Specialist Arms Forum
Specialist Games General Discussion => Modeling & painting => Topic started by: Malika on August 03, 2013, 07:27:21 PM
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For years I've been wanting to create my own ships. I started scratchbuilding some Ork ships (see some of those results here (http://trollsforge.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=wip&thread=507)), but after that I stopped building ships for a long time.
Now with the wonderful opportunities of 3d printing and CNCing, I decided to give it another shot.
I've always been in love with the Homeworld ships, so I started designing something inspired by it.
At the moment the designs are done in Sketchup, but the plan is to convert to a format that can be printed.
(http://i40.tinypic.com/axmwm0.jpg)
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2zhei60.jpg)
(http://i43.tinypic.com/206hq4h.jpg)
(http://i44.tinypic.com/2my85fq.jpg)
(http://i40.tinypic.com/ffbh36.jpg)
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Here is the latest update on the ship by the way:
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2bqydw.jpg)
Also, I spoke to my friend with the CNC, he isn't sure if the machine will be able to cut the model since it's going to be very small. Which leaves me to ponder a bit. What can I do? I know there are 3d printing services out there, but most of the 3d printed stuff I've seen seems to lack in detail (even stuff that is meant to be detailed). Furthermore, it's going to be rather expensive to print without hollowing out the model (and even then it will most likely be expensive). Also, hollowing the model out might not be such a great idea for a prototype if I would want to cast it later on (pressure can break the model).
I remember in the past GW used to have these '3 times as bigger' versions of their models, I vaguely remember reading about it in a WD once that it was part of the production process. Anybody got more info or experiences regarding that?
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Three ups are used in conjunction with a pantograph machine tool that cuts the one third sized cavity in the steel plates (molds) made for injection molding plastic. Does not sound very useful for your application.
T
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I don't have much experience with the 3d modeling process but I do run a CNC machine and do molds. Your guy is right that even with tiny micro cutting bits you are not going to get a lot of detail. You could get some more detail if you cut the ship up into flat parts so it can be more easily machined but once again you are limited by the size of the tools.
If you have the thing built using shapeways or something similar you can sand, finish and do secondary operations it before it goes into molds. This also means you can fill it back up with clay if you'd like, for the molding process if you wanted something solid. What I'd most likely do is design pins in the interior and just keep it hollow. The pins will make assembly easy and as long as it has at least a .06-.08 inch wall it should cast just fine as long as you are pressure casting it. If you are not pressure casting it I'd do it solid and probabally add some material to the flat side where the bubbles can end up and then that whole area can be ground off.
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I have an idea for a turret that could fill your hole, it will be able to shoot not just whats around it in a plain but whats above it also. I'll draw a pic of it so you can get an idea of what i'm trying to explain.
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Thanks for the replies everyone!
I've been thinking about the details, and well... I'm making the ship rather detailed, in some cases the final version will even have 0.001mm parts. Which is all very cool of course, but you wouldn't even be able to see it.
So I was thinking. I'll keep making this model super detailed, and once it's done just make a copy of the model (which will be the one that will be made BFG scale), and start removing too small parts.
How detailed should I go though? I was thinking of at most going at 0.1mm, or very maybe at 0.125mm.
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Thanks for the replies everyone!
I've been thinking about the details, and well... I'm making the ship rather detailed, in some cases the final version will even have 0.001mm parts. Which is all very cool of course, but you wouldn't even be able to see it.
So I was thinking. I'll keep making this model super detailed, and once it's done just make a copy of the model (which will be the one that will be made BFG scale), and start removing too small parts.
How detailed should I go though? I was thinking of at most going at 0.1mm, or very maybe at 0.125mm.
For BFG scale how big would this item be?. length width depth, in mm please.
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I was thinking of 3cm wide, 1.5cm tall and around 10cm long. I was pondering of smaller even (2cm x 1cm x 6.6cm), but that might be pushing it on what is visually possible with the design I've made.
Here a little update by the way:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept105_zps3fe23214.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept105_zps3fe23214.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept106_zpsbf3fefe8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept106_zpsbf3fefe8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept103_zps804120d5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept103_zps804120d5.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept104_zps8fa10b73.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept104_zps8fa10b73.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept101_zps074664e6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept101_zps074664e6.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept102_zpsd1cd48e0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept102_zpsd1cd48e0.jpg.html)
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Okay I have a couple things for you to think about with this. One, here is a link that has helped me with measuring for scratch building a bunch. The link should start on the battlefleet gothic section, if it does not just scroll down to it. If you'll notice a cruiser for an imperial fleet is 95MM in length. I'm not sure what type of ship this one your making is, I'm assuming a cruiser or a battleship, lets say cruiser. So you'll want to be around the 90mm mark.
http://www.star-ranger.com/Scale.htm#BFG
For the second part i measured your previous pictures of this ship on my computer screen to get a general idea of how big you want it. This is what i came up with, 18cm long, 4.9cm wide, 2.1cm thick. Now assuming this is a cruiser size ship i would just cut the first number in half making it 9cm( or 90mm) in length. That in turn gives me my workable number to divide the other numbers by. I got, 90mm long, 24.5mm wide, 10.5mm thick, If we just used your numbers of 3cm wide 1.5cm tall and 10cm long, the ship would be bloated and out of proportion of what you where shooting for.
I do believe in the program you have you can shrink one side down to the length you want while in turn shrinking the rest of the ship to the same proportions.
Anyway just some food for thought in here, the added details you have done look fantastic, keep it up. This is scratch buildable at this detail if you want to try a hand at it.
Blind-
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Hmm the size you suggested would indeed be more fitting. But would the 10cm version then be bloated compared to cruisers (if it's designated as a cruiser)? Or would it be bloated because of the lack of detail?
I'm not 100% concerned if it's a cruiser or battleship in the conventional BFG classifications. However, I do want it to look as if it would fit the scale of that game. :)
As for scratchbuilding it. I have considered it, but I'm not that good at it (yet), also...I'm not sure if I'll be able to scratch built at 0.1mm level or even 0.01mm level, would you even be able to see stuff that small?
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Okay, so first thing first decide if you want it to be a battleship or cruiser, then using BFG as the scale we can find out how long you'd want it to be.
As for the bloating thing, you want to ensure that all sides stay relative to eachother or you'll get stretching.
Having something printed at 0.01mm is a little out of hand in my opinion. And why i mean that is you don't really need it. The smallest detail lines i'm using are 0.06mm x 0.03mm and it adds the desired effect. When thinking about printing at 0.01mm if your eye has trouble seeing, then it's not gonna look like much when painted.
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Regarding size, I noticed the Grand Cruisers should fit the bill for a ship in a size between a usual cruiser and battleship, am I correct?
As for resizing, no problem to keep all sides relative to one another, Sketchup can do that easily! :)
As for smallest details, I was thinking of keeping the smallest details at around 0.1mm to 0.05mm. It's like you said: anything the eye has trouble seeing will not look that great.
Regarding printing or cutting, what I just hope is that the edges will stay sharp as they are, I've seen with a lot of 3d printed stuff that the models end up kinda looking as if somebody held them under a hot lamp for just a tiny bit too long...
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Regarding size, I noticed the Grand Cruisers should fit the bill for a ship in a size between a usual cruiser and battleship, am I correct?
As for resizing, no problem to keep all sides relative to one another, Sketchup can do that easily! :)
As for smallest details, I was thinking of keeping the smallest details at around 0.1mm to 0.05mm. It's like you said: anything the eye has trouble seeing will not look that great.
Regarding printing or cutting, what I just hope is that the edges will stay sharp as they are, I've seen with a lot of 3d printed stuff that the models end up kinda looking as if somebody held them under a hot lamp for just a tiny bit too long...
You are correct on the grand cruiser being inbetween the cruiser and battleship.
length, 113.4mm, width 30.8mm, depth 13.2mm. and thats the sizing you want to be a grand cruiser scale in bfg.
I know exactly what you mean, I have had some stuff printed with shape ways frosted ultra detail recently. I had hired a 3d artist to draw some images i had commissioned for printing. Lets just say the image looked nice, but it lacked proper depth when printing. Evil and Chaos said something to me when i was working on this project about exaggerating your depths when working in smaller scales or it won't print right, he said double them. I've seen and held some of his work so i trust he knows what he's talking about on this matter.
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I tried doubling them in the drawing, but then it will look quite bad. However, I do trust E&C's opinion on the matter. It's just such a shame that I lack my own printer, so I could at least experiment a bit without having to risk a ton of money...
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I tried doubling them in the drawing, but then it will look quite bad. However, I do trust E&C's opinion on the matter. It's just such a shame that I lack my own printer, so I could at least experiment a bit without having to risk a ton of money...
I'm not exactly sure how doubling them works, it might have been mostly the recesses with armor plates on tanks and such. But i don't know how to use those programs so I couldn't give you anymore insight into it.
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I understand what you mean though, it's just that sadly enough I can make some test models for cheap. I mean, my scratchbuilding skills aren't good enough to build this design from plastic bits, and printing multiple versions is just going to be very..very expensive.
I am tempted to finish this design, and then CNC a large version of it (30 to 50cm long or something), just to have it as a show model. Need to figure out how intensive that's gonna be for the CNC machine, and if I'll be allowed to do this for free! ;D
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Looking at that design, perhaps you might get away with modifying it slightly so that each face can be made up of thin sheets, and having those then photo-etched or laser-cut?
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I understand what you mean though, it's just that sadly enough I can make some test models for cheap. I mean, my scratchbuilding skills aren't good enough to build this design from plastic bits, and printing multiple versions is just going to be very..very expensive.
I am tempted to finish this design, and then CNC a large version of it (30 to 50cm long or something), just to have it as a show model. Need to figure out how intensive that's gonna be for the CNC machine, and if I'll be allowed to do this for free! ;D
A cnc machine can cut flat pieces right? if you took a piece of plastic 1mm thick you could have the cnc machine cut shapes out of the plastic?
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Oh that might be an idea as well! So that I have the machine cut the separate layers, and that I then put them together. That would be quite intense! 8)
Thing is that the CNC we have can cut in 3d as well, so not just flat pieces, which is very interesting for this sort of thing. :)
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So cut the basic shape of the ship, i mean the raw flat sides with just the shape underneath. then cut the different layers of detail and glue them on. You could even cut the different pieces to have it cast, cut the nose and nose detail. cut the middle and middle detail and then cut the rear and rear detail. you then have your 3 different pieces to cast then glue together.
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I was thinking for the bigger version to cut it in three pieces like that, front/middle/rear. For the smaller one I was thinking of just cutting it in two, namely top and bottom. That way it should be relatively easy for the CNC to do it since I'll still have flat surfaces to work with.
I'm just wondering if you'll still be able to see something that's 0.5mm or even 0.1mm. Most of the details on my ship are 0.5mm, with 0.25mm accents here and there. Wouldn't these need to be a bit bigger, like 1mm details and accents of 0.5mm?
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In the meanwhile...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept112_zps4de7415d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept112_zps4de7415d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept111_zpsba0a0620.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept111_zpsba0a0620.jpg.html)
Started working on the prow, meaning that the main design is almost finished. Just need to build the front plate of the prow, and add some additional details to the distortion engine and exhausts area...
Need to brainstorm a bit on the size of the model. On one hand I'd love to have it in BFG scale (max. length 10cm). However, the idea of making it bigger, as a sort of center piece and then design smaller fighters is also very tempting...
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Anything down to 0.5mm is still pretty big; 0.1mm is about as small as you need to go. Some of the detail I'm scratchbuilding is 0.5mm wide cuts, and the material is probably only 0.1mm thick, if that. I assure you it can all still be seen. Whether or not that detail would survive machining or casting is another matter.
The reason I suggest using a laser-cutting and photo-etching is because you'll get a much higher resolution than any physical tool you can put on a milling machine or similar. Photo-etching especially. There are problems with the approach, obviously, and they largely have to be resolved in the design stage - you don't want to end up with 1x1mm pieces that you have to glue into precise positions, so you'd do better to design them attached to another piece on the same layer.
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I was thinking that on such a scale I could probably cut the hull parts of the ship in 10 (front, back, left, right, top, bottom, top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right different plates, each one side of the hull. These plates could be done by a laser cutter or CNC that can do that kinda cutting.
But I'm getting very...very...very tempted to just do this ship as a larger model, and then design smaller craft such as fighters etc. Kinda like the Star Wars miniatures game. Not sure at the moment though, need some brainstorming!
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The design of the ship looks good. Good luck with the technical aspect of it.
Welcome, once again. ;)
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Almost finished...
(http://24.media.tumblr.com/041035796b0cdc6e19566b3ffae9cfa2/tumblr_mr4gf5BdMo1qmsrmwo1_500h.jpg)
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By the way, somebody over at the Anargo forums posted this:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-orQqICI0nfU/TVh90UlTedI/AAAAAAAACd8/oAjK0VE_2ig/s400/Picture%2B002.jpg)
Really want to play with that now...
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I was going to draw something just like that, i was watching startrek and it reminded me of it.
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Really curious about your drawing.
Been adding a lot of additional details to the ship, will show them tomorrow. Need to try some stuff out for the turrets, so they'll show up in a couple of days.
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I'll hope to have the new turrets and a first version of a drop pod ready later this week.
In the meantime...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept131_zpsb5d275c5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept131_zpsb5d275c5.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept132_zps8c528dc4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept132_zps8c528dc4.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept133_zps080c228a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept133_zps080c228a.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept134_zpsa06feeef.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept134_zpsa06feeef.jpg.html)
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They began to have a Star Wars look. Between this ship and an imperial destroyer with inclined plans.
(http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20070106181951/starwars/images/e/eb/GR-75_Medium_Transport.jpg)
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Oh that is really cool! I was sort of imagining something along those lines for the pirate ships!
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Heh, ye olde rebel transport! Isn't there a ship suspiciously similar in EVE?
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Maybe those ones ?
http://i36.tinypic.com/2mmbvdc.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ke_wNkwKQe8/T8kh3b8eVjI/AAAAAAAAANQ/GMmreIIAcm4/s1600/Eve+Online-06-01-2012+1-07-01.jpg
I like the carapace aspect. An other thing i like in your ships and in Star Wars ones, is there is frequently a horizontal line fro prew to stern, that is not covered by shielding like the rest of the ship, or at least with no flat aspect.
Even if it's just an opening to introduce a floppy disk...
(http://i40.tinypic.com/ffbh36.jpg)
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By the way, here are some more 'clean' versions of the design:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept141_zps758a17b1.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept141_zps758a17b1.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept142_zps9eb603f0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept142_zps9eb603f0.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept143_zpsfd6961b4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept143_zpsfd6961b4.jpg.html)
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Here a small update on the ship:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept151_zps4c33ffba.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept151_zps4c33ffba.jpg.html)
Still haven't replaced the turrets. I've decided to the turrets to be sphere shaped, normally placed in the hull, but once activated they are moved more towards the surface. The only trouble I'm having at the moment is actually drawing them. I've got an almost clear idea of how they'll look like, it's just that I'm having a hard time playing with spheres in Sketchup...
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It definitively looks great.
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Started working on a prow, still very WIP...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept161_zps50ab4e5d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept161_zps50ab4e5d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept162_zpsae43a33f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept162_zpsae43a33f.jpg.html)
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Most interesting...
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I hope that's positive 'interesting'! ;D
The eagle head still needs a lot of work, the parts connecting the head to the ship's body (flat parts on the sides) need a lot more details so it will look similar to the rest of the ship. I'm also pondering of maybe adding details to the head itself.
Or perhaps I should smoothen out some other parts, to make the head look more ornate. Just got to experiment a bit. :)
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I'd experiment with making the whole prow section (or just the head) longer. Not sure what to do with the "shoulders" but I'm sure something can be done... Not quite the right proportions for wings up there, nothing that really seems to fit... Either way, keep that head somewhere, as a design can be made to fit it and it is kinda awesome!
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Maybe stick the head out a bit more forward, then the shoulders will be a bit longer too. I won't be making wings though, it's a bit overkill I think, and a bit too obviously Imperial.
Back to the drawingtable. :)
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Tweaked it slightly. In the meanwhile I found out that the head was a tiny bit too big to fit correctly to the rest of the ship (connection of the ship was 1.5 meters whilst the head was 1.5000004723 meters) Fixed it, and made it a bit longer:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept171_zps920b3823.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept171_zps920b3823.jpg.html)
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Updated the ship a bit, moved a few of the components, changed the prow a bit, but it's still very much WIP.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept192_zps9257ab54.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept192_zps9257ab54.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept193_zps452be9ba.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept193_zps452be9ba.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept194_zps982f6446.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept194_zps982f6446.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept191_zps560d7d94.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept191_zps560d7d94.jpg.html)
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Much better with the elongated "shoulder" to connect it to the prow.
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Some people mentioned they didn't like the eagle head as a prow, here are two alternate designs. Just as a backup in case the eagle head won't work out at all...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/anternateprows_zps37b00067.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/anternateprows_zps37b00067.jpg.html)
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I liked the eagle prow
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Could you try a prow where the top and bottom surfaces come together, rather than the sides coming in? Not sure what to use as reference, but I think the Galactica has that sort of shape (though it has the advantage of a flat top and bottom), iirc.
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In the meanwhile, I've taken updated the front, added some torpedo tubes there. The ones on the top of the ship have been removed and have been replaced for the turrets.
The design of the turret is growing on me, however...I'd still like to one day replace them for the more spherical ones...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept201_zpsc5efff80.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept201_zpsc5efff80.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept202_zps7175af6b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept202_zps7175af6b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept203_zps7e658abb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept203_zps7e658abb.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept204_zps4402738c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept204_zps4402738c.jpg.html)
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I'd recommend having the torpedo tubes extend back into the prow, rather than out from it. Use WW2 submarines for reference for this. I'd also either use more of them per side, or arrange them in a > shape, as the line feels very... bland and sterile? Just my opinion though.
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I agree, a long hole in the hull is more pleasant than an external tube. And it would be recognisez as a torpedo tube by anybody.
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I'd recommend having the torpedo tubes extend back into the prow, rather than out from it. Use WW2 submarines for reference for this. I'd also either use more of them per side, or arrange them in a > shape, as the line feels very... bland and sterile? Just my opinion though.
I removed the extension, so it's just tubes going into the hull. How many should I do per side?
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You could go with 3 or 4, in like a > or a >- shape, with two above each other on the inner side, then one toward the outside, and if you want, another one outboard of that. Also depends how you want to do them. If you just have holes leading into the hull, you can get two next to each other, but if you have them like the cobra has them (or imperial torp launchers in general) then you probably shouldn't.
Shape is basically:
O
O
O
or
O
O O
O
(viewed from the front, that'd be on your right)
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This better?
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept211_zpsb0112951.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept211_zpsb0112951.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept212_zps15abf866.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept212_zps15abf866.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept213_zps9b2bbfc4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept213_zps9b2bbfc4.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept214_zps13bb97b8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept214_zps13bb97b8.jpg.html)
I've been playing a bit with the torpedo tubes, and parts of the prow armor.
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Looks better ^^
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Now I need to come up with some ideas for torpedos and boarding/drop pods. Got any suggestions?
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The design of the turret is growing on me, however...I'd still like to one day replace them for the more spherical ones...
I've used a hemisphere turret for my corvette, it's doable, but needs a bit of experimentation once you know how to get the hemisphere!
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept221_zps300c9087.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept221_zps300c9087.jpg.html)
Two things I'm toying with for these ships. I've been getting a lot of feedback regarding the eagle head prow, meaning I'm starting to doubt whether to keep the eagle head or not. I kinda like the eagle head, gives it this megalomaniacal feel, but it does limit its use for other factions/games/settings. That in itself shouldn't really matter since this is primarily aimed at SITA/Sciror/etc.
But then I'm thinking, would other factions use the same type of ship? If so, would they perhaps have a different prow instead of the eagle head? What if I'd make it multi-part, enabling players to pick their prow?
Second piece of doubt is scale. At first I was thinking of having a prototype printed which would fit the BFG scale, since the ship would be classified as a cruiser in 40k, it would be around 80mm long. This means that a lot of the details would go lost, meaning I'd either have to remove a lot of the detailing, making it look more like a caricature almost, or go for a larger scale. I am very tempted to have this ship be made in a larger scale, around 200mm to 250mm long. The amount of detailing could then be really crazy.
However, this might bring a few problems:
*Multipart: When doing the ships on this scale, I would assume they'd have to be multipart kits. I guess this could be done by making the turrets, prows and components (blocks of which the ship is built of) separate. I wonder if multiple prow options would then still be fitting when doing it on such a scale... But on such a scale I might even have to make all the tiny components separate, meaning it could end up being a kit consisting of hundreds of tiny bits...
*Scale: When making the ship this big, it will become a very cool display piece, but it might not be that useful in a game of BFG or whatever other space ship game on that scale. That in itself isn't so bad, but I would imagine that a lot of the sales would go to clients who'd wish to use this ship as a proxy for other miniature lines. Should I keep this in mind when designing/producing this ship?
*Costs: I can imagine that producing such a large model will take a lot of resources. Having it 3d printed will cost a lot, meaning I'd really need to hollow out the ship as much as possible. But even then, having it cast afterward would also require a lot of resources.
But there are also some awesome advantages:
*I can go quite crazy on the details, add an extra level to what I've got now.
*The ship would really be an amazing display piece.
*Fighter drones, torpedos and boarding/drop pods would be more in the same scale as the ship. The Star Wars game sort of seems to be doing the same, so it might not be that weird to go down this route...
Your thoughts?
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About the head, a multi head vessel would clearly be a very very nice thing.
About printing and details, i would say print one and we will see if those details are as worse as you think or not.
If you print it via shapeway in ultra frost detail, it could be better than you think. And not that much costy.
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Ok...I have caved in, for now! The eagle prow is gone (once again: for now), and went for something more generic. Now I still need to make the front stand out a bit more. It will need some torpedo tubes and such. I'd prefer to the keep the prow pretty blocky like this, there's something crude and almost hammer-like about it.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept232_zps407ef789.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept232_zps407ef789.jpg.html)
I think that for now I'll be going for a more conventional size, meaning that the model will be around 80-90mm long. First of all because it will fit in easier with games like BFG and such, especially since I want this ship to be able to have been around in during the DAoT and Great Crusade. I might make a larger (and more detailed) version of it at a later date, sort of as a collectors' item.
As for this model, I've got a feeling that it's almost done and ready for a few test prints to see what it will look like at this scale.
Next up is a battleship. Since this stuff is originally meant for Sciror, I'll use Philip Sibbering's concept as a basis and sort of create my own interpretation of it:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/PSibbering/Sciror/sciror-battleship-001-blue.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PSibbering/media/Sciror/sciror-battleship-001-blue.jpg.html)
I guess it will get some exhausts at the back and the front will be used as tordedo/pods launcher. The rectangles around the Distortion Engine (round thing in the middle of the ship) will function as launch bays. Hopefully more on that in the coming weeks...
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On another note, I've been working on the ship again, and decided I really disliked the thrusters, so I removed them. However, this means I need new ones. Does anybody have suggestions? I'm very curious how the Chaos ships have their propulsion, but I haven't been able to find any decent pictures of the backs of those ships. But I also love the way the Dindrenzi ships (http://www.ilnanonefasto.it/miniatura/115) from Firestorm Armada have their thrusters. Holy Emperor, those guys made some really beautiful ships! I hope to one day reach that quality as well!
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I reworked the Distortion Engine a bit:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/distortionengine_zpscec8e2bf.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/distortionengine_zpscec8e2bf.jpg.html)
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In the meantime...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept251_zpsb3c1e8ec.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept251_zpsb3c1e8ec.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept252_zps68af8eba.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept252_zps68af8eba.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept253_zpsba034b1d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept253_zpsba034b1d.jpg.html)
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Tried a few things with the propulsion, none of them worked. So I 'procrastinated' by working on the turrets.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept262_zps2e6e7007.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept262_zps2e6e7007.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept261_zpsdcd2a8e1.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept261_zpsdcd2a8e1.jpg.html)
I made them slightly chunkier, made the barrels longer and changed the shape somewhat. Primary reason is to make them more 'workable' at the scale we're dealing with (major details on that thing are 0.4mm). If stuff becomes too small you won't be able to see it.
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A tiny update. I've hollowed out a lot of parts of the ship. I've kept the walls rather thick (at least 2.4mm) to keep the print throughout the entire model.
Also, I've cut the ship up in components. This will allow me to make variants of the prow and main weapon system:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/components_zpsad1eec03.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/components_zpsad1eec03.jpg.html)
Green = Distortion engine + back thrusters
Blue = Lance turrets
Red = Main weapon system (in this case launch bays)
Yellow = Prow
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Been working on a variant of this ship. Since people were suggesting different prows, I thought I could take it to the next level. The ship is already divided into components, so the possibility of different weapons wasn't that far fetched.
So I started working on a lance turret component. It's still very WIP...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/turretcomponent_zpsf06fa15e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/turretcomponent_zpsf06fa15e.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/variant1_zpsa024e72e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/variant1_zpsa024e72e.jpg.html)
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Ooooh, shiny!
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Today I've mostly been figuring out how to make models watertight for printing. Man oh man...it was such an annoying task, finding the right software, learning that the different programs aren't compatible and tend to contradict each other, e.g. a model that's fully tight/fixed according to Netfabb is considered to be full of holes/etc according to CADspan. Very frustrating. However, Netfabb offers a free (http://cloud.netfabb.com/) fixing service, so I'm sticking with them at the moment. Shapeways apparently also work with these guys, so I'll trust them.
In the meanwhile I started working on the thrusters a bit. They are still very WIP:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Thrusters1_zps74a852ad.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Thrusters1_zps74a852ad.jpg.html)
After that it's going to be the prow that will be tweaked so it has several torpedo launchers. That would mean the first model is done, and I can start working on some other components. I've got the following in mind:
Prows:
-Torpedo prow (one I have now);
-Eagle head;
-Prow mounted superweapon (comes with the middle hull part I think);
-Prow with fighter launch bays;
-Neutral (no weapons).
Middle:
-Launch bays (one I have now);
-Lance turrets (WIP);
-Superweapon (see above, comes with prow);
-Cargo.
'Turrets':
-Lance turrets (one I have now);
-Torpedo launchers;
-Neutral (armor plating);
-Bridge (unofficial) I know the demand is high for this one since it fits a certain aesthetic. I might end up making a bridge part you could put instead of one of the turrets. Personally I won't really use them, but I know there are many players who like to have such a thing on the ship.
The back part (Distortion Engine + back thrusters) will remain the same. Don't have any plans to make variants for that one. The idea is that the ships are constantly retrofitted with different weaponry/equipment. I can imagine the same ship constantly changing form by getting different component whenever needed for that fitting situation. So lets say the ship 'Lucius' (very original name) might at one moment have been a carrier craft, but during the other campaign it could have been armed with giant turrets and yet another time it was a transporter.
I liked the idea that these ships first have a live human who every now and then 'plugs' into the ship to control certain aspects of it. But this is quite demanding on the body, meaning that eventually, part be part he becomes 'fused' with the ship. Thus the ship truly becoming an extension of his body. Kind of reminds me of that Doctor Who episode The Girl in the Fireplace (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_in_the_Fireplace).
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I really like the ship as it is now. The eagle prow isn't something I opt for. Good you are doing a modular approach on this.
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/threevariants_zps26df51c0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/threevariants_zps26df51c0.jpg.html)
Here are three variants of the Legion Cruiser next to each other. The one on the left is armed with additional lance turrets, enabling it to take out enemy shields from a distance. The middle ship is a military transport ship. The size already enables it to transport entire regiments, including all sorts of support gear. I was first thinking of beefing the ship up some more, but didn't find it too fitting. I might at a later date make a battleship variant which is an even larger transport. But I would imagine normal transport ships (which are already larger) would be civilian ships, not military ones.
The ship on the right is the carrier I've been working on all this time. Not that much changed in it yet.
Note that all the components are still very WIP, the turret component still needs a lot of detailing. The transporter one needs something extra to make it stand out. The prow (single variant at the moment) will need further detailing and torpedo tubes. The engine and the rest of the components need a few thrusters and details before they're ready.
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Tweaked the 'transport component' a bit, meaning it has become the assault barge component:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/CarriercruiserAssaultBarge_zpsa397016e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/CarriercruiserAssaultBarge_zpsa397016e.jpg.html)
The launch bays are still quite big considering the scale, but instead of launching clouds and clouds of fighter craft and boarding pods, it unleashes dropships, drop pods, landing craft and so on.
The turrets it has can scare off raiders or some enemy ships, but it is rather vulnerable, meaning it would need other ships to support it, such as the carrier seen next to it.
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Little teaser...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/fleet_zps552ea5ae.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/fleet_zps552ea5ae.jpg.html)
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I really like the "train of freighter" aspect.
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In the meantime I've started working on some ordnance:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Torpedo01_zps8ea58569.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Torpedo01_zps8ea58569.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/torpedo02_zps0b92219e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/torpedo02_zps0b92219e.jpg.html)
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Awesome torpedoes!!!
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Quickly made two variants as well:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/torpedovariants_zps76bc3aaf.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/torpedovariants_zps76bc3aaf.jpg.html)
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I've been away for a couple of days, so sadly no new updates yet. I have some ideas for a variant prow with large turrets on it. As for the current turret component, I need to rework the turret design a bit since they are perhaps too small to print, so I started to tweak the design a bit:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Turretvariants1_zps431fb678.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Turretvariants1_zps431fb678.jpg.html)
The one on the right is the old original turret, the barrels are too thin to print out without them bending. So I made the first variant (middle turret) which is the standard one mounted on the ships. However, I wanted the turret component to have something a bit different, so I started working on another variant (left turret). It still needs some beefing up, especially at the back.
I've also been pondering about the torpedos a bit. So far the original design (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/torpedo02_zps0b92219e.jpg.html) is the strongest. The ones with the studs on them either look like something a frustrated housewife might keep in her bedroom drawer or something made for a David Tennant era Dalek episode of Doctor Who. Nothing against Doctor Who, I love that show, but I don't want a Dalek aesthetic for my stuff. So I need to kind of rethink the design for torpedo variants. I remember GW once had different types of torpedos for BFG, not models but markers, does anybody have that picture somewhere?
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They should still be available on GW's website. For some reason their names are in German if I'm not mistaken. I'll pull up the image if someone doesn't beat me to it by midnight or so!
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I like the models you have designed here.
I know to few the BFG game to know where to search on GW site.
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http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2350041a_BFG_Torpedo_Markers.pdf
Located here:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/content/article.jsp?catId=cat480005a&categoryId=6700003a§ion=&aId=21500018a
Battlefleet Gothic -> Specialist Games Resources -> Battle Fleet Gothic Resources -> Battle Fleet Gothic Resources
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Thanks a lot dude! :)
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In the meantime...the status of my carrier.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept28iso_zpsb659e00d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept28iso_zpsb659e00d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept28side_zps440408d3.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept28side_zps440408d3.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept28top_zps6dbddf4e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept28top_zps6dbddf4e.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept28front_zps8ee59238.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept28front_zps8ee59238.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept28back_zpse0675718.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept28back_zpse0675718.jpg.html)
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Small update on the thrusters:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Thrusters2_zpsd8846ffa.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Thrusters2_zpsd8846ffa.jpg.html)
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In the meantime (I love saying that) I started working on the anti armor turrets. At first I was planning on making a 'sniper turret', which would have been a single long barreled device. However, the sizes we are dealing with here are super small, meaning that such a barrel would become very frail. I tried making it thicker, but it ended up looking ridiculous. So I came up with something different: PLASMA TURRETS! They are quite detailed, and I really wonder if the print will be able to show that, or that people could even see it at such a scale.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries11_zpsc0279320.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries11_zpsc0279320.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries13_zpsea04ba7b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries13_zpsea04ba7b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries12_zps817e42ef.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries12_zps817e42ef.jpg.html)
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I... I actually love the design of these turrets. Awesomeness.
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Yep. Great.
Beware to the symetrical effect that will be augmented by the presence of the turrets. I mean the hull itself is symetrical, that's ok. As the trrets are the same too, depending on the orientation and size, they can be perturbating the general aspect if they catch the eye too much.
I'm unsure if i'm easy to understand. It's hard to explain a feeling when it's not your tongue...
I mean i'm afraid the great quantity of turrets could perturbate the harmony of the hull when i see this picture.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries11_zpsc0279320.jpg)
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Updated the turrets a bit:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries16_zps1119a6ca.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmabatteries16_zps1119a6ca.jpg.html)
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Been working on a prow variant. It's still very WIP, meaning that a lot of the details need to be added to it so it fits with the rest of the ship.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow14_zps30175d0b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow14_zps30175d0b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow1_zps45883fcb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow1_zps45883fcb.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow11_zps2a1a17dc.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow11_zps2a1a17dc.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow12_zpsc4b1ca28.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow12_zpsc4b1ca28.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow13_zps2225560b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow13_zps2225560b.jpg.html)
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Very original and agressive !
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By the way, here's a comparison shot between the plasma prow and torpedo prow:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprowvstorpedoprow_zpsfc13d00b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprowvstorpedoprow_zpsfc13d00b.jpg.html)
Note that the prow is still very WIP.
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Update on the plasma prow:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow23_zps5da02041.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow23_zps5da02041.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow22_zps3aaffead.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow22_zps3aaffead.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow21_zpsb3c27920.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow21_zpsb3c27920.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow2_zps51c3263b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Plasmaprow2_zps51c3263b.jpg.html)
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By the way, I did do a little bit of work on the Legion ship, namely replacing the old turrets for the new ones. Reason behind it is that the barrels of the old turret are too frail to print. I've also hollowed out the design greatly, but at the same time I've been pondering of making the ships slightly bigger than normal BFG models (cruiser being 15cm long for example), but I'm not 100% sure on that yet...
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Remember the torpedoes I did a while back? They're available on Bits Blitz (http://shpws.me/pxDY). :)
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In the meantime, a little veeeeeery early WIP shot of the next Legion ship: My interpretation of the '001 Battleship (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v488/PSibbering/Sciror/sciror-battleship-001-blue.jpg)'...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Battleship01_zps6cf1b1b6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Battleship01_zps6cf1b1b6.jpg.html)
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The great brother of the first one. What do you plan to do on this new one ?
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As you can see the battleship is huge. The original idea of an all purpose ship has now become the battleship. Whilst the cruisers are constantly modified for each battle/campaign, the battleship is meant to function all on its own. Armed to the teeth (it carries 8 times as many torpedo prows as the cruiser!), a single battleship can pacify entire sectors!
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Not a huge fan of the squarey-wavey shape, just looks like a mess. Personally I'd go with a consistent shape as with the cruisers, or a more defined and deliberate shape. I also prefer the main engine thingy not being in the middle of the ship, largely for aesthetic reasons.
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I know what you mean, it didn't feel 100% right at first, but after your comment it really started to bug me, so...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Battleship03_zpsd2eed088.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Battleship03_zpsd2eed088.jpg.html)
Tweaked the design a bit, and also added the torpedo launchers, next (both left and right) of each launcher there will be turrets the same size as on the cruisers.
Larger turrets will be mounted on the top/bottom/sides of the components (that means 12 big turrets pointing forward and 8 pointing backwards). The middle component of the front part will also be getting some launchbays from which vast hordes of fighters/bombers/assault boats descend upon the enemy.
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I like the missile launchers; reminds me a lot of the cruise and torpedo launchers of EVE. Perhaps some way of covering the exposed tubes might aid the appearance?
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You mean like some sort of lid that can open and close?
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Not necessarily a functional lid, but like sliding bay doors perhaps. The RL justification is be that you don't want crap in your missile tubes, which might damage the missile, or worse, jam it in the tube at the most awkward moment. If you want I can take some screenshots from the EVE launchers next time I'm ingame (later tonight).
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Source: EVE Online
Credit: Crowd Control Productions (CCP)
Let's just say that CCP designs are amazing and nicely detailed. I don't think that GW puts as much time into a whole ship as CCP does into a single ships' weapons module.
(http://i43.tinypic.com/2dgndlc.png)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/20z8q6r.png)
(http://i43.tinypic.com/30lyxs0.png)
(http://i41.tinypic.com/v4z81x.png)
(http://i42.tinypic.com/2jadflu.png)
The launcher that fires cruise missiles on-par with the torpedoes has a small gantry that comes up with the missile and is also really cool, but I figured it's not that relevant here. Basically just trying to give ideas as to what things might be found on a large missile launcher, which might help get your launcher from 6 holes in the side of a ship to the badass weaponry it really is.
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Hmm, I think I'll go for the second option, on the model it would just count as 'being open'. The scale I'm working at makes it very difficult, if not impossible to add those tiny details since each torpedo tube would have a diameter of around 1.5mm.
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[INCOMING!!!]
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115638_zps13bc11b3.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115638_zps13bc11b3.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115716_zpsb8b56bbd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115716_zpsb8b56bbd.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115750_zpsaecb1819.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115750_zpsaecb1819.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115818_zpscf693308.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/2013-11-01115818_zpscf693308.jpg.html)
(apologies for the bad quality pictures, I'm not a great photographer)
I must say I'm quite happy with the result, considering this is the cheapest material (https://www.shapeways.com/materials/strong-flexible) Shapeways is offering. Most of the details came through, the 0.25mm stuff is almost impossible to see and would get lost after a layer of paint. I would need to update the design in such a way that most 0.25mm stuff is enlarged to 0.5mm, which shouldn't be too difficult (a few exceptions here and there).
Another major flaw in my design was that I didn't leave enough 'moving space' for the different components, meaning I had to file bits of the plastic to fit the model together. What this means is that the components are now stuck to each other, which means you don't need glue to put them together (!!!), but the major downside is that you can take them apart. I liked the idea that players could constantly replace components of their ships, kind of like how I imagined the Legion ships to work in the setting as well. So that's another thing I need to tweak in the next version.
I noticed that the details of the turrets didn't fully come through, whilst not a major problem, I'll try to tweak the design slightly to see if it's still possible to do that.
All in all, I'm satisfied with the result, knowing that my design was too far off. Some fixing will be needed, but then it should be good enough to be printed in a better material so it can be cast.
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I imagine a higher quality print would bring out most of the finer details too. Obviously no harm in making the details more pronounced, especially if it means you can use a cheaper print and make the product cheaper. Of course the higher quality print would be advisable for making your master for casting.
Gotta say, looking fine; can't wait to see some paint on it!
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I imagine a higher quality print would bring out most of the finer details too. Obviously no harm in making the details more pronounced, especially if it means you can use a cheaper print and make the product cheaper. Of course the higher quality print would be advisable for making your master for casting.
Gotta say, looking fine; can't wait to see some paint on it!
I know a higher quality print would bring out the finer details, it's not that you can't see the 0.25mm stuff, it's just that they will disappear after a layer of paint. I will still use a more expensive printing service (need the models in HTM140) to ensure that the design is still smooth. Problem with Shapeways' print is that they either maintain printlines or have a very grainy/brittle texture, which doesn't look good. I want the models to be super tight/smooth.
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In the meantime I've started working some more on the battleship. It now has 48 torpedo tubes and 36 turrets! It will still get 20 larger turrets, launch bays, additional small turrets (like the 36 that are on there now) and a potential super weapon on the front.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Battleship04_zps9fe0e7a0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Battleship04_zps9fe0e7a0.jpg.html)
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The boarding pods are ready! :) I slightly tweaked the previous picture (rotated it 45 degrees for example), since there were some difficulties with preparing it for printing. It's a tiny bugger, about 6.5mm long, 4mm high, and 4mm wide.
Front view:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Boardingpod02_zps011cd1b3.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Boardingpod02_zps011cd1b3.jpg.html)
Back view:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Boardingpod01_zps80be314e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/LEGION%20ordnance/Boardingpod01_zps80be314e.jpg.html)
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Been doing some more work on the battleship, added the big turrets. Do note that the hull will still need a lot of work to make it all work. I've tried to stick to the original concept art (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/PSibbering/media/Sciror/sciror-battleship-001-blue.jpg.html) as much as possible, but it can become a bit of a challenge, especially since I want both the ability to fire all turrets in the same direction (depending on which side of the hull you are of course), but not have the heights of the different segments differ too much. Hence, I moved the second components' turrets on the diagonal panels, and added some extra levels to heighten up the turrets on the components closest to the Distortion Engine so they won't hit the turrets on the front if firing forwards.
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Been pondering a bit about bombers, I wouldn't imagine it would 'drop' bombs, makes no sense in zero gravity. But then again, the whole concept of a dogfight in space makes no sense either...
Fighter craft, or rather drones, would be launched from the ship, either with some sort of railgun, or even teleport. Maybe some sort of total conversion field/engine (http://www.philipsibbering.com/wh40k/07-08-tec-power.shtml) to ensure it can keep on going in a dogfight? But even so, a fighter would make very little sense considering the vast distances it would have to travel. Perhaps their role should be different, purely to provide cover for the boarding pods as the soldiers board the enemy ship. Maybe something more akin to the Sentinels (http://matrix.wikia.com/wiki/Sentinel) from the Matrix?
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Great looking work, wondering how you found the shapeway material. I know you said that it didn't pick up the details but have you tried painting it and if so how did that go?
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Great looking work, wondering how you found the shapeway material. I know you said that it didn't pick up the details but have you tried painting it and if so how did that go?
The texture of the material is very rough/britle. It isn't smooth. Now that can be fixed with a slightly thicker than normal layer of paint, but that would really ruin the details.
I want the model to just be tight, smooth and profesional looking, the same quality you would get from your normal plastic or resin (not FW) kits. Which is why I need to get the master printed by another company, and then get the models cast.
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This project has been quite for too long!
The battleship is currently on hold, will look into it again when I have more time. The turret component of the cruiser (the one with 20 turrets on it) will need serious updating considering what I've learnt from the printed model.
I've tweaked the cruiser a tiny bit. And what's that in the background?
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Tweaked the design of the station a bit. It still needs some work to get the silhouette ready, then it's details.
One major challenge in the design is to keep the price of it rather normal. First test (hollowed out) left it at €160 for the cheapest material at Shapeways, which makes no sense. Meaning I've had to resize it a bit (as seen in the current pic).
(http://i42.tinypic.com/2lc5kky.jpg)
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Considering the castability of my models, I never even considered this for my original Legion ship, assuming if it could be printed, it could be cast, not considering all the undercuts.
So now I have this awesome ship design, but it might be a challenge to cast easily. Which means it's tweaking time! Since the first print I've slightly updated the design, and now this process will continue. Undercuts and such will be removed, whilst maintaining the model's original aesthetic. Let the challenge begin!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept311_zps0cd40c8d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept311_zps0cd40c8d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept312_zps6877df35.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept312_zps6877df35.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept313_zps867aaea8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept313_zps867aaea8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept314_zpsd6799889.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept314_zpsd6799889.jpg.html)
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In the meantime I made a scale picture of the Legion ships I've got so far:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Threenexttoeachother_zps88c8c8e8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Threenexttoeachother_zps88c8c8e8.jpg.html)
And yes, that little fellow is the latest addition to the Legion family...
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Nuh-uh, you don't get to tease us like that! Spill! :P :P :P
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Ok, ok, ok! ;)
Another WIP shot:
(https://images.shapeways.com/model/picture/674x501_1623783_1964784_1389467085.jpg)
There are some details I still want to add to it, the launch bays on the side will be reworked to match the one on the cruiser.
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Legion battlegroup (will come up with a more corporate, less war sounding title)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Battlegroup_zps4544454c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Battlegroup_zps4544454c.jpg.html)
As you can see the escort is finished (for now), which means I'll be making some test prints at Shapeways in the coming days.
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Look what Malika just ordered to test print...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/674x501_1623783_1977059_1389647327_zpsa1972457.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/674x501_1623783_1977059_1389647327_zpsa1972457.jpg.html)
Special thanks to Armand for helping me out with the stl file. :)
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Look what arrived at my doorstep...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2014-01-17111512_zps09fb381d.jpg)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2014-01-17111247_zpse87bf642.jpg)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/2014-01-17111309_zps0d5fb512.jpg)
First of all, apologies for the bad quality photos. I'm not that great a photographer, and I should perhaps have the models primed/painted to do them true just since this see-through stuff makes the lighting very annoying.
I must say that the quality of the FUD print isn't as bad as I expected! I really thought it was going to be a lot worse. However, this doesn't mean that it's suitable for casting, there are still visible print lines and there are some tiny inaccuracies in the prints here and there (which weren't on the model).
Looking at the model I'm quite happy how it turned out, some of the smallest details on the ship are around 0.15mm and even they are pretty visible. I wonder how they would look lie with a layer of paint...
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Been playing a bit with SketchUp's colours...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/battlegroup1_zpsc6fe228a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/battlegroup1_zpsc6fe228a.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/battlegroup2_zpsb935816e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/battlegroup2_zpsb935816e.jpg.html)
For some reason I imagine the Legion's basic colour scheme to be grey, the blue is just a very...well, trendy futuristic colour I guess!
I'm imagining the basic game/battles to be some form of internal strife, it's the Legion fighting itself. The Legion originally started off as the Roman Empire, but eventually becoming the British Empire. (http://trollsforge.proboards.com/post/27895/thread) I would imagine this strife, or at least the main campaign/storyline for the space ship game to be along the lines of either a colonial war or a war between equalized powers.
The colonial war would be very much like the wars of independence throughout the Americas. The colonies didn't really seek independence because they wanted everybody to live in freedom (Haiti probably being the big exception), their resistance has been very economic/political in nature, especially in Latin America, meaning they wanted to get more power and profit, not longer interested in sending it off to the distant throne in the old continent. In case of the Legion these would be more 'distant' colonies (subsidiary worlds) that seen great autonomy, forming their own alliances. Of course the Legion as whole isn't so happy about this idea and starts sending in their fleet to teach these secessionists a lesson.
The war between 'equal powers' would be akin to two colonial powers fighting amongst themselves for domination. Kinda like the British versus the French I guess. Perhaps some sort of 'small Psidemic' occurred, leaving vast parts of the Legion empire separated, it basically cut the empire in two factions, both believing themselves to be the true Legion. They try to establish new colonies and outdo the other one. It could also be more of a Cold War scenario in which both these factions try to fight a proxy war, akin to the Soviets and Americans. But then with elements of the French/British wars (got to love naval war).
All very possible scenarios of course. I would imagine that symbolically these factions be white (pearl) and black (obsidian), each a different aspect of the Legion, together being Legion grey. Oh well...food for thought! :)
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Those ships do look suitable for a cool paintjob. How big are they?
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The cruiser stands at almost 130mm long, quite big, but it's only 32mm wide and 19mm high (including the turrets), so that kinda compensates I guess.
The escorts are about 37mm long, 13mm wide and 8mm high.
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I started with a little experiment:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/experiment_zpsef742d95.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/experiment_zpsef742d95.jpg.html)
Let me know what you think.
I'm also planning on making the 'gaps' between the blocks of the ship (between prow and launch bays, between launch bays and engine, etc) a bit deeper, thereby also lessening the singular block feel.
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Even submarines have conning towers ;)
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I'm not totally sold on it yet. I wanted it to have a subtle fin, kinda like I did for the escorts. Need to ponder a bit more about it...
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A more fin-like shape would probably... well actually, you've not shown us what shape this thing is, is it a wide blocky thingy or a fin thingy? :P
A fin with a small bridge atop it would be the way I'd go I think, in-keeping with your intents.
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Here some other views of the ship:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept341_zpsf35b071f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept341_zpsf35b071f.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept342_zps17b614eb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept342_zps17b614eb.jpg.html)
The Distortion Engine will still need a lot of work, new detailing to be added, some of the old stuff having to be removed. That part also offers a nice possibility to create a 'gap' into the ship, thereby breaking the block shape when looking at it from the top or bottom.
The idea of a bridge is something I really don't want to see on these ships personally. I find the idea of a clear bridge on this scale rather odd, is the captain going to stare into deep space with a telescope? Also, wouldn't the bridge just be a big 'hit me' sign basically?
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Been tweaking the design some more, oh and quickly added some colours for this little picture:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Scene_zps824f23f4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Scene_zps824f23f4.jpg.html)
Man...I need to learn some proper Photoshop/Illustrator/whatever...
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There are some gains to being able to physically look at your ship. For example, it might be reassuring that it is still there. Are you also intending to have autopilot do everything for you, or try and keep a formation of these things going by cameras and transponder readings alone? Sometimes it's useful to be able to look at what you want to be seeing.
As for being a big "hit me" sign... Personally I'd hit the massive weapon batteries first; after all, they're the ones shooting at you. I do not believe for one moment that the guns will fall silent the moment the comms to the bridge get cut for whatever reason. The gunners would revert to emergency protocol, just as had happened to the defensive guns during the USS Forrestal fire. And while all current ships have an obvious bridge, isn't that just as much of an invitation? What you'll notice is that modern warships will function in combat without their bridge, usually from the redundant command centre, somewhere near the middle of the ship behind several layers of armour, and rated for chemical and biological warfare (probably nuclear too).
So yes, no matter how big you make your ship, you're probably still going to have an obvious bridge somewhere on the damn thing. Much like the current freighters, you're probably not going to be able to see small things directly adjacent to you, but you're still going to be able to see things vaguely in your weight class, especially at a standard safe distance. Your bridge will be visible and exposed, but it will not be critical to the ship's combat functions.
On the other hand, it's your ship and your world, do what you want with it. However if you're asking for opinion, mine is above and I assure you I will be watching any "realism" justification carefully ;)
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Decided to give the ship some more firepower...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept352_zps9af20834.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept352_zps9af20834.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept351_zpsc5572075.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept351_zpsc5572075.jpg.html)
I'm not fully happy with them yet, they can't really turn or anything, and on some parts (especially on the carrier module) they seem rather forced, as if somebody had too many guns lying around and decided to glue them on his ship. Might remove them, or replace them for small turrets (like the side turrets of my escorts) to make them look more subtle...
There are some gains to being able to physically look at your ship. For example, it might be reassuring that it is still there. Are you also intending to have autopilot do everything for you, or try and keep a formation of these things going by cameras and transponder readings alone? Sometimes it's useful to be able to look at what you want to be seeing.
True, but I really wonder how effective that would be if your enemies are cloaked (be it because of their shield or the dark color of their ships) and are also thousands upon thousands of kilometers away.
It makes me think that perhaps normal aquatic ships aren't the best comparison for this sort of thing. Perhaps it would be more fitting to look at submarines?
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It makes me think that perhaps normal aquatic ships aren't the best comparison for this sort of thing. Perhaps it would be more fitting to look at submarines?
Ironically their primary attack is conducted visually, and they still have a conning tower ;)
As I said earlier, it's not necessarily your enemy you need to look at; sometimes you need to look at the very ship you're standing on, or the ship right next to you, or the dock/asteroid/moon/station you're trying to dock with.
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You mean through periscopes? If I recall correctly modern submarines only use those thing occasionally, mainly relying on sensors and GPS. In the darkness of space, like deep underneath the sea, visibility is rather limited, especially if you want to look a couple of kilometers away.
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In the meantime I've started to remove the broadside weapons I've added yesterday and am replacing them for smaller turrets:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/concept36_zps5c8f3bf1.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/concept36_zps5c8f3bf1.jpg.html)
I checked it on printability and it should be all fine, which is great since I'm really digging the smaller turrets, they also make the bigger turrets look huge, which in effect makes the ship look bigger as well! :)
After that it's some more detailing, especially the gap parts between the components and see if I could perhaps beef up the torpedo prow. In the meantime the turret component will receive a serious overhaul, with the turrets being based on the prow cannons of the escort.
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You mean through periscopes? If I recall correctly modern submarines only use those thing occasionally, mainly relying on sensors and GPS. In the darkness of space, like deep underneath the sea, visibility is rather limited, especially if you want to look a couple of kilometers away.
They use their sensors to navigate, though you still need to be able to do it the old fashioned way from the surface if needed. They use a search periscope which is all fancy and electronic, but for the actual torpedo attack, it's the attack periscope, a smaller, simpler device - purely optical, mirrors and the mk1 eyeball.
I quite like the smaller turrets, though the recesses they sit in could be bigger to facilitate their theoretical turning. The shot you posted highlights what was feeling a bit off about the main guns (for me). Could you do a version with the main guns having a small extension on the back, sort of a counterbalance, extending aft of the pivot circle?
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They use their sensors to navigate, though you still need to be able to do it the old fashioned way from the surface if needed. They use a search periscope which is all fancy and electronic, but for the actual torpedo attack, it's the attack periscope, a smaller, simpler device - purely optical, mirrors and the mk1 eyeball.
But that would mean there is daylight right? I mean...night vision isn't the greatest for long distance stuff if I'm not mistaken. How would they deal with this in total darkness? I would imagine using a periscope then would be quite a pickle!
I quite like the smaller turrets, though the recesses they sit in could be bigger to facilitate their theoretical turning.
Good point! I'm working on that as I'm typing this. The only potential problem that might not arise is that the stl conversion might mess some parts up, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Another thing to keep in mind is that these turrets are 2.75mm wide, making all sorts of gaps around it is more realistic when looking at the model from very close, but once printed you'll hardly see it, unless you use a magnifying glass or something.
The shot you posted highlights what was feeling a bit off about the main guns (for me). Could you do a version with the main guns having a small extension on the back, sort of a counterbalance, extending aft of the pivot circle?
I quickly fixed that! Back of the turrets have been beefed up a bit as you suggested. The only problem I have with it is that the gun feel slightly too clunky now.
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They use their sensors to navigate, though you still need to be able to do it the old fashioned way from the surface if needed. They use a search periscope which is all fancy and electronic, but for the actual torpedo attack, it's the attack periscope, a smaller, simpler device - purely optical, mirrors and the mk1 eyeball.
But that would mean there is daylight right? I mean...night vision isn't the greatest for long distance stuff if I'm not mistaken. How would they deal with this in total darkness? I would imagine using a periscope then would be quite a pickle!
Remember they have been doing it since WW2, so I imagine they have ways of dealing with it.
The shot you posted highlights what was feeling a bit off about the main guns (for me). Could you do a version with the main guns having a small extension on the back, sort of a counterbalance, extending aft of the pivot circle?
I quickly fixed that! Back of the turrets have been beefed up a bit as you suggested. The only problem I have with it is that the gun feel slightly too clunky now.
