Featured in last month's Utubes update was the latest addition to the Crusades Project, a 28mm MDF castle from Empires at War. It's a big old thing, it covers close to a third of our 12 x 6 table, perfect for the sort of skirmish games we like 😉
I've done a video review on the Utubes, photos below if that is your preference.
The castle comes in 12 seperate sections each of which can be bought individually. At 90 pounds all in I think this is good value.
https://empiresatwar.co.uk/product/28mm-western-crusader-castle-modular-kit/
The sections come in seperate MDF kits, they are good quality and are easy to put together, me and my lad put all these together in about 3 hours.
There are 6 wall sections, 4 corner towers, a gate house, a centre tower and a staircase. The items are all really well designed and when completed they fit together perfectly. Each wall section fits one of my 24 figure units perfectly.
My plan (in the future) is to somehow paint this up in the style of a Crusader Castle along the lines of the Krak des Chevalier in Syria, I love the white stone and hints of green vegetation. Any model builders got any tips on how do get that effect ?
However it will more than likely stay as it is 😁
All in all I think the piece is good value, detail is great. It's easy to put together and is nice and strong. It's a great building to have for some proper Big Battle Crusades Gaming.
An impressive bit of kit! For the white stone effect I'd use a Terion/spackle mix with craft paint, shading white near the top to an off white or creamy colour toward the bottom. It gives the effect of height. I wouldn't use much vegetation except at the bottom. The stonework would've been kept clear to prevent the vegetation from giving an attacker potential handholds, and to avoid it splitting the stones and mortar.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks AJ, ideas noted 👍🏼
DeleteLooks great!
ReplyDeleteAs for painting, I think spray painting off white, some highlighting, and then washes is probably the way to go.
The vegetation probably would not have been there when the castle was in use, but could be done with flock and tufts and the like.
Many thanks, spray paint sounds easier than some suggestions 😁
DeleteCertainly a fine looking castle. I like the MDF kits. It's gonna look great once you have painted it.
ReplyDeleteRegards, James
Many thanks James, I've a feeling it will be a while until I get round to it !
DeleteWhat an awesome model! I haven't been to Krak des Chevalier but I dod manage to spend a day at al-Karak in Jordan which is very similar. Cant wait to see this finished!
ReplyDeleteCheers Paul, I will try and have a go at it next year 👍🏼
DeleteBlimey, that is a big beastie for sure, but looks good and not a bad price at all, considering its size. IIRC, castles were finished with a lime wash to help protect the stone, so they would have been pretty white when new. As others have said, there wouldn't have been much, if any, foliage on the walls except maybe at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteCheers Steve, it's going to be interesting to get it to look right
DeleteNice big kit and in view of it's size seems a reasonable price and as its got all that etched detail maybe a dry brush of white with a decorating brush and then a wash and another white dry brush? Easy to fill in that kind of detail!
ReplyDeleteBest Iain
Many thanks Iain, I think my main problem is it looks okay unpainted! I'll put it to one side during the painting challenge and see how I feel in the spring.
DeleteAwesome model but not one to be left unpainted! All very valid painting suggestions above and I also have to agree it would have been devoid of vegetation when in use.
ReplyDelete