Warboss conversion - he\'s big an\' mean!

[jamsessionein]

I saw this warmachine mini a few days ago and I\'ve been thinking of picking it up and filing down the rocky/spiky bits on the shoulders and covering it with armor. I like the idea of a freaking huge warboss to lead the boyz - something monsterous and hulk-like. It seems a bit feral-boss-ish, but I\'m wondering if it\'s a good conversion idea or not if I were to use this as a base. It\'d involve a fair bit of sculpting - covering up all the filed-down areas on the skin, and resculpting the face primarily.

This is the general idea I had in mind:

Replace one of the hands with a bionik one to represent a power klaw, perhaps? I figure also since the model is metal I might be able to properly bend those fingers of the other hand inwards to hold a choppa comfortably. I\'m having difficulty figuring out what I\'d do with the back of the model - all I\'ve been able to come up with is this fairly lackluster sketch:

A friendly fellow over at The-Waaagh was nice enough to provide me with a picture of a normal boy for scale:

A few people have pointed out to me that orks have five fingers on each hand, as opposed to this model\'s 4... They\'ve suggested I use the hand that I replace with the bionik as a donor, removing a finger from it and tacking it onto the other hand, but I\'m just not sure if it\'s worth all the trouble over that. Certainly I need to plan the midsection out a bit better - that belly needs some work, to be sure, and armoring up his back is an idea I\'m still not sure of.

What do you guys think? I kind\'ve like the idea of such a large and beefy warboss, to be sure, but is it worth all the trouble?

 

[Ritual]

Cool idea! I am a bit unsure if it will look good with the axe in the hand of the machine gun arm, though. Maybe you should put the axe in the other hand?

 

[DaN]

Could be good ...
Not sure about the chest/back armour though ...

 

[matty1001]

Originally posted by jamsessionein
but is it worth all the trouble?

IMO, YES! That top concept pic looks great, i think it would be a mint looking conversion.

 

[vincegamer]

Originally posted by jamsessioneinA few people have pointed out to me that orks have five fingers on each hand, as opposed to this model\'s 4...

I say go for it, but an axe lying in his open palm will look bad. If you can pull it off, find an axe with the hand already attached and just make the cut at the wrist.

 

[freakinacage]

i reckon you should have two bionic claw things. he looks as if he is about to (or just has) rip(ped) something apart. i cant wait to see this

 

[electrolito 77]

This is one of the most awesome ideas ever! Very clever form your part if you pull this off... and I believe it is worth every trouble/effort it needs. Keep it going...

 

[forrix]

when i started reading this thread i was like \"ow noes this could be a great idea or look like s**t\" :]....then i saw the same guy from the awsome stompa gargant is gonna make it (p.s. gief update on that plz :] so i say hell yeah go for it :]

 

[Jericho]

Re: covering up the back... how good are you at sculpting fur and capes I\'m thinking a bit of Archaon influence could work to cover up the relative nekkidness of the model.

 

[Phaen]

hell yea! definately like the idea. it\'s going to be a tough one, but it sounds fantastic to me. I love the model and the concept. best of luck to ya!

EDIT: I just realized who you were...i\'ve been following your giant scratch-built stompa...looking forward to seeing it progress some more. Hoping that it hasn\'t fallen to the wayside, has it?

 

[demonherald]

nah that\'s not huge ..this is huge.....
just had this guy delivered bleeding awesome..
and may i add just over a week delivery to the uk with full email updates direct from PP..excellent service....

should be cool agree with ritual on the weapon hand though..

 

[mud duck]

If I may. Perhaps something of a mecanicial stikk bomb thrower for the back. Or you could go with the \"classic\" look of half a dozen rifles/knifes/pointy objects sheathed on his back. Or for a pun- ish look a couple of grots holding up his warbanner (something Iwo Jina <sp?>) just my two coppers

 

[jamsessionein]

So, I got today\'s mail.

Looks like a dire troll mauler hitchhiked his way in the USPS Trukks all the way over from thewarstore. I suppose I\'m going to have to make him a warboss now, eh?

I\'m going out to buy proper dremel bits to grind away at those spikes later today, but I figured I\'d practice some of my greenstuffing skills (or lack thereof) by making a relatively simple choppa. It\'s not really suited to being held by him, as he\'s so much bigger than I initially eyeballed - from elbow to base of the fingers is the size of a single boy!

I\'ll probably either leave this hanging from a belt around his waist, or possibly embedded in a dead marine who is keeping him company on the base. Or a guardsman. Whatever!

 

[james sequeira]

Whats the blade and handle made out of it looks really good.

 

[DaN]

Blade is plasticard I presume, and handle looks like it might be the shaft of some larger weapons like a scythe?

 

[demonherald]

maybe orc chariot banner pole???

 

[jamsessionein]

I actually have a bunch of spear-shaft-ish things. I can\'t remember what they came from - I think it might have been a 1/48 tamiya barricade set, not sure. They make good handles for scratch weapons, though.

 

[funnymouth]

the fingers thing could be weird...i like the two bionic hands ida, as you seem to be really good at mechanical bits. the grots on the back idea sounds cool too. with that much space it would definately be cool to have a lil\' sene being played out on the back.

 

[jamsessionein]

Incoming load of pictures!

You\'ll notice in full-body picture I have the torso held with a gap in the abdomen area - this is intentional. I\'m going to make him stand a bit more upright, I think, both to make him bigger and to try and work around wonky troll anatomy - he has a pretty big bulge in the middle of his back where the hunch is that looks a bit silly. I\'ll probably sculpt that loin cloth up to hang a bit higher, in addition to putting stomach armor on, but all that comes later. For now, I have spent the past few hours carefully trying to dremel off those godforsaken spikes from his body. It\'s super-tedious, but I think it\'s coming out alright - I honestly didn\'t wreck the musculature as much as I was expecting. I\'ve got some new putty, called Tamiya Epoxy Smooth, that I\'m going to go over the skin with at a later date to properly resurface it, but I think I\'m doing decent so far. Both legs have also had their spikes removed.

Dremelled arm on the left, original on the right.

Not a bad fit for size, considering I made the axe before I had the boss. I think I\'ll make a new one, though, a bit meaner-looking, so I can stick this one in a body.

I\'ve been tentatively thinking of names for this dude. I\'ve only thought of one that I would consider, which is \'Big Boss Mungus\', and that\'s kind\'ve weak. I\'m well open to suggestions, though.

 

[OrkyDave]

orkulese?