Hummmmm. *ponders*
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Wanted to give the ship a little bit more shape. However, I'm not too fond of wings and such on these ships. So I decided to beef up the torpedo prow a bit, thereby making it look more heavily armored, and making it more distinguishable from the stern:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/concept381_zps98a1112f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/concept381_zps98a1112f.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/concept382_zps1bf7c048.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/concept382_zps1bf7c048.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/concept383_zpsfb777efb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/concept383_zpsfb777efb.jpg.html)
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Thin ass, fat prow, that just ain't right. Maybe try pulling the nose into a point? I think we had a version of this at one point, hehe. The centremost block can remain square, just pull it forward a bit (not too far).
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I've returned to the original prow since the beefier one meant the ship would shoot itself whilst trying to hit enemies that are straight in front of it. However, I did start working on some communication/navigation arrays, still early WIP though:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept39_zps48dceea6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept39_zps48dceea6.jpg.html)
@Islacrusez: Hmm, need to ponder a bit about the front. I like the idea of it being more heavily armored, making the shape of the ship more 'mace'/'club'/'hammer' like rather than sword like. So a blunt front rather than a pointy one.
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Why do you want to armour the front so much if most of your firepower can't shoot forward?
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I don't know actually, it makes no real sense, especially since these aren't ramming ships or anything. One reasoning I had behind it was that the torpedoes would need extra protection.
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Hmm, where does that idea come from I wonder? Could it be perhaps the nature of BFG's torpedoes and how they so often hide behind armoured prows? ;)
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Hmm, where does that idea come from I wonder? Could it be perhaps the nature of BFG's torpedoes and how they so often hide behind armoured prows? ;)
Most definitely! I feel as if I'm a bit trapped in my own inspirations, I mean I've looked at BFG a lot for this project, but sometimes I wonder if I look a bit too much at it.
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Hehe, trapped in your inspirations and by your aspirations it seems; I think you're too fixated on not following established ship designs (or certain aspects) that you're not looking at inspiration, references etc as a precaution to try and insulate yourself from outside influence. What you need to do is look at as much inspiration as possible, and decide for yourself how you want your ship to look and what elements you want to use. Sure you'll end up largely remixing existing ideas and conventions, but if you also use realworld influences as well as obscure fiction, you'll end up with something that is both partially original and not breaking boundaries too much as to make people dislike it.
There's also the function vs form debate; as long as both are given enough consideration, it doesn't really matter which gets priority. It also helps that if you go the function above form route, that the function makes sense.
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Been experimenting with other prow mounted weapons:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Experimentalweaponry_zpsaaed709c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Experimentalweaponry_zpsaaed709c.jpg.html)
Not fully sold yet, but I did make the prow multipart, meaning that the torpedo bays and sensor/comms array are separate pieces. I'm not too fond yet of the new frontal weapons, I think I'll need to design some totally new weapons rather than try to regurgitate the existing energy weapons.
Oh yeah...notice that little change at the back?
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By the way, in the meantime I've updated the communication arrays a bit. The one on the front still needs a lot of work though.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept402_zps4fa6cd15.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept402_zps4fa6cd15.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept401_zps05c1d89c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept401_zps05c1d89c.jpg.html)
Whilst I'm personally not so much into the idea of having a bridge on the ship, the communication arrays do give people the option to count that part of the ship as a bridge if they'd wanted to, they could even try to paint tiny windows on that part of the hull! :)
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The lovely fellows over at Resin Addicts (check the place if you're interested in scratchbuilding/casting your models yourself) gave me some feedback, which kinda inspired me. Got the suggestion I should try to beef up the size of the engine itself, it didn't really work out. However, it did enable me to further chop up the ship:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/concept41_zps1184b20b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/concept41_zps1184b20b.jpg.html)
This way the ship has become even more modular, allowing you to really go crazy with different designs. Really need to start rebuilding the heavy turret component and some turret variants...
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I really like this ship it's almost to the point you should stop fiddLing with it. I will say I absolutely hate the big guns sticking out the front of the noses on your ships. I think you need to shorten them and find a way to make them fit In with your design better.
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I know what you mean. I was fiddling with them earlier today and it ended up really bad (understatement). So I'm gonna stop with that and start making some variant bits, new weapons and such. I dislike the front weapons as well (those cannons don't make sense), I think I might go for the design you made when you were trying to scratchbuild my design. :)
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Your magma cannon, but like triple sided would look but unique.
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Hmm, I was thinking of a mix betweenthe Magma Cannon from the Doomhammer (http://static4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130921214444/warhammer40k/images/e/e5/Doomhammer000.png), the Ion Cannon frigate from Homeworld (http://images.wikia.com/homeworld/images/6/68/HW2_Comps_01_DC_HGN_IonCannonFrigate.jpg) and the Tau Ion Cannon (http://kofler.dot.at/40k/units/Tau_Hammerhead_with_Ion_Cannon.gif). Lets see how that'll go...
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In terme of looking massive, heavy and destructive, the Magma canon of the Doomhammer is impressive.
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I agree those prow guns look weedy............ They need something short, fat and mean.
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Being worked on! Expect an update on those next week.
In the meantime, got any ideas for fighter/bomber/support ordnance craft? I imagine their role to be to take out enemy ordnance, torpedoes and turrets, but also types to repair damaged systems of allied ships, others to function as some sort of shield, and yet other ones to penetrate enemy shields and providing that gap for friendly torpedoes/energy weapons to penetrate. So any ideas on their aesthetics would be very welcome, if you got pics for inspiration that would be great as well! :)
Cheers!
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By the way, just wanted to give you a quick picture of what is possible with the current components...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LEGION%20ship/Somevariants_zps6b58178e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LEGION%20ship/Somevariants_zps6b58178e.jpg.html)
The bigger engine as suggested will be made, but will be another component, basically a variant on the engine I've got now. The current engine is for standard cruisers, the larger engine (which will be a redesign of the one I've got now, but a lot beefier) will be for heavy cruisers. Reason I'm going for this route is that simply resizing the engine component makes it look odd compared to the rest of the ship.
Besides that there will be some turret variants, prow weapons, and some new components (so you have more options than the launch bay component). It would allow you to really create your own ship designs, only limited by your imagination and ability to balance it (unless you use a way larger base, and pin it to that base on multiple spots).
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New version of the turret variant is slowly getting there. For the more perceptive ones of you, do you recognize the turrets?
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Turretcomponent20_zps3a7bcb0c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Turretcomponent20_zps3a7bcb0c.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Turretcomponent21_zps60ed9adf.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Turretcomponent21_zps60ed9adf.jpg.html)
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The amazing Icesword (check out 'Miniatures of the North') has painted up a copy of one of my escorts, check it out!
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/014_zpsd314ab4a.jpg) (http://s298.photobucket.com/user/IceFalchion/media/Decorated%20images/014_zpsd314ab4a.jpg.html)
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/013_zps8b3ead72.jpg) (http://s298.photobucket.com/user/IceFalchion/media/Decorated%20images/013_zps8b3ead72.jpg.html)
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/012_zps6a068910.jpg) (http://s298.photobucket.com/user/IceFalchion/media/Decorated%20images/012_zps6a068910.jpg.html)
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/010_zps589e486a.jpg) (http://s298.photobucket.com/user/IceFalchion/media/Decorated%20images/010_zps589e486a.jpg.html)
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Nice to see it in reality.Are those streaks due to casting with the 3D printer ?
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Yeah, it's the printer. A shame really, since this is also Shapeways' most detailed material. It means that for an 'official model version' I'd need to have it printed elsewhere, which will be rather pricy (I'd guess around $100 for a single model), after which I'd need to have it cast. But...it has totally motivated me again to work on the ships. Improve the designs here and there so that they can be cast more easily and such.
The cruiser sized ships will get some extensive re-working in the coming days/weeks.
I'm totally motivated again! :D
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Really ? I have seen Shapeway 6mm figs printed with best resolution "frozen i don't know what detail" if i remember well, and they where just perfect.
You have the solution to soflty pass a cutter blade in order to scrub a little the surface everywhere. Not to do if you have several to produce but for st one, it could be not that complicated.
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One major problem I'm kinda running into with this ship is its castability due to the side guns. Might have to rethink the design a bit.
The launch bays in the middle of the hull (both left and right sides) look a bit odd, will probably remove them and try to make the middle of the ship a bit thinner. That way the front and back of the vessel will be a bit more accentuated.
I also noticed that the details in the front guns have more or less disappeared. Will have to enlarge them a bit.
@Marell le Fou: You mean Frosted Ultra Detail? Yup, same material! Maybe a slightly thicker layer of paint was used to hide the print lines? As for using some sort of cutting device on the ship: it's too risky, especially when some details are 0.15mm, so that's something I'd like to kinda avoid. They just need to be done with a higher res printer and then cast.
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There's a difference between printing an infantry figure and something with large flat surfaces where it stands out. You'll need to take a very super fine sandpaper and smooth out those print lines, I know.
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I tweaked the design a bit, mainly to improve castability:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort20-001_zps2b684c26.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort20-001_zps2b684c26.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort20-002_zps9bc0002a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort20-002_zps9bc0002a.jpg.html)
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Work on the cruisers is slightly delayed. I was working on starting from scrap again, but I ended up hating it as a cruiser sized ship, so I shrunk it, turning it into an escort.
It's still an early WIP, especially the engine part needs work.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-003_zpsdbb1f155.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-003_zpsdbb1f155.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-002_zps7860f2fd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-002_zps7860f2fd.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-001_zps0cfb702b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-001_zps0cfb702b.jpg.html)
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-006_zps37f58ad7.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-006_zps37f58ad7.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-005_zps83bf1482.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-005_zps83bf1482.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead20-004_zpsfacf5b5c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead20-004_zpsfacf5b5c.jpg.html)
Not sure yet about the weapons...
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Well...I might have to toss this one in the trash...the model's geometry is all messed up, meaning that when I prepare the model for printing huge chunks are cut out of the model to "fix" it.
Basically means I have to start all over again. [expletive] great...
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Why can't you print it ? It looks classical and quiet simple to my eyes ?
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Apparently it's not watertight (welcome to the fun world of geometries), and when I try to get it watertight throug a program like netfabb it basically tears the model to shreds. In other words...nothing remains, making it even more unprintable.
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Ok, hung around the SketchUp forum, toyed a bit with cleaning up the model and before I knew it I basically remade the entire model, and not only that...I learnt how to get the thing watertight on SketchUp itself, no longer having to use stuff like Netfabb. Victory is mine!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-001_zps4ed38477.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-001_zps4ed38477.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-002_zpsee8c1c57.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-002_zpsee8c1c57.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-003_zps088007c9.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-003_zps088007c9.jpg.html)
A few small changes:
-Beefed up the backpart of the ship a bit, making it a tiny bit wider.
-Removed the wing mounted weapons. I never liked them, would have to come up with something else though...
Time for detailing...
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Nice global shape.
Why not dockyards clipped on the wings ? Extra cargo is always a good idea.
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Hmm, maybe. I need to kinda think on how that'll work. At the moment I'm imagining this ship as a sort of blockade runner. It's main purpose to quickly bring something, or someone from one location to the other. Not really mass transport or a fighting craft.
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OK, so... Big reactors !
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Update time! Been starting on the detailing. At the moment the model stands at 42mm long:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-004d_zps83bee47f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-004d_zps83bee47f.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-004c_zps33f19e47.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-004c_zps33f19e47.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-004b_zpscec6aaad.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-004b_zpscec6aaad.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-004a_zps98e3bbc6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-004a_zps98e3bbc6.jpg.html)
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That's looking pretty sweet! I might actually be interested in a few to serve as stand-ins during development of my system! Overall shape is pretty fantastic, and the basic wing shape looks smooth and fits nicely. The previous version showed the SC heritage a bit too much I think.
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I fixed the first escort to improve its castability:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort20-fixed_zpsfac3d91b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort20-fixed_zpsfac3d91b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort20-fixed002_zps759ab024.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort20-fixed002_zps759ab024.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort20-fixed003_zps9b538074.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort20-fixed003_zps9b538074.jpg.html)
Also continued working on the blockade runner:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-005a_zps4847cdf5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-005a_zps4847cdf5.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-005b_zpsf7d772f8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-005b_zpsf7d772f8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Hammerhead21-005c_zps11635522.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Hammerhead21-005c_zps11635522.jpg.html)
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By the way, here are the two ships next to one another:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2escorts_zps647e759f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2escorts_zps647e759f.jpg.html)
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Ok, I started playing with 'ordnance' again. This time a troop carrier shuttle. Well, not a troop carrier per se, but I imagined the Legion would use them in this role. They could be used to move troops between ships, but are primarily used to transport troops to the surface.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Troopcarrier20-001a_zpsf9a611af.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Troopcarrier20-001a_zpsf9a611af.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Troopcarrier20-001b_zps69f20f70.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Troopcarrier20-001b_zps69f20f70.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Troopcarrier20-001c_zps751958a7.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Troopcarrier20-001c_zps751958a7.jpg.html)
The model is about 6.5mm long, 2.8mm tall, and 4.8mm wide.
Here is the shuttle model next to the Blockade Runner:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BlockadeRunnervsTroopCarrier-modelscale_zps25285d01.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BlockadeRunnervsTroopCarrier-modelscale_zps25285d01.jpg.html)
Note that the scales of the actual models vary. I imagine the blockade runner to be 1:25000. The 40mm long model would in 'real life' be little over 1km. The shuttle model, being 6.5mm long is supposed to be little over 30m long in 'real life', making the scale about 1:5000. This explains why the shuttle model seems so big next to the blockade runner, but it's also the only way to have such a model.
Here are the two craft were we to use 'actual scaling':
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BlockadeRunnervsTroopCarrier-actualscale_zps97ccc845.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BlockadeRunnervsTroopCarrier-actualscale_zps97ccc845.jpg.html)
In this case you'd probably need a magnifying glass and some tweezers to play the game since the shuttle would be about 1.25mm.
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The troop carrier shuttle is finished. Also designed a base for it:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Troopcarriersquadron_zpsf22e8be9.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Troopcarriersquadron_zpsf22e8be9.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Troopcarriersquadrona_zps284cfa18.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Troopcarriersquadrona_zps284cfa18.jpg.html)
The base's diameter is 20mm. The poles have varying lengths, their bottom diameter is 4mm and the top part is 1mm. The longest pole is 17.5mm, which made me think of the following. The ships are 'flying' pretty low compared to normal flight stands. However, in order to keep this thing castable in a 1 inch mold, the poles can't be too long if I want the entire base to remain a single piece. But isn't it then perhaps easier to mold the base in multiple parts, so the base itself and the poles? That way I can also make longer poles and such. Players could then put together their own base.
Not sure if this would become too fiddly and/or inefficient for production. I can imagine that casting the base as a single piece could mean a higher chance of miscasts and of course more "wear 'n tear" for the mold itself. Oh well, food for thought...
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Remember my old boarding pods (http://shpws.me/pBtI)? I've updated the design a bit...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Boardingpodsvstroopcarriers_zpsc9508319.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Boardingpodsvstroopcarriers_zpsc9508319.jpg.html)
The way I see it these are used to board enemy ships. Whilst the shuttles are also capable of doing this, the boarding pods emit some sort of 'counter field' that allow them to penetrate the enemy's Distortion Engine's field (since normally matter is turned into energy by these things).
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If ever you feel motivated for creating some Thugs for X-Wing game, i would be much interested.
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First of all, look who just became available at my Bits Blitz shop on Shapeways:
Dropships (http://shpws.me/rHsT)
Assault Boats (http://shpws.me/rGJM)
And yes, I'm selling them in packs of 100! ;D
As for the Star Wars suggestion. Do you have a picture of it? I can only find pics of those pork looking creatures when searching for Star Wars Thugs.
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When i was a child playing on the video game x-wing (flight simulator), those tugs where mautention small crafts. Mainly for transporting stuff and help build or repair big combat ships.
They would be a fun addition to the actual x-wing game, that already have plenty of fighters, to represent civilan targets. It could allow more scenarios like "destroy the thugs" for a camp and defend them for the other one, etc.
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What scale are those Star Wars miniatures in? What are the dimensions?
In the meantime, I've as good as finished the 'Hammerhead' blockade runner:
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Started on something of a distraction: transport ships. These lack the Distortion Engines the larger ships have, so they are dependent on stuff like cruisers. However, their main advantage is that they can enter a planet's atmosphere without completely disintegrating it due to the Distortion Engine's field, making the perfect craft to supply the vast Ecoria hive cities.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-001a_zpsa5e9b559.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-001a_zpsa5e9b559.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-001b_zps06032f89.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-001b_zps06032f89.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-001c_zpse673b4ae.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-001c_zpse673b4ae.jpg.html)
Plan is to have a few variants of these, primarily some different types of containers. Another wish is to make a bunch of smaller ones. Maybe this is just me unconsciously trying to postpone the redesigning of the modular cruiser kit...
Oh yeah, to give you an idea of scale:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-001d_zpsa503048e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-001d_zpsa503048e.jpg.html)
The middle ship, which I had already printed is 37mm long. The blockade runner (on the right) is about 42mm long, whilst the transport ship, once complete will be around 52mm.
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Really nice. I think it's important to print eveything you draw. Feeling is far better with real models.
About X)Wing minis, a x-Wing is 4 cm approx.
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True, but printing is expensive, especially when I only make less than €500 a month (the depressing reality of a freelancer). Sadly enough I don't know anyone with a hi-res printer that I can freely use whenever I want (or in return for labour), so I can only print sporadically. If I have some sort of budget I'd love to print all the stuff just to see how they feel. Hopefully the shuttles and assault craft will sell...
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Really nice work bro. I really like your transport ship. You're making me want to jump ship and play with digital sculpting too...................
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Thanks a lot! By the way, I've got a little something (I think you might have an idea what) for you to Orkify. PM me your contact info if you'd be interested! :)
In the meantime I continued working on the ship. Thing is that I'm in a bit of doubt at the moment. I also made a slightly shorter version of the transport ship, I'm kinda digging it since it looks sturdier. Which one do you guys think looks better?
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-002shotvslong_zpsadd70880.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-002shotvslong_zpsadd70880.jpg.html)
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Updated the design once again. Removed the turrets, added a bridge (!!!). I know...quite a thing coming from me. The reasoning is two-fold: (a) since these craft are meant to also travel to a planet's surface, they would need something more meant for '2d flight', meaning they work more as aquatic ships in a way. (b) this more 'conventional' thing might make the ships more compatible with other games, but also add a certain crudeness to it which I kinda like. These are supposed to be simply work horse kinda ships, not the sophisticated military gear such as the previous escorts and cruisers.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-003threeofthem_zps93c3146e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-003threeofthem_zps93c3146e.jpg.html)
Need to add some more details to the tanks and then this one is good to go. I noticed that I could also add other stuff to be transported, the back of the ship is basically the 'ship', with the cargo just being a removeable attachment (at least in the background, not sure if I want this to be a multipart kit). I am pondering a bit about another type of transporter, more meant for colonisation, able to carry a few 300x300x300 meter cubes... (hint hint hint... (http://www.philipsibbering.com/wh40k/03-ecopolis.shtml))
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Create the "TUG" as a seperate part and have different "container" configurations?
Also consider making a "tug" version that has a seperate drive unit which would be at the "end" of the train....?!
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I was thinking of doing the containers modular, would mean that the transporter carrying 3 tanks would consist of 4 different parts (1) back/engine part, (2) 'connector tank', basically the tank that's connected to the back of the ship, (3) middle 'neutral' tank, and (4) front tank. Of course this could easily allow you to make ships with two tanks, but also larger ones with 4, 5 or 6. But with the longer ones a balance thing might become a problem, unless you put the base elsewhere. But it would allow for easier modification of cargo, meaning I could simply make different connectors. Not a bad idea in itself actually!
The only major problem with the tanks would be how to make the connector and still have it easy to cast without undercuts. I've got a feeling it would be easier to have single piece ships with different load outs. Besides, I've got a feeling most people would either make ships with 2 or 3 tanks anyway if they have the option. 4 or more and you've got balance issues (not only physical balance, but also aesthetically), and the single tank looks a bit too tiny. But I need to think a bit more on this...
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Got a feeling the ship is almost finished. I'm sticking to a single piece model for now due to easy castability. However, I've got two models now: one transport ship with two tanks, and another one with three.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-004c_zpsa6cfc069.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-004c_zpsa6cfc069.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-004d_zps78ae4ae0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-004d_zps78ae4ae0.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-004b_zpscd6518ad.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-004b_zpscd6518ad.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-004a_zps0ff0c431.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-004a_zps0ff0c431.jpg.html)
All the ship needs now is some additional detailing here and there.
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It could be fun to build this ship to receive a magnet piece at beginning and rear of the "wagons", to be able to construct it with various wagons, options and size.
It would include the idea that you do build several wagons of course, but the idea is seductive.
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I'd love to try something like that, the only thing that's kinda stopping me from doing so at the moment is the undercut that'll be there, which could make casting a bit tricky (and/or damage the mould eventually).
However, the idea of having a very modular kit is too cool not to at least try. So let me ponder a bit more on that...
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So I decided to try out modular...
Some pics:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-005parts_zps9344e492.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-005parts_zps9344e492.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/TransportshipAlpha10-005connector_zps2513512f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/TransportshipAlpha10-005connector_zps2513512f.jpg.html)
Here are the four parts needed to make a three tank ship. Two of the tanks are identical, the front one is a unique piece. It looks too cool to ditch, at least in my humble opinion. In the meantime I could try to come up with other components that fit as 'carriages' in between the tanks.
The second pic shows how the tanks are connected to one another.
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By the way, I've put my old escorts up on Shapeways for those interested in getting some ships: LINK (http://shpws.me/rRVq).
(http://images2.sw-cdn.net/model/picture/674x501_1654871_2506246_1396901092.jpg)
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Here, you have a very more sympathetic model. I really think the modulable option is appealing.
Like you said, you now "just have to" add some more and fully compatible wagons.
Quick ideas :
- A squared one for stuff, as you already have a round one.
- One with long tubes packed.
- An armored one, to protect VIPs. Not necessarily with weapons.
- One with a relay for motorisation or extra lateral engines
- One with a turret of course.
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I've been tweaking my existing escorts, let me know what you think!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Untitled_zpsf847befa.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Untitled_zpsf847befa.jpg.html)
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i think they are nice :)
The first on the left has a round portion in the middle. It could be possible to turn it into a skull or something prooch. It makes me think of it, anyway.
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The one in the back/left is still having a lot of work done. The round bits on the sides might be less prominent, especially since it will have some large forward pointing wing mounted batteries... :D
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The skull aspect could be fine i think... It's up to you of course.
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Very impressed
Love the modular cruiser
And the escorts
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-002_zps90b1f7a5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-002_zps90b1f7a5.jpg.html)
Continued with the ships. The one in the back/left has been given some larger guns, enabling it to actually give out a punch in combat, making it akin to a corvette version of a Sword/Gladius Frigate I guess? The guns need a bit of extra work, and then it's just adding some final details here and there.
The ship on the right/front has been modified as well. Brought back the torpedo tubes, removed the guns at the back and put them at the front. The whole bridge/tower part still needs to be made. I'm also tempted to make some sort of turret/cannon on the top of the hull, not sure yet though..
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-001_zpsed216c20.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-001_zpsed216c20.jpg.html)
In the meanwhile I also started working on a light cruiser. The "body" with the bridge and engines still need to be added, as are the weapon systems and the rest.
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-002_zps90b1f7a5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-002_zps90b1f7a5.jpg.html)
Continued with the ships. The one in the back/left has been given some larger guns, enabling it to actually give out a punch in combat, making it akin to a corvette version of a Sword/Gladius Frigate I guess? The guns need a bit of extra work, and then it's just adding some final details here and there.
The ship on the right/front has been modified as well. Brought back the torpedo tubes, removed the guns at the back and put them at the front. The whole bridge/tower part still needs to be made. I'm also tempted to make some sort of turret/cannon on the top of the hull, not sure yet though..
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-001_zpsed216c20.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-001_zpsed216c20.jpg.html)
In the meanwhile I also started working on a light cruiser. The "body" with the bridge and engines still need to be added, as are the weapon systems and the rest.
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Continuing with the Light Cruiser:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-002_zpsa1ae81ef.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-002_zpsa1ae81ef.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-003_zps6447e50b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-003_zps6447e50b.jpg.html)
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-006a_zpsf3016412.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-006a_zpsf3016412.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-006b_zps3ca39306.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-006b_zps3ca39306.jpg.html)
Been working on the ships some more. The escort with the removed big guns will be some sort of fast ship. Very lightly armed, but able to move really fast (maybe even with some sort of stealth thing). Mainly used for invasions and boarding actions, it is capable of transporting elite units fast and quietly.
The one with the missing bridge part (basically the other ship) is a heavier escort. A relatively slower ship, but able to give quite the punch due to its torpedos and plasma cannons (lances?).
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-004a_zps69a1b391.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-004a_zps69a1b391.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-004b_zps35a0eac6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-004b_zps35a0eac6.jpg.html)
I've also been busy updating the light cruiser. Some of the small gun turrets have been removed, it felt a bit too much. However, I did add something else to compensate that...
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Revisited my transport ship. Altered the design of the "ship" component a bit (including adding a few tiny turrest), as well as created a variant cargo component. Idea is that the ship is a two part kit, allowing you to add different kinds of cargo to it.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transports20-001_zps746c528a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transports20-001_zps746c528a.jpg.html)
Also continued working on the escort craft, I've started detailing the wings:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-007_zpsd9a57498.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-007_zpsd9a57498.jpg.html)
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Another update on the escorts:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-009a_zps71db5e56.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-009a_zps71db5e56.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-009b_zps2fc61116.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-009b_zps2fc61116.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-009c_zpsb7a1b532.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-009c_zpsb7a1b532.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-009d_zpsd0ded41b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-009d_zpsd0ded41b.jpg.html)
I've been tweaking the bridge components of the two ships, as well as some minor things here and there.
Shapeways just came out with some good news, seems we can now print out stuff in wax (https://www.shapeways.com/materials/wax) which, if I understand it correctly, will be pretty amazing. None of those nasty printlines, just a clean, smooth model that's ready to be cast! However, I've tried doing a test print, but for some reason Shapeways keeps telling me the model isn't suitable for printing in that material, which is odd since it follows all the parameters. Guess I'll have to contact Shapeways about it.
Luckily for me though, Shapeways is still testing the material, so it might improve in the coming months, enabling me to finish up the designs!
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Little update, I've also added the dimensions:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-011a_zpsf6ff6e94.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-011a_zpsf6ff6e94.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-011b_zps94450334.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-011b_zps94450334.jpg.html)
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The big guns on the escorts have been bugging me for a while now, so I decided to make some variants!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-012b_zps7d00de83.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-012b_zps7d00de83.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-012a_zpsa8991c62.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-012a_zpsa8991c62.jpg.html)
The ship on the top/left (depending on which pic you're looking at) is a carrier craft, launching waves of fighters to intercept incoming ordnance, but are also capable of launching their own bomber waves to deal with larger targets. Its torpedo tubes are replaced for plasma batteries.
The other two ships are basically the same model, but with different weapons. Instead of launch bays, it is armed with additional turrets. Whilst not that effective against more armored targets, mass waves of fighters, bombers and torpedoes don't stand a chance against this configuration. Its prow weapon can either be the traditional torpedo tubes or plasma batteries.
All in all the models should be relatively easy to cast, the only potential challenge might be the launch bays and the plasma batteries, so I need to see whether this could be done as a single piece model, or if I might have to cut it up.
