What was your best conversion?

[Timurilank]

DBAers,

I have been reorganizing my collection and creating new armies by rebasing, repainting and adding new standards. Invairiably, I came across the odd element which was just too small to order or I was too impatient to wait for the delivery.

I have been following the painting thread for sometime, but wonder what has been the most satisfying conversion? What I would like to read are what figures were used with a bit of conversion to create a rather unique element.

An example, I just finished an Early Imperial Roman army but lacked an artillery piece. As I planned to use them this week and did not want to wait for the ten days shipping so I chose to scratch build the piece. Looking at Trajan's Column, John Peddie's The Roman War Machine, other reference books and my current collection of figs, I chose to make a mule drawn bolt thrower mounted on a cart.

The cart came from an over abundant number of supply carts from the 7YW range, the mules from the Old Glory colonial baggage mules, crew were Bythinian archers and basswood for the bolt thrower. Most interesting were the crew. The top part of the lappet hat I cut off and filed, as was the quiver, a visor was made from thick card and the lappets were painted as cheek guards. The tunic was painted russet or red orange colour. Three crew, two mules, cart and bolt thrower fit perfectly in the 40x40mm stand.

What have been your most rewarding conversions?

cheers,

[ March 21, 2005, 20:05: Message edited by: Timurilank ]

[Macbeth]

My crowning glory was when working through the odds and ends in my unpainted lead box, I had almost enough figures for a Gallic army - 12 elements of, not all the options I'll admit.

I thought about painting it up as a loaner/for sale army for the inaugural Landwaster Tournament - 2002.

However I had restricted armies to no more than 8 of a given type - to make the army legal I needed to have the General in a Chariot. So I scratch built a chariot body from Cardboard, and used horses and wheels from what I think was a gun carriage.

Anywise, the army was purchased the month before Landwaster and is now in Canada.

My other modest efforts are the use of plastic and resin elephants from gift stores, toy shops etc to beef up the El elements without the usual outlays.

Cheers

[Timurilank]

Macbeth wrote: However I had restricted armies to no more than 8 of a given type - to make the army legal I needed to have the General in a Chariot. So I scratch built a chariot body from Cardboard, and used horses and wheels from what I think was a gun carriage. That's great. I have a similar project with an Ancient British army. I do have six limbers and about a dozen horses.

thanks and cheers,

[<Bob.>]

When I first started playing DBA in early 1990's I wanted a 15mm Classical Indian army. My contacts for figures was limited. The local hobby shop had a whole bunch of MiniFig NKE. So I converted almost the whole Indian army from the NKE. Two man chariots were cut in half and widened and horses added to make heavy Indian chariots. Egyptian archers were made into Indians, not too much work. I had a lot of Carthage figs so converted the elephants and Numidians to the Indians. In the end I had an army to fight my Macedonians. I still use those figs today even though I have added another couple of armies from actual Indian ranges.

[Matthew Bailey]

Does it have to be a c0onversion, or for those of us who have worked as Sculptors (And still do) does it count for figures that we just SCULPTED?

If not, does it have to be an historical figure? If that is the case, then I think that converting Minifigs Republican Triarii into Camillan Princeps (this was before they made 2 different poses. Theyy only made ONE pose per figure)... Then there are the Reptilliad Seleucids, and Republican Romans. Not much conversion was necessary for most of the figures, but I had to make shields for some Halberdiers to turn them into Triarii.

If we can count other eras... I made ALL kinds of conversions for Modern, WWII, and Sci-Fi (Look at the 6mm Scfi-Fi Yahoo group for a dozen or so conversions including making a platoon of Speeder-bikes from GW Space-Marines and Imerial Gaurd bikers, and radio and radar towers for the Artillery...Not to mention the Artillery itself) miniatures. I made several 15mm grav-tanks from Aircraft engines and Roco Modern tanks (The best one was a modern MArder that had the tracks removed and then the bottom of a cargo pallet from a C-130 Hercules grafted onto it to make the "Grav-repulsors"...

Or, there is the Quinquereme that is on the DBA yahoo group's photo page (Not sure if it is still there), and I think that it may be on the AncMed Yahoo group as well...

Too many to count.. I have a BUNCH of Sci-Fi conversions that I am making right now for that matter (Walkers from sewing machine parts, and the pilots from the Scotia Sci-Fi line, and a new Grav-Chassis for the Epic Scale Tau Grav-Tanks just to name a couple)

If it is JUST DBA oriented... Then that would have to be the upcoming Italian allies (or the actual elements for an Apulian, Lucanian, Bruttian -and SOME of the Campanian's - army) with altered breastplates and shields...

[RonG]

My best conversion to date was "Fluffy". The 3 headed dog from Harry Potter.

[David Kuijt]

I've done a couple of good ones, but my personal favorite was converting a plastic pteradactyl and a Gladiator Late Roman cataphract into a 15mm Witch King of Angmar (chief Nazgul). In addition to various surgeries on the pteradactyl (head and wing and body and foot modifications, a tailectomy, brass wire enema and building up a new tail out of wire and green), I had to amputate the rider's head, convert his lance to a mace (easy enough), build up a hooded cloak with green, then take a bit of hollow brass rod, cut it down, and file it into a crenellated crown that I could glue into the hood of the cloak. The result was that his head was entirely missing -- the crown seeming to float on his invisible head.

Combined with a dead Snowmane and Theoden, and stuck on a weighted base, it came out pretty nice.

[Timurilank]

&lt;Bob.&gt; wrote:

The local hobby shop had a whole bunch of MiniFig NKE. So I converted almost the whole Indian army from the NKE. Two man chariots were cut in half and widened and horses added to make heavy Indian chariots. Egyptian archers were made into Indians, not too much work.I lack the 3Bw for an Arab Indian or Hindu Army as opponents for my Saffarids, however, I just may do the reverse. I have enough Bythinian archers that could convert to Indians with a turban and tuft or ball on the front. The figures are bare legged.

cheers,

[ March 22, 2005, 11:48: Message edited by: Timurilank ]

[Timurilank]

My original idea was to devote this topic to conversions applicable to DBA armies, however, I have the impression there is a lot of talent active in other gaming periods.

Keep them coming; lot of good ideas here.


Xanthippus wrote:

My best conversion to date was "Fluffy". The 3 headed dog from Harry Potter.Had you thought about applying the same idea on a figure out of Greek Mythology? This has been a campaign in the planning; Jason and the Argonauts searching for the Golden Fleece meeting all manner of obstacles. Was Fluffy a 15mm model?

cheers,

[Timurilank]

David Kuijt wrote:

…build up a hooded cloak with green, then take a bit of hollow brass rod, cut it down, and file it into a crenellated crown that I could glue into the hood of the cloak. A friend of mind used hollow brass rod placed in the corners of his castle towers and gateways. This enabled him to change banners and standards with each new occupant. I like the crown and I have a few Norman Generals that could use a promotion.

cheers,