PROJECT MUMAKIL (IV) HARADRIM CREW

some further steps here,


I am almost ready with some southron warrior from Harad to ride the first Mumak

Choice was more or less easy, I had just to find arabic looking figures.. (not so much known about Hard in books or films: that land corresponds roughly with real north africa or near east.. Desertic-nomad tribes and so on..)


HAt Almoravids and andalusians were taken this time, but maybe also strelets muslims go next,,,


A burnt red+black colour scheme as in Peter Jackson films Works fine too..Not so much work here, it was relaxing :)

I man painting more figures, in order to crew 2 beasts (next exemplar will be ready soomn) and have also some infantry
















Then i went for a further challenge: tHe Mumak needs a driver...


I use again Peter Jackson inspiration, in form of the Mumak Leader or "Mahud" according to the film bibliography..actually not so imaginative idea from Word "Mahoud" which means exactly.. ..elephant driver in india

These drivers look ferocious with a red banner behind his back, shaved head and black/brown/white warpaints..


i used one egyptian and one sumerian  as first experiments, and i like the result..


 I hade to borrow a samurái banner and make some clothe vest from Green stuff.. Easy and effective..

 

and here my humble results:













I can not help positng a pair of pictured of the the mumak with full crew, even if not 100%finished:


I like that, he will rule some battefields sooner or later...

PROJECT MUMAKIL (III) FIRST BEAST

Hallo, After some pause, here I present how my first converted war Mumak of Harad looks...




In my taste it works fine!! Wood structures, platform for the driver (Mahout) in front, above animal´s head, warpaints..


 I Made also some  darkening and "wearing" on the tusks, they look better like that




Haradrim Crew  is also recruited and printed, to be painted next days!(finally from Hat almoravids and andalusians)




Before painting.. Too much friendly look...

Compare Painted!!

Black paintings added as well:

Also a shot of the fight between Eowyn of Rohan and the Witch King of Angmar..


Guess where Eowyn parts come from?

Some Rohan soldiers on foot (95% finished!)

Project Mumakil (II)

As i challenged myself to go further with all Lord of The Rings  Mega-project, I had to take this  "bestial" sub-project where I left it, more than one year ago..

And actually I enjoyed myself during 3 days of creative working!

Here the first trails of making a War platform for the Haradrim (who are still not present, those spanish medieval soldiers are just  temprary substitutes for size and visual test...)

I went through the easy wat at the begining: just hexagonal base cut from cardboard , wood sticks and nothing else.. But it looks indeed good yet at this point!

Starting with some inspiration pictures:

Then continuing with "seroius business", as read in several net threads about "Homemade mumakil" and following Paul (Bods Master) advic, I decid myself fot making ttemendous tusks.. I still used the original ones hoiwever, placing as rear secodnary defence..

New front tusks are made with strong wire and putty(epoxy..

Maybe too big? Too late..

I wet also further with the plaform: A turret added (It will look similar to Peter Jacskon/Games Workshop example but not so masisve structure..)

Again cardoboard for the "fence" and decorated with putty as "leather" ..It took longer than expected,, Result OK, but I was a little worried about making it six times for the hexagonal base,,

One day later, after recovering energy and ideas I went further and completed the hexagonal fence in a very fast and easy way:  placing some wire "columns" and surrounding  them with adhesive tape for electricists.. Fool trick but it worked! And a lot of place for the crew!!!

I also complete the converison ans painting of the tusks, added some ropes as fixing straps and here the result  ath this moment..You like it? Rohirrim do not.. 

Next steps: painting the structute, adding  a pair  of further elements in the front,  mandatory Harad war paints and some banner...

Project Mumakil-(I)

This time I show the start of execution of some ideas I had in mind for years

I love the scene of Pellenor Fields in Peter Jackson´s The Return of the King..

The charge of the Haradrim on their "oliphants" is overwhelming. I wanted to do something like that with my 1/72 figures

First idea could be using the GW Mumak Massive model..but....too expensive and no much originality in this plan..

So I searched for my own mumakil :)

These are the selected candidates: some plastic toy elephants (2 from Papo and Schleich: around 7 eur each) and one ultra cheap made in China elephant- 2eur

They all are African species kind, and all in around 1:35 scale, which towers around 8cm over poor 1/72 warriors


Last one is a beautiful model from Plastoy named "War Elephant", which is a heavily armoured asian elephant, It was actually more expensive (30 eur) and slightly smaller than the other three, but was too good not to take it home..

It came with a crew of two 54mm tartar-like  warriors which I shoud keep for another use (i accept suggestions..)...It was also already painted from factory (good painting work)

Since 3 of them were "African" species, and I prefered the smaller ears of the mumakil in film and my own asian elephant, i cut a bit in the africans´ears (I have to improve the surfaces still in those areas)

Now I must think how to deseign and manufacture all the towers and warfare equipment on the beasts.. As wel as warpintings and so on (and selecting of the right crew and mahouts.. these last will serve probably on foot instead seated, exactly as the films shows)...

Here some more details on the armoured one.. I put 3 HAT Moorish men into the tower, which will serve as Haradrim crew. I hope you can check the size comparison (not a good pic this time)

Fianally, i took some men form the "HAT moorish command an converted them  by legs-swap as an easy way to gain more variety: A foot trumpeteer (original figure is mounted) and a mounted standard bearer (original comes as foot)

 I think it was a mistake of HAT no giving a mounted standard beared  in this set for a muslim army... The Christian set give both posibilities (foot and moutned) which you can use as musician, standard beared or just single knight..

To be continued...