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Whilst the escorts are as good as done (besides the potential challenges regarding their casting), I've been paying some attention to the light cruiser again:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/LightCruiser30-005_zpsd544ba91.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/LightCruiser30-005_zpsd544ba91.jpg.html)
Still haven't started on the back of the ship yet, but I did work on a variant carrying plasma batteries...
In the meantime I've also delved into something different...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Orbitalcity10-001_zps0d1d1da6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Orbitalcity10-001_zps0d1d1da6.jpg.html)
It's still a very early WIP. A lot of the structure still needs to be thought out, the plasma batteries will need some serious tweaking. One thing I'd like is that the domes are meant to be see through, the four outer structures would contain vast forests in their domes, but I doubt that would be a real possibility, kinda tricky to do perhaps? I guess it will take some experimentation. :)
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By the way, remember my old Absolutist Light Cruiser (http://shpws.me/ptk4)? It got painted up by Icesword from Miniatures of the North (http://miniaturesofthenorth.blogspot.co.uk)!
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/0032_zps887c17bb.jpg)
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/0022_zps819192fa.jpg)
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm259/IceFalchion/Decorated%20images/0042_zpsc312c717.jpg)
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Nice ! The casting layers do not appear at painting.
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Thanks a lot!
In the meantime I'm still working on the station. And yes, the see through parts are separate components. I'm wondering if they'll work in see-through resin, the domes are about 1mm thick. :)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Orbitalcity10-002_zpscd96af9b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Orbitalcity10-002_zpscd96af9b.jpg.html)
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Orbitalcity10-003_zps899f4619.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Orbitalcity10-003_zps899f4619.jpg.html)
I'm getting more and more tempted to make the central dome more akin to the external ones, so see-through. But I need to ponder a bit about it...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-013c_zps9e8975db.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-013c_zps9e8975db.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-013b_zps94dfd748.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-013b_zps94dfd748.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-013a_zps1d338aef.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-013a_zps1d338aef.jpg.html)
Quickly put together another escort variant. Needed a ship that can deliver a real punch against bigger targets, so...plasma batteries!
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You keep getting better and better.
But all those Imperial equivalents, I need Craftworld Eldar. ;)
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Thanks! :)
Regarding the Eldar ships, I have been pondering on doing a faction that sort of looks like the Eldar. My main problem however is that SketchUp really sucks when it comes to organic shapes. And if I were to do Eldar, I'd like them to be organic like Jes Goodwin's concept art (http://i62.tinypic.com/mcx0qu.jpg) or the original Space Fleet models (http://www.solegends.com/citsfleet/eldar.htm). It's a bit tricky, but I might give it a shot...
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I quickly started on some fighter craft. Whilst I'm happy with their general shape, I don't really like the four barreled prow weapon. I'm thinking of replacing it for a prow similar to the larger ships, sort of to keep it uniform.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-001_zps809a2ceb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-001_zps809a2ceb.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-001a_zpsc308158a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-001a_zpsc308158a.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-001c_zps8f081b14.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-001c_zps8f081b14.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-001b_zps3baf8fd8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-001b_zps3baf8fd8.jpg.html)
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Franckly, before i read your message, i just thought that rear was the back, and they where propelled with 4 reactors... So yes, something is wrong.
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Yeah, I know. I tweaked the fighter design last night, but it still looked 'backwards'. Now I've added a tail to the aircraft. For some reason they kinda remind me of the old Epic-scaled Thunderbolt fighter (http://www.nick101.f9.co.uk/Log/June06/DSCF0288.JPG) and te Wraith Fighter from Star Craft (http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/11/112064/1811626-wraith_1.jpg), that...and WWII aircraft!
Oh yeah, for some reason I also started making variants...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-002fightersandinterceptors-iso_zps3c7bbef1.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-002fightersandinterceptors-iso_zps3c7bbef1.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-002fightersandinterceptors-top_zps7e872fef.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-002fightersandinterceptors-top_zps7e872fef.jpg.html)
Fighters (on the left) and interceptors (on the right). The interceptor is basically the two wings put together, with the body of the fighter removed. But considering the size, the thing ended up looking like an aircraft of its own.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-002heavyfightersandbombers-iso_zpsff279fb8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-002heavyfightersandbombers-iso_zpsff279fb8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighters10-002heavyfightersandbombers-top_zpsfe4a6f23.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighters10-002heavyfightersandbombers-top_zpsfe4a6f23.jpg.html)
Heavy fighters (left) and bombers (right). The bomber is basically a 'double bodied fighter', kinda borrowed that idea from the Star Wars TIE-Bomber (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/TIE/sa_bomber). The heavy fighter is a beefier version of the fighter, maybe some sort of long range craft. I kinda imagined them to have stealth capabilities as well.
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Ok, little update on the fighters, that...and I've added the dimensions of the models! :)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Interceptor_zps1a7a94e6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Interceptor_zps1a7a94e6.jpg.html)
Standard interceptor. A rather fast, but weak craft that's easily shot down. However, they are effective against enemy aircraft and are often used as cannon fodder against fire from enemy ships.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Interceptorelite_zpsa5c89e98.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Interceptorelite_zpsa5c89e98.jpg.html)
Advanced interceptor. Upgraded with extra armor without losing speed, the idea behind this design is that the pilots will survive the first attack. Often used by elite pilots and squadron leaders to hunt down enemy aircraft.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Fighter_zpsea9fbdf1.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Fighter_zpsea9fbdf1.jpg.html)
Standard fighter. The backbone of most aircraft fleets. Whilst not as fast and maneuverable as the interceptor, the fighter has superior armor and weaponry, making it formidable against enemy bombers.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Fighterelite_zps01154400.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Fighterelite_zps01154400.jpg.html)
Advanced fighter. Like the advanced interceptor, this craft is primarily used by elite pilots and squadron leaders. Besides additional armour and weaponry, this fighter also has extra engines. This enables the craft to be deployed for long range missions.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Scout_zpscf4d1634.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Scout_zpscf4d1634.jpg.html)
Scout craft. These are often deployed ahead of the fleet to explore uncharted territories. They are also used during battle to detect cloaked enemy craft.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Bomber_zpsadb47cf8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Bomber_zpsadb47cf8.jpg.html)
Standard bomber. The main reason aircraft are still used in spacial warfare. Bombers are capable of destroying enemy escorts and seriously damaging larger ships. They are however slower, and thus more vulnerable. This means they often need to be protected by other aircraft.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-003Bomberelite_zpse1f320fb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-003Bomberelite_zpse1f320fb.jpg.html)
Advanced bomber. This upgraded bomber has additional armour and engines. Like the advanced fighter it can be deployed for long range missions. However, they are often used when there is a lack of fighter craft to protect normal bomber craft.
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I like very much the idea of a clearly asymetrical ship.
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-004-allvariantssofar_zps0a97e774.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-004-allvariantssofar_zps0a97e774.jpg.html)
I've got 14 different types of fighter craft so far. There are basically four categories (interceptor, fighter, bomber, scout), elite versions (only for the interceptor, fighter and bomber) and then there's the MkII version (with the bigger wings).
There's only one major problem at the moment. I'm a sucker for inverted wings, but not it looks as if they are flying backwards, which means that the tails will need some redesigning in order for them to work...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-001a_zps06c71900.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-001a_zps06c71900.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-001b_zpsb44aea24.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-001b_zpsb44aea24.jpg.html)
In the meantime I've also started working on a new version of the transport ship (and yes, it include removable containers). It's quite a lot bigger than the previous incarnation, it's more heavy cruiser sized rather than escort. In all the ship will probably be about 10cm long, twice as long as a escorts! The prow fits in the style of the escorts and light cruisers, but is slightly modified to set it apart as a civilian ship.
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Small update!
Tweaked the fighters a bit, ditched a lot of the variants, meaning that instead of 14 I (only!) have 7 now. The three basic craft are in the pic:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fighter10-005_zps20382a6e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fighter10-005_zps20382a6e.jpg.html)
Also continued working on the transport barge, including a container variant:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-002_zpse24d347e.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-002_zpse24d347e.jpg.html)
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I do like those transports.
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There are some fantastic looking ships and fighter/bomber craft in here, well done!!!
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I'm really digging this version of the transport since it maintains a sense of balance. I could if I wanted to also use the hull as a basis for military ships by simply replacing the containers with weapon systems. Might be a bit odd as full on military cruisers, perhaps more as civilian ships converted for a defensive purpose (Q-ships in BFG). A military ship would have a slightly different hull: prow more like the escorts and light cruiser, and lots more weapons!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-003a_zpsda758290.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-003a_zpsda758290.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-003b_zpsd1c50c6c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-003b_zpsd1c50c6c.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-003c_zpscd3c5d35.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-003c_zpscd3c5d35.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-003d_zps1d283aba.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-003d_zps1d283aba.jpg.html)
In the meantime I've been tweaking the transportship some more, it feels like a really solid and sturdy craft, which kinda fits with the more industrial/worker feel I'm going for. The ship still needs some comm array/radars, which I'm planning on building underneath the prow and/or bridge. The back hull needs further detailing, and then a few container variants. :)
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Just wanted to give you a bit of an update. I've been contacted by a fellow who's testing out his new 3d printer. The guy wants me to design some terrain for him, no probs! However, I also asked him if he could do a test print of one of my escorts. I've got a feeling the machine is slightly inferior than what Shapeways and other can offer, but it does provide me with an opportunity to get a free test print to see whether the model will work. :)
In the meantime I've continued working on the escorts:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-014-plasmabatteries_zpsf6e503f2.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-014-plasmabatteries_zpsf6e503f2.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-014-carriers_zps72a9c4e0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-014-carriers_zps72a9c4e0.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts30-014-anti-ordnance_zps550b39f5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts30-014-anti-ordnance_zps550b39f5.jpg.html)
Modified the hulls a bit, and removed some of the guns. Problem was that the guns were blocking out some of the other details.
The transportship has also received a lot of work:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-004a_zpsef124532.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-004a_zpsef124532.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-004b_zps051fb442.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-004b_zps051fb442.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-004c_zps7e8df6ed.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-004c_zps7e8df6ed.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-004d_zpsbe1b3769.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-004d_zpsbe1b3769.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-004e_zpsd32e6221.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-004e_zpsd32e6221.jpg.html)
As you can see the container variants have some more detailing added to them. The ship itself is also receiving more and more detailing. There's still a lot to be done before it's ready though.
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Mangozac's latest work (http://www.forum.specialist-arms.com/index.php?topic=6540.0) has really got me motivated to do some ships again!
This time another escort, but a little bit bigger (5.55mm long). And oh yeah, it's from another faction!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-002a_zps730d8b1c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-002a_zps730d8b1c.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-002b_zps3a3be277.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-002b_zps3a3be277.jpg.html)
As you may notice, I've been playing with more rounded shapes and returned to introducing the round Distortion Drive from my earlier designs. Another thing I've been playing with are the turrets, in my early designs I really wanted to include some small globe like turrets, kinda like as if the blobs on a Dalek were guns. Back then I wasn't really able yet to do them, now I've sort of got them. I'm happy the way they've turned out, considering the scale.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-002c_zps82d59421.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-002c_zps82d59421.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-002d_zpsd76c9d9d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-002d_zpsd76c9d9d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-002e_zps4e1e5474.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-002e_zps4e1e5474.jpg.html)
The ship still needs a lot of detailing, and also some sort of components to put on top/bottom of the Distortion Drive component, kind of what I did with my previous ship (http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/concept381_zps98a1112f.jpg).
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Really nice work! Especially the transports.
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-003a_zps6c1b9d53.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-003a_zps6c1b9d53.jpg.html)
Kinda felt that the ship was a bit too much like a rectangle block. You can see that the 'vertical components' are kinda similar to the tail thing of my original escort (http://trollsforge.proboards.com/post/37121), which is kinda funny since that original escort formed the basis of these warships (http://www.resinaddict.com/forum/posting.php?mode=reply&f=35&t=889#pr13053). I'm toying with the idea that from a background perspective all these ships have the same 'origins' if you will, an empire or something that originally produced some specific designs (compare it to the STC in 40k I guess). This empire eventually collapsed, and new, and smaller, ones raised from its ashes. Now these smaller empires don't all maintain contact with one another, meaning that their technology might also develop in different directions. But despite of this there would still be some markers here and there that would make them seem somewhat similar.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-003b_zps15df78d9.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-003b_zps15df78d9.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-003c_zps64d510d3.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-003c_zps64d510d3.jpg.html)
In order to give the ship some more shape, I've also thinned out the front part (everything in front of the Distortion Drive) a bit. Some more detailing will have to be added, but that has to be done anyways!
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really good works here
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Changed the front part of the ship a bit by thinning it out vertically:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-004_zps4437320b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-004_zps4437320b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Frigate10-003a_zps6c1b9d53.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Frigate10-003a_zps6c1b9d53.jpg.html)
(the top picture is the new version, for comparison I've added the previous version on the bottom)
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Hmm, I've put the new design on hold for now, I need to ponder a bit more about it. The axe prow will come back at some other ship, most likely something Destroyer sized.
In the meantime, I've been working a bit on the Corvettes, and upgraded a design variant into a Frigate:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40Frigate20-001c_zps918afd21.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40Frigate20-001c_zps918afd21.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40Frigate20-001b_zpsc4d28b9b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40Frigate20-001b_zpsc4d28b9b.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40Frigate20-001a_zps5de1d41d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40Frigate20-001a_zps5de1d41d.jpg.html)
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40Frigate20-002b_zpsfae38239.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40Frigate20-002b_zpsfae38239.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40Frigate20-002a_zps2003862a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40Frigate20-002a_zps2003862a.jpg.html)
I've been experimenting a bit with some panel lines, they're 0.25mm wide and 0.5mm deep. The big gap on the port side of the ship is going to be where the sensor array will be placed. I'm a bit in doubt at the moment on how to design it, at the moment I'm pondering about a flipped sideways version of the Land Raider Prometheus (http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Images/Product/AlternativeFW/xlarge/LRPrometheus3.jpg)' sensor array, or maybe something more akin to the one of the Land Speeder (http://bitzbarn.com/oscommerce/catalog/images/IMG_4072.JPG)...
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I tweaked the escorts slightly to improve their castability. The big change is that I've rotated the back thrusters. This will enable me to cast the ship as a single piece, rather than separating the back from the front. However, I've also had to remove the vent like elements on the side wings. I will have to see if I can come up with another cool detailing there, or perhaps keep it relatively simple.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-003c_zps147f165d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-003c_zps147f165d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-003a_zps0aa74bd2.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-003a_zps0aa74bd2.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-003b_zps3529d921.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-003b_zps3529d921.jpg.html)
I've also added some detailing to the prow, I guess it's some sort of scanner or something. It might make the casting process a bit trickier, so I might try to shrink it a bit. I don't want to be forced to have to cut up this small craft into multiple bits.
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Looking good as always.
Any plans on when you'll put this into production?
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The ships are almost there I think...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-004_zpsc3aae46f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-004_zpsc3aae46f.jpg.html)
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Looking good to me. Have you added holes for flight stands, or do people drill their own?
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I've been wanting to add a hole on the bottom for a flight stand, but it would cause a serious undercut which would make the casting process a lot more difficult. For that reason I've only added a 0.5mm 'gap' which isn't that difficult to cast. Users could then easily drill the needed hole for the flight stand.
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-005c_zps681cbc38.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-005c_zps681cbc38.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-005b_zps797f28a2.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-005b_zps797f28a2.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escorts40-005a_zps4eb33bdd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escorts40-005a_zps4eb33bdd.jpg.html)
As you can see I've added some new ships to the mix. The original two escorts have become Corvettes, and now they've got a Frigate (larger ship) and Destroyer (small fella) added to the mix.
I'm toying a bit with the background of this stuff as well. These ships are part of the Navis Mercantilis, in other words the mercantile fleet. Whilst suitable for military service, their primary purpose is to escort transport ships. It also explains why they don't deploy larger military craft such as Cruisers and Battleships.
The Corvettes are the main escort ship, the workhorse of the fleet if you will. Whilst small they can still carry quite the punch. Standardly armed with torpedoes the Corvettes either carry lances or deploy fighter craft.
Frigates tend to function as command ships for the escort fleets, armed with both fighter craft and lances, Frigates can stand on their own when fighting against raiders. Deployed in squadrons they can even hunt larger targets.
Destroyers are the smallest of ships, lightly armed with conventional turrets, they're meant to defend larger targets from large numbers of small escorts and fighter craft. The model still needs some work. A bridge need to be added, and I'm tempted to redesign the turrets.
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A little teaser of the ships I've got so far...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Fleetteaser_zpse59fe328.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Fleetteaser_zpse59fe328.jpg.html)
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I've pretty much run out of things to say, so... *insert words of encouragement here*
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Thanks!
In the meantime, to give you an idea of scale:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-005a_zpsbcc28ecd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-005a_zpsbcc28ecd.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Transportship20-005b_zps90b37b44.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Transportship20-005b_zps90b37b44.jpg.html)
The Transportship is about 100mm long, the Corvette about 42mm and the Destroyer stands at 33mm.
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Amazing work!!!
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I got a little bit distracted last night...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-001c_zps0ced7df6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-001c_zps0ced7df6.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-001b_zps9a330b66.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-001b_zps9a330b66.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-001a_zps9b5a32ae.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-001a_zps9b5a32ae.jpg.html)
A raider escort, armed with boarding pods and two frontal cannons. It's still a very early WIP and still needs a lot of work. I was a bit influenced by more conventional ships, combining it with elements of Ottoman architecture, hence the dome.
Besides the ship I've also started work on a boarding pod, kinda inspired by a familiar design. I'm not sure yet if the existing BFG rules allow for an escort to carry boarding pods, if such an option isn't possible, the 'boarding pod launchers' could just count as (missile) weapon batteries of a sorts.
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I like the claw-pod thing. It can double as a larger scale weapon front.
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Thanks! I could imagine it'd be used in different conversions as well!
In the meantime, the boarding pod is (as good as) finished:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-001b_zpsc9cbb214.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-001b_zpsc9cbb214.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-001c_zps893717b0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-001c_zps893717b0.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-001a_zpsd7a13a59.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-001a_zpsd7a13a59.jpg.html)
The width/height of the pod is about 6.3mm and it's 6.2mm long. I tried making the design look a bit cruder than the ships, but at this scale that sort of thing can be a bit tricky.
The new ship in the meantime has gotten a lot of work done, including a bit of a resize.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-002a_zps1ac11977.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-002a_zps1ac11977.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-002b_zpsa0c4db7f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-002b_zpsa0c4db7f.jpg.html)
The design philosophy of this ship is rather different than the previous escorts. Whilst more than capable to go on the offensive, the design of those ships was more oriented towards defense rather than offense. The escorts were meant to protect the larger transportships from attackers. This new ship however was created for the sole purpose of war, attacking rather than defending. Hopefully the shape of the ship has kinda managed to reflect that.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-002c_zpsf5127391.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-002c_zpsf5127391.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-002d_zpsb2987438.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-002d_zpsb2987438.jpg.html)
I'm not fully happy with the engines and the prow yet, so both will still need some tweaking. Beyond that it's checking out some of the details again and see if they still work now that the ship has been resized.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Raider10-002e_zps2eb02d2c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Raider10-002e_zps2eb02d2c.jpg.html)
As you can see, the new ship (48mm long) is considerably larger than the destroyer on the bottom (36mm long). I'd love to expand on this range, add a few more escort sized ships and then a light cruiser or something.
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Ordnance time!!!
Well, mainly boarding action oriented stuff...
The Trade Guilds (faction of which I've designed the Corvettes, Destroyers and giant transportships) use normally use shuttles to board ships for inspection. However, when attacked they can deploy their own security forces to board enemy craft. Soldiers of the Trade Guilds are carried in Assault Pods that can be launched from various Carrier craft.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/AssaultPod10-001a_zpsc1802862.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/AssaultPod10-001a_zpsc1802862.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/AssaultPod10-001b_zps1a12fb48.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/AssaultPod10-001b_zps1a12fb48.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/AssaultPod10-001c_zps960457b5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/AssaultPod10-001c_zps960457b5.jpg.html)
It's basically the original assault pod I designed a long time ago. It's dimensions are 9.46mm long by 4.5mm wide by 2.25mm tall. I'll be making some small modifications to it in an attempt to fit more to the aesthetic of the faction.
You've already seen this Boarding Pod, a common tool used by the various military factions. The Boarding Pod is a rather crude vehicle. Upon impact with enemy ships the pod's claws dig their way into the prey's hull. The pod then burns a hole through the ship's armor, unleashing its deadly cargo...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-002a_zpsd3aa9c0c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-002a_zpsd3aa9c0c.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-002b_zps58a0cfa5.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-002b_zps58a0cfa5.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-002c_zps3195348a.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-002c_zps3195348a.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/BoardingPods10-002d_zps2df65254.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/BoardingPods10-002d_zps2df65254.jpg.html)
As you can see I haven't really changed the design since last time. The only thing I did now was to include a variant of the pod, basically the same design but with its claws more opened up. Thought it to be a nice touch to have them both. The closed pod is 6.3mm wide/tall by 6.2mm long, the opened pod is 6.98mm wide/tall by 5.14mm long.
Whilst ships have their own sensor arrays to guide their weapons and detect enemy craft, military vessels often deploy Sensor Drones to detect hidden targets and scout ahead of the fleet.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/SensorDrones10-001a_zps6341479d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/SensorDrones10-001a_zps6341479d.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/SensorDrones10-001b_zps05f858e8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/SensorDrones10-001b_zps05f858e8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/SensorDrones10-001c_zps6ba6853f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/SensorDrones10-001c_zps6ba6853f.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/SensorDrones10-001d_zps450f4db7.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/SensorDrones10-001d_zps450f4db7.jpg.html)
Like the Boarding Pod, the Sensor Drone has an 'open' and 'closed' variant. Also, it's exhaust is the other way around compared to the pod, making the Sensor Drone almost look like a reversed Boarding Pod. The closed pod is 5.94mm tall/wide and 9.21mm long. The open pod is 8.52mm tall/wide and 8.13mm long.
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A little teaser...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/prints_zps8fcda915.png) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/prints_zps8fcda915.png.html)
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Nicely done. How fragile is the finished product?
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At the moment I've got no clue since this is a picture taken by the guys from the printing company. I only have direct contact with the guy who want to cast/distribute my models. He apparently won 400 pounds voucher to print stuff, so he immediately wanted to do my ships of course.
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Sweet
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Nice :) :)
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A little box arrived at the post yesterday...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02160004_zpsad11030b.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02160004_zpsad11030b.jpg.html)
(not all the boarding pods are in the picture)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155923_zps960a15c6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155923_zps960a15c6.jpg.html)
Compared to FUD by Shapeways (front ship) this stuff is (a) a lot more detailed and (b) a lot smoother, which is all very nice!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155600_zps23767c48.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155600_zps23767c48.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155614_zps25f541a6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155614_zps25f541a6.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155519_zps8edccd50.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155519_zps8edccd50.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155628_zps68235a40.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155628_zps68235a40.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155656_zps06df1c57.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155656_zps06df1c57.jpg.html)
However, there have been some issues with the bottom parts of the ships:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155641_zps7822c33c.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155641_zps7822c33c.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155725_zpsc1d56ecd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155725_zpsc1d56ecd.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155537_zpsba6b6d71.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155537_zpsba6b6d71.jpg.html)
Hopefully this can be fixed with some (liquid) greenstuff and some filing/sanding...
Oh, and I really love how the boarding pods came out!
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155744_zps9803ca6f.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155744_zps9803ca6f.jpg.html)
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Ere we go!!!! Looking good, Ummmmmm perhaps you could send Timdp you're miss casts. I'm pretty sure he would happily make a Nurgle sandwich out of it. Loving yer pods too. Nice to see it go from sketch to life, very cool.
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I also really like the pods. The corners of the ships look a bit more rounded than I expected- is that a trick of the photo?
Any idea why the bottom of the ships would be melted like that?
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Ere we go!!!! Looking good, Ummmmmm perhaps you could send Timdp you're miss casts. I'm pretty sure he would happily make a Nurgle sandwich out of it. Loving yer pods too. Nice to see it go from sketch to life, very cool.
These are just single prints. I need to fix them for the casting process. After that they could be turned into anything, from rotten version to ones looted by Orks...
I also really like the pods. The corners of the ships look a bit more rounded than I expected- is that a trick of the photo?
They are a bit, but I don't mind that much, could have been worse.
Any idea why the bottom of the ships would be melted like that?
It's the way the printer works, the model needs support beams on the bottom to make the print possible. I need to figure something out in future versions of my ships.
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2 part ships where the support beam meet the ship where the ship comes together will get rid of the loss of detail from them being clipped off. You can then mix and match your parts to make more ship styles from a variety of parts.
Blind-
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2 part ships where the support beam meet the ship where the ship comes together will get rid of the loss of detail from them being clipped off. You can then mix and match your parts to make more ship styles from a variety of parts.
Blind-
I was thinking of that but it's tricky to pull that off right. I am thinking of something along those lines for the next generation of ships. However, whilst small ships would then consist of multiple parts, I'd still need to put them together so they can be cast as a single piece model (saving space on the mould and such if also something to keep in mind).
Mangozac gave me some amazing feedback (http://www.resinaddict.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=889&start=420#p13741) a little while ago, and I definitely what to experiment with that. And I'd love to more into something more high-tech looking, so moving back to the older stuff, but with the lessons learnt from my later experiences. Not sure yet on how this will go exactly, I guess it would be another one of those long term projects.
Another thing I'd then do is also to have them printed at a somewhat higher resolution and maybe also a different material. These prints (the pink ones) are done in E-shell 200, not sure yet how they'll work for casting, but I've heard many people telling me I should go for HTM140, I'd love to experiment a bit with that. Hopefully that will be possible in the coming months...
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I wouldn't assemble and then cast them, I would cast them separately so people can assemble them the way they want.
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It would depend on the size of the pieces and the casting material as to whether that'd be a good idea. Wrong material and pieces too small will see warping, breaking and all sorts of fun.
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The only reason youd get warping is if you didn't let the resin set completely before removing it from the mould, or poor mixing of the resin. I figure he's talking about ships the size of imperial cruisers, and I can successfully cast objects the size of turrets or 6mm troopers with no issues(smaller items also). The prow of a cruiser is thick to the point that the resin will actually get a solid chemical reaction, I' wouldn't forsee any casting issues apart from learning how to cast if limited to no experience.
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I wouldn't assemble and then cast them, I would cast them separately so people can assemble them the way they want.
Whilst multipart kits are cool, casting the ship as a single piece tends to be cheaper and faster. Another thing to keep in mind is that these cruisers are super tiny, multipart here might be a bit overkill. When we're talking (light) cruisers of battleships though, having a multi part kit becomes more interesting I think. :)
Also the orientation of the models can be quite tricky when printing, meaning that you want the model to lie down when printing. So if I were to do it in two pieces, I would do a horizontal cut through the half of the ship, having a top half and a bottom half. Then print them, clean up the halves and glue them on top of each other.
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Early teaser... (and yes it's a miscast)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/miscast%20destroyer%201_zpsrbg8wkrb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/miscast%20destroyer%201_zpsrbg8wkrb.jpg.html)
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Not bad for a miscast ;) How do you get rid of the bubbles?
