I've been experimenting with designs for a 10mm Helm's Deep as suggested by forum members.

This is a rough/mock up for a wall section. The grey card pieces will all have engraved stonework detail added.

I'll also remove the side doors as they will never be seen.

The battlements of this wall section accommodates two 40 x 20mm bases comfortably. The full height of the wall is a crazy 130mm – and, believe or not, is pretty stable thanks to the weight of the scary stairs that would never pass a health and safety check!

Cheers, Michael

Brilliant!

What a transformation! I like that very much! 

Amazing. Is the gallery below the parapet as described in the book? Didn't know about that (or forgotten). Very impressive. Should the crenellation be so narrow? I'm not saying this from any knowledge from the book, by the way, but it doesn't look 'credible' (for me) for shielding the men / figures (not that such a thing would necessarily matter for Tolkien).

btw, feedback given with good intent, Michael.   

Awesome!

Seems a little tall. For Helms Deep you might not need inner works with arrow sits. Just the upper ramparts.
Great stuff!

Maybe a destroyed section and a section with a sewer opening.

Quote from: Westmarcher on 04 May 2015, 05:01:33 PM
Amazing. Is the gallery below the parapet as described in the book? Didn't know about that (or forgotten). Very impressive. Should the crenellation be so narrow? I'm not saying this from any knowledge from the book, by the way, but it doesn't look 'credible' (for me) for shielding the men / figures (not that such a thing would necessarily matter for Tolkien).

btw, feedback given with good intent, Michael.   

All comments are welcome.    Much more preferable to online silence.  

As we began discussing in this post

http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,12007.15.html

from Tolkien's drawings, his vision was more Early Medieval (Dark Ages, if you prefer) than the more High Medieval style used in the film. I'm happy to go for a later Medieval style than Tolkien intended if that's what people want. I'd like to add fantastical design elements (like the design of the crenellation) rather than just create a Medieval castle. However, I'm tempted to invent my own rather than copy the work of the film designers – just in case the copyright police get interested.

10mm, I believe, allows the heights of fantasy buildings to be exaggerated, look great and still practical to game with – never mind that none of us would willingly climb those scary stairways! The battlements really give a castle character and I'd want this castle to have a style that looks fantastical – however unpractical.    I experimented adding detail to the crenellation but I reckoned folk would find the small pieces too frustrating to fix on.

Cheers, Michael

Quote from: Bloodaxe on 04 May 2015, 05:21:24 PM
Awesome!

Seems a little tall. For Helms Deep you might not need inner works with arrow sits. Just the upper ramparts.
Great stuff!

Maybe a destroyed section and a section with a sewer opening.

This could be the general idea for the towers of the Deeping Wall and the wall sections not so high. An alternative destroyed wall section is a must for the Deeping Wall.

Fantastic work, I am starting to save up my money already.

Simple test on the crenellations, can a dwarf see over them?

Quote from: mad lemmey on 04 May 2015, 06:44:08 PM
Simple test on the crenellations, can a dwarf see over them?

Very true! Also those kneeling down Empire hand-gunners and hunched-over orcs and teeny goblins. It's my exaggerated battlements that are on the tall size. But the design is partly to allow small Fantasy types to see over the on-the-low-side crenellations.

It's rather splendid, anyway, Michael. 
Cheers - Phil

Maybe something like this. A separate wall sections and then the main fortress/gate.   A destroyed wall section/sewer grate. I just suggest not so big, because with 10mm , it isnt really needed and can cut cost/materials. 1/2 to 2/3 that size would be enough for the Hornburg wall, as that would be around 10x the size of the figures 10mm.
Just all my view of course. Beautiful work.

Marvellous Micheal

I checked out those images - it's a model of the film set? The position and design of the tower is very much their own invention?

Quote from: WeeWars on 04 May 2015, 08:54:54 PM
I checked out those images - it's a model of the film set? The position and design of the tower is very much their own invention?

Its a sideshow weta model.  Its just something to give you an idea or example from the movie.

Terrific, Michael. 

Thanks, yeah, so it's attempting to be a good representation of the movie set.

Here's another mock-up of a wall section frontage, 82mm high. All MDF this time:





And alongside the first one:

I think the shorter wall is better. I wouldnt mind something showing more stone, less ornate. Less crenellations, (or is it merlons?) but have them wider/thicker. There seem to be too many & too narrow. Something like the top of this. Will appaer to give protection, while some of the figures are still visible.

I have to admit I was trying to avoid the usual equal width crenel and merlon. It's been done so many times before in MDF and, I feel, tends to emphasise the flatness of the sheet material.

I was going for something taller, slender, more Venetian-like in design just for a change – and which allows for better looking corners. Perhaps, better reserved for an Elven tower of some sort. 

However, I don't mind going more in the direction of the movie. But not too close to the design to avoid copyright issues.

Mmm, that would look good on any European field from Roman times onward.