(BFG) Da Squig Pak

[Gun_wun]

Yep, I like it................

[Islacrusez]

Someone needs to draw or model that. It absolutely must become a thing.

[Gun_wun]

Lots of good Ork talk on the list of late.  I smell a Waaaagh forming.  Get enough Ork traffic and it just draws us out.  Me boyz are busy hammering away, I just have not had much in the way of positive production to show you.  Actually I’ve been doing a grand job of chasing me tail.  Somehow (Thanks Kim) I got caught up in building a bigger ship.  So Da Big Boss sets his mind on a “Deathdeala” and as it goes that is what it will be; unless I want a good thrashing.  So I set about building first in my mind.  I had a idea of what the Deathdeala would look like so then I took my idea to paper.  The paper sketches went fast, and it felt as if magic flowed from my finger tips.  Shoot, the ship almost designed its self.  Here is my original idea.



Everything was going smooth until I started thinking about the fact that in a 1500 point game this was going to end up being my flag ship.  Ok as I thought about that I felt this pressure from Da Boss.  It was going to have to be a really good  build (not to mention all of the great comments you guys as a community have given me I was feeling some pressure to perform.)  My original goal was to use the existing pieces from the Kroozer I purchased off of EBay and just try to make it better.  Oh and bigger as it would now be a Battleship.  So with Blueprints in hand I walked out into me scrap yard and started issuing orders.  I would start with the prow by building a cool fairing, get a basic lay out then hopefully I could return to my current project me Brutes.



So I come up with this.  It was a blue-tac mess and I felt a bit like a little kid all sticky and blue, but I had a build forming.  This is very rough at this point, but it would give you a general idea of where I’m going.  I sat back and looked at it and thought about the Big Boss.  I realized this was not going to work.  Oh the green bit on top is from one of my Brutes, and the plastic strips are to represent where all of the shaks will be. I just wanted something there for my eye to see.  At any rate it was going to be back to the drawing board as it just wasn’t right.



Sitting in my bunker door triple locked and shoota not far from reach it’s draw, think, sketch, curse, look at my build.  My buddy then mentions ramming.  Shoot I think to myself I don’t have a good ram plate on this build!  What kind of Grot doesn’t factor in a ram plate when designing a Ork ship?  I’m going to get a  good thrashing for sure or end up  scavenging Squig Worms in the drops!  So I re-think and come up with a ram plate.  A few modifications on my prow and I sit back and smile.  For some reason I’m really caught up on the prow.  The prow just has to be right, I like it, I don’t like it, I like it………………………  Ok it’s not right.  Ever have one of those projects?



So I scrap the old fairing and come up with something more Kan looking.  Ohhhhhhhh Da Boss is going to really like dis one!  Next I set about starting to expose me big guns, I want to show them off, I’ve got to get the balance just right.  I’m liking me bumper ok were looking good now.  I think I can move forward with Da project.  Wait…………  Did I ever mention I’m a tad OCD?

[Gun_wun]

Welcome to part 2 of my madness!



Well no matter what my prow ends up looking like I’m going to need some big guns.  So I step sideways (me brain needs a break) and set about building some Big Guns.  Ok, good so far me thinking……………



With some work and some adjustments I’m thinking now at last I’m home!  It even names itself.  “DA Munga Fish”,  Da Munga Fish you may be asking yourself?  What is that about?   It’s named after a apex predator found on Squig heavy worlds.  A aggressive carnivore that carries it’s flying young on its back.  It paints a pretty picture in my mind of 2 savage Orks fishing and then without warning a large Munga Fish springs from the water.  One of Da Boyz yells “Munga”, with his eyes fixed on his brother; who is now in the mouth of this large Squig.  Falling back and grabbing for his small choppa the surviving Ork’s ears are filled with the sounds of his brothers gurgles, and the splashing caused by his brother’s body, being thrashed about.  The poor Ork while trying to get away trips over a rock.  The Squig Fish quickly pulls it’s self up from the water and forward;  sliding over a mound of muddy river bank.  The surviving Ork watches in terror as the Munga bears down on him rapidly, propelled by short fat flippers .  From somewhere on top of Da Munga (it’s blow hole) emerge hundreds of tiny Mungas.  They take to the air with a great buzzing of wings.  The poor boy never made it back to his feet.  The meat was stripped from his screaming, struggling tattooed form.  The Munga Fish Laid it’s great broad head down feeling content.  It’s young feed, it’s belly a wee bit fuller, and it’s territory free from intrusion……………………………….  Ahhhhhhhhh Da Boss is going to like dis one!  The battle damage is looking pretty good, I’m showing off the inner workings, I gots me a big bumper and hey I even threw in a Chin Squig just to be safe.  As I sat there looking at my creation something just wasn’t right.  So sipping on some squig brew late one night I slid the fairing piece back and there she was.  I just knew this was it.



Ahhhhhhhh, I think I like it.  No, like the creator of Frankenstein’s  Monster I could grow to love it.  It could be my Bosses dream Truck.  A ramming, shooting terror with nice lines.  The problem now would be to build new grubbins where my battle damage lives (as it was originally designed to show off the big guns)  It’s not 100% but I’m now committed and getting closer than I’ve been in weeks.  I’m still calling it “Da Munga Fish”, but in the same breath it is whispering for a new name.  Something older and arder.  Ummmmmmm I’m leaning towards “Da Iron Hag”  “Da Hang” “Da Freak” I’m a little in-decisive right now, but I have time and I know it will eventually whisper its true name to me.  I’ve got a ton of work, but at least now I have a direction of travel.  I’ll post more soon as I’m a little further now than I was at the time of this last picture.  I’m sorry this is such a long post, but there is a lot to talk about.  I hope you like its current form, if you like a early version of “Dis Ship” please don’t tell me as it will mess my head up and I might end up back in Da Bunker in a pile of blueprints.  Lots ta do, but now I is a happy Grot.  Thanks for reading and any comments, criticism, or suggestions are more than welcomed.  Thanks!