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I didn't do that casting, it has been done by the fellows over at Fox Box (http://fox-box.co.uk). :)
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More pics of the cast Destroyers:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Cast20destroyers20with20bases202_zpssaq7g0ls.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Cast20destroyers20with20bases202_zpssaq7g0ls.jpg.html)
(gunship on the left, carrier on the right)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Cast20destroyers20with20bases201_zpsvihlwbxi.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Cast20destroyers20with20bases201_zpsvihlwbxi.jpg.html)
Here are pics of the original prints.
Carrier:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155628_zps68235a40.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155628_zps68235a40.jpg.html)
Gunship:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2014-12-02155519_zps8edccd50.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2014-12-02155519_zps8edccd50.jpg.html)
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With casts of my escorts ever closer I started working on some new transportships.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20002_zpslnludjst.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20002_zpslnludjst.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20theta%20-%20001_zps3s32bug3.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20theta%20-%20001_zps3s32bug3.jpg.html)
A blockade runner of a sorts, heavily armed for a transport its size. The engines might make casting a bit tricky, or maybe not, we'll see! :)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20epsilon%20-%20001_zps2t3yitsl.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20epsilon%20-%20001_zps2t3yitsl.jpg.html)
A light transportship, about the size of the Destroyers. The design is pretty straight forward, nothing too crazy.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20delta%20-%20002_zpszzajsdhi.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20delta%20-%20002_zpszzajsdhi.jpg.html)
Another light transport, also about the size of the Destroyers but more elongated.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20gamma%20-%20002_zps84cwhhft.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20gamma%20-%20002_zps84cwhhft.jpg.html)
A slightly larger transport, originally based on the Corvette hull, now modified to function as a fuel transport. Might tweak the fuel tanks a bit, the bits on the tops and bottoms are a bit overkill...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20beta%20-%20002_zpsfodfsign.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20beta%20-%20002_zpsfodfsign.jpg.html)
Another one of the Corvette sized transports. Kind of the 'black sheep' of the family. Its bridge is mounted on the front of the ship, and it's also armed with a twin linked turret. The sides of the prow still need some detailing.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20alpha%20-%20002_zpsuu50taya.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20alpha%20-%20002_zpsuu50taya.jpg.html)
Whilst based on the Corvette sized hulls, this one is the largest of the bunch, almost 6cm long it's closer to a Frigate or even a Light Cruiser.
I might want to give it a shot at some fighter craft again. Something based on the 'Grifter' from Dreadnought, but then a lot blockier/clunkier:
http://www.patrickhecht.com/?portfolio=yager-dreadnought
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Nice work, as always with you.
Your old pictures are gone... Could you do something for that ?
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Thank you!
As for the old pictures, my apologies! I've been restructuring my Photobucket, so the pictures are still there, but just somewhere else. Sadly enough this means the old links don't work anymore. However, you can still check them here:
Bits Blitz ship designs (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/library/3d%20modelling/Bits%20Blitz%20ship%20designs): basically the first ships I've designed and which are available at my shop on Shapeways (https://www.shapeways.com/shops/bitsblitz)
Legion fleet (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/library/3d%20modelling/LEGION%20ship): my sort of Homeworld inspired ships for Sciror, you can read our conceptual discussions about it here (http://trollsforge.proboards.com/board/27/sciror).
Ship designs I've been doing lately (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/library/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box), these are more BFG influenced, and will eventually be available through Fox Box (http://fox-box.co.uk/).
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(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/2015-06-22%2010.32.12_zpsrxi8peg7.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/2015-06-22%2010.32.12_zpsrxi8peg7.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/2015-06-22%2010.34.23_zps5s6zjhrn.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/2015-06-22%2010.34.23_zps5s6zjhrn.jpg.html)
Cast by Fox Box (http://fox-box.co.uk), donated for Gothicomp 2015. :)
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To give you a bit of context regarding the status of the transportships:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003a_zpszr01iveq.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003a_zpszr01iveq.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003b_zpswttqktuj.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003b_zpswttqktuj.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003c_zps3j3gicun.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Transportships%203.0%20-%20003c_zps3j3gicun.jpg.html)
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It's good to see them in reality :)
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I really like the size variations you've managed. I know I'd have been much lazier and kept a consistent skeleton for scaling purposes.
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I really like the size variations you've managed. I know I'd have been much lazier and kept a consistent skeleton for scaling purposes.
Keep in mind that the medium and light transport ships are all based on the Destroyer and Corvette hulls and then seriously modified. Also tweaked them individually to make them look unique. The super heavy transports are a unique hull design, the containers are separate parts, meaning you can go crazy on making variations for the cargo. :)
By the way, from biggest to smallest ship: Super Heavy Transport, Super Heavy Transport, Medium Transport, Medium Transport, Medium Transport, Light Transport, Light Transport, Light Transport, Blockade Runner.
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I started working on an enemy faction. Sort of like Orks, but then human I guess. I like the idea of raiders and pirates being enemy for these transport ships. Since they're human, it means that their technology is not different from the other faction. I don't have any names or anything for them yet...
These ships are frigate sized and heavily armed. They are standard armed with heavy cannons and two twin-linked turrets. The teeth on the ships' prows are not only for decoration. These ships are able to ram and tear through enemy ships and even 'devour' debris (which is then used to either repair the ship or recycled for raw materials).
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20turrets%20a_zpseckb7exe.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20turrets%20a_zpseckb7exe.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20turrets%20b_zpspizgjzi2.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20turrets%20b_zpspizgjzi2.jpg.html)
'Turret ship', its secondary weapon system is basically six smaller twin-linked turrets designed to take out weaker targets such as escorts and fighters/bombers.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20torpedoes%20a_zpsflledbzo.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20torpedoes%20a_zpsflledbzo.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20torpedoes%20b_zps1v8mbshc.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20torpedoes%20b_zps1v8mbshc.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20boarding%20pods_zpsl4srskcp.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20boarding%20pods_zpsl4srskcp.jpg.html)
'Ordnance ship', its secondary system consists of six torpedo tubes. These can either be armed with a wide array of different torpedoes, or with boarding pods. The boarding pods have some nasty claws which allow them to latch on to an enemy ship whilst unleashing their deadly cargo.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20lances%20a_zps1atvpg1l.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20lances%20a_zps1atvpg1l.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20lances%20b_zpshkwafloc.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20lances%20b_zpshkwafloc.jpg.html)
'Lance ship', its secondary weapon systems are Lance Cannons, nasty energy weapons designed to tear through shielding and thick armor.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20carrier%20a_zpsymzmajbq.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20carrier%20a_zpsymzmajbq.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20carrier%20b_zpsb8dpabk2.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20carrier%20b_zpsb8dpabk2.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20fighters%20_zpsw7zteu7s.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20fighters%20_zpsw7zteu7s.jpg.html)
'Carrier ship', this one is slightly different from the other three ships. What it sacrifices in heavy cannons, it makes up in launch bays. The carrier can unleash swarms of deadly craft that can easily tear through enemy ordnance. Not only that, but these craft can also carry troops, either to drop them on a planet's surface, or by ramming enemy craft.
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20scale%20shot_zpsoeyrpcnf.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20scale%20shot_zpsoeyrpcnf.jpg.html)
To give you a sense of scale I've put the raiders and the transports against each other. Note that the raider ships are about 51mm long.
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Finally got some test prints in! One thing I can say is that I'm kinda digging Shapeways' FXD material, it really handles the detail rather well. The only downside is that there are still printlines and the material would need extensive cleaning. Subtle Discord wrote some interesting stuff on that (http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/150/540118.page#8090116).
Another 'downside' of the material is that it's see-through, making it rather tricky to photograph.
Test printed some BFG scaled ordnance:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2015-09-10%2020.09.21_zps3jfwtto6.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2015-09-10%2020.09.21_zps3jfwtto6.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2015-09-10%2020.10.11_zpsyt3wneq4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2015-09-10%2020.10.11_zpsyt3wneq4.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2015-09-10%2020.10.59_zpsuejklvnz.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2015-09-10%2020.10.59_zpsuejklvnz.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/2015-09-10%2020.11.16_zpsnrj6znvh.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/2015-09-10%2020.11.16_zpsnrj6znvh.jpg.html)
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Looking really, really good dare Boss!
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Niiiiiice !
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WINEGUMS !!!
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(Liquorice) Torpedoes' ahoy! :)
Dave
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Update!!!
Corvette Carrier:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001c_zpse4f1fisj.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001c_zpse4f1fisj.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001a_zpsajgllyny.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001a_zpsajgllyny.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001b_zps3rrj7794.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Carrier%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001b_zps3rrj7794.jpg.html)
Corvette Gunship:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001c_zpsiwhj7dqx.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001c_zpsiwhj7dqx.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001a_zpsyosptmq8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001a_zpsyosptmq8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001b_zpsaekqxmua.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Gunship%20Corvette%204.0%20-%20001b_zpsaekqxmua.jpg.html)
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Continued tweaking the existing ship designs, and revived a really old design.
About two years ago I worked on this:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Frigate10-005_zpsd0c6a35d.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Frigate10-005_zpsd0c6a35d.jpg.html)
Today it has evolved into something that could match the rest of the designs I've made:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20001a_zps4i1vttcj.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20001a_zps4i1vttcj.jpg.html)
The ships still need a whole lot of work, but the idea is basically they are a more heavily armed, but less armoured versions of my 'normal' corvettes.
All ships are the same size (40mm long):
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20001b_zpsc4ueyspb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20001b_zpsc4ueyspb.jpg.html)
And now there are three weapon configurations instead of two:
Lances:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20lancers_zpseubbr0xt.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20lancers_zpseubbr0xt.jpg.html)
Weapon batteries:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20weapon%20batteries_zpsb3wssmww.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20weapon%20batteries_zpsb3wssmww.jpg.html)
Carriers:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20carriers_zpszbqgeph4.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs%20for%20Fox%20Box/Corvettes%20-%20carriers_zpszbqgeph4.jpg.html)
The original ships (ones in the back) are as good as done, little tweaking here and there. The sleeker (front) ships need some more work though, (A) to match the aesthetic of the other ships better and (B) to make each a bit more unique.
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Been working on the frigate sized craft some more. It's becoming more 'techy' than 'ornate' looking, combining my two favourite ship designs (BFG and Homeworld). Kinda curious to see where this'll go...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Frigate%20002a_zpsxagrtrde.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Frigate%20002a_zpsxagrtrde.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Frigate%20002b_zpszlpnis30.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Frigate%20002b_zpszlpnis30.jpg.html)
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Nice job. Personally I prefer the over-the-top ornate look of BFG, but it still looks like it'd fit in well enough.
All of your previous photos seem to have been lost? Or is that just an issue unique to me?
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I too love the over the top ornate look that BFG has. However, I've been trying to keep the general 'shape' of BFG whilst giving it a more techy or utilitarian look. But I think if you'd slab an Imperial Eagle on the prow and add a few ornate details here and there you'd get something very ornate. Basically imagine what would happen if you'd unleash EagleWarrior (http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?413636-Battlefleet-Gothic-Imperial-fleet-detail-project) on these ships.
As for the previous picture, that's all my fault. I changed the url in photobucket, but you can still find the pics here (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/library/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs).
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I'm having a bit of trouble. If I were to print/cast this ship, it should be able to be used as a 'count-as' ship. I've just got no clue as what this ship could be used as since its weaponry doesn't seem to match the rules. Does anybody have suggestions for this?
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It's pretty easy to throw ship rules together for BFG, but it would be more popular if it fit with something current. Is there any chance of making the weapons as interchangeable modules?
I know a fair few Imperial ships can swap the heavily armoured prow for torpedo launchers- don't know if that helps?
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Keep in mind that it's frigate sized. I've had a few options in mind:
-Falchion Escort (just have to ignore/remove the broadside weapons)
-Gladius Class Frigate (have to ignore/remove the broadside weapons and remove the torpedoes)
-Havoc Class Frigate (have to ignore/remove the broadside weapons and remove the torpedoes)
-Apostate Class Heavy Raider (it's a Chaos ship)
-Infidel Class Raider (ignore/remove the broadside, but it's a Chaos ship)
As for making the weapons interchangeable, the ship is probably too small to do that, considering it's a 50mm long frigate.
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Ignoring the broadsides seems perfectly reasonable. People could always plug those holes, or those of the torpedo tubes, with plastic rod anyway (acting as antenna arrays, or similar).
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That's a pretty good idea actually!
Continued working on the escort ships, considering their size I'm still not sure whether I should make their broadside weapons modular (basically the weapons battery option you currently see, and the launch bays option).
Now we've got the Frigate and and the newly added Destroyer (formerly Corvette). The Destroyer's length will be slightly decreased (3mm at most), will still need to figure out how exactly. The Destroyer will also need some torpedo tubes...
Oh yeah, and I need to start thinking about adding an actual bridge to the ship...
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Ok ok ok, I made the frigates multipart!
Then I've added some 'base components' to the gunships, and updated the fighter designs.
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Update on the fighter craft.
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Been doing some work on the frigates. They are as good as done, maybe a bit of tweaking on the bridge, but beyond that the craft are ready. Next up would be to do some work on the Destroyers (maybe make them modular too), followed by some transport ships.
I'd also like to redo the boarding pods (http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Raider%201.0%20-%20006%20boarding%20pods_zpsl4srskcp.jpg) a bit. Speaking of ordnance, I'm not sure if the heavy assault craft (http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?p=588991#p588991) need to be enlarged somewhat, the fighter seems rather big compared to it at the moment.
And another thing: I've just ordered some test-prints of one frigate and some ordnance. Kinda to get the feel of the models, and to see whether Shapeways' new material (https://www.shapeways.com/materials/high-definition-acrylate) is any good...
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Man this last frigates of yours are sexy as hell!
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Been tweaking them a bit...
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I've also started working on the Destroyers whilst adding more details to the Frigates...
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Slowly getting there...
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And also started working on some space stations...
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And another update on the station...
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liking the look of the space stations
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Yep, me too :)
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Thanks a lot you guys! The stations will need some more work. They are as good as done, but due to a glitch in SketchUp I haven't been able to convert the model to a stl file (the format used for 3d printing) without it removing big chunks of the model for no reason. So I'll need to find a way to work around that.
By the way, what do you guys think of the ships. Could they be possible Imperial Navy or Adeptus Astartes proxies?
Also, started working on some boarding pods...
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I like them. I think the claw pods are a classic Chaos thing, but they could fit any loyalist fleet just as well.
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Test print came in, apologies for the horrible quality of the photos. Keep in mind that since this print was ordered the design has been updated slightly (see previous posts).
(http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/19/46/04/35/img_2212.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/32)
(http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/19/46/04/35/img_2213.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/33)
(http://i86.servimg.com/u/f86/19/46/04/35/img_2214.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/34)
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Looking good!
I feel your pain on trying to take photos of the translucent material! xD
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Yeah, clearly cool figs.
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So with, or without the wing guns?
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I know I'm not really helping but... they are both really cool! ;D
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I generaly like guns but i would say no guns here. Shape is greater without them.
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I've ended up sticking with the gun. Without them the craft ended up looking a bit too much like the Viper from Battlestar Galactica. Also to keep with the aesthetic of the universe these fighters will most likely be used it, big guns tend to be a must. Beyond that, Vanguard Miniatures (http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/) have expressed their preference for the guns, and since they'll be doing production/distribution...
However, since the guns are rather small, I don't think it would be that hard to cut/file them off. :)
Here's a pic of the sprue by the way:
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Boarding pods ready to go!
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Torpedoes:
(http://i35.servimg.com/u/f35/19/46/04/35/torped10.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/54)
From left to right: standard torpedo, special warhead (either subatomic/fusion or vortex, not sure yet), planetary bombardment ordnance, short burn torpedo.
Close up on the thrusters:
(http://i35.servimg.com/u/f35/19/46/04/35/torped11.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/55)
The sprues:
(http://i35.servimg.com/u/f35/19/46/04/35/torped12.jpg) (http://www.servimg.com/view/19460435/56)
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Just finished my torpedo sprues. First pic is a set of 5 standard torpedoes (the black part). The next pic includes more 'exotic' torpedoes, from left to right: fusion torpedo, bombardment torpedo, vortex warhead, boarding torpedo, short burn torpedo, seeking torpedo, guided torpedo.
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Started working on some orbital mines.
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Finally got some of the ships oriented stuff I've done for Vanguard Miniatures printed:
(https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14370383_1444077032272925_1397954887908706196_n.jpg?oh=262ac39cc31f53b5c53092e0744a5f21&oe=584378CC)
(https://scontent-vie1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14344209_1444078032272825_8400325702845182569_n.jpg?oh=b5608c07f2d935bd7367fa3aec6afee5&oe=583AAEF8)
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Very swish, @malika2! I was wondering how the ship would turn out as a physical model! I do like the boarding pods, too, the detail makes them seem more interesting than fighters at this scale.
Thinking Stone
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Like the design but a little to smooth looking for the imperium, could be from an undiscovered human civilization though, Is it or when will it be available?
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I would love to get my hands on some of the boarding claws for a non-BFG related project...... any chance of being able to pick some up ??
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Regarding the release of the boarding pods, they will be out in the coming months. I think Vanguard Miniatures are planning a big ship scaled release.
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Orbital mines:
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14681577_1493455894001705_8802461657862794634_n.jpg?oh=f41b99b2b71871407bbff551de5c6ecf&oe=5893C600)
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Two of my Destroyer designs for Vanguard Miniatures (http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk) are as good as ready.
Do you guys have any final feedback before I'm shipping them off for printing?
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Destroyer%20-%20005b_zpsfggo0cw8.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Destroyer%20-%20005b_zpsfggo0cw8.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Destroyer%20-%20005a_zpsnqk0umrz.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/3d%20modelling/Ship%20designs/Destroyer%20-%20005a_zpsnqk0umrz.jpg.html)
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These look great. Are the light cruisers, frigates or destroyers?
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Destroyers. :)
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Great stuff. Are they going to be resin/plastic or metal like the other ships you have at Vanguard?
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Vanguard Miniatures currently only do metal models. Maybe we'll be seeing resin or even plastic in the (far) future. :)
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I prefer metal. So that's good news to me. (keep everything metal!)
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The Novan Elites Frigate (three types of broadside weapon configurations) has been printed and is off to get cast. Expect it to be released around April this year.
(https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/16819169_457667451290534_1566082302141530263_o.jpg?oh=119e850bc960fb6c88c266066b0a9410&oe=593DEDC6)
Also, two Destroyer variants have officially been shipped off to Vanguard Miniatures for printing.
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Niiiice. Really, really nice job.
Guys like you help a game to be still alive. With you, the BFG community will find a second breath.
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Thank you for the kind words!
In the meantime I started working on some bombers. The tricky thing is that there aren't any models of Space Marine bombers out there, so I kinda based it on the old Stormbird (http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/1/13/Stormbird_flyer.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130315194305), but then a version which is capable of space flight (those rotor blades wouldn't work in the cold void). The reasoning behind it is that in BFG the Tau use Mantas as bombers rather than boarding/landing craft. So if why not something similar for the Stormbird?
As you can see I've got two versions of the bomber, one with laser cannons akin to the fighter or firing big missiles. My personal preference are the missiles, it would make more sense and it's a nice differentiation compared to the fighter.
Your thoughts?
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I like it, and i agree. Missiles are a better choice.
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Yep, missiles all the way
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I've also got the comment that it looks a bit fat. Do you guys agree? And if so, should I decrease the bomber's height to make it seem a bit thinner?
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It is a BOMBER, it should look fat!
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To (mis)quote the undying words of MC Hammer: Bomber got back! 8)
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I say keep it CHUNKEH! It's a space faring bomber. It's supposed to look big and chunky. I can't help think of the Defiant from Star Trek when I look at the Laser version though. (not that I've see that in donkeys years)
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YES! thats it the defiant... knew i felt i'd seen something like it before but could not put my finger on it... also that fighrter in the middle is lovely! are they available anywhere yet?
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YES! thats it the defiant... knew i felt i'd seen something like it before but could not put my finger on it... also that fighrter in the middle is lovely! are they available anywhere yet?
A 6mm version of the Javelin Fighter (http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-javelin-fighter/) is already available through Vanguard Miniatures. The BFG scaled ones will probably be released during springtime, alongside some more ordnance (like these (https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14370383_1444077032272925_1397954887908706196_n.jpg?oh=5da28745d656a1dc17d6333539120ace&oe=5930C6CC) for example) and the Frigate and Destroyer kits.
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But to get back to the bomber: left version of right version?
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Boarding claws becomming available ?!?! #does_happy_Dance
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...The BFG scaled ones will probably be released during springtime, alongside some more ordnance (like these (https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/14370383_1444077032272925_1397954887908706196_n.jpg?oh=5da28745d656a1dc17d6333539120ace&oe=5930C6CC) for example) and the Frigate and Destroyer kits.
this is very pleasing and has officially made my 'must buy' list. I'll be all over those like a cheap suit!
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Left one.
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I'd go for the right one personally but, seriously, how big is this model going to be? I can't see people making that much of a deal with how many missiles it's carrying :)
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I'd go for the right one personally but, seriously, how big is this model going to be? I can't see people making that much of a deal with how many missiles it's carrying :)
The model is about 12mm long, so it's not that big a deal. However, I want to get 'details' such as the weapons right in case I decide to make a 6mm version of this craft. Kinda a lesson I've learnt from when I designed the fighter and then worked on the 6mm version of it and realised its weapons layout didn't match anymore.
A little bit of OCD I guess? :P
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I'd say the left one, those bombers try to hurt ships that are like 30 times their own size.. they would need the seriously oversized missiles!
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I've continued working on the bombers:
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/bomber11.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/69)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/bomber12.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/70)
And on a little side note, this is what the bomber would be like in 6mm scale:
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/bomber13.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/71)
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Really nice. Nothing to add.
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The bombers and torpedo bombers are as good as ready. Let me know if anything needs changing before I ship them off.
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No complaints from me mate. Are these going to be metal as well?
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They'll be metal yeah. :)
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they are gorgeous! love the 'doubled' missile pods. much better now. kinda reminiscent of the dropship from aliens with those... only kinda...very much looking forward to these and the other ordnance. great stuff
also just wanted to ask, is the fighter intended as a proxy for a xiphon fighter? if not it certainly would work as such!
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The Javelin Fighter could indeed by used as a proxy for the Xiphon. Only the armament I've made for it in the space ship scale doesn't fully match the armament of its 6mm counterpart, but that doesn't matter that much I guess.
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Final shot before shipping them off to the printer...
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Why those red and green sections ? Do you cast them and then send the models, or do you let the producer print them ?
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It's just a render, the prints/casts will be unpainted of course. ;)
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Yeah of course, but i wondered why you had to take time to change that. :)
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Just discovered this thread - really great work.
Where are all these amazing creations available? I see the Shapeways link in your sig, but it doesn't look like even half of it is there...
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The Frigate and ordnance will be available through Vanguard Miniatures in spring. The Destroyers will follow later, depending on the sales of the other kits.
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The idea behind this ship is that its weaponry is hidden inside the hull/prow of the ship. It's only visible because the ship's hatches are opened. I guess the model could also be used as a Defence Monitor.
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan10.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/80)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan11.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/81)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan12.jpg) (https://servimg.com/view/19460435/82)
A few things that still need to be done:
(1) Tweaking some of the details
(2) Making an enclosed prow variant (where you don't see any weapons protruding)
(3) Make two bits to enclose the top part of the hull, to make it seem as if the turrets are hiding down below in the hull.
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These look great mate. A bit to high-Tech for Imperial Navy ships but they'd work for AdMech. What scale will these be? Escorts or Cruiser sized?
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They are escort sized, about 48mm long.
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I like the prew.
As said, and it's a nice remark, they look a little bit full tech. Clearly top notch modern vessels.
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I've heard that remark before. I'm not sure if that's going to stop people from buying the model though. Let's hope not. Personally I quite dig the more techy feel...
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Great looking ship... Looks like a cross between a blockade runner and an imperial transport with an ad mech vibe! All positives as far as I'm concerned...
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Thanks! I was thinking of something similar. It could even be a defence monitor.
Also, I've started working on some more prows... (see attachment)
Side views on the left, frontal views on the right. Clockwise:
- Top left: enclosed prow (weapons hidden)
- Top right: torpedo prow
- Bottom left: lance prow
- Bottom right: turret prow
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Teaser...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/P1050266ef_zpsgbkbfoj0.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/P1050266ef_zpsgbkbfoj0.jpg.html)
These'll be available at Vanguard Miniatures from tomorrow...
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/prints_zpske70g6zb.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/prints_zpske70g6zb.jpg.html)
Not sure yet when the bombers will be out, but I was curious if anybody would like to see a 6mm version of this one?
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Ooo, I should have already looked here to see your 6 mm bomber construct! Serves me right for visiting Taccoms more than Specialist Arms :P I see the prototype 6 mm does have a chin gun. I like the general shape still, though I wonder if the defensive weapons could be a bit more interesting (the chin gun seems a bit flimsy). Perhaps there could be two small turrets or pop-up guns on the wings?
For the Q-ship (though it's been a while since you put the render out!) I wonder about the squareness of the torpedo prow torpedo mount. It would be nice if there was some way to integrate it more with the hull, make it seem less like a platform. Anyways, just some thoughts!
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*Throws money at you*
Any chance of getting a scale shot for the Destroyers (metal ships). How do they scale up against a Sword/Dauntless/Cruiser??
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Sadly enough I don't have any official BFG models myself. To give you an idea of scale though, the Panthera Heavy Frigate is about 52mm long.
For the Q-ship (though it's been a while since you put the render out!) I wonder about the squareness of the torpedo prow torpedo mount. It would be nice if there was some way to integrate it more with the hull, make it seem less like a platform. Anyways, just some thoughts!
The idea is that the prow mounted weapons are normally hidden. The front 'hatch' (in case of the torpedo and weapon battery prows) has opened, revealing its deadly cargo.
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Fair enough. So they are between Dauntless and a Sword frigate then. I'll have to buy one and see how they scale up. I'm looking for some 'Heavy frigates' for my Rogue Trader fleet and these will suit them perfectly if they scale right.
Any plans to give them more of an Imperial style prow? No worries if not, I'll make my own if that's the case.
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New release!!! I'm kinda excited here, for years I've been working on designing ships and one of the reasons why I've joined up with Vanguard Miniatures was to have my ship designs put in production. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a whole bunch of ships being released!
Novan Elites Panthera Class Heavy Frigate x 2 - £7.00
(https://i2.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/P1050266ef.jpg)
(https://i1.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/P1050267ef.jpg)
(https://i0.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/P1050269ef.jpg)
The Panthera class Heavy Frigate is the workhorse of the Novan Elite fleets. Heavily armed and armoured, its various weapon configurations allow it to fulfil many different void combat roles.
No matter its broadside configuration, the Panthera’s basic armament includes two heavy twin linked dorsal mounted turrets and two pairs of prow torpedo tubes. Its broadsides allow for different types of weapon systems which can be changed whilst in dock due to it’s modular design.
Most commonly used are weapons batteries, more than capable of tearing huge chunks out of enemy vessels many times its own size. Another popular configuration for the Panthera is to fit it with launch bays, allowing the heavy frigate to carry several squadrons of Javelin fighters and Pilum bombers. In order to protect other ships of the fleet from waves of ordnance and enemy fighters the Panthera is sometimes also configured with broadside turret platforms capable of projecting a withering volume of defensive fire.
Panthera class heavy frigate x 2 with three broadside options each. Images show three vessels to demonstrate the broadside options.
