Ogre Models Part One

This post feature two of the models that feature in the Tilea Campaign Part 8 story entitled “Fleshmeat”.

Scratchbuilt Scraplauncher

I started with a plastic, toy rhino and lots of wooden sticks and chains. Some of the workings were made from plastic from my bits box.

I gave it some thought (not a lot was necessary really) as I wanted it to look like something that would work. Well, that would work in a fantasy world at least. A huge weight provides the force to swing the arm, and a winch allows it to be re-set. The access ladder has a simpler and less sturdy winch to haul it up off the ground.

Several platforms allow the crew to get around on it, and to access the winches and the ‘plate’ that holds the missiles.

Here it is almost completed, with just a few little touches to sort, like the shield on the little box, and the base. I’ve done a few differently angled shots so that you can (hopefully) see how the mechanism would work a little better than the pics above. When I first put it together it actually worked – I could actually wind the winch and reset the wieght. BUT when I painted all the parts it seized up. This made me a bit sad, but I soon got over it when I remembered I wasn’t 7 years old any more.

In the above pics I had forgotten to tie the two little sacks of ammunition to the side. It’s a vital finishing touch I reckon, for I am hoping this thing will shoot more than once per battle!

I want to better describe it’s mechanism, for the edification of any of all gnoblar ‘engineers’. First, a picture to give an idea on the scale of the engine – the Ogres next to it show it’s relative size. It only just fits on it’s base – well, leg wise at least.

Now for the workings…

A huge lead weight hangs from the rope at the rear, leading up to the winching wheel, then around that and off to the front of the launching arm. When a certain spike is removed the lead weight drops, pulling the rope, spinning the wheel (in a satisfactorily dangerous manner for a gnoblar construct, for there are many ways a careless mountain goblin could die on this thing) and pulling the arm. Spinning about it’s axle the arm swings up and thus launches the scrap into the air. The gnoblars then have to wind the winching wheel to lift the weight and thus drop the arm back to be reloaded.

The other winch on the machine pulls the ladder up. The ladder helps other little gnoblars climb up to replace the ones who perish nearly every time this thing fires. Of course, being neat and tidy little creatures the gnoblars didn’t want the ladder to drag along the ground when not in use.

….

An Ogre Hunter made from an Ogre Bull

In the spirit of all my characters (i.e. being tight with money) I modelled my own version of a hunter from a (much cheaper) Bull, and some bits. I really wanted his massive bolt thrower to be his ‘arme blanche’, so I made one for him. Oh, and I wanted his spare bolts on his back.

For the double-bowed crossbow I used a boblin spear (to make the bolt), two goblin bows, sprue, ogre hilts, ogre bolts cut off ironfists and cotton thread. For the quiver I (think) I used one from a Tomb King’s chariot.

(Interestingly, in the latest GoT episode, being S7E4 the big bolt thrower had double bows just like this. GoT wasn’t even a tv program when I made the model.)

I like WYSIWYG figures, so I wanted the club as a hand weapon in combat. The trap was to show he is a hunter/trapper type, and the locks of hair / tails are there to show he has taken some trophies (just not skulls). I think he actually looks less cluttered than the official metal model!

Here he is front and back: