How can I make a "Trophy room" diorama?

[Cmdr Shepard]

Greetings fellow hobbyists,

I need your assistance.

 

I'd like to build a diorama representing the "trophy room" of a 40K warlord. Since 6th Edition introduced the "challange mechanics" I think it would be a good idea to show the triumphs of a skillful warrior, a Chaos warlord, a Chapter Master, a GK Grand master. Even though I suppose a Chaos warlord would be the best subject for the project.

 

The problem is I have no idea on how making such diorama, well a part from the collection of bitzs/models to use as trophies.

Do you suggestion for a project like this?

 

Thanks for your assistance.

[Jacinda]

I'm not sure what you are asking for. Are you asking for how it will look? What props to use and how to make them or where to buy them? How to build a base? All of the above?

[Grotsmasha]

I'd go with a large, maybe 20cmx10cm rectangle box, with one of the long sides left off. I'd decorate the remaining walls with battle standards, both your own and captured enemy standards. And for each victory I'd add a small plinith (cake decorations are good for these) with an item from the defeated army, an Ork Warboss head, Eldar Helms, weapon cases/racks,

 

Cheers,

Jono

[Jolemai]

Chaos would be easy, just have a throne or idol and every time you win a challenge, add another helmet/head to it :D

 

For Space Marines it may well be a piece of kit, be it a weapon or armour piece perhaps? Just something that indicates who he has beaten.

 

This would make a good objective marker in a game...

[Cmdr Shepard]

I'm not sure what you are asking for. Are you asking for how it will look? What props to use and how to make them or where to buy them? How to build a base? All of the above?

 

In fact I was asking for suggestions on how to start the project (including concept and ideas on building the trophy room)

 

I'd go with a large, maybe 20cmx10cm rectangle box, with one of the long sides left off. I'd decorate the remaining walls with battle standards, both your own and captured enemy standards. And for each victory I'd add a small plinith (cake decorations are good for these) with an item from the defeated army, an Ork Warboss head, Eldar Helms, weapon cases/racks,

 

Cheers,

Jono

 

I could use GW imperial buildings walls (not the ones in ruin, of course :tu: ) or I could go with a FW Zone Mortalis tile . The inclusion of standards is a very good idea. An Ork Warboss head is an auto-include.

Any suggestion on how to build weapon cases/racks?

 

I was also thinking about placing entire models to represent enemy armours or even defeated enemies is a sort of stasis. A Sci-Fi version of a taxidermied ork Warboss, for example (I have a spare ork warboss mini from old AoBR starter)

 

Chaos would be easy, just have a throne or idol and every time you win a challenge, add another helmet/head to it :devil:

 

For Space Marines it may well be a piece of kit, be it a weapon or armour piece perhaps? Just something that indicates who he has beaten.

 

This would make a good objective marker in a game...

 

Since I'd like to build a renegade not completelty devoted to chaos army I think I should go for the "detalied" option.

Armour and weapon pieces displayed in a room would be perfect. The throne would be a very nice addition.

[Gurth]

I'd go with a large, maybe 20cmx10cm rectangle box, with one of the long sides left off.

Boxed dioramas often work better with forced perspective. Though this is harder to build, it means, among other things, that viewers can see the walls more easily without having to look into the box at an angle.

[Jacinda]

Chaos warlord would be the easiest. Based on a 6" round disk with one side flat. Think of the scene like a snowglobe with the back 1/3 cut away. The straight edge would be a wall. Dark grey stone walls and floor. A throne right in front of the wall. An altar or table to one side maybe even round off the corners that hang over the curve of the base. The throne is littered with skulls all around and heaped up underneath. The altar is piled with helmets as if it started as neatly arranged and then piled up as too many were gathered. Some spilled off onto the floor. Chaos lord in the center, daemonette -- or a daemon appropriate to the lord's mark -- on the side opposite the altar possibly carrying an icon. In front of the lord and on the floor a space marine casualty.

 

For one of the Imperium of Man leaders it would be similar but not as dark. Carved cathedral stone wall and floor. No skulls by the throne. Xenos weapons hung on the wall. Helmets arranged neatly on the table. No body on the floor. Marine carrying a banner in place of the daemon.

[Jacinda]

Any suggestion on how to build weapon cases/racks?

You could always go shopping for dollhouse furniture.

[Cmdr Shepard]

Chaos warlord would be the easiest. Based on a 6" round disk with one side flat. Think of the scene like a snowglobe with the back 1/3 cut away. The straight edge would be a wall. Dark grey stone walls and floor. A throne right in front of the wall. An altar or table to one side maybe even round off the corners that hang over the curve of the base. The throne is littered with skulls all around and heaped up underneath. The altar is piled with helmets as if it started as neatly arranged and then piled up as too many were gathered. Some spilled off onto the floor. Chaos lord in the center, daemonette -- or a daemon appropriate to the lord's mark -- on the side opposite the altar possibly carrying an icon. In front of the lord and on the floor a space marine casualty.

