After those three ships, i needed an admiral ship corresponding (in rules) to the floating necropolis, as described in the Citadel Journal presenting the rules for the undead fleet.
As the necropolis quickly described on the shipcard is clearly oriented "Tomb King", i had to chose an other style to represent a vampiric building.
I have decided to start the adaptation at the MOW scale of the DreadFleet ship of the Noctilus Count.
This decision rely on two things :
- I like the appearance of some parts of this ship, mainly the assembly of wrecks aspect.
- According to rules, you can only have one building of this type in your fleet. So i could decide the ship would be a unic ship, in the sens it's a well known ship, personnalised and ith his own story.
DreadFleet as developped the Count Noctilus background and make it official. I think the undead fleet for MOW lacks precisely this official state, as the figs where never released. In my opinion, it helps reinforcing the fact that the undead fleet can be played like anyone else.
So... Here are some pictures found on the internet, of the BloodyReaver (well) painted.
This ship is a castle animated by necromantic magic and allowed to sail the seas thanks to the wreckage assembly that supports it.
The stern, mainly, is an agglomeration of various ships, probably taken during former battles won by the Count Noctilus.
I could not take the original figurine, far too big for our scale. And there are some thing i dislike in it :
- The castle, that is not very much vampiric style to me. Vampires are megalomaniac tyrans, adpet of dark magic. I'd like a castle that shows that at first sight.
- The central part of earth is too empty. And brings nothing intersting to the figs in my mind. Same for the rock part advancing. Too uncredible and no interesting addition.
- The dragon squeletton at the front is so kitch...
- The front is ugly. I think i will try to make it like the rear, with wrecks assembled and not this sort of dragon-fish part.
First, i have taken everything i could find as bits to see how they could fit together to become a part of this BloodyReaver.
- Loads of plastic galleys i had bought in a lot few years ago. They are ugly, badly changed in... A Hell hammer attempt ? Anyway, they are good material, ready to be cut and transformed.
- Several metal castles. Mainly from the Mighty Empire markers range, and some of other casters.
- Bitz of the Black Ark and from the Tzeentch Tower.
- A Mighty Empire plastic grey ship.
- An imperial Greatship castle.
For the main castle, i have very quickly decided to chose the Mighty Empire Necropolis. THIS is a vampiric castle. Ths figs has flaws for my project, but it will really identifiy the ship as a malefic vampire ship at first sight. And i will never use it if i don't use it now !
The first step of the conception are not so easy. Really ! To assemble ships to make a bigger ship... Conserving both the wreckage aspect and a correct line for the final assembly... It's really not that easy. I have puzzled with my pieces for few minutes before deciding to begin with the rear. My bits should fit correctly what i have in mind, directly inspired by the original fig.
After that, you have to begin work to make the ships clear wrecks. And differenciate them.
I worked them with cutter, and then on a sanding block, to give them inclination.
I cut in two the ME ship. Both sides will be usefull in different places of the final model. And then again, cutter and sanding block.
Here is what could more or less be the final forecastle.
It does not stand correctly yet. I will add a borken mast on the Me ship, to support the upper part (Greatship forecastle). It will allow to see the deck of the ME ship, what should be sympathetic. And you alsways need broken masts on a decent wreck.
For flancs, i had no real choice. The plastic galley would fit. I have cut one in two, to use on both sides.
After removal of the oars, and same treatment as the two other hulls, here is what could be the starboard aspect.
On portside, i will keep the oars. It gives a nice asymmetrical aspect. And everything that can help to differenciate the various parts of the assembly is good to take. I want the galley parts to be as different as possible.
All this remain very rude for now. No placement is defintive. And i'm not satisfied at all by the front part. Too little. Too thin. The wall thing is clearly off balance.
Here is an attempt to see if a galley could fit as front part. But i'm not convinced. Still too thin. The front part othe ME ship have been put at the rear, to see ho it could fit.
I needed a way to differenciate both sides and i have added a part made from various pieces i had cut before on starboard. I had to begin to fix things, and i have glued those three parts together. I have to go on.
The front part i have to complicate, to make the whole ship coherent. The blue galley is divided in two parts.
Those two parts will represent different forecastles correctly after few transformations. Here is a correct aspect that could looks like the final version.
Eveything is correctly equilibrated here. The rear par tis not glued yet, i don't really knw how i will place the red galley.
Front aspect.
Portside view.
I don't know yet how i will fill the holes here and there on the galleyx and between the wrecks. Probably green stuff or plastic cards.
The most funny part of the job begins : how to differenciate the various wrecks. They have to seem from various ships at first sight.
I add a central beam and a bowsprit to the blue galley prew.
The rear red galley is transformed. As it will be just nearby an other galley part, it have to be changed profundly. Crenels have been removed. Vertical beams too. This part have then been scratched with cutter blade to flatten everything. The plastics is easy to model. A real pleasure.
The floating necropolis has no canons, but i wanted some on the general aspect. I have added several ones everywhere.
I have glued those two parts. The formery backcastle become the forecastle of what was probably a well armed imperial gunboat.
The general aspect is now far better and more armed. I have added some masts where possible to give an idea of what the ship could be at the end. Even if we are far away from that for now.
Front as been repeled and outspread as much as possible to give a general aspect of thinness.
Something still bother me. I had the idea of a squeletal spar, as i had done for the Ghostships. I have a warmaster part that could fit but i could find no way to put it. The front part still lacks something. I will see what is possible.
A friend told me the ship could be towed by undead giant monsters... It's an idea.