Model is 52mm long, bases not included.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-panthera-class-heavy-frigate-x-2/
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Ordered mine! :D
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Congratulations on finally reaching the milestone, @Malika! :D I remember when you started fiddling around with designs in the first place, and it's pretty exciting to see you at the stage of manufactured metals! If only we hadn't both missed out on actual BFG ships :P
About the Q-ship prow: ah, taking another look, I was mistaken about how far the torpedoes protrude! I suppose on the model scale, extra detailing there won't be easily noticed, but it still seems like a little extra detailing could be nice. Maybe even have 4 small corner bumps to represent some kind of lights? Anyways, just my thoughts, you're the master designer with actual ships in production :P
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No worries about the q-ship, there will still be some tweaking before it's ready. :D
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I've started working on a Lance Frigate as a follow-up to the Heavy Frigate I've done for Vanguard Miniatures.
I'm wondering which version you guys prefer: 3 lances (sides and bottom), 3 lances (sides and prow), or 4 lances (sides, bottom, and prow)?
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Sides and bottom without a doubt. Nothing on that lovely prow as far as I'm concerned...
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Thanks a lot! The keel mounted lance will be the most likely be the one made, most people prefer that one.
In the meantime, I've gotten a bit distracted and started working on another Destroyer:
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Aye, The prow mounted Lance looks a little odd. Leave the prow alone ;)
The destroyer is looking very nice indeed! I've just recently bought some of your 'light cruisers' off of Vanguard and they're very cool. They're just a bigger, chunkier version of a sword frigate which is exactly what I'm after.
Just a shame I need 15 of them :D
Did you want a scale shot of your Panthera Heavy Frigate next to a GW model? I have them sitting in my case. They are fantastic models, really well detailed and just have such a nice look to them. I just have no idea what to do with them. I'm thinking of Defence Monitors or Ad-Mech light cruisers.
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Aye, The prow mounted Lance looks a little odd. Leave the prow alone.
I keep hearing that. I could do a more workable version of the prow mounted lance, but for some reason I just wanna stick with the keel mounted one now because it just looks a lot cooler.
The destroyer is looking very nice indeed! I've just recently bought some of your 'light cruisers' off of Vanguard and they're very cool. They're just a bigger, chunkier version of a sword frigate which is exactly what I'm after.
Keep in mind that the Light Cruiser has been designed by someone else (Ben, who also did most of the Defeat in Detail range), and is a tiny bit smaller than my Heavy Frigate:
(http://i66.tinypic.com/n4gy7l.jpg)
Just a shame I need 15 of them
What's stopping you? ;)
Did you want a scale shot of your Panthera Heavy Frigate next to a GW model? I have them sitting in my case. They are fantastic models, really well detailed and just have such a nice look to them. I just have no idea what to do with them. I'm thinking of Defence Monitors or Ad-Mech light cruisers.
I'd love to see what you'd do with the model, as for a scale shot: yes please!
As for how to use the Panthera, I guess it could be used as a Gladius Frigate standin, otherwise one of the Imperial Navy, Rogue Trader, or Inquisitorial frigates?
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Here's a scale shot
(http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f36/LordBorak84/DSC_0002.NEF_zpsyyjmwzt8.jpg) (http://s44.photobucket.com/user/LordBorak84/media/DSC_0002.NEF_zpsyyjmwzt8.jpg.html)
The Light cruiser is just a bit longer and chunkier than a Sword class frigate so it's more of a heavy frigate than a light cruiser. It'd work well as a Defence monitor or a Havoc.
The Panthera is shorter than a Space Marine strike cruiser but it is a LOT chunkier. If you wanted to, the Strike cruiser prow would sit pretty well on the Panthera
Seriously though. Please can we have the Panthera with a more 'Imperial' looking Prow.
What's stopping you?
My wife lol.
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Imperial ships have different patterns, look at the variation between the normal ones and the Voss ones for example.
I might look at doing different prows for these in the future, but it's not super high on my to-do list.
As for the Strike Cruiser, I'm working on the Frigate's chunky brother as we speak. :)
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The station is almost ready...
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/statio14.jpg)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/statio15.jpg)
And I'm continuing to work on the Defence Monitor: modular prows!
Unarmed prow:
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan15.jpg)
Torpedo prow:
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan16.jpg)
Lance prow:
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/mercan14.jpg)
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holy shit! that station. I need that to live! :o seriously please tell me this will be up for sale soon too... ;D
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The station is almost ready, it'll need to be greenlit by Vanguard Miniatures and the caster (to see if there would be any issues). I do want to tweak the turrets a bit since right now they are the dorsal turrets from the Panthera frigate. Would like to have them look slightly different.
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Still working on the Escort Carrier, including the prows:
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003a_zpspddebgwd.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003a_zpspddebgwd.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003b_zpsj25hdhnw.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003b_zpsj25hdhnw.jpg.html)
(http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag77/Stefmanovic/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003c_zpsyzpngjih.jpg) (http://s1299.photobucket.com/user/Stefmanovic/media/Escort%20Carrier%20-%20003c_zpsyzpngjih.jpg.html)
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The Defence Monitor and prow / turrets sprue is ready. If there's any other feedback, please let me know before I ship it off for printing.
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The station is very swish! It definitely fills the round, Gothic station-sized hole we have at the moment.
The prows and turrets look swish, also. I like the small 'observation deck' blip on the underside of the prows!
On the topic of different prow types: prow design seems to be a really easy way to mark out a ship as belonging to a certain aesthetic, and a good target for modularity. It seems like a future project with Mars, Voss (and maybe other options) prows on a sprue (with perhaps more turrets to fill space?) would be popular.
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Thats the great thing with the modular prows, it'll also allow me to do House/chapter/clan/etc themed prows.
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Excellent job here, as always...
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Thank you!!!
In the meantime...
The escort sized carrier is ready. Do you have any feedback before I ship it off?
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/escort11.jpg)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/escort12.jpg)
(https://i58.servimg.com/u/f58/19/46/04/35/escort10.jpg)
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lovely. just one question, how big is this and the escort carrier in comparison to your 'panthera' heavy frigate? larger smaller or about equal?
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Length wise it's more or less the same as the Panthera Heavy Frigate, it's just a lot narrower though.
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Continued working on the Pardinus:
(http://i67.tinypic.com/30svzv9.jpg)
Next to the Panthera Heavy Frigate:
(http://i66.tinypic.com/wqrmtt.jpg)
(http://i67.tinypic.com/flw03p.jpg)
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The Destroyers are in!
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Love them. Just wonderfull.
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Update...
Lance Frigate:
(http://i.imgur.com/zZWF6JJ.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/5clieVI.jpg)
Lance Destroyer:
(http://i.imgur.com/GEfg6d7.jpg)
Making the station multi-part:
(http://i.imgur.com/9Mrrqxk.jpg)
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That station looks SO F'ING AWESOME!!!
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Thing is that the station itself is fully finished. I just need to chop it up in a few pieces to make it easier to cast, still waiting for instructions from our caster regarding how he wants that.
In the meantime I've also started working on something smaller (thank for the inspiration Osjclatchford!):
(http://i.imgur.com/gQLjnL0.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/WJBlgu8.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/jAE24i0.jpg)
Two of them next to the Panthera Heavy Frigate:
(http://i.imgur.com/vFGkPrS.jpg)
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Those are cute! Where is the flying stand going to attach?
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Haven't thought of that yet. I need to see how GW did that with the original models.
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Those small ships remind me of those ones I made out of bits... Rather nice them. Indeed You'd need something small to base them on like the copper roofing nails I use... Gw simply supplied them without stands...
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Hmm i seemed to have mixed you and Lord Borak up, apologies! Tweaked my post...but all in all both your works have been very inspiring!
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Great minds think alike! (and fools seldom differ :/ )
If it's the little system ships then, yeah, GW never supplied them with bases and there was no where to put the base either. Post people just used paper clips and pinned them to a base. Not very classy but it did the job.
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seriously guys I'm tellin' you: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copper-Disc-Rivets-Nails-19mm-3-4-Roofing-Slate-Tile-Rivets-Choice-Of-Qty-/191881943891?var=490928276321&hash=item2cad0e1b53:m:m5nyCO5XAMHknN7lPMjTo3w (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Copper-Disc-Rivets-Nails-19mm-3-4-Roofing-Slate-Tile-Rivets-Choice-Of-Qty-/191881943891?var=490928276321&hash=item2cad0e1b53:m:m5nyCO5XAMHknN7lPMjTo3w) these are the answer! ;D
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Lance Destroyer as good as ready, any final feedback before I ship it off for printing?
(http://i.imgur.com/exOYmmI.jpg)
(http://i.imgur.com/3t8XYfN.jpg)
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Cool ships man I follow your progress all the time, I am kind of board with seeing the same style of ships though. So I wanted to challenge you to dig into your creativity and show me a twisted alien ship design from the mind of malika.
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I would like to do an alien raider ship. It all depends on time and willingness of Vanguard Miniatures to produce such a model.
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FANTASTIC stuff! As usual...
Just out of curiosity, When will the javelin fighters be available? Or did I miss them...
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The 6mm version is already out. The BFG scaled ones are still at Vanguard Miniatures. No clue when they want to release the fighters. We should push them to release the ordnance models. :)
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...The BFG scaled ones are still at Vanguard Miniatures. No clue when they want to release the fighters. We should push them to release the ordnance models. :)
I would agree but I doubt that would go down well. ;D Still it's been a while and bfg is in dire need of good variation of ordnance that for one is not cardboard and second does not cost the earth (shapeways stuff etc...)
I for one am greatly anticipating these!
Also. Did they get back to you regarding the station? If it's possible to cast it and whatnot? Another one on my wishlist ;)
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Hey man, thank for the reply! :)
Regarding the ordnance, no idea yet about the price. It'll all depend on the casting costs. John has mentioned that the estimated release date will most likely be the end of August, but expect them sometime in September. :D
As for the station, there were some issues for casting and printing. I will have to chop the model up. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, it will just take a lot of time.
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September is no time at all to wait. Sounds groovy... I'm sure whatever the prices I'll pay it!
As for the station. That sounds a cowson to do... If so complicated why not simply make that a 3d print jobby? Or I suppose you want to keep it with the rest of the matching models on vanguard's site/catalogue...
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The station isn't too difficult to do, it will just take a lot of time, which is why I'm constantly postponing it.
As for keeping it as a 3d print thing, I'm hesitant about it because (a) it would be quite expensive to print on services like Shapeways and (b) it would then be in inferior quality. I'll just chop it up, it'll only take some time. :(
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Gotcha. Patience is a virtue. especially to those of us playing a nigh on twenty year old game... I can totally understand not wanting to limit yourself to shapeways printing. Poorer quality and higher price when compared to vanguard's...
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Started working on my tribute/interpretation of a Kill Ship (http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Kill-ships). Also heavily influenced by that Blood Angels ship from Blood Quest (https://2static.fjcdn.com/large/pictures/47/9a/479a6a_5822162.jpg).
The craft has been dubbed the 'Felis class Stealth Ship'. It's a tiny bugger (9.25mm tall, 29.01mm long, 9.89mm wide) that carries weapons that can exterminate entire planets or elite units (including assassins) meant to take out specific targets. A very fast, stealthy, and deadly ship, but totally vulnerable once discovered.
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And compared to some of the other ships I've done.
Left (top to bottom): Lynx class Destroyer, Pardinus class Lance Destroyer, Felis class Stealth Ship
Right (top to bottom): Panthera class Heavy Frigate, Escort Carrier (still needs a name), Defence Monitor (still needs a name)
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I especially like the Pardinus class Lance Destroyer and the Felis class Stealth Ship.
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I like the different design for a highly specialist vessel while keeping the theme with the engine block.
The rectangular bit on the upper prow gives the feeling of a visor... Which looks cool, but at the same time it distorts the scale a little.
To clarify, the impression I get from the "visor" is that it looks like an actual cockpit rather than a hullplate several hundreds of metres across. It makes me think the whole vessel has the size of a bomber or something rather than an escort-sized vessel.
Other than that, you gotta love the raven's beak! <3
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The prow will keep the general shape, but the detailing is being reworked a bit. :)
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The felis class has a definite chaos vibe with that pointy prow... Nice...
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The felis class has a definite chaos vibe with that pointy prow... Nice...
Well, there needs to be a link between the loyalists and traitors since they have the same roots... ;)
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Indeed. Essentially the chaos vessels are just antiquated Imperial ones that predate even the heresy and some hark from the earliest days of the great crusade itself...
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Well....the tricky thing with BFG is that many of the Chaos ships are actually post-Heresy designs that turned traitor.
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Update on the prow:
(https://i.imgur.com/qrjg6jR.jpg)
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Yesss!! ^^
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(https://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/19/46/04/35/system10.jpg)
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Why not a prew looking like a hammerhead shark ?
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Funny you should mention that! I did something like that a really long time ago. Maybe I will do a hammerhead for one of the system ships. :)
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I like it :)
Looking a little bit like a corellian corvette. But not that much.
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New casts in!
First up, space ship scaled stuff:
Javelin Fighters:
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22220014_1697945270250176_8153291214402629701_o.jpg?oh=3840e6f62d90227a95df3b31834e208a&oe=5A3FDDE2)
Get the 6mm version over here (http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-javelin-fighter/). :)
Sagaris Bombers: (regular and torpedo bombers)
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22289678_1697945623583474_7931869867482516043_o.jpg?oh=6e795bca586b4b183894c202685e13dc&oe=5A4374C0)
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22220066_1697946863583350_1677003443446999356_o.jpg?oh=b3d3437eb90fc12586f593c7df68b1a2&oe=5A4BCA11)
Boarding pods: (opened and closed)
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22219779_1697947046916665_6579513783620814869_o.jpg?oh=2ee86f7feff590ee122648f7e1551caf&oe=5A829DCC)
Mines:
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22338998_1697947380249965_108521010203980499_o.jpg?oh=4e476189335844a90c9381e4205552bf&oe=5A49D4C4)
Various torpedoes:
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22256460_1697947560249947_8457779567789101874_o.jpg?oh=81a9e3ac8d98280cd41eae45919a7a5a&oe=5A7609AB)
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/22290063_1697947633583273_8574656795980180344_o.jpg?oh=6a0fd427b67186cc712234d701212082&oe=5A790977)
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Omg I love them. So much more details than I expected bfor some reason... Excellent. Just excellent...
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Nice stuff.
A little bit less enthousiast for the mines, i would have enjoyed an old style like WWI old maritim mines. Round shaped, etc.
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I just noticed these new prints are metal! (serves me right for looking at them on a smartphone without glasses on!) does this mean they'll be in vanguard's catalogue soon?.
also what ever (if anything) happened about vanguard doing the station you designed. there were casting issues last I asked I believe?
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Expect the ordnance to be out soon, can't give you a clear ETA yet...all depends on Vanguard.
As for the station, I haven't been able to find the time and energy to cut up the model for easier casting. Will try to do that once I have a bit more time and motivation.
In the meantime, the Novan Elites will be getting a new Frigate 'soon' (depends on when they'll be printed and cast of course)...
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understood malika... been awhile since I checked here so I just wondered If I missed anything...
great news about the ordnance! buzzin' for those! this work is outstanding
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Ordnance models are out!!!
Arcus Class Breaching Pod - £4.00
(https://i1.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050422-O4.jpg)
Set of 10 Arcus class breaching pods.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/arcus-class-breaching-pod/
Novan Elites Javelin Fighter - £3.50
(https://i1.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050426-O1.jpg)
Set of 15 Novan Elites Javelin fighters.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/elites-javelin-fighter/
Orbital Mines - £4.00
(https://i2.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050423-O5.jpg)
Set of 10 orbital mines.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/orbital-mines/
Sagaris Class Bomber (missiles) - £4.00
(https://i2.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050424-O2.jpg)
Set of 10 Sagaris class bombers with missile payload.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/sagaris-class-bomber-missiles/
Sagaris Class Bomber (torpedoes) - £4.00
(https://i0.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050425-O3.jpg)
Set of 10 Sagaris class bombers with torpedo payload.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/sagaris-class-bomber-torpedoes/
Specialist Torpedoes Set A - £3.50
(https://i1.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050451st.jpg)
Set A, 12 special torpedoes consisting of the following:
Left to right in the picture.
4 x boarding torpedoes
4 x planetary bombardment torpedoes
4 x fast torpedoes
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/specialist-torpedoes-set-a/
Specialist Torpedoes Set B - £3.50
(https://i2.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050452st.jpg)
Set B, 12 special torpedoes consisting of the following:
From left to right in the picture.
3 x subatomic/microwave warhead torpedoes
3 x guided torpedoes
3 x seeking torpedoes
3 x vortex warhead torpedoes
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/specialist-torpedoes-set-b/
Standard Torpedoes - £3.50
(https://i1.wp.com/vanguardminiatures.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/P1050427-O6.jpg)
Set of 12 standard torpedoes.
http://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/standard-torpedoes/
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Yay! Got mine! Despite vanguard having wiped my email and password details... Had to log in as guest to get em but meh. I got em and that's the important part. What I don't understand is why they are with the bgh kits and not your other gothic ship bits...
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John wants all the ship stuff to be part of BGH. But it seems that hasn't fully been implemented yet.
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Fair enough. It certainly makes sense from that perspective. I Got the bitz today. Oh boy am I happy with them... Such a great match with gw stuff but such cleaner detail and form. Lovely! Only minor niggle was that I found the torpedoes a bit of a cowson to get off the sprue without a fair bit of filing required after but hard work is all part of the game! I reckon I'll be back for more for sure!
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Yeah, the torpedo sprues are indeed quite annoying. Due to a flawed experiment with thinner sprues which totally failed, forcing VGM to do them like this. :(
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Well, they're still the best torpedo models I've ever seen for bfg. So if a bit of filing is the only issue I can't see that being a real problem... Its just so nice to have some great ordnance models that are for one, metal and second, highly detailed and most of all, don't cost the earth! I just can't say enough good things about these models!
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Thank you! That means a lot to me coming from someone with your skills!
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All the merchant ship (for now, and including WIPs):
(https://i.imgur.com/2jl6EDw.jpg)
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A populous fleet ! Nice job so far, really.
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Note that these are only the 'civilian' ships. 8 types of system ships, a Defence Monitor, an Escort carrier, 3 modular transports (single kit), a blockade runner, and a light cruiser sized freighter. So 15 ships in total (for now). The blockade runner and freighter are still very much WIPs.
The Novan Elites currently have 3 types of Destroyers, 4 types of Frigates (two kits), a small stealth ship, with a light cruiser sized Assault Cruiser still in progress. 8 ships in total ready, with the Assault Cruiser (3 types of weapons configurations) slowly in progress.
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Been working on some smaller mercantile ships that will most likely be released on a single sprue. Each craft is about 20mm long.
Curious to hear your feedback before shipping this one off for production.
(Novan Elites Panthera Heavy Frigate added for scale)
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Ah yes! More system ships for jago's merchant fleet! Lovely stuff.
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Browsed through NASA's database and found a relatively high-res asteroid, so I thought: lets try to make a Novan mining station. I imagine that most mining would be done on asteroids, basically strap a whole bunch of engines on them and then suck it dry.
(https://i.imgur.com/c1ihmLl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Phe8N6u.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/URHDd83.jpg)
I'm running into a couple of issues though:
1) NASA doesn't have many different high-res asteroids files, most are pretty low resolution and just look like blobs.
2) These will be pricy to produce since they are basically massive chunks of material that need to be printed, as solid models they'd also be rather heavy, unless you go for resin.
3) One of the fun things with asteroid stations and such is the modelling itself.
A sollution is to make a modelling kit. There are many ways you can make easy asteroids as seen here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGxxMYV6zfU) and there (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPwjIbzqpG0). But a small baggy of 'station bits' could really add a bit of character. So various thrusters, turrets, buildings/towers, landing bays, docking stations, etc.
Your thoughts?
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I really think it would please scratchbuilders. Kits of bits are something i do love, personnaly.
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Bits are probably the way to go, but having an asteroid based off an actual asteroid is also very cool.
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(https://i.imgur.com/IVkSmfv.jpg)
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And expect the Felis Stealth Ship to be released in the coming weeks...
(https://scontent.fams1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/39468427_2063056963739003_8997518114987966464_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=b2db56980edd55cf87fd3f786b84ae30&oe=5C067A05)
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The System Ships are as good to go, any final feedback before I ship them off for printing?
(https://i.imgur.com/zBfKvw5.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Cpen6qC.jpg)
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Mighty fine vessels!
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A few tiny details here and there changed, will look into it one more time later this week and then it's ready for submission:
(https://i.imgur.com/FB1CrYN.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TphuyLW.jpg)
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Coming soon, an upgrade kit for the Panthera Heavy Frigate (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-panthera-class-heavy-frigate-x-2/):
(https://i.imgur.com/NeaqmQO.jpg)
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I do like the look of the system ships. Something I have been trying to scratch build but not enough of certain parts so quite adhock haha.
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Oh wow that conversion kit is mega! Simple change but obvious change of visuals. Astartes panteras look great!
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Good job on keeping going Malika. Like the stealth ship.
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New prints in:
First up, the Felis class Stealth Ship:
(https://scontent.fams1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/40421146_2083915614986471_1838238963236601856_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=a2045f5a295ce5e1e7f1cd2cb20fad10&oe=5C2BEC7B)
(length of this ship is about 30mm)
Second up: System Ships:
(https://scontent.fams1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/40539686_2083916608319705_5820598305842790400_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=4612621526edfedffd24395a060ec490&oe=5BF6A280)
(depending on what prow you give them they are about 50mm long)
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I thought it handy to perhaps share it here as well. I've been wanting to show what can be done with Vanguard Miniatures' models, as well as showing some artwork, background, WIP's, etc. So I've opened up a Tumblr page.
The Wars of Tusculum Nova (https://thewarsoftusculumnova.tumblr.com/)
Check it, interact with it, share it. :)
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On a totally random note: now also on Instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/thewarsoftusculumnova/)
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(depending on what prow you give them they are about 50mm long)
no offence here, but I only just noticed: 50mm for a system ship? thats actually huge! thats the +/- the size of an imperial transport escort. system ships are typically more in the range of between 5-15mm
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(depending on what prow you give them they are about 50mm long)
no offence here, but I only just noticed: 50mm for a system ship? thats actually huge! thats the +/- the size of an imperial transport escort. system ships are typically more in the range of between 5-15mm
System ship is perhaps a wrong name here. John from Vanguard Miniatures has designated them as System Ships, but they are more akin to escorts. I guess that in the background of the Vanguard Miniatures setting System Ships are probably just ships that mainly remain in a planet's orbit and could be various sizes?
Sorry for the confusion!
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oh just ignore me. I'm just super pedantic/ocd with these things. like it makes a difference anyhow? the ships are amazing whatever they're called! ;) just a small question, will the panthera conversion kit be available separately or as part of a panthera kit? or both? only interested as I don't own any pantheras yet but most likely will grab a pack with said conversion kit whenever it gets released on vanguard. just figured it might be of interest to those who already own pantheras and are considering altering them...
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I think the future Pantheras will be sold with the extra sprue. Not sure yet if those sprues will also be sold separate for those who've already bought the model.
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That's good to know. I'm super buzzed for those. Hope we expect them soon! ;D
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I can't wait for all the other escorts to be out as well (three types of Destroyers, another Frigate, a tiny Stealth Ship, not to mention all those 'civilian' ships).
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Coming soon...
After a bit of a delay I have finally sent the little Felis stealth ship off to the casters, ETA in store would be end of the month with luck.
(https://scontent.fams1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/45911355_2183294788381886_1535225842228002816_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_ht=scontent.fams1-2.fna&oh=5b9e01ca954da4a45fcf5a5dfeed1450&oe=5C7BE526)
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A new little ship is in the works!
We've been working on something a little bit different, basically experimenting with other shapes for ships whilst maintaining the familiar aesthetic.
This little craft is used by various security forces, pirates, and what not.
The model's current dimensions are 13mm wide, 15mm long, 20mm tall.
We're curious to hear your thoughts about this one.
Thanks in advance! :)
(https://i.imgur.com/eesHd1E.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/qYE0vxS.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/XXcQje6.jpg)
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That makes me think admech to be honest. It's very interesting and quite a removal from the games workshop style of ship design, yet the features it has in common with the pantheras are clear to see it's of the same design origins. Very nicely done... To create something that different looking yet still maintaining a design ethos is hard to do but you've nailed it! Btw eagerly awaiting the stealth ship and pantheras upgrade over on vanguard... Should we expect before the holidays? :D
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The Adeptus Mechanicus vibe probably comes from the red colour. But the colours were more inspired by the 'Fero Ascendancy', one of the factions of Vanguard Miniatures own Defeat in Detail setting:
(https://i.imgur.com/gNqhTub.png)
As for the release schedule, John has mentioned that some of the new ship stuff might be out by the end of the month. Let's see how that'll go... :)
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Hey there. Nice model, as always.
I sent you a MP last day. Did you have it ?
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The Adeptus Mechanicus vibe probably comes from the red colour.
you'd think so but with bfg I always think of black and burgandy for admech. i think its just the more modern aspects of the design that feel more techy somehow...
As for the release schedule, John has mentioned that some of the new ship stuff might be out by the end of the month. Let's see how that'll go... :)
YUM!
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interesting, looks like if you cross a B-wing with a hammerhead cruiser
looks cool all the same, I like the missile pods
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Looks like a mashup of a B-Wing and a B/SF bomber.
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Influenced by Star Wars and Homeworld. :)
In the meantime...Craig Fenion did some cool render of one of my designs. :) :) :)
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Now I want a BFG comicbook for christmas! :D
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And another one...
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Some bad news... :(
(https://i.imgur.com/XQHcQFL.jpg?1)
The casts came in for the Novan Elites Felis class Stealth Ship. Somehow I've managed to overlook the fact that I've forgotten to add a port wing to the sprue. So the port wings have now been sent for printing and casting. Sadly enough it does mean the release of the Stealth Ship is delayed by several weeks. :(
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Don't suppose there's any chance those port/starboard wings will be available by themselves?
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New ones have been made and have been sent for printing. Expect a release delay of a couple of weeks.
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So that's a no, then?
::)
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“But you’ve got no port wing! We can’t fight you!â€
“It’s just a flesh wound! I’ll bite your kneecaps off!â€
Another interesting anecdote to be added to the history of tiny spaceships. Pretty exciting to see all of these ones coming to fruition, too!
I do still like the B-cruiser; it’s a refreshingly different shape to the usual ones.
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I have received a few advanced sets of port wings for the little stealth ship, so I will be able to release that model very soon now. More wings have already been cast and will be with me ASAP. The ship should be up in store by weeks end in limited numbers.
As an aside would there be any interest in a short limited campaign to get the other Elites vessels produced, currently we have an upgrade set for the Panthera, another frigate, 3 destroyers, little civilian system ships and re-worked Elites fighter ordinance pieces, all would be in metal.
Thoughts please.
(https://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/19/46/04/35/ready_10.jpg)
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Just throwing this here...
Novan Elites Felis Class Stealth Ship x 4 - £5.00
(https://i.imgur.com/f7ideDx.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/H1x7YAt.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/2NRraTw.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Eyaeflq.jpg)
Felis Class stealth ships are used by Novan Elite forces for special missions and deep recon operations and carry special ordinance amongst their arsenal. A small reasonably well armoured vessel the Felis relies heavily on its stealth technology to evade detection. A black ops ship more than a front line combat vessel it nevertheless has proven its worth in many campaigns the length and breadth of Commonwealth space.