 

For one of the Imperium of Man leaders it would be similar but not as dark. Carved cathedral stone wall and floor. No skulls by the throne. Xenos weapons hung on the wall. Helmets arranged neatly on the table. No body on the floor. Marine carrying a banner in place of the daemon.

 

Nice ideas, indeed. ;)

Since I plan to build the diorama for a Renegade/rogue Chapter Warlord (you know, the "not devoted to chaos and not devoted to Imperial creed" thing) I would just change the "pile of skulls on the ground, even though I think tyranind skulls (from the SM scouts kit) would be a perfect wall decoration, and the daemons.

I could exchange the daemons for prisoners/slaves (the night lords are known to have human slaves, if I'm not mistaken) or armors taken from the defeated enemies (I have a Sanguinary guard kit I never used ;) )

 

I still think the taxidermied Ork Warboss would be fun too :lol: . The only problem is to make sure who look at the diorama understand he is a taxidermied Ork Warboss and not an intruder.

 

I noticed the base of the Quad Weapon from Aegis defense line would be a wonderful pedestral but it gets a little expensive if you need several of them.

 

Do you know where I could find a 40k sized throne?

Magewrath Throne could be a solution. Maybe lowering its height.

 

Anyway thanks for your suggestions, I really appreciated them.

[Olis]

Do you know where I could find a 40k sized throne?

 

How about the Space Hulk one?

[NemFX]

In the Second Blood Angels Omnibus, Fabius Bile (spoiler, actually a clone of him) had a trophy room. It was full of parts of loyalist space marine armour.

 

The heavier parts were on shelves, but one of his better trophies was a roughly complete suit of Blood Angels armour that was apparently capable of standing on its own (spoiler again, he was inside it, but Rafen didn't seem too surprised at an empty suit being able to stand on its own)

 

In the book The Primarchs, Omegon had some simple shelves in his room; one contained his normal legion armour, and another had a different suit covered in sheets of fabric.

 

The implication is that no extra special care is given to the armour pre-heresy.

[Cmdr Shepard]

Do you know where I could find a 40k sized throne?

 

How about the Space Hulk one?

 

Sadly I don't have Space Hulk :tu:

 

In the Second Blood Angels Omnibus, Fabius Bile (spoiler, actually a clone of him) had a trophy room. It was full of parts of loyalist space marine armour.

 

The heavier parts were on shelves, but one of his better trophies was a roughly complete suit of Blood Angels armour that was apparently capable of standing on its own (spoiler again, he was inside it, but Rafen didn't seem too surprised at an empty suit being able to stand on its own)

 

In the book The Primarchs, Omegon had some simple shelves in his room; one contained his normal legion armour, and another had a different suit covered in sheets of fabric.

 

The implication is that no extra special care is given to the armour pre-heresy.

 

Very interesting information. I think it would be a good starting point.

The only problem, as I mentioned before, is to build the shelves.

[Bungicats]

In many of the HH novels they talk about large rooms or long hangars lined with banners, statues of fallen comrades, specialist xeon weapons and the such. As for ideas on how to make specific chairs, shelves etc you may want to look online for photos of doll house parts or even the OLD TSR white metal dungeon casts... I think making a diorama of a lords on board room would be interesting as this would be their personal space rather than that of their legions.

[Cmdr Shepard]

In many of the HH novels they talk about large rooms or long hangars lined with banners, statues of fallen comrades, specialist xeon weapons and the such. As for ideas on how to make specific chairs, shelves etc you may want to look online for photos of doll house parts or even the OLD TSR white metal dungeon casts... I think making a diorama of a lords on board room would be interesting as this would be their personal space rather than that of their legions.

 

I know how shelves would look like the only problem is to actually build them ^_^ . Anyway what are the "OLD TSR white metal dungeon casts"?

 

I agree with you: bulding a diorama of a Lord personal space would be very interesting... if I succeed in starting the project of course ^_^

[Darklighter]

I love this idea. All I can see is big game hunter style lodge with heads mounted on plaques. I might have to steal this idea!

[mr tough guy]

Look at comics for inspiration, the batman, superman and the justice league all have great throphy rooms, I'm sure you can finds some pics of them online.

here's a couple of links to get you started

 

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/...trophy-room.jpg

 

http://thedorkreview.blogspot.nl/2012/05/s...f-solitude.html

 

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/04/05/d...ncyclopedia-of/

[Cmdr Shepard]

I love this idea. All I can see is big game hunter style lodge with heads mounted on plaques. I might have to steal this idea!

 

Feel free to do it. That's why we share ideas, after all :(

 

Look at comics for inspiration, the batman, superman and the justice league all have great throphy rooms, I'm sure you can finds some pics of them online.

here's a couple of links to get you started

 

http://www.myconfinedspace.com/wp-content/...trophy-room.jpg

 

http://thedorkreview.blogspot.nl/2012/05/s...f-solitude.html

 

http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/04/05/d...ncyclopedia-of/

 

Very interesting sources of inspiration, indeed. Just a quick question: the "statue-like trophies" in those pics are actually statues or the original subjectes in stasis (or any any similar tech)?

