That is so pretty.
I am returning back to WFB after many many years away and this modelling is the kind of thing that showcases what a great game it is.
I'm pleased if it serves that purpose - thank you
Thanks for the encouraging comments everyone! Not posted here since last year although I've been painting minis and building as usual, the time just seems to have gone somehow. Apologies for the lengthy post following; it gives me satisfaction to write these chronicles and serves as a memory aid too
I've completed a new wall section for the town and am thinking ahead to how I might resolve the project, in a realistic time frame.
I intend to build more wall sections to enclose the town buildings I already have, and want to make each of these unique, with buildings constructed against the wall in places. This will hopefully enable it to serve as a backdrop for photos and as a siegeable town to defend or attack in games.
Since I repurposed my original blacksmith's forge for my inn building, I decided I'd build a new one as the feature of my second such wall piece. I had various ideas as to how the building might 'back onto' the wall, so did some drawing for this one first. I looked at various photo reference and commercially available fantasy blacksmith models - there are some fantastic models available as 3D prints or resin sculpts. I already have the Mantic Terraincrate blacksmith bits though so wasn't going to buy one. My drawings ruled out some of my more ambitious ideas as impractical, if nothing else:
I decided to go with a simple one-storey forge with the roof slanting down from the wall, with a wooden pallisade style walkway going behind the roof, so that the whole battlement would be walkable by miniatures. Also, the forge would be open and roof removable so that the interior could be seen and interacted with. I already had the wall dimensions from the previous section that I'd need to match so the two pieces would be continuous, so cut down some small bits of MDF, wood etc that I hoard for modelling to scale and started glueing things together:
I carved into the wood to add texture. I know a lot of people build terrain using polystyrene or foam these days - especially for stone walls which look great - but I'm trying to use stuff I mostly already hoard. I didn't buy anything new for this project as I had everything already, including some brick sections in resin which I cobbled together onto the outward-facing wall, and later partially covered with clay and plaster:
The interior of the forge got some grouted flagstones made of card and filller:
The finished interior side, with added storage shed and mordheim ladder, plus removable roof I constructed with wood placers to keep it secure when in place, before and after priming:
.........and after a week or two's worth of painting sessions, plus converting a blacksmith model, I'm done!
With the whole thing painted, I realised that with the roof of the forge on, the interior was very dark. So I decided to go all-in and bought a little flickering orange LED and battery holder off eBay. I took apart the chimney, drilled a hole into the forge and wired up the light so that it was hidden behind the metal hood of the forge, casting an orange glow inside. This took a little while. However, I was pleased with the results, although it doesn't really illuminate the interior much, it just glows and flickers a bit:
(idk if GIFs will work here. If not there's a small GIF here:
https://i.imgur.com/PEyE3PR.mp4)
Some more views of the forge interior with the Mantic props, which I cut up to construct a workbench as well:
The blacksmith himself is obviously a dwarf, he must have sought work in the Empire or been offered a good deal by the local burgomeister or count. I converted him out of the old dwarf swabber from the 90s Flame Cannon:
Turned around, here is the section put next to my first wall section, and with my other town buildings behind. And with my Tilean crossbowmen atop it in the second pic:
I couldn't resist adding a saturation filter to this overall pic, brings out the 90s Oldhammer:
My paint scheme has been quite desaturated so far and this makes me regret I haven't used more colour. Anyway, I'm overall smug and pleased with my efforts so far. It's starting to feel like the edge of a town
My next project will probably be a gatehouse to join these two pieces better. And then two corner pieces which I hope will mean I can enclose the buildings in a sort of semicircle to fit onto a gaming table. That's the plan anyway. Thanks very much for reading!
