like if.
-
Tonight I put the hatch doors on the open top. The pilot rests his arm nicely on the open hatch, right by the handle. I was going to take Caz's recommendation of a lip to seal the hatch, but I don't have styrene that thin. As it is, the hatch is <1mm thick.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3cNAp8Z-I1I/UagYVeBVHOI/AAAAAAAADP0/X3yKUqeFCIw/w936-h724-no/locust-hatch-assembled.png)
Bricks got a light/medium brown basecoat and a crimson wash, which gets it to the color I was hoping for. Some selective brown washing and gray drybrushing gets it to the current state. There's a fair bit to go on the base, but I want to get the Marauder situated before I commit to locations of some things.
-
Not much work this weekend, mostly due to my day job interfering.
i used some Vallejo powdered pigment (brown iron oxide and dark yellow ochre) to change the way the base looks a bit. I also added a burned out building shell of balsa. Here is the latest mock-up of the two mechs. I'm still not sure if I'll finish the Locust conversions next or assemble the Marauder. I picked up some very small brass rod/tube at flhs for pistons, and some very very this brass sheeting for other things, possibly even the hatch lip.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5nwGqYKk-mI/UawVqnPn_uI/AAAAAAAADRo/FptU5yAyS7k/w800-h600-no/wip4.jpg)
Is pin-up nose art something that exists in battletech, or is it a little too whimsical?
-
nose art is definately seen around
also for rubble, a common source is the plastic sprue that is left when you have removed all the parts, chop them up in brick sizes, any bits and peices left over can be run thru the blender for use as gravel/dust
-
This is excellent work!
W.
-
Great endeavour, looking forward to seeing it completed. I love the solution you've chosen for the Locust's hatch, it fits a lot with the spirit of the original Universe's setting. O0
-
Is pin-up nose art something that exists in battletech, or is it a little too whimsical?
Nose art does exist in Battletech... Along with adding graffiti like slogans on things...
As for the project, three things jump out at me from the artwork;
You'll need to modify the Marauder's right arm, as it's barrel is downwards (almost like when the Mech collapsed, the pilot put his right paddle down to try and support the Mech).
Considering the picture on page 11, and the strengths/weakness of both Mechs, I'd say the Locust won for one reason; Ammo Explosion. Whether he got in a lucky shot, or the Marauder pilot was just very unlucky, this is the only thing I can think of that matches... If you'll notice in the picture, the location suggests "Torso". The damage suggests an outward explosion. The Mech isn't chewed all to bits from repeated attachs, so it was quick. And it's still mostly in one piece, so that rules out engine explosion... So, to replicate that, I'm guessing a pilot hole and a soldering gun to melt it outward?... I suck at smoke, so I've no guess how you plan to do that.
The AC/5 is missing... Maybe blown off in the explosion?, Maybe twisted wreckage to the side, out of the picture?. Definitely not lying over the top of the torso pointing forward.
The devil is in the detail, and you're doing a hellishly good job.
Caz
-
As the driver of many a Locust, this is awesome. [rockon] Keep up the great work.
-
Check out Spaceman Spiff's stuff in particular his work with expanding foam to create smoke. I have done it before and have had really good luck with it.
-
That's looking awesome so far!!!!
-
Better and better. Can't wait to see it completed! O0
-
Outside of a bit of a scale difference, looke great. What did you use to make the ground, baseplate and brickwork?
-
Latest adds, some hydraulics on the back of the legs and a periscope on the front. I placed the periscope slightly off center because I want to preserve that arrow on the hull. I put a little gray brush-on primer over it so I could see the overall effect. I think the periscope will look good once I paint a lens effect onto the front.
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-5LWuk_UvUGA/UbIcKRkXChI/AAAAAAAADSE/42YSpcUv_FY/w955-h696-no/wip5.png)
(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Fru1DWZfy-I/UbIcKWwz8OI/AAAAAAAADSI/ELeeetIely8/w773-h603-no/wip5a.png)
The ground is just a thinned layer of Vallejo black lava over a piece of styrene that I cut to fit the wooden plaque I plan on using. The bricks are pieces of balsa I cut from a long rectangular rod with a rotary tool. I basically arranged them on the base, poured very thin super glue over then and then used the rotary tool to carve off the most obvious cut-edges after it cured. The building is just balsa sheet chewed up with snips and an xacto knife.
In terms of smoke, I'm leaning heavily toward the "tea-light" flickering candle approach, which would require me to tear one of those lights apart to move the switch and battery out of the Marauder. I could hollow out the plaque under the styrene sheet for that easily enough. I'm just not sure an active fire would be the best suited execution for a static scene. For a 40k game or something it looks great, but for a diorama? Not sure.
-
Ick. I hated the actuators. Really. I only get one chance to do this right, so I changed them.