The addition of "full minis" as trophies would make the project very amazing....

 

Anyway, now that we have a lot of concepts what about the "building phase"?

 

First we'll have to build the room.

I have two options:

 

1. Placing walls from scenery on the designated tile or

2. Using FW Zone Mortalis tiles. Here the "configurations" available 1, 2 , 3 and 4

 

What do you think? FW tiles would make the room assembly easier but they could be a little "limiting"(you have a pre-assemble space).

[Darklighter]

I's say build your own as the zone mortalis boards are quite cramped. For am idea of space when looking at the layouts each tile is only a 2" square.

[Cmdr Shepard]

I's say build your own as the zone mortalis boards are quite cramped. For am idea of space when looking at the layouts each tile is only a 2" square.

 

Good point.

 

So what do you suggest for walls?

I was thinking about the ones from GW 40K scenary, not the ruined one.

The Warhammer fantasy "fortress walls" look to much low tech....

[Darklighter]

The Sanctum has some nice decorative features for an Imperial trophy room and could be a trophy in it's self for a Renegade/Chaos themed room. I could also be quite easy to add a pitched roof with embossed plasti-card to close it up a little. and leave one end open (or movable) for access. It might require two kits, but I'll no more in a few days as I'll be getting one for a club project I'm in the middle of.

[NemFX]

for shelves and benches, you could just use popsicle sticks, or maybe plasticard if you can find that.. you could even use lego (they make flat pieces) that could easily be converted to look like benches and the like.

 

gimmie a few minutes to find some lego, and ill do a quick mockup.

 

(wheeeee i get to go play with lego)

[NemFX]

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/nemfx/Picture030.jpg

 

there you go. sorry about the clashing red, but you get the idea.

[Cmdr Shepard]

The Sanctum has some nice decorative features for an Imperial trophy room and could be a trophy in it's self for a Renegade/Chaos themed room. I could also be quite easy to add a pitched roof with embossed plasti-card to close it up a little. and leave one end open (or movable) for access. It might require two kits, but I'll no more in a few days as I'll be getting one for a club project I'm in the middle of.

 

I bought several GW scenery in the past and those walls would be a good choice. I thought I had some spare wall but it seems I used all of them. I still don't know how large the "base" should be. The number of wall sections depends on it, of course :rolleyes:

 

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/nemfx/Picture030.jpg

 

there you go. sorry about the clashing red, but you get the idea.

 

Using Lego! Brilliant idea :P

I have several lego kits (mostly Star Wars ones) I collected in the past and I think I should find some "spare part".

 

Do you know If I can apply a primer on the "lego shelves" and paint them? Just to give theme a 40K look ;)

[*Furyou Miko]

Lego is certainly one option!

 

As far as plinths and external walls go, you could look into the Imperial Strongpoint - it's essentially two Bastions and three Aegis Defence Lines for £85 (the combined cost of the other kits is £104).

 

As far as building it goes, the easiest way to give full visual access is to have a 'floor and two walls'.

 

I think the whole thing should probably be about the size of a shoebox for the best balance of "space to fit things in", "scale to the characters" and "lump of bits to carry".

 

Have you thought about who is going to stand in it? Is the Warlord going to be present? How far down the route to chaos has he gone? Your best bet might actually be to use a standard Tactical marine body, and sculpt the warlord details yourself (Few GW power armour bodies have the same posability as the tac marine, and the assault marine is too mobile).

[Cmdr Shepard]

Lego is certainly one option!

 

Can we primer and paint it? as I said I'd like to have a 40K look.

 

As far as plinths and external walls go, you could look into the Imperial Strongpoint - it's essentially two Bastions and three Aegis Defence Lines for £85 (the combined cost of the other kits is £104).

So you suggest to use the Bastions' walls as the trophy room walls... I like the "armored look". The only problem is the heavy bolters emplacements. You can clearly see the "working mechanism" from the inside. I could not use them and cover the openings on the walls with some green stuff.

 

As far as building it goes, the easiest way to give full visual access is to have a 'floor and two walls'.

Noted. I think it is the best way to have a good perspective of the scene.

 

Have you thought about who is going to stand in it? Is the Warlord going to be present? How far down the route to chaos has he gone? Your best bet might actually be to use a standard Tactical marine body, and sculpt the warlord details yourself (Few GW power armour bodies have the same posability as the tac marine, and the assault marine is too mobile).

 

Very good questions :blush:

I was thinking about placing the Warlord I'll use when the new Codex will be released. I plan to make him a not permanent addition (I have to use the model in my matches after all :lol: ).

Obviously the mini will have a combat pose not very suited for such scene. I don't know if my sculpting abilities will be enough good to sculpt the warlord details by myself.

 

As far as the "route to chaos" he will be the leader of a renegade/rogue chapter that not worship chaos but merely uses chaos for it's own purposes.

Similar to Night Lords and their "surprisingly pure" geneseed, for example.