Oh, and here is a rough idea of where I’m going with this……….

[Blindhorizon]

I love this thing!!! Well done sir, you may have iust inspired me to start a new scratch build.

[marell le fou]

So great !

[Armand]

Yeah, this is supercool!

[Malika]

Man, that's insane! Really inspiring stuff, gonna try to see how I can apply some of it to my Ork ships!

[Gun_wun]

Slowly, ever so slowly forward……..  Ever have those moments where you are on a roll yet life keeps on hijacking you?  Time as usual has been tight, but at least I have forward momentum.  I can feel this ship calling to me and I can hear the beautiful sounds of whips cracking from deep in its hull.  “Gotta ta keep dem oomans a working, Dang lazy gits.”  So with my idea taking shape it is off to building more guns.  I just can’t have enough of dem shootas.  I’m looking at what you guys are doing in sketch up and worry I may be working harder than I should, but hey I guess I just still ol school ( for now).



I’m not sure how these buggers are going to paint up, but I’m liking them.  I feel like a big grot watching theses lil killas take form.  As I smile to me self I can hear da Boss growl more……………



If Da Boss wants more, you build more right?  I figure I’ve gots lots of ships to build so there can never be enough guns.  Here is a nice family shot of round 1.



Building all of those lil guns make the Boss want more big uns.  Here is a shot of a WIP.  Da Boss is gonna hurt me, but hey I wanted to show ya a peek at some of Da Zap Nappas stuff.  “The Zap Nappa” is my “Slam Blasta project or better put my tribute to Da Orkus Mekanikus.  Ya, gotta keep dem gits happy too.  Cuz they are real good at figuring out the know wots and all.



Here is a shot of me prow guns about laid out.  It still needs a wee bit of work, but I’m getting close.  I put the glyph plate on top, and I’m thinking I may need to do a bit more.  Kind of a old hood sort of feel I’m thinking.



Last but not least I’m going to leave you a shot of “Da Hole”  It’s still gots some work ahead but I think it is taking on a good shape.  Oh and in the background sticking up over the starboard side is me new engine shak with suppa blowa.  Alright that’s about what I got for now.  Thank you for the compliments and if I gets in your head, or motivate you to build then “What a beautiful Waaaaagh it will be!”.  Thanks for reading and all of the great support.  You guys help ta keep me building!

[Islacrusez]

*low whistle*

That right there is impressive. Don't worry about us lot and our sketchup malarkey, the main advantages of doing it that way is that every gun looks the same as the one before it. Hardly appropriate for this project methinks!

[Malika]

Don't you EVER worry about the SketchUp stuff, you are my primary inspiration for the Ork stuff I've been working on. It's that 3d printing is still so expensive that prevents me from finishing my Ork project.

I'd love to one day do some sort of collaboration/hybrid project with you! (there I've said it)

[marell le fou]

Really the best custom orc fleet (I) ever saw. Keep going, They are just marvels.

[Gun_wun]

Looking at me prow guns a friend of mine thinks I should lose the big ring off of da Shoota shak.  Part of me agrees, yet the other half of me brain thinks it gives it a pirate feel.  I don’t know something rusty and old says leave it.  What do you think?  Leave the ring or lose it?  Also while I’m checking in, I’m not worried about Sketch up, I just wonder if it would be a more effective way to build and produce.  I’m slow to change, but I’m curious about playing with the program.  Perhaps I will join you Malika in a joint sketch up project someday.  That could be fun and a great excuse to learn how to use the program……………….  At any rate  thank you for all of the excellent compliments and support with this project! 

[Malika]

I'm digging the ring myself, makes it looks more Orky. Scalewise it's a bit off, but then again so is most BFG stuff, and Orks tend to be quite of a 'parody' thing themselves, so don't worry about that too much.

As for SketchUp, I'm not fully sure yet if it's a more effective way to build. Sure you can go very detailed, but SketchUp has its limitations, curved and organic shapes are almost impossible. You can better use other software, like Blender or Rhino, for that. But those have a higher learning curve. The next problem is printing. With sculpting and scratchbuilding you're more cost effective, you only pay for the putty, plastic, bits and tools. 3d printing is still quite expensive, the print I made of my space ship cost me around $55 (€40), and that was the cheapest material, meaning it has a grainy texture and some of the details don't come out alright. Using Shapeways' best material (frosted ultra detail) would mean I'd have to pay around $165 (€120) for a prototype, and then it still doesn't have a smooth texture, as you can see here. Meaning I'd have to go to another company to print the model is HTM140 or some kind of wax, which would make a prototype of the model cost several hundreds of Euros.

About a collaboration, SketchUp is super easy to learn. What I could do is that I can design bits for your projects. I'm already sort of doing that through Bits Blitz. If you let me know what kind of components you would need, I could perhaps try to make them and put them up there.

[Islacrusez]

Sketchup does indeed suffer a lot when using curves and it even struggles to make straight lines at the finest of scales. With the high cost of producing a given item from a 3D model, it's only really effective if you need to cast a fair few of them. For something like Orks, all the advantages of that approach are wasted. The only way would be to make your 'common' components before you orkify them, or the few common ork components (some of the front guns perhaps?) and cast those, and then still do all the scratchbuilding and modifications. The chances of saving time or money using this approach aren't all that high.