Jack \'The Hammer\' - Warforged Crusader (A Battleguard Golem Conversion)

[khasmo]

Let me start by saying that this is my first conversion, I have no experience sculpting, and I\'ve only been painting for a couple months. This is not to make excuses, but rather to indicate the level of advice I\'m likely to need. Any tips or suggestions of even the most basic nature are probably going to be helpful. With that said, on to what I\'m working on.

I\'m trying to create a mini to represent a character I\'m currently playing in an Eberron campaign, Jack \'The Hammer\'. He\'s a warforged that has recently become a crusader for the Silver Flame. He carries a warhammer and shield.

After lots of research, I decided that I had to use the head from Reaper\'s Battleguard Golem. Initially I was planning on using another armored figure that already was carrying a hammer and shield for the body. The BG is to angular and spikey for how I envisioned Jack. Plus IMO, since warforged are magically created, they shouldn\'t look so bolted together.

Of course, I ended up changing my mind. While playing with some green stuff, I ended up making a hammer that I liked better than the one on the armored figure I had ordered, and decided that the shield wasn\'t good enough either. So, I decided to use the BG, replace the weapon and add a shield. I\'d have to do something about all those spikes and bolts, but that\'s why God made files.

So without further ado, here\'s my progress so far (Also new to photographing minis, so my apologies for the glare.):

The Body




I\'ve filed off all the spikes and bolts, and tried to make most of the angular bits more rounded. Still need to fix his fingers (warforged have 2 fingers and a thumb, and give him his requisite 2 warforged toes. Also planing on putting him on a slightly more interesting base.

The Accesories
The hammer and shield are both meant to be representations of the holy symbol of the Circh of the Silver Flame.


I seriously need some suggestions on how to clean up the shield. is it better to file it down at this ponit or just try to fill in and smooth out with more GS?

Also I\'m thinking about having a raised design of the Silver Flame on the shield rather than just painting it. I took some spare greenstuff that I\'d mixed and rolled it into a sheet about 1mm thick. I printed out a scale copy of the symbol and cut a shield out of the GS sheet. Then I sketched the flame on it with a fine point pen and cut that out with an exacto knife. Sorry forgot to take pictures. Now the idea is to apply that to the surface of the shield to create the raised design. Has anyone done anything like this before? Any suggestions on how to glue it down cleanly?

And lastly,
the Pose
Still trying to figure out how I want to pose him.
Do I want his arm up . . .or down?


Is this a good position for the shield or should I bend his arm to get the shield more vertical?



Any feedback GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks for reading,
Khas

 

[boristfrog]

I\'m not familiar with the character or the model- so please forgive my ignorance.
The shield in the bottom pictures appears to be horizontal rather than vertical - a bit of a disadvantage if you are trying to defend yourself.
I think for shields the general rule is that the pointed end faces down and the wider part covers your chest area as this is a wider part of the body. The curved end should be by the face as there are areas for him to see through and hide behind.
I cannot comment on anything else - but I would definately change the position of the shield.

 

[khasmo]

Originally posted by boristfrog
I\'m not familiar with the character or the model- so please forgive my ignorance.
The shield in the bottom pictures appears to be horizontal rather than vertical - a bit of a disadvantage if you are trying to defend yourself.
I think for shields the general rule is that the pointed end faces down and the wider part covers your chest area as this is a wider part of the body. The curved end should be by the face as there are areas for him to see through and hide behind.
I cannot comment on anything else - but I would definately change the position of the shield.

Jack \'The Hammer\' isn\'t a character that exists anywhere but in our campaign. You shouldn\'t know him. For that matter, if you aren\'t familiar with the eberron campaign setting for dnd3.5, I wouldn\'t expect you to be familiar with Warforged or the Curch of the Silver Flame.

WRT the position of the shield. Yes, the shield is being held \"upside down\". It bugs me a little too. The Holy symbol of the Silver Flame is in the shape of an arrow head pointing up. He would no more carry it point down than a crusader for the Roman Catholic Church would paint an upside down cross on his shield. It looks a bit strange, and is less practical, but it\'s a fantasy world, so what the heck . FWIW, I tried to make the shape of the shield less tapered through the middle for exactly the reasons you suggest.

His arm is currently in a relaxed position, as such the shield is being held horizontally. I\'m trying to decide if I should reposition his arm for more of a combat stance where the shield is held near verticle protecting his body.
It might make the shape of the shield less distracting. But then I kind of like the just walking around stance too.

It\'ll probably boil down to if I decide on a combat stance his right arm will be up high as if swinging, and his shield arm will be horizontal to hold the shield in a proper fighting position. but that mean more pinning and sculpting. AAAACCCKK

 

[boristfrog]

Thanks for the explanation.
Good luck with the mini.

 

[mud duck]

Yes thank you for the explanation on the shield.
I like the hammer in the lower position. feels more balanced to me. As for the shield arm, maybe a little more horizontal as if he knows a that a blow is coming but not if it is a high or low strike. Also I think that you may wish to move the shield a smig down the arm, as his knuckles look a bit exposed that close to the rim of the shield.

 

[Bigdennis52]

I agree with the hammer in the down position, i think it makes the model more balanced. also with that I think the whole model would look better if you bent his sheild arm and made it a more natural look

 

[khasmo]

Thanks for the feedback.

So hammer down it is. I agree. and I\'m gonna be repositionoing the left ar as well.

Still hoping for suggestions on how to cleanup/finish the shield.

Thanks again,
khas

 

[khasmo]

So I\'ve repositioned the shield arm, removed the base, given him a couple toes, pinned things, and painted a base for him. Actually got a halfway decent picture. (just one.)

I\'m not happy with the pinning on the shoulder, it\'s too low in the socket. I going to try to redrill that hole. Also, I think I need to move the shield a little higher.


Again open to any comments/suggestions.

Thanks,
Khas

 

[PegaZus]

Probably could stand a smidge more up, or even just rotate the top more toward the head (as if it was protecting from a blow). And personally, I like the hammer in the up position. Much more dynamic.

 

[starchaser1]

the shield is up side down turn it the other way, i can\'t get around the position of it my keeps getting drawn to it.