Set contains:
4 x Felis stealth ship hulls
4 x optional wings sets
Model length: 31mm
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-felis-class-stealth-ship-x-4/
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I have received a few advanced sets of port wings for the little stealth ship, so I will be able to release that model very soon now. More wings have already been cast and will be with me ASAP. The ship should be up in store by weeks end in limited numbers.
As an aside would there be any interest in a short limited campaign to get the other Elites vessels produced, currently we have an upgrade set for the Panthera, another frigate, 3 destroyers, little civilian system ships and re-worked Elites fighter ordinance pieces, all would be in metal.
Thoughts please.
(https://i61.servimg.com/u/f61/19/46/04/35/ready_10.jpg)
Well you know I'm in as far as these are concerned but I have to say that 'short limited campaign' seems a little leading. Are you saying they'd only be available for a short time? Or that the drive to get them done would be short and limited? Just curious as I'm very interested in the updated panthera as a base for strike cruisers in an Astartes fleet and would probably buy some other vessels such as the individual above to fill the role as escorts etc... however I'd probably buy them all in one shot so have been holding off till I know what to expect. (Funds are quite limited at present)
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Well you know I'm in as far as these are concerned but I have to say that 'short limited campaign' seems a little leading. Are you saying they'd only be available for a short time? Or that the drive to get them done would be short and limited? Just curious as I'm very interested in the updated panthera as a base for strike cruisers in an Astartes fleet and would probably buy some other vessels such as the individual above to fill the role as escorts etc... however I'd probably buy them all in one shot so have been holding off till I know what to expect. (Funds are quite limited at present)
What John probably meant with a 'short limited campaign' was that these would be financed by a smaller crowdfunder than the usual ones that Vanguard Miniatures and Troublemaker Games did. So probably only to reach the goal of funding these models, no tons of stretch goals. After that Vanguard Miniatures can always have more cast afterwards, but wouldn't cause big delays and overwork in just getting the stuff financed.
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groovy, well count me in either way! all for it!
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(https://i.imgur.com/t5oOBCh.jpg?1)
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Excelent, as always...
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Oo, very nice! It’s cool seeing the dreams of a range of models coming to fruition.
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Wow it looks even better than I thought it would!
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Feedback needed!
Hi people I'm looking for some feedback, I have in now masters of the little civilian ships which are currently cast on to sprues as seen in the first picture of the original prints, obviously they do not come with stands as I was anticipating that people would want to drill them and mount them on wire.
It occurs to me now that customers may prefer cast on stands to save a lot of labour and so I'm looking at detaching them from the sprues and casting on the flight stand show in the second picture. This stand will fit standard epic bases with the 6mm recess.
The other option is to provide these bases loose and you drill and pin them to the models yourself, what would be the preferred option please. Models are around 20mm long.
(https://i.imgur.com/OQsgiON.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/TNPpjX3.jpg?1)
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First of all, those models are really, really great.
I have always loved to add civilian stuff in all my wargames, to help for scenarios, just athmosphere, etc.
As for pinning, i think that every models has a gravity point where the most owners will drill a hole to add anything they want to base the stuff. So you could very well add a hole and it would help 99% of the people who bought them.
As for the exceptions, people wanting a special pinning, a hole in the lower side should absolutely not be a problem. At best, it's not visible. At worst, everybody today can add some green stuff to fill it.
So i would say drill a hole, a small one not to bother those who want to base the vessels with a particularily thin pin... And even, standard Epic holes where OK i think.
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I concur. A small hole at the suggested centre of gravity. Rather than an entire flight stand. It's easier to add a stand rather than remove an existing one. This should then please most possible audiences... Tasty ships btw...
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Love these mate. The transport/ inter-system shoops look great but that heavy cruiser looks beefcake. I really, really need one.
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New ships inbound!
Novan Elites Panthera II Class Heavy Frigate x 2 - £8.50
(https://i.imgur.com/h1TUuR8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BgMIRzX.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/a5opVBy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AVCQSry.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/C0xt40V.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/MPrnO4E.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lGvP4xT.jpg)
The Panthera class Heavy Frigate is the workhorse of the Novan Elite fleets. Heavily armed and armoured, its various weapon configurations allow it to fulfil many different void combat roles.
No matter its broadside configuration, the Panthera’s basic armament includes two heavy twin or optionally triple linked dorsal mounted turrets and two pairs of prow torpedo tubes. Its broadsides allow for different types of weapon systems which can be changed whilst in dock due to it’s modular design.
Most commonly used are weapons batteries, more than capable of tearing huge chunks out of enemy vessels many times its own size. Another popular configuration for the Panthera is to fit it with launch bays, allowing the heavy frigate to carry several squadrons of Javelin fighters and Pilum bombers. In order to protect other ships of the fleet from waves of ordnance and enemy fighters the Panthera is sometimes also configured with broadside turret platforms capable of projecting a withering volume of defensive fire.
This set now contains the components necessary to build the Panthera II refit version as an option.
set contents:
2 x Panthera hulls
2 x Wing sets with adaptors (forward and aft)
2 x Twin turret broadsides
2 x Triple turret broadsides
2 x Launch bay broadsides
2 x Gun deck broadsides
Model is 52mm long, bases not included.
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-panthera-ii-class-heavy-frigate-x-2/
Novan Civilian Starships x 16 - £5.50
(https://i.imgur.com/pBPaLvB.jpg?1)
This set is made up of 8 different ship designs representing various Novan Commonwealth civilian vessels.
Set contains 16 x civilian ships (2 of each design)
Model average length approximately 20mm
Please note that these ships do not come provided with a flight stand or have a pilot hole for one. You will need to drill your own hole wherever appropriate and use a stiff wire support to base your ships on.
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-civilian-starships-x-16/
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:o I love them!
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Those civilian starships are really excellent :)
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Bought mine. Really looking forward to painting these up. I have NO idea what they'll be yet though.... Maybe =][= cruisers or something.
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Doing mine as Astartes strike cruiser alternatives... Time to try that spaceshark colourscheme on s cruiser!
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Great stuff. Think best models to this date from this line. Both the bigger ones and the civilian vessels.
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WIP...
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Nice :)
Long and swift as a blade.
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(https://i.imgur.com/7wMto8J.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zFiMk8N.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/WdLyF3z.jpg)
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Nice bigun!
So report on the panthera... Great kit. Conversion kit easy to use. However even though it was a great model and so nice to work in metal again I totally funted up the paint job.
Might try again soon but totally dissolutioned at present.
Why do I have absolutely no luck with Astartes vessels that aren't with the inquisition..?
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What happened with the paint job then?
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In the meantime...
Novan Elites Panthera II Conversion Set - £3.00
(https://i.imgur.com/KhP7enj.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/h1TUuR8.jpg)
This pack contains two Panthera II conversion sets only no hulls included, enough parts to convert two Panthera models to the Mk2 refit configuration.
Set contains all the contents show in the main image.
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-panthera-ii-conversion-set/
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(https://i.imgur.com/u7IIuFe.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/g13ZMWg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/zZrrwqH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/lvgbuNs.jpg)
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That looks.... well, awesome. What sort of size will it be? Cruiser sized?
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It's about 76mm long, so more akin to a Light Cruiser.
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Prey seem very strange, compared to usual vessels, but i like it.
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Wow... That’s really rather different and cool. I like it!
Um... Could you ask Vanguard to hurry up with their 3mm scale Cybershadow Leviathans too Malika? :P
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Can I ask a cheeky question about when we can expect some more ship releases?
For example, the Helios cruisers are great so I mean to get some of those BUT when can we hope to see some slightly smaller ships, say 8cms or so like the above example, that I can use as a light cruiser? The heavy frigate is great but I crave a bit more variety!
Also, when will we see more escort style vessels? Those have been teasered already but I have some cash burning a hole in my wallet and I would love to know how long I must hold out ;D
Thank you and apologies!
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Funny that you should mention more escorts...
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Ooooh! Any word on the above lighter cruiser you’ve tormented us with already? I seem to remember Vanguard asking if customers were up for some form of pseudo Kickstarter to get a bunch of the ships out? ;D
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Real life obligations have kept me from doing any serious modelling work. I did finish several Novan Elites escorts (three typea of Destroyers, another Frigate, and something smaller) which are in production queue I guess. I've also done two armed civilian escorts (light frigate sized) and a modular transport ship which should have been printed out by Vanguard.
As for Light Cruiser sized models. A civilian light cruiser is almost ready for printing (engines and castability need to be sorted out). Based on that I can also finish the two Light Cruisers I've been working on for the Novan Elites.
Sadly enough I can't give you an ETA since my full time job and building a home are kinda getting in the way lately. :(
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What?! Real life stopping play?! Unacceptable, sir! ;)
Thank you for all that info, sounds ideal once it’s all out there! Yes, Mr Vanguard tells me they’re releasing that batch of escorts you mention shortly, which is a good start haha. At least this way I can hope to paint them in a phased manner instead of the 15 warships I’m doing right now ::)
I like the sound of those civilians - variety is the spice of life / Imperium..
Hope your house building goes well, mate
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More variety is indeed important. I'd love to do more (semi-)civilian ships, time will tell if it'll be possible.
However, I did get instructions to finish some 6mm tanks and buildings first. So expect the coming weeks to be dedicated to that.
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More WIPs:
(https://i.imgur.com/CK55m2K.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/QU7aozc.jpg)
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So this just happened...
Novan Elites Lynx Class Destroyers - £5.00
(https://i.imgur.com/XznOdup.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/93H7BwE.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/inSewuO.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/c23MsoU.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/KvNmdx0.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/dKdFs8f.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/pYKg7Ah.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/mLfU7bP.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/VtMya92.jpg?1)
(https://i.imgur.com/dqtaiV9.jpg?1)
Lynx class Destroyers are small and fast craft that are capable of quickly delivering their deadly cargo. For its size the Lynx is heavily armed, making it a jack of all trades. Its basic armament includes two dorsal mounted twin turrets to take out incoming ordnance which can be replaced with planetary bombardment cannon as the mission dictates, and two pairs of prow torpedo tubes. Its broadsides allow for different types of weapon systems which can be changed whilst in dock due to its modular design. Most common broadside configurations are either weapon batteries or launch bays for a small compliment of fighters and assault craft.
Its diverse armament is also its main disadvantage. A lot of space normally used for supplies such as fuel, ammunition, foodstuffs, and oxygen is sacrificed for the Lynx’s many weapon systems. What this means is that the Lynx needs constant resupplying, making it incapable of long independent missions away from sources of supply. Because of this the Lynx is often deployed on short duration missions only, when not operating as part of a larger battle flotilla.
This set contains:
2 x Lynx Destroyer hulls (1 x batteries, 1 x launch bays)
2 x optional wings sets and twin turrets
2 x alternative bombardment turrets
Painted by John Fielding in Ferro Ascendancy colours.
Model length approx. 38mm
Flight base not included
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-lynx-destroyers/
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Excellent stuff ! Love the short and massive aspect. And the front with the cross shape made by the hollow line.
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Thanks a lot! It's nice to see these ships finally released!
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With or without the prow weapon?
(https://i.imgur.com/vVdJYBH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dSAH1vn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mm3K6RZ.jpg)
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How about modular? ;P The design looks rather familiar to something I saw on Shapeways... ;D Looks good! Initially was going to say without BUT the profile actually seems to have more style WITH the prow weapon. Anyway, I'll have two please.
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They are based on one of my first space ship designs...going retro!
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Without the prow weapon.
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(https://i.imgur.com/oeIoMv1.jpg)
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:o oooooooh, that's big. How big is that monster going to be??
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Funnily enough it's 'only' 75mm long, so the size of a Light Cruiser. Here it is, further tweaked, next to its escort sized brethren:
(https://i.imgur.com/Zur5DUb.jpg)
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Thought to quickly share a few ships I'm working on, in various states of WIP.
Tainted Assault Cruiser (can probably function as a Chaos Light Cruiser or Chaos Space Marine Strike Cruiser):
(https://i.imgur.com/P77wgX2.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3iLDd9E.jpg)
Various new Novan Elites ships that can probably be used as Space Marine proxies?
(https://i.imgur.com/jVurGJl.jpg)
Light Cruiser sized big brother for the Panthera Heavy Frigate:
(https://i.imgur.com/5XBxb20.jpg)
Another Frigate brother to the Panthera:
(https://i.imgur.com/AxBUiiE.jpg)
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Holy shit a chaos vessel! I was beginning to forget was they looked like, lol. No I jest but it's nice to see the chaos fleet getting some third party love... and the panthera light cruiser scale? Very, VERY yes!
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Me likes wot me sees................(rubbing his grubby hands together excitedly)
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Yup yup yup. Like that Tainted style and strongly support the light cruiser equivalent Panthera type too.
Hurry up!!! >:( :o
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Sadly enough time isn't my greatest friend, that combined with a big list of smallscale (6-8mm models) and microscale (3mm stuff) designs I also have to do make this a bit of a long term project. :(
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Update on the Light Cruiser sized ship:
(https://i.imgur.com/F1bGHfB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/8AB7x7v.jpg)
Few more details need to be sorted out, the prow and bombardment cannon need some tweaking as well. After that it's figuring out how to chop up the model to make it possible to cast.
The Frigates and Destroyer are also almost done:
(https://i.imgur.com/gvupdsI.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/pMipcHg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/E03h942.jpg)
The prows need a few minor tweaks, and then also see how to ensure that these models can be cast (especially the lance frigate).
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Phwoar! That's looking damn tasty!
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The ship is almost done...
(https://i.imgur.com/g9YCWky.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/kYIv07j.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/5EY5MdX.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fftSeUy.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/G0ifx0T.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Ewf1s2t.jpg)
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yes yes yes yes yes yes yes and now! LOL
love this design!
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Yeah, cool design. But I think it would even look better without the pointy prow lance.
lol @ osjclatchford: so this will be the last ship? ;)
For your information: you will never stop! BWHUAHAAHA.
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Yeah I got that....
It's in my blood or something man. I've even got rid of a load of old models tother day to make room for more ships lol! Same old story; Very small house. Very little room...
But yeah a version of that ship without the prow Lance would be a nice optional idea...
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Kit has been approved and submitted to Vanguard Miniatures already. As for removing the prow lance, I'd imagine you could always cut it up and fill up the gap with a tiny bit of greenstuff. #bringingconvertingbacktothishobby :P
In the meantime...Vanguard Miniatures has been printing some of my existing and new ship designs, these will be cast in resin later this year hopefully.
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Cool c,c,c,c,cool cool, cool!
"Later this year" :( shit man that's a long time to wait for the panthera to be restocked. But resin ships make my converting much easier and just looking at those proto-casts had got me drooling! Your work is worth the wait every time...
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I have no clue if Vanguard will restock the metal models up until the resin ones are available. I'd recommend asking it on FB if you're on it. :)
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Not on FB... But I can wait and see... Loving that cruiser sized ship of yours. Nice to see how modular it's construction is. Let the converting begin... Again... Lol l
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Note that the modular transportship (left on the bottom picture) is the size of a heavy escort, but it can be stretched out to be the size of a light cruiser, or bigger if you're crazy enough. Here's how the kit works:
(https://i.imgur.com/Hhg0HZk.jpg)
In the meantime work on the Cybershadows Light Cruiser also continues:
(https://i.imgur.com/EqVrd7O.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/dVgFY8V.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/FFIAF3N.jpg)
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"if you're crazy enough...
(https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/a8a5/g2dm77qdcoznvc06g.jpg?size_id=5) well... ;)
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This is if you just put two transport components in front of each other, in theory you could make it as long as the model's base / balance allows it.
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challenge accepted
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Can't wait to see what you'll come up with once the transport ship is released!
In the meantime...I've just sent this for 3d printing...
(https://i.imgur.com/xciwfm2.jpg)
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Working on Light Cruisers for Vanguard Miniatures' Tainted and Aquilae (Novan Elites) factions:
(https://i.imgur.com/tn427Zq.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Mve7P6m.jpg)
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To give you a sense of scale:
(https://i.imgur.com/iO6IEkF.jpg)
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Just tossing this out there...
(https://i.imgur.com/HDtWr9H.jpg)
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oooo, nice chaos escorts
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YES! You made it happen! :D
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The Gunship Destroyer is almost ready, as is the Lance Escort. The Light Cruiser still needs quite some work, but it's getting there. After that it's the Torpedo Escort and maybe some ordnance.
As you can also see a few posts back, the Cybershadows Light Cruiser has also been submitted for printing, I feel that I might have to do some escorts for them as well, here's an early WIP of a Heavy Frigate.
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These look fab!
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Slowly getting there...
(https://i.imgur.com/xuBVXjP.jpg)
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In various states of WIP...
(https://i.imgur.com/fGMksJo.jpg)
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I prefer these to the gw official chaos vessels by a long shot...
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Apparently the Cybershadows Light Cruiser had some printing issues, which forced me to redo the kit...
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Good goooooood ;)
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In the meantime this happened...
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That's a nice addition to the panthera/lynx nova range...
So, forgive my ignorance. How big is that against the panthera?
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It's slight longer, but sleeker, than the Panthera. To give you a better idea: the top ship is the Jubatus, with the Panthera underneath it.
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Novan Elites Fleet – Jubatus Class Rapid Frigate - £7.50
(https://i.imgur.com/M1DsKrH.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/h4eve1U.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/mev9vRC.jpg)
Set contains:
1 x Jubatus class frigate hull
1 x Broadsides set
1 x Components sprue
Model length: 60mm
Related product
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-jubatus-class-rapid-frigate/
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Good print. Still aren't a fan of the pointy thing on the prow but the models looks sharp.
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Seems that Vanguard Miniatures/Battlegroup Helios are planning to do a crowdfunder to get some of my ship designs in production. In case you haven't checked Battlegroup Helios' latest post, here it is:
Funding Campaign
I have received quotes to have a whole bunch 16 ships moulded and cast in resin, this is going to cost me around 3 to 3.5k to get manufactured.
Question, would you guys be willing to support a funding campaign on Indiegogo or kickstarter to see all these ships financed and released in store after all pledges have been shipped of course?
Personally I would prefer to use the Indiegogo platform, I've used it before and its fairly straight forward to work with, plus everyone can see exactly what items are funding. Also it functions more like a pre-order than the kickstarter set up does which can get quite complicated at times. With Indiegogo there is no messing about with all that "what do you want for your pledge level" nonsense at the end of the campaign as everyone has made their purchase choices at the time they pledged.
Ships would be:
Panthera II
Lynx, both variants
Assault frigate
Assault destroyer
Heavy cargo ship
2 medium escorts
Zeus pattern cruiser
Zeus pattern light cruiser
Zeus pattern frigate
Spear prows
Cybershadow light cruiser
4 Tainted escorts
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I see that some of the models are new molds for old pewter miniatures, right?
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The Panthera and Lynx were originally in metal, these will now be done in resin. The assault frigate, assault destroyer, heavy cargo ship, medium escorts, Cybershadows light cruiser, and four (of which two are interchangeable modular kits) Tainted escorts are completely new. The Zeus ships and spear prows were previously sold through Resin Addicts.
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Since I ain't on facebook: the indie thing has preference.
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Hmm...
I've a distinct feeling that vanguard will be dropping all it's bfg proxies even sooner than I thought... :|
Who knows what will follow...
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Craftworld Eldar? pleasy pleasy pleasy.
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Some ships for the Eloi would indeed be pretty sweet. Sadly enough I really suck when it comes to organic shapes. Perhaps John can find another designer to tackle them. :)
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In the meantime...
The walls allow for all sorts of bits to be crammed in them:
(https://i.imgur.com/hslkA0V.jpg)
So whilst the tiles themselves are pretty set and standard, I have been making a wide array of possible wall setups:
(https://i.imgur.com/0F8GvJe.jpg)
I'd also like to develop theme based bits...
Library:
(https://i.imgur.com/8P1NVgm.jpg)
The library kit current consists of 4 wall bits (each containing different stacks of books) and a cogitator bank. I'd probably would like to add some separate piles of books that have been dropped on the ground.
Sickbay:
(https://i.imgur.com/KbYhLoP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/NrgPmuu.jpg)
This kit currently consists of a med-bed, cogitator bank, and locker. I'd like to add another wall panel with a surgical servo arm mounted on it, and maybe another bed variant that has some sort of MRI scan device on it. I'm still in doubt whether I should do the bodies of the patients separately or as part of the bed.
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For a moment I thought you were printing a BFG ship in 28mm scale or something there with all the crewmen! You'd need planning permission to start doing that ha ha.
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Hmm, I've posted this in my wrong thread...hence the confusion. :P
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Torpedo Escort is almost ready...
(https://i.imgur.com/9ZRt1UP.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gn5dnOd.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/BxEM0tn.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/gP5oNFw.jpg)
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Nice!
I think you should shorten the pointy things on the prow by a lot. Maybe even flat to be honest (with some greebling).
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Yeah, I'm a bit in doubt about the pointy things, wanted to have some antennae protruding, but not fully sure how to pull it off. Might just drop them altogether.
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Brutal.... Love this. My space sharks are waiting... Probably a Looooong time coming but will he worth it. Nice work Malika!
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It all kinda depends on how fast Vanguard Miniatures can get their ships range produced. I've noticed that lately John has been very enthusiastic about ships. Expect a lot of new models in the coming weeks/months.
Also, I've gotten a little update regarding the ordnance models. Most likely the fighter designs I've submitted won't see the light of day. However, there is talk about potentially re-doing the entire (except for the Eagle Dropship) ordnance line in an attempt to create some 'internal consistency'.
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Yeah I see he's given up on the crowdfund. That was a sinking ship to start with, who can warrant crowdfunding in this financial day and age!?
Would be more excited if it was some new stuff tbh. Not that it's not nice to see Zac Sodens stuff (also must credit Armand for the 'hull' of the full-Zeus cruiser) available more freely. It's just for me it's like, "yeah I've bought, built and painted all of these I'll ever need... " I'm just hungry for fresh meat I suppose. Not complaining. Just being honest.
In truth, It's good that there'll be so many that are new to these ships that will get the pleasure of building and painting them we all had nearly a decade ago... Lol...
The ordnance thing is a constant irritation and bugbear for me. It's an important part of bfg and it keeps getting sidelined by so many producers. Not just John and the vanguard crew but others too... I can't help thinking he's someone else's designs in mind for them or something but it seems so wierd, waiting and waiting to do it when you've so many designs available already, more than enough to create a consistency , especially considering the panthera, lynx and others are your design and therefore match aestheticly.
I know you're more than happy to take a design job that would require you to work to a specific specification so perhaps if you can get in on it you could design a whole range of stuff. Who knows, we might actually have a set of affordable ordnance in our futures!
Only thing that concerns me is what you said about consistency and the fact the eagle dropships are staying.
That is to say that if the rest of the ordnance is going to be the same proportion as the eagle, that's going to be some seriously out of scale ordnance...
Don't get me wrong. The desgn is beautiful just 7 or 8mm bigger than it should be...
Just my opinion, but, well you know...
That's a soapbox I can't seem to get off of at the minute...
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Yeah I see he's given up on the crowdfund. That was a sinking ship to start with, who can warrant crowdfunding in this financial day and age!?
I still see it happening though. I'm currently working on a 6mm project outside of Vanguard that will probably never see the light of day without some crowdfunding. So I'm kinda hoping the ship won't sink that far.
Would be more excited if it was some new stuff tbh. Not that it's not nice to see Zac Sodens stuff (also must credit Armand for the 'hull' of the full-Zeus cruiser) available more freely. It's just for me it's like, "yeah I've bought, built and painted all of these I'll ever need... " I'm just hungry for fresh meat I suppose. Not complaining. Just being honest.
Most of it was indeed existing stuff such as the Panthera, Lynx, and Zeus line. But there were also some new kits in the form of 4 Tainted escorts, big prow cannon variants of the Lynx and Panthera, and a Cybershadows Light Cruiser.
The ordnance thing is a constant irritation and bugbear for me. It's an important part of bfg and it keeps getting sidelined by so many producers. Not just John and the vanguard crew but others too... I can't help thinking he's someone else's designs in mind for them or something but it seems so wierd, waiting and waiting to do it when you've so many designs available already, more than enough to create a consistency , especially considering the panthera, lynx and others are your design and therefore match aestheticly.
It's a tricky one. On one hand there is a demand for them, on the other hand the previous sales numbers of the models didn't fully justify an expansion and/or restock. It feels a bit like a catch 22 to me that Vanguard was scared of breaking.
Only thing that concerns me is what you said about consistency and the fact the eagle dropships are staying.
That is to say that if the rest of the ordnance is going to be the same proportion as the eagle, that's going to be some seriously out of scale ordnance...
Don't get me wrong. The desgn is beautiful just 7 or 8mm bigger than it should be...
Just my opinion, but, well you know...
Personally I fully agree with you here, I'd make the Eagle a bit smaller and do the same for the Fighters and Bombers. Consistency now means that if I'd want to make a craft bigger than the Eagle (let's say a Stormbird proxy), then it would already be the size of a Civilian System Ship (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-civilian-starships-x-16/) or even a small warship (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-fleet-raider-class-brigs/).
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The ordnance doesn't bug me personally as I have always used the markers.
As for financing all of this I can understand all the shizzles.
And, yes, getting the Zeus line back is excellent. Especially for beginners. I mean 3D printing is an option and on Reddit you see a lot but they stil miss character. They aren't the real deal yet.
I really would appreciate more variant races. We have more then enough Imperial ships. Ork's, Chaos, Eldar, Tau style ships are missing.
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Funny you should mention Chaos. I've already submitted four escorts for their Tainted range, yesterday I've sent them a hull for a Tainted transport ship (heavy frigate sized), but with some different broadside bits it could function as a Chaos counterparts for whatever people are using my Panthera (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-panthera-ii-class-heavy-frigates/) design for.
I've also started work on a Light Cruiser sized craft for the Tainted. Pics of all that can be found on this thread even, just look a few pages back (https://www.specialist-arms.com/forum/index.php?topic=5682.555). ;-)
As for Ork proxies, there's a big internal debate going on at Vanguard Miniatures for what aesthetic we want the Skinners fleet to have. We aren't that big fans of the armoured goldfish look the original Ork models have. I am planning on experimenting with some 'looted Novan' ships for the Skinners, lets see how those will work out.
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Ah cool.
As for Tyranids, has Vanguard ever had contact with https://wintersbioforge.com/product-category/space-bugs/ ?
Wintermans is still producing/selling these but development seemed to have halted.
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Several times I've suggested to John that he should contact Winter's Bioforge. No clue if he ever did, that guy's Tyranid proxies (both the ships and 6mm models) are amazing!
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@horizon.
The ordnance doesn't bug me personally as I have always used the markers...
yes its true I tend to use card in any games (just to have enough on the go at one time) but as far as modeling is concerned, I love to have a few stands to go with the rest of the escorts and capitals, simply for collections sake... I know that sounds mental but, well there it is...
...I mean 3D printing is an option and on Reddit you see a lot but they stil miss character. They aren't the real deal yet...
Agreed on the "actual" models vs 3d prints.
theres a 'magic' that's sorely missing from prints.
I love the fact that vanguards ships are cast, not printed. that's purely my experience of 3d printing has left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth for the medium as a whole. I don't trust it long term. it sometimes breaks down and goes oily/crusty over time even after painting and this is not something I want to risk wasting money and time on anymore. I want a medium I can trust. Its best used to print high-end masters and then cast from those. however, the lack of bfg alternatives out there has led many of us to 3d prints but no everyone has access to their own printers and as such the cost effectiveness is a real issue...
