Another large, unfinished project. Battle at Fords of Isen

[Fencig]

So if you guys have seen "Orc Ambush", this project i started after i started that one. Got 40+ figures into this one, got overwhelmed, then looked back and Orc Ambush seemed like the easier lift. So in a sense this one was good because it pushed me to finish the other one ( I HATE unfinished projects), but the flip side is it's still sitting here stalled in my "in progress" case.
This project was to show the Battle at the fords of Isen. If you've seen Jackson's LOTR Two Towers extended edition, it shows a small portion of this battle. Theoden's Son, Theodred, is killed here. It's a very ambitious project, and i'm still not sure how to do it.
Last thing i did was buy more Uruk Hai and Saruman mounted (in plastic) and some Berserkers from Essex. I'm stuck though, do i show

1. the battle fully engaged or starting to engage?
2. just the 2 sides, or Erkenbrands forces entering from a different angle
3. Saruman on a gnoll with Uruk Reinforcements on an opposing corner?
4. The hillmen, the Essex berserkers are awesome but they're unpainted ( I started this before the Battle of Edoras was released ) . Do i mix them in withe Uruk's or coming from yet another angle
5. do i do a 12" x 22" ( 305mm x 558mm) scene and cram everytihng into it, or do a more square multi-section plinth and hope it doesn't look too disjointed?
6. maybe the biggest sticking point, i painted most of these a year and a half ago. They're ok, but I'm not happy with some. Repaint, or are they good enough for a large display where no single figure is really a focus outside of Saruman and a few others? Looking at it now, the painting uneven

This is what i have so far
Thedoen by Citadel, (who wasn't at the battle). Citadel Metal Eomer on a metal Reaper horse (his plastic horse was crap). Reaper plastic figures painted as rohan cavalry on metal horses

Some Mithril, Watcher at Sarn Ford and Rohan riders. A Ral Partha horse with an Essex miniatures Saxon ( i think)

6 more Rohan from Harlequin (Blacktree) , not pictured but probly the roughest of all the sculpts

Some bad guys from Mithril and Citadel, Warg Riders


A Reaper Warg with a Ganesha games Hobgoblin conversion


Uruk Hai scouts and Infantry with command set


if i keep going, maybe 10 to 20 more to paint . Zero progress on the base, river, hills, etc.

 

[Eric]

Some lovely work on the models, nice to see all the different wolf (warg I suppose) colours.

 

[dazza36]

Really hope you carry on to some sort of finish as its looking really good so far. Love the paintjob on the Rohan Standard Bearer

 

[Fencig]

Some lovely work on the models, nice to see all the different wolf (warg I suppose) colours.

thanks Eric I'm glad you like them and i do too, but i realized (after painting) that they work better as individual models. Having them on a big board with all different colors will be confusing and distracting, especially with the 2 sides crashing into each other. I will probable sell some of the lighter colors and do just more of the Darker Warg Riders. This ( I hope) will help delineate the opposing sides, like taking the fingers on your hands and weaving them together, it's more dramatic when one hand is black and the other white. So bright colors for Rohan, Dark for Isengard.

And thanks for the votes, I thought no one had voted but it became visible after i voted. We're unanimous! Let me see what i can do a 12 x 22 inch.

Love the paintjob on the Rohan Standard Bearer

thanks Dazz, it was these models that were a big leap for me in painting ability, maybe 6 months after i finally switched to wet pallete. The Rohan standard bearer is one of the better ones. Of course looking back now i see so many places that i know i could do better. I guess it's the nature of the hobby

Really hope you carry on to some sort of finish as its looking really good so far.

it won't be easy, the gap of Rohan where the road crosses the river Isen is a big place, it will be hard to have 4 different elements all coming together in such a small space.
in this sketch, you can see the Road coming up from Helms deep and Edoras, crossing the river Isen, then heading up towards Eregion. River Isen flows directly south and then East after the crossing. Presumably there's a road that follows the river up to Isengard?

I would like to do forces of Theodred in blue, Erkenbrand in Green, Saruman and Uruk's in purple, and hill tribes in Yellow
So much to process ;(

 

[Fencig]

ok, took a few hours but i dug out all my models from my display case and started setting them on the work-bench. The thought of doing this in stages was nice, but alas it is not to be. Just the models i have fill up a 56cm square area. And that doesn't include the Rohan infantry. So I'll be splitting it, which sucks especially since i have to make the cut across the river Isen.
Here is what i have, The white sheet shows half the plinth in the vertical direction. There will be 2 pieces like this. The river Isen runs North and south (green lines, and will be the lowest point. Red lines on the left show a descending hill-side sloping towards the river, and where the hillmen will be coming down.

On the oppsit corner will be another hill rising up, but not as tall. This is Erkenbrands forces

This whole bottom section will need Rohan infantry

Trying to decide what to with the Citadel Warg Chieftan, who is standing on a Dead Theodred. I kinda want to move him and all the Rohan casualties to the middle, in the book he is killed on a small island in the middle oif the crossing, and he is buried there with his men, but i don't think ihave room tofor that. It would also obscure the model to a great degree and lower it's impact as a focal point unless i bump it up vertically from the river.

Her, you can see the Red circle where Saruman mounted will be. This will be the highest point on the board, and he will have hus ruk army on the his left and hill tribes on his right. Gazing down with satisfaction at the chaos he has sown.
He is still on a sprue and i ordered some Tamiya cement tonight for that + the Rohan infantry that i still need to buy. They will fill in the green outlined spaces

This is going to be so hard.I've painted over 40 minis, half of the mounted, and i might have 2 dozen more to do. + The terrian will be a challenge . Never done a split board before and the ones I've seen don't look good.
For now, i need o assemble the hill people (Vikings from footsore miniatures), then prime and paint them + the pole armed Uruks i added in the back left.
comments and feedback welcomed, especially constructive criticism

 

[Fimm McCool]

That's certainly going to be a mighty thing!

 

[Fencig]

That's certainly going to be a mighty thing!

Gawd i hope so,
and not just a mighty PITA. Right now it's giving me anxiety, but i think I'll feel better once i get the plinth board cut and start laying down foam next weekend.
This thing will eat up half my display case too
So other question, attach the models with a magnet (removable for game play), which makes it sell-able. Or nail them down permanently , which looks better but impossible to ship. Or a combination of both?

when you guys war game, can you use any model or does it have to be from a specific manufacturer?

 

[Fimm McCool]

I've never bothered about sticking to an 'official' manufacturer. If it looks right, it's in. That's an impressive display case to fit something that size!

 

[Brother Meredith]

Nail plus Head. 👍

 

[Fencig]

That's an impressive display case to fit something that size!

well it won't, not really. It will have to be 2 pieces and no matter how i split it the river Isen is on the parting line. I'm thinking of having some kind of latches on the sides to hold the sides together. With a very thin, flexible piece of plastic between them, sealed in place with Silicone maybe?
Then doing all the Rocks, gravel, roads, etc. and even the Epoxy water-pour , at the same time. After removing the plastic barrier, it will give the most seamless appearance possible . This approach also cause the most stress, but the 2 halves can separate at the joint for safe keeping in display case
What would be cool is have many of the mounted figures splashing thru the Ford, with splash effects and white foaming water, but again something i haven't done and it's one of those things that either turns out great or comes out shite No do-overs.

I've never bothered about sticking to an 'official' manufacturer.

Good to know. The Viking Berserkers from Footsore will make awesome Hill Tribesmen. Assembled these last night

Imagine fighting with a sword thru your guts!