SITC Planning

While the varnish dries on the Ripper Suits I've been planning my build for the SITC. With the theme being non human I decided to try a dwarven building.  But what makes a building dwarven?

One obvious answer is to base something on the rather nice trio of buildings from Grudge of Drong, a 4th edition Warhammer scenario pack that is loosely based on India during the Raj.  I still have my original card buildings (unbuilt!) as well as an MDF version from Lasercut Architect, who I believe are no longer trading.  If/when I build Grudge of Drong terrain I'll probably go with the MDF stuff as a base, so that doesn't really fit with the ethos of the challenge.

I've also long wanted to do a dwarven forge based on Terrain for Hippos build, but I wondered if there was anything I could adapt from the Townscape. 

The Townscape does contain a quartet of dwarven builds.  Sort of.  In 'Bloodbath at Orc's Drift', building 19, the Half Timbered Cottage is used by the dwarves of Ashak Rise for their illicit gold panning operation.  Likewise, in 'Terror of the Lichemaster', buildings 6,7 and 8 are used by the dwarves at Gimbrin's Mine, along with an impressive wooden aqueduct and a minehead.  Now in every case the buildings are also used by humans (or elves) and are scaled accordingly.

I've always been slightly bothered by this, dwarves should have lower doors and windows and given the makeshift nature (dwarves - makeshift?  Never!) of the huts at Gimbrin's mine they don't need such high rooves.  Could it be as simple as just cutting a few millimetres off the bottom?

To try this theory I made a mock up of one of the buildings from TotL (No 8 in Warhammer Townscape).

Full sized building No. 9 with Mantic dwarf next to window

Dwarf on veranda

Dwarf next to door

Looking at the full sized build it is clearly a small hut.  Both minis are on bases though, and once the building is based that should be accounted for.  The scaling isn't bad actually, though the dwarf is low down to the window, he'd need a box.   

But is is better with a lower building?  to fond out I trimmed 4 mm off the bottom of the building.

Shorter building - window view

and with the door

I much prefer the lower building; the dwarf next to the window looks right, the door is low now, but OK and I can make it a bit taller if necessary.  I can also make the door wider, after all, most fantasy minis of dwarves depict them as wider than humans.

So now I have a plan for a dwarven hut.  I think it no longer looks obviously human, but can I do anything else to 'dwarfify' it?

Since the building is small I plan on trying a couple of builds to see which looks best.  I'm thinking a normal build, wooden plank walls and tiled roof as per the original.  I'll also try a stone version, after all, dwarves are great stonemasons.

If time allows I may even try a metal version, with girders, metal plates and pillars and