...I really would appreciate more variant races. We have more then enough Imperial ships. Ork's, Chaos, Eldar, Tau style ships are missing...
and yeah, damn good point. the xenos need some love!
@malika
Funny you should mention Chaos. I've already submitted four escorts for their Tainted range...
Thanks for reminding me of your "tainted" range, my nurgle lads could use some of those for reinforcements. the escorts you've designed are especially way better than the gw officials...
...We aren't that big fans of the armoured goldfish look the original Ork models have...
armoured goldfish?
genuine class. ROFL to that one!
so nice to talk to folks about bfg ships again...
feels like ages since I have!
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Agreed on the "actual" models vs 3d prints.
theres a 'magic' that's sorely missing from prints.
It's one of the things I'm missing from 6mm lately as well. Everybody is printing stuff, which is fine, but scratch building and kitbashing has all but disappeared from the scene (perhaps because of it?). It's one of the reasons why I'm very interested in getting #INQ6 (basically a 6mm version of the whole INQ28/blanchitsu movement) off the ground. But the same is of very visible in the fleetscale scene as well.
All of this is very ironic of course since I do most of my modelling work for 3D printing. :P But often to do try to design stuff in such a way that people can physically convert/kitbash it.
the escorts you've designed are especially way better than the gw officials...
Wow, thanks!!! 8)
By the way, I'm currently working on another Light Cruiser sized ship. The broadside weapons bit is compatible with the broadsides from Battlegroup Helios.
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thats a real beaut! the angled/rear shot reminds me of the big ships from the opening of quake2!
https://youtu.be/miHAh2Q-U94 (https://youtu.be/miHAh2Q-U94)
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The great work continues...
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Work on some new escorts continues.
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is that lance/torpedo escort hull destroyer sized? if so yes please!
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They are 35mm long, so I guess Destroyer sized?
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Quick update!
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Quick question to the community. Vanguard Miniatures are possibly commissioning me to redesign their ordnance models, but they want to go a bit smaller than what they've had before, but at the same time have some sort of 'internal consistency' between the different ordnance models. I was thinking of using the original BFG Thunderhawk model as a basis for the scale.
Can anybody here provide me the size/dimensions of that model?
Thanks in advance!
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I've recently been researching this.
so far the info I got is sketchy but seems to me that the fw thunderhawks (the only official gw releases I mean) were 10mm length and 10mm wingspan (give or take 0.2 mill.)
grimdarkbits are 8mm/8mm and that makes more sense for a th compared to the imperial metal fighters.
hope this helps...
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Cheers mate. I'm currently running two parallel experiments regarding ordnance models. Vanguard has commissioned me to redo them, but with the condition that there's a consistency in scale. So all the ordnance models need to be in the same scale.
Experiment 1:
With the Thunderhawk being 10mm long it would be a scale of more or less 1/1750.
(https://i.imgur.com/naOP2Mw.jpg)
Experiment 2:
Another experiment is that the models are all fixed to their round bases, the scale here is 1/5000.
(https://i.imgur.com/B3jVau6.jpg)
Currently the stuff for Experiment 2 is undergoing test prints. But yeah, lets see how this will all develop.
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I have a bunch of the old GW assault boats. Tiny shizzles.
As for basing those things: on the marker images there are 5 fighters, 4 assault boats, 3 bombers. And iirc a Tau Manta is just 1. So they did some sizing with that on the tabletop.
I like the two figher per base you are creating. Would it be possible to do 5 (or 3) fighters per base, 4 (or2) assault boats and 3 (or 1) bomber?
The designs are nice! They look a bit like the vipers from battlestar galactica (if you remove the extended wing bits).
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Note that the circles posted here have a diameter of 6mm. Vanguard Miniatures are doing a test print to see how they'll end up looking. I'm not sure if it's gonna be workable. Hopefully I'll be able to tell you more in the coming days/weeks.
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Just measured and my FW Thunderhawks are 10.75mm long by just under 12 mm wide.
I have no problem with using the Vanguard models for Stormbirds.
Have been looking for pics comparing the 40k scale Thunderhawk to other 40k scale flyers, but have not found much yet. Need to chase down "real world" dimensions for a Marauder bomber. With that we could compare to the 40k scale Stormbird and Thunderhawk models to get some sort of a size comparison. Will be working more on this today.
BTW, no flat counters please!
Thunderhawk and "Stormbirds"
(https://i.imgur.com/GY9UQ1i.jpg?1)
Stormbird, Thunderthawk and Storm Eagle(?)
(https://i.imgur.com/5vz7Elj.jpg?1)
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Just measured and my FW Thunderhawks are 10.75mm long by just under 12 mm wide.
hmm, this is good info for me.
As I did not own any of these or know anyone who did I'd asked the folks at forgeworld directly.
so I guess they're full of shit... ::)
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Just measured and my FW Thunderhawks are 10.75mm long by just under 12 mm wide.
hmm, this is good info for me.
As I did not own any of these or know anyone who did I'd asked the folks at forgeworld directly.
so I guess they're full of shit... ::)
:) Never, ever trust anyone else's measurements for sizes of 40K universe things (or pretty much anything else). 95% of people have no clue as to the actual sizes of things and will generally be happy to give you wildly bad info.
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According to the Warhammer 40K wiki a Thunderhawk is 26.6 x 26.6 meters and the Marauder bomber is 19.2 meters long and 24.6 meters wide. The FW model of the Solar Stormbird "measures over half a meter from nose to tail" lets call it 20"
Using the Stormbird/Thunderhawk/Eagle pic in the previous post and scaling the Stormbird to 20", we get a length of 17 7/8" for the Thunderhawk. Going from the published length of 26.6 meters at 1/60th scale (1" = 5'-0") we get 17.45 inches: 26.6 x 39.37 = 1047 divided by 60 = 17.45" which is close enough to 17 7/8" for GW work.
"Starhawk bombers are larger, slower voidcraft than the Marauder bomber". Have not found a length for the Starhawks yet, although I seem to remember something about them being 100 meters long. They need to be long enough to carry a starship torpedo in the case of torpedo bombers. Seems like the odds are pretty good that the bombers are LARGER than Thunderhawks...
I'm finding two length ranges for Fury Interceptors; 30-70 meters and 60- 70 meters, both of which are larger to FAR larger than Thunderhawks. Given that bombers are likely considerably larger than Furies, it seems that the Thunderhawk is the SMALLEST of the three craft...
Oops, forgot to add the pic of all the Imperial attack craft together:
(https://i.imgur.com/N3TGTTf.jpg)
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:) Never, ever trust anyone else's measurements for sizes of 40K universe things (or pretty much anything else). 95% of people have no clue as to the actual sizes of things and will generally be happy to give you wildly bad info.
well yes, thats kinda the point I'm making. but I was talking to the actual designers. not just anyone and I expected them to know. had I known you had some to hand I'd've come to you first. ;)
as for the TRUE scale of things. back in 2001 tim adcock was quoted to say that the fury interceptors are; "...more the size of jumbo jets..."
bfg was never supposed to have direct scale references to the 40k universe in it. the scale was always considered slightly mysterious. its only when fw got involved that they decided to make fighta-bombas and thunderhawks and must have had it in their heads that fury's and swiftdeaths were supposed to be one-man snub-fighters. which is (technically)wrong, if you base the original bfg release info as true canon.
furys are clearly very large vessels with multiple lascannon arrays and a modeststly sized crew. (just look in your bfg rulebooks, its all there)
however bfg is (and has always been) a mismatch of scales from the off. the planets and celestial phenomena are not to scale with the ships but to the ships stands. thats why all the measurements come from the stand. the tip of the stand is where the ship actually would be, the circle of the base is meant to represent the aura of the ship's voidshields. so thats where the blast markers go...
I think with fighter/bombers its a case of as long as the ordnance matches the scale of each-other per faction, its fine. so players using thunderhawks are usually only using thunderhawks as astartes vessels are (originally) the only ones capable of launching them. and exclusively them.
however that goes up the wall straight away as chaos vessels can also use them, potentially having swiftdeaths and doomfires in the same fleet as traitor thunderhawks... its a visual mess by the time you get to armarda's release anyway and a lot of the lore and "scale" is simply overlooked for what is cool...
once fw got into the mix it just went even crazier.
so to summerise;
gw originally said that a th would be so small you'd not see it on the tabletop.
fw decided that a th was bigger than a fury (or that furies are one man fighters) and modeled them accordingly
so the final answer to all this?
well the eagle dropship is staying so, I'd say, continue to use the eagle dropship as the thunderhawk size and model your bombers to be just a bit smaller and your fighters smaller still to represent one-man-fighters.
simple...
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Suggestion: Make the circles 5.8mm, the same size as the holes on the ordnance bases.
BFG Imperial bomber is 10mm long, the assault boat is 9.5mm long and the fighters are 6.5mm long (really tiny), so the bomber and fighter models you are proposing in Experiment 1 are MUCH smaller than the BFG models and the experiment 2 models are even smaller. Eagle models are 14.4mm long.
I'm thinking drop the Eagle length to 11 or 12mm, make the bomber length 10mm and the fighter 7-8mm
Re the bomber design, with those three big engines where does the bomb load go? Does not seem to be any space for bombs! Maybe eliminate the center engine and make the other engines larger? Lengthening the fuselage would make it look more bomber and less fighter like.
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Hmm, my personal preference would be to continue the scale of experiment 1, so the Eagle (Thunderhawk proxy) at 10mm long. My updated version of this old bomber design (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-fleet-sagaris-class-bomber/) would then be around 7.5mm, whilst fighters (both the Javelin (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-javelin-fighter/) and Spiculum (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-spiculum-heavy-fighter/)) are around 5mm. This is then for the Novan Elites.
The Novan Regulars/Navy could of course have bigger bomber and fighter craft, more matching in design with the old Imperial Navy ordnance perhaps.
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A torpedo is 60 metres according Battlefleet Koronus.
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Regarding the Imperial Navy ordnance. GW has been a bit inconsistent on their scales as well, both in text and artwork. I think that in written form the aircraft and jumbo jet sized (Fury Interceptor: 60 to 70 meters long), Shark Assault Boat: 55 meters long, Starhawk Bomber, unknown). There is something weird about it though...
The artwork gives a totally different picture:
Fury Interceptor:
(https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/3/32/Fury_Interceptor.jpg)
Shark Assault Boat:
(https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/8/86/Sharkassaultboat.jpg)
Starhawk Bomber:
(https://wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/4/4d/Starhawk.jpg)
The Starhawk is mentioned to be a 'more effective replacement for the Marauder bomber', but considering the Marauder is about 19 meters long, it would be odd the the more effective replacement would be 4-5 times bigger than the Marauder.
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Novan Elites naval reinforcements inbound!
First up, the Panthera Heavy Frigate has been re-released in resin.
Nova Elites Fleet – Panthera II Pattern Heavy Frigate
(https://i.imgur.com/ThZjj0F.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/IQH12bk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/w1cjQSx.jpg)
The Panthera class Heavy Frigate is the workhorse of the Novan Elite fleets. Heavily armed and armoured, its various weapon configurations allow it to fulfil many different void combat roles.
No matter its broadside configuration, the Panthera’s basic armament includes two triple linked dorsal mounted turrets and two pairs of prow torpedo tubes. Its broadsides allow for different types of weapon systems which can be changed whilst in dock due to it’s modular design.
Most commonly used are weapons batteries, more than capable of tearing huge chunks out of enemy vessels many times its own size. Another popular configuration for the Panthera is to fit it with launch bays, allowing the heavy frigate to carry Javelin fighters. In order to protect other ships of the fleet from waves of ordnance and enemy fighters the Panthera is sometimes also configured with broadside turret platforms capable of projecting a withering volume of defensive fire.
set contents:
1 x Panthera hull
1 x Wing set (forward and aft)
2 x Triple turret broadsides
2 x Launch bay broadsides
2 x Gun deck broadsides
2 x Triple dorsal turrets
Model is 52mm long.
Resin cast model
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-panthera-ii-pattern-heavy-frigate/
And then there's a completely new ship, the Pardus Assault Frigate!
Novan Elites Fleet – Pardus Pattern Assault Frigate
(https://i.imgur.com/FADkpJM.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/3e484fh.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/1WPVsDX.jpg)
The Pardus pattern assault frigate was a developed born of a need for a heavy hitting escort fitted with multiple plasma accelerators. The design is based on a modified Panthera hull which sacrifices its broadsides and torpedo capability in order to house the power core and systems necessary to feed three massive plasma accelerator cannon. Capable of firing all three cannon simultaneously in a devastating salvo that has been the doom of many an enemy vessel these ships are a extremely valuable asset for any Elites fleets.
They are often deployed in squadrons of two to four ships operating in line-breaker formations or as capital ship hunters of some renown.
Set contains:
1 x Pardus hull
1 x wings set (forward and aft)
2 x triple barrel dorsal turrets
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/nova-elites-fleet-pardus-pattern-assault-frigate/
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Nice.
Have you seen this:
https://battlefleetgalaxy.com/store/
?
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I am familiar with his work. He has sent me a cruiser as a gift. I'm very impressed with the level of detail, but some aspects of his designs seem off, scale wise at least.
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Some new WIPs, still a long way off...
(https://i.imgur.com/NzxkGju.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ypqJtU3.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/Xg37vm7.jpg)
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Ah, good to see you back at it. ;)
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I've never really stopped, it's just that I'm often not allowed to show anything. But yeah, every once in a while I like being rebellious! 8)
Just to give you a more complete picture, I've currently submitted 6 Tainted escort sized ships, 3 Cybershadows escorts, a Cybershadows Light Cruiser, a modular transport ship kit, 2 semi-civilian ships, and 2 random escorts. Note that none of these have been released yet.
Besides that I'm working on a Light Cruiser for the Tainted, a whole bunch of extra ships for the Novan Elites (a Light Cruiser sized one to match the rest of their range, a crude Novan Light Cruiser, and a whole bunch that are a different 'pattern'), and as you can see in the picture above...a Zeus pattern Grand Cruiser.
So there is still a whole lot happening, besides the usual 3mm and 6mm stuff I have to design for Vanguard Miniatures. 8)
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Cool!
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NEW SHIPS!!!
Cybershadow Fleet – Light Cruiser
(https://i.imgur.com/KrVcYx8.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/twZKmmQ.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/k23qiJk.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ca8JUFD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/UYzXZFy.jpg)
Cybershadow light cruiser with three broadsides options.
Set contains:
1 x light cruiser hull
1 x hull components sprue (2 prow options)
2 x broadsides sprues (cannon, launch bays, turrets)
Notes:
1. Resin cast model
2. Model length approximately 75mms
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/cybershadow-fleet-light-cruiser/
Novan Elites – Lynx Pattern Assault Destroyer
(https://i.imgur.com/Yt4g41h.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/hZSqeOb.jpg)
A common variant of the Lynx destroyer the “assault” pattern hull sacrifices its torpedo launchers and broadsides capabilities in order to house a ship busting plasma accelerator cannon, turning the ship into a dedicated attack vessel.
Set contains:
1 x Lynx assault hull
1 x destroyer parts sprue
Notes:
1. Resin cast model
2. Model approximate length 45mms including prow mounted plasma accelerator
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-lynx-pattern-assault-destroyer/
Novan Elites – Lynx Pattern Destroyers
(https://i.imgur.com/jvB0fdU.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/AgiB7qn.jpg)
Lynx class Destroyers are small and fast craft that are capable of quickly delivering their deadly cargo. For its size the Lynx is heavily armed, making it a jack of all trades. Its basic armament includes two dorsal mounted twin turrets to take out incoming ordnance, and two pairs of prow torpedo tubes. Its broadsides allow for different types of weapon systems which can be changed whilst in dock due to its modular design. Most common broadside configurations are either weapon batteries or launch bays for a small compliment of fighters.
Its diverse armament is also its main disadvantage. A lot of space normally used for supplies such as fuel, ammunition, foodstuffs, and oxygen is sacrificed for the Lynx’s many weapon systems. What this means is that the Lynx needs constant resupplying, making it incapable of long independent missions away from sources of supply. Because of this the Lynx is often deployed on short duration missions only, when not operating as part of a larger battle flotilla.
This set contains:
2 x Lynx Destroyer hulls (1 x batteries, 1 x launch bays)
2 x optional wings sets and twin turrets
Notes:
1.Resin cast models
2. Model length approx. 38mm
3. Flight base not included
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-lynx-pattern-destroyers/
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New ships inbound!
Novan Merchant Fleet – Merchant Escorts
(https://i.imgur.com/Y2OOf7w.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ho1tJs9.jpg)
The merchant fleets of the Novan great houses do not rely upon their respective navies to protect the great trade convoys that ply the space lanes of the Commonwealth. Instead they have integral military grade escorts of varying sizes and capabilities that are ready to engage any hostile threat to the convoy and its valuable cargo.
The two ships in this set provide a fighter squadron carrier and a gun ship, they provide an integral fighter screen and defensive firepower for the fleet.
This set contains:
1 x fighter squadron carrier
1 x gun ship
3 x prow variants (prows are compatible with the prows on the merchant logistics carrier)
Notes:
1. Resin cast models
2. Models approximate lengths, carrier 51mms, gun ship 48mms
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-merchant-fleet-merchant-escorts/
Novan Merchant Fleet – Logistic Carrier
(https://i.imgur.com/gcjdQAp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/GgJkLEz.jpg)
Merchant fleet logistic cargo carrier.
This model can be built as a light carrier by omitting one central hull section.
Set contains:
1 x logistics carrier hull sprue
2 x each of the five cargo pod variants
2 x prow variants (note these are compatible with the prows from the merchant escorts set)
Optional wings.
Notes:
1. Resin cast model.
2. Model length approximately 72mms
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-merchant-fleet-logistics-carrier/
Renegade Fleet – Frigates
(https://i.imgur.com/zSNG6jL.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6yPiNHB.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/nfWmoZe.jpg)
Renegade frigates.
This set contains:
2 x frigate hull variants
4 x prow variants (all usable on both hulls)
Notes:
1. Resin cast models
2. Models approximately lengths, 40mms to 46mms dependent of which prows are fitted
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/renegade-fleet-frigates/
Renegade Fleet – Destroyers
(https://i.imgur.com/GuRgcPl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tYGoqVp.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/ETJTdjk.jpg)
Renegade destroyers.
This set contains:
1 x fighter carrier hull
1 x gun ship hull
Notes:
1. Resin cast models
2. Models approximate lengths, 34mms
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/renegade-fleet-destroyers/
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blinding, thoough its a shame I'm in no state to buy anything else at present.
Ebay has gone to shit so its not like I can even sell stuff to fund new stuff...
my mind is brimming with conversions of the chaos smalls for my astartes and chaos fleets and the merchant ships are catching Jago's eye for reinforcements to yellow-line's truckking fleet...
ho-hum. hopefully they will remain in the vanguard shop for some years to come...
hopefully I can get another job before then...
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I really do hope that Vanguard will keep them in stock, it took them long enough to see some of these in production!
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blinding, thoough its a shame I'm in no state to buy anything else at present.
Ebay has gone to shit so its not like I can even sell stuff to fund new stuff...
Regarding that, I've spoken to John from Vanguard and he might have a solution for that predicament. Can you PM me your email address or FB profile?
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And on another note, the ordnance scaled Javelins are back in stock: https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-javelin-fighters/
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SHIT! never saw that coming! is it just stuff they've got left over (27 is an odd stock number is all) or are they there for good? only time will tell I suppose... who can say with vanguard such fibberty-gibbets after all...
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SHIT! never saw that coming! is it just stuff they've got left over (27 is an odd stock number is all) or are they there for good? only time will tell I suppose... who can say with vanguard such fibberty-gibbets after all...
I think they were just some left overs that John put back in the store.
But erm, PM me your contact info! John is looking for a painted/modeller for the new ship releases ;)
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Vanguard Miniatures requested me to do some ordnance pieces and turrets:
Ordnance Turrets Set 1
(https://i.imgur.com/ih9KuJR.jpg)
Set contains:
12 x missile pod turrets
12 x single barrel turrets
12 x twin barrel turrets
12 x triple barrel turrets
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/ordnance-turrets-set-1/
Renegade Fleet – Fighters
(https://i.imgur.com/SPxV4vs.jpg)
Set contains:
6 x Hecate Interceptor fighter sprues (5 fighter discs each)
Notes:
Fighters are on 6mm diameter discs designed to fit in the recesses of our plastic bases.
These fighters are at 1/5000 scale
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/renegade-fleet-fighters/
Novan Elites Fleet – Fighters
(https://i.imgur.com/LGa8aDI.jpg)
Set contains:
3 x Javelin fighter sprues (5 fighter discs each)
3 x Spiculum fighter sprues (5 fighter discs each)
Notes:
Fighters are on 6mm diameter discs designed to fit in the recesses of our plastic bases.
These fighters are both at 1/5000 scale
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-elites-fleet-fighters/
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as nice as the ships are. I personally think that making them bigger and having them as actual ships (like your javellins) was much better.
these tokens will never be as good to me. bit of a cop-out and an obvious attempt from john to simply make the molds last longer.
also a large folly on his part as, being flat tokens one need only purchase one set than press it into a suitable medium and make easily make their own press-molds in miliput, greenstuff or even casting resin.
ships being actual ships and not tokens is all part of the majesty of bfg.
making 3d tokens is like why bother, to me. just use the card if you're gonna do that.
its forth wall breaking and caters more to games than modellers. which I feel is not right. it should draw the line down the middle...
but thats just my two-pennith...
no disrespect to your designs at all, they're great.
I just dont like tokens.
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I've been very intrigued by the concept of megastructures in space, so I've started working on a quick experiment. Note that printing this model would be impossible since it has a diameter of 1.2 meters!
(https://i.imgur.com/caFwAU0.jpg)
Vanguard Miniatures Panthera Heavy Frigate and Spiculum Fighter added for scaling purposes.
I might have to try something smaller, but I would like to explore fleet scale terrain some more...
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The experiment continues. I've reduced the diameter to 31cm:
(https://i.imgur.com/jn0qBhd.jpg)
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oh, I get it, like a dyson sphere... but a ring.
nice concept...
wasnt there something like this in interstellar?
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It's kinda inspired by those ring shaped orbital stations from the 60s/70s, but apparently the concept was already thought of in the earliest years of the 20th century...crazy Russian scientists!
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The movie Elysium had this as well.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DZssm8sQH8cR9UuUF95pRn-970-80.jpg.webp
And indeed Interstellar
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also star-trek "beyond" 's rendition of 'yorktown' was essentially a bunch of these interlaid together inside a big old glass bowl...
yes, indeed elysian eylsium did have those dyson rings on it. plus it also had orlock arms master-servo suits... and crazy, regenerating, south-african mercenary-spacemen to wear them! is it me or was this just district nine wihtout the prawns? still loved it.
blomkamp's take on sci-fi and social-satire is spot on.
I loved chappie too...
its great that a concept so utterly impossible for mankind to ever, socially, economically or practically build in space is still so scientifically feasable, concept wise...
still,makes for great sci-fi set-pieces
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Several new releases today.
Cybershadow Fleet – Destroyers
(https://i.imgur.com/9pL4vSA.jpg)
Set contains:
2 x Destroyer hulls (2 variants, gun batteries and fighter launch bays)
1 x Components sprue
1 x Turrets sprue
Notes:
These are resin cast models
Model length 31mms
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/cybershadow-fleet-destroyers/
Renegade Fleet – Logistics Carriers
(https://i.imgur.com/QuIFSII.jpg)
Renegade Logistics Vessels (even the bad guys need logistics support)
Set contains:
1 x long hull
1 x short hull
3 x prow options (fit both ships)
1 x components sprue
2 x cargo pod sprues
Notes:
These are complete resin cast models
Model lengths, 70mms and 50mms
The cargo pods are the same as on the Novan Logistics carrier
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/renegade-fleet-logistic-carriers/
3mm Skinners – Rocket Tanks
(https://i.imgur.com/iXdAgq4.jpg)
Skinners tank with rocket turrets
Set contains:
8 x tank hulls (4 variants)
8 x rocket turrets (4 variants)
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/3mm-skinners-rocket-tanks/
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Damn, those are great mate. Especially the ships. Great designs.
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Thanks!!!
Note that the prows of the Renegade transports are interchangeable with the Merchant Escorts (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-merchant-fleet-merchant-escorts/), the Logistics Carrier (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/novan-merchant-fleet-logistics-carrier/), Cybershadows Light Cruiser (https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/cybershadow-fleet-light-cruiser/) and the upcoming Cybershadows Heavy Frigate.
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Im loving those cruiser sized 'not' chaos prows. They'd look just as good on an imperial cruiser!
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Cybershadow Fleet – Heavy Frigate
(https://i.imgur.com/oaWW6oD.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/rBubzXr.jpg)
Set contains:
1 x heavy frigate hull
3 x prow options
7 x broadsides modules options
1 x turrets sprue
Notes:
1.Resin cast model
2. Model approximate length, 50mms not including prow cannon
3. Modules are compatible with the following models: Panthera heavy frigate, Novan logistics carrier and Renegade logistics carrier.
4. Prows are compatible with the following models: Cybershadows light cruiser, Renegade logistics carrier
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/cybershadow-fleet-heavy-frigate/
Cybershadow Fleet – Heavy Frigate Broadsides Set
(https://i.imgur.com/SA6q9fB.jpg)
Set contains:
2 x sprues with 7 broadsides options
Notes:
1) Full resin cast set
2) Designed to fit the Cybershadow heavy frigate kit
3) Individual module dimensions approximately, length 18mms, height 6mms
4) Modules are compatible with the following models, Panthera heavy frigate, Novan logistics carrier and Renegade logistics carrier.
https://vanguardminiatures.co.uk/shop/cybershadow-fleet-heavy-frigate-broadsides-set/
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Work on the orbital ring colony continues. These structures are often built in the orbits of worlds that undergo the terraforming process. They form the bases from which these worlds are made suitable for human habitation.
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Plan is to make a printable model with a diameter of about 80mm. Ambition is also that this is but the first item of fleetscale civilian terrain. I'd love to develop more such orbital cities, space mirrors, stations, etc.
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That's a great idea.
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Yeah! That's ace! ;D
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Work on the orbital ring colony continues. These colonies are constructed in orbit of worlds that are to be terraformed. The worker drones live most of their lives within the inner structure of the ring itself, whilst the elites get to live a luxurious life on inner surface of the ring.
These rings have a diameter of about 50 kilometers, the last two pictures will show you the true vastness of this structure. That tiny ship trying to enter the ring is a 750 meter long Light Cruiser I've designed for Vanguard Miniatures. Plan for now is that the final model will most likely have a diameter of around 80-100mm.
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Pic 2
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Final two pics. Look how small the Light Cruiser is!!!
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You crazy, man... ;D
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I won't be printing out a 50km model of course, the final diameter will most likely be around 100mm. But it will still be a kick ass model!
In the meantime...
I've been digging through my archives a bit and found these two 'scrapyard raider' ships. These designs are almost a decade old! Despite their age, I do feel they might have some potential and I'm very tempted to redevelop them.
How big would you imagine these models to be?
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Somewhere between lightcruiser and escort. So panthera size more or less would suit the bits sticking out of it I'd say...
Really like those. Great idea...
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I've designed these ships almost a decade ago and I remember posting them here as well. Lately I've been very tempted to revisit these designs...