Post: #1

Hello all! I got this fantastic model for my birthday, and of course I couldn't wait to assemble and paint it! Now, two months later, the model and the pictures are done, but before I get to them let's have a little lesson in miniature history first. The "Imperial Guard Mammoth" was originally released in 1986 as part of the Grenadier Masterpiece Editions. The Masterpiece Editions was a range of six large undead models: two mammoths, a rhino, a giant, a dragon and a chariot. You can see an overview of the Masterpiece Editions here:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~tpope/sol/grenadi...tions.html


And here's another picture of the box of the Imperial Guard Mammoth and it's contents:


Grenadier went bust and the moulds came in the possession of Mirliton in Italy (and EM4 but they haven't re-released the Masterpiece Editions):
http://www.mirliton.it/product_info.php?...mm-undeads


If you look at the crew you can see that Mirliton has different skeletons on the Mammoth than the old Grenadier model has. These skeletons 'new' skeletons are larger and also made by Grenadier in 1995probably to make them fit in more with popular scales (read: for use in Warhammer). Unfortunately these new skeletons aren't very pretty, so I chose to replace them.

To give the mammoth the crew it deserves and to make it fit in more with my army I contracted three volunteers from my collection of old Citadel skeletons. I want to use the model as a Warsphinx in my Tomb Kings army, which officially has four Tomb Guard crew with spears. I didn't have that many spearmen, nor had I room for four models, so the mammoth has to make do with three crew and only one (far too short) spear. The other two models were duplicates so I didn't mind them being on the mammoth much.

Anyway, I put the whole lot together, painted it and photographed it, and this is the result:




I left off the armour in front of the rib cage. I never really liked the look of it though I saved the bit in case I might use it for a possible ext mammoth.




I also left off the banner that came with the model. I couldn't find an appropriate spot for it and extensions like that make transporting the model even more difficult. It'll probably find a use elsewhere someday.






As theme colours I picked white clothing with red details. Red doesn't always work well with my colour scheme as it disappears a bit next to all the rusty metal bits. The same thing happened in this case, so on a next model I will pick different colours again, though I don't intend to repaint the red bits here. I'm not too enthusiastic about the way the shields turned out on this model but I prefer to paint any changes on unpaintedn models rather than on already painted models.





The old Citadel skeletons are still my favorite range of skeletons and I think they are worthy crew for this beautiful mammoth!



I added some rope (button wire) to the catapult to finish it off. It's a very small effort and it looks much better. The catapult won't be of much help rules-wise, as the Warsphinx can't shoot (with the exception of an optional breath weapon).

I hope you like the pictures, I'm very pleased with the model so thanks a great deal to my friends!

Post: #2

Really cool model and nicely painted but the rope you added seems a bit odd to me.
Wouldn't you want the rope to pull the arm downwards so when it is released the arm would pull back up and thus trowing the rock?

Post: #3

Yeah, in hindsight the rope would start working against the arm of the catapult about halfway through launching. I didn't realise it until other people pointed it out

It's not something I'm going to change but you are right about it. I'm going to keep it in mind for future catapults 8)

Post: #4

Very good work. I remember that Skelly-Mammoth from when I was a boy, it is very cool. I think that what you have done with it is good. I agree that the big armour plate in front of the ribs is better left off the model, it looks much better with the inside of the ribs visible which makes it more 3D.

I do like the rock thrower and the extra rope you added, even though it has been pointed out that it is mechanically flawed in some way. I still believe it looks better with it that without. I like old citadel Skelly models too, I still have a few lying about I intend to put to use someday. Again I say, very good work.

Post: #5

Its my Ellie! I painted it on here a while back in my plog Great to see someone else has the model - I stripped mine and she awaits repainting

I like what you have done though - much better than my attempt was