Hey all! I decided to take a break from painting my Black Orcs and start converting the Bull Centaur Hero for my WCM Tournament army. Woohoo! I haven’t made any Bull Centaurs for my army yet, let alone even consider how I’m going to go about building them. So I started rummaging through my bits box (which took about an hour, its a big box). What I settled on for the body was an orc boar. I didn’t like how short it was, so I decided to swap its legs with the regular empire warhorse legs. I wanted a really strong upper torso…and since I’ve been painting Black Orcs for the last couple of days the choice was easy. So here’s where its at so far:
I gave him a great weapon as thats what I have him equipped with for the tournament, and the big armoured blorc hands will make suitable Gauntlets of Bazhrak with some small spikes added.
I’ll be green-stuffing on some armour to the bull torso, but I’m still unsure of what I will use for a head. I’m thinking I might just stick with the Blorc bits and just heavily modify one of the plastic heads. Any other suggestions on what will make for a better head? Or any suggestions for anything for that matter would be appreciated.
Thats a pretty cool idea! will you be smoothing over the fur with GS or will the armour cover everything? I think it would be good to GS a bit more shape coming down between the front legs, to create a more Bull-like build. I’ve seen people use beastmen heads to good effects, adds to them being more like monsters than disproportionate dwarfs.
@ Ghrask Dragh - Yes, I’ll either be smoothing out the fur with GS or grinding it off with my dremel. Either way the body will be getting bulked up with even more GS to bull-like proportions. I like the beastman head idea, might give it a shot.
@ Kera - thanks, I’m getting excited about how he’s going to turn out. I can’t decide on a head, so what I might do is take pics of a couple different ones and post them here for everybody’s opinion.
Ok, so I tried some different options and here’s what I came up with. Bear in mind, you’ll have to use your imagination a bit, these will all have beards added later. Think equal parts Zeus, Odin, and Chuck Norris
Ogre Head
Black orc head
Custom head
So what’s everybody’s opinions. Personally I like the custom head, but they all look good.
@ Kera - I really like the spartan idea, but I’m on a tight schedule so no time to get it right unfortunately
@ Ghrask Dragh - Tried the beastman head but way too small
@ Canix - Would have liked to do that too, but once again too small
Personally I like the custom head, just for the “cool” factor. its just tacked together with GS right now so it will look much better if its the one I go with. Wont be painting it bone, it’ll be a metal helm.
Still a ways to go GSing the body (don’t worry Ghrask, the chest will be getting fleshed out as you suggested :hat off)
I tried the Blorc torso at my BC prototype - but couldn’t find a suitable head for it - so I ended up by using a 5th ed. plastic Chaos Warrior instead - but the proportions ain’t right.
So after seeing this - I think I’ll give it a second try by giving them the Blorc torso’s again and the Ogre heads.
And as I have a helmet theme for my army - I think I’ll be using the Irongut heads though.
That looks like an awful lot of conversion work there. Shame bullcentaurs rarely live up to their expectations, at least in my past battles! But the parts fit nicely together. Especially the ogre bull head will look really great with a long nose and beard. ^^
I like the idea about using the converted head, but still - all the heads a great. which one will you be using?
About the body itself, I like the concept of using a black orc + your home made lower body (wolf body horse leg thing ) - into a BCL - really really cool mate cheers :cheers
Hey, thanks everybody! I just got back from a 3 day stag party, so I haven’t done much work to him since these pics.
@ clam: I like your prototype but I agree, it is somewhat out of proportion. Glad I could motivate you to give it a second try. Irongut heads sound like a brilliant idea. Too bad I ran out though
@ furrie: I will definately fill out the legs, they look pretty puny.
@ Ishkur: yeah, its a lot of conversion work. Probably more GS work than I’ve ever done on a model, but I’m having fun so far. This guy will be a hero, so luckily I don’t have to do this much work on a full unit.
@ Kera: Steal away, glad you like the idea.
@ Merchant: I’m still up in the air about which one I’ll use. Not the black orc head as he’s leading a black orc unit, so either the custom or the ogre. Just a note though, the body is boar and horse leg…though in hindsight, a wolf body might have been a better idea.