The Dictator Printer Friendly Version   By CATGUNNER - Dec. 31, 1969 The Dictators Castle was designed for a wargame at a convention where rebel forces would attack the castle and try to take it from an evil dictator. The game is science fiction in nature, but I wanted a castle that looked old (except for the landing pad on the back side). So I decided it was the castle build on another planet centuries ago for that planets governor, but it was taken over in a military coup and is being used by the military dictator. The attackers have to invade the castle and capture the dictator, but without damaging the castle, an important part of their history. Since the point of the game was to have fighting inside the castle, it was designed from the beginning be modular and have the all of the inside be accessible and most imporantly playable. Each room or area of the castle has at least two entrances and offers cover and angles of fire in several directions. A lot of the castle was designed from the inside out. I knew that I wanted a great hall, with balconies and pillars. The rooms are laid out so that the attackers have to go through this hall to reach the keep in the back. Some of the greatest challenges in the design were figuring out how to make the design modular and allow for the interconnections between rooms and different levels with balconies, doorways and stairways. Molds used in the design: #45 Gothic Dungeon Builder #50 Wizard's Tower #53 Traveler's Bridge #56 Tomb #61 Turret #63 Octagon Tower #201 Floor Tiles #205 Gothic Floor Tiles #250 Small Brick #300 Station Builder (for some odds and ends) I lost count of the number of castings I did, at least 20 on each of the major molds like Wizards Tower, Gothic Dungeon, Octagon Tower and the Turret Mold. I really liked the way the Gothic Dungeon pillars looked so they formed the basis of the design of the Great Hall. Luckily the Gothic Floor Tiles came out just before I started major construction on the castle floors, I really like the variability in floor patterns you can make with that mold. Painting: I actually stole the paint scheme from the Prison Tower by Yarell posted on the Hirst Arts message board. Thankfully he even posted the colors he used. I just took the same colors to Home Depot and had them mix up a quart of each color and started dry brushing. I then did most of the detailing in a blue-gray with 2 layers of dry brushing in lighter colors. Size:13" wide x 23" long x 16" tall (at the keep) Time: I started casting for this project in April but started spending a lot of time on it in July. It was a lot of hours because I work pretty slowly and had to rebuild large sections as I went because I wasn't happy with how they turned out. Finally, I'd like to nominate my wife for a "Most Patient WIfe Alive" award for putting up with the mess this thing has made of our apartment. From plaster powder covering everything to our cat finding the pile of pink foam from the base and rolling around in it, she's put up with a lot of mess. Now I have to start cleaning it up! CATGUNNER - Submit pictures to share with everyone   57 Ratings     12345      Public Comments Please log in to post a comment    Created  Comment  Aug. 18, 2003, 09:32PM  By: SAMAYEL70 I just love the great hall shots. Especially the one from the entry hall. I'm blown away.  Aug. 18, 2003, 01:36PM  By: ODELLW Very impressed, I would like to cast a vote for your wife as well (Most Patient WIfe Alive). The detail is outstanding. Not much else to say the model speaks for itself.  Aug. 18, 2003, 04:15AM  By: KSKYHAPPY what i like about this piece is that not only is it well assembled and painted but i can see a very good gaming use for this piece, an all round good entry. kskyhappy - the impossible just takes a little longer

Shortcuts

Voidgamers Home :: Hirst Arts Terrain Building :: Hirst Arts Design Derby 4

Back to Home Page.