There are a lot of photos of hydraulic actuators, so I picked one (https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nHD1WPY6vug/UbOkTaG6RII/AAAAAAAADSw/CKom7tFHTqg/w550-h384-no/hydraulic-shovel.jpg) and then identified some alterations. First, I cut the legs at the knees and moved them downward to give the hydraulics a pivot point. The entire extension of the piston would allow the legs to bend a little more or straighten much more, which is one of the flaws of the last version... the pistons weren't long enough. I carved into the thigh(?) to allow for the piston mount. Lastly, I snapped and pinned the ankles so the feet could rotate a bit. The square stance didn't look very natural to me, and the pinned knees had the ability to pivot a bit, so I now have the option of reposing.
A little dark and blurry, but here is the latest iteration. I'm liking this so much better.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rvEJXz0gTeM/UbOkXADiyAI/AAAAAAAADTA/UqDr11QERmM/w884-h831-no/wip6.png)
-
I agree on the change up on the hydraulics. Looks good.
-
The title reminds me of the first battletech computer game where they had a Locust facing off against a Marauder on the box and a poster of it inside. (I think still have the poster).
-
The title reminds me of the first battletech computer game where they had a Locust facing off against a Marauder on the box and a poster of it inside. (I think still have the poster).
Thanks! I could tell that the leg was a Marauder on the box cover, but I hadn't seen the whole poster before searching on it specifically based on your post. The lasers from the troops are really going in strange directions aren't they? Also, I had always imagined the SRM-3 Locust as looking different. I always thought the pictured kit was machine guns.
-
Another little bit of work. I positioned much of the Marauder in prep for painting. Getting the right arm to have that "getting up" look as depicted in the illustration required three different cut and rotate operations on the very static Marauder arm. What's there now is a little awkward but doesn't defy the model's mechanics, as far as I can tell. I decided to go with flickering lights in the wreck, just for the cool factor, so that's all wired up. Also, just to add a little more narrative to the scene, I popped the leg off the Marauder. Whether the Locust caused the lost leg or just took advantage of an already crippled mech is anyone's guess. The pilot sure seems proud though.
So, in my typically stellar photography style...
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u9rTfUumIQ8/Ubt1Axmo7sI/AAAAAAAADUc/AIguZdlLxYw/w794-h638-no/wip7.png)
-
amazing. I can't do anything on this level. bravo! O0
-
What a fabulous idea matey O0
-
Y'know. Seeing this, it's interesting to note how small the Gyro and Reactor probably are on the Locust BattleMech. Says a lot about how compact some stuff has become in BattleTech.
-
I just want to point out that the OP hasn't been on the boards since about 20 minutes after his last post.
Which was in 2013. O:-)
-
A shame, I really would've liked seeing this little diorama painted up and finished.
-
I would like to have seen it finished as well.
-
I just want to point out that the OP hasn't been on the boards since about 20 minutes after his last post.
Which was in 2013. O:-)
I must admit, I saw the month, didn't notice the year. I'd have liked to see the finished diorama, esp after the step by step posts. Sucked me in like a reality TV show, it did.
Two points I'll contribute, just for the record (or to provide ideas for other diorama builders). The first is regarding the entrance/escape hatch: the modeler might have used the "automobile hood" technique instead of double-doors to both show more of the interior of the cockpit (after all the work he did) and because it seems more logical that something as massive as the hatch protecting the 'Mech pilot behind it is going to need hydraulic or pneumatic assistance to open or close. (And also for if/when the pilot is forced to hit the eject button.) Double doors wouldn't seem to cut it.
The second point is regarding the positioning of the Marauder. It would seem to be possible that part of the end of that right arm could be dug into the ground. I mean, if a 75 kiloton BattleMech were to collapse, and stick out an arm to break it's fall, it's going to be like jamming a spike into the ground. And in addition to what penetrates the surface, you might also see some warping and/or buckling and/or collapsing such as you might expect to see on the body of a car that's been in an accident. The bottom line is that you could shave off part of the end of that arm, since it would be "below ground level". And it doesn't have to stick up at a 90 degree angle if you cut it off at a DIFFERENT angle. And if THAT were the case, the actual ARM might not look so awkward and "extended".
But I really, really am curious to see how this project turned out. (Assuming an irritated wifey didn't chuck it in the trash to get her husband to spend less time building his diorama and more time with her.)
-
{THREADOMANCY ALERT} -- But I'm OP so I'm gonna say it's okay ^-^
It's been pretty much forever since I worked on this thing, but here is a current WIP. I'm finishing it for a painting comp on Twitter (#chinsquigchallenge3).
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EetKmJuXYAA5O4B?format=jpg&name=large)
-
:thumbsup:
-
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfRN_3AWAAg9hon?format=jpg&name=medium)
Another WIP for the September 1 competition deadline. I still need to paint the Locust legs and feet and do a lot of weathering on the Marauder. I may add some colorful details on the Marauder too. It's kind of drab as is. The graffiti on the burned out wall is a reference to the hilarious podcast I'm listening to currently, "Kasting Cuzzins".
-
Very Sweet! very cool! :thumbsup:
-
Awesome work.. Well done :thumbsup:
-
So, where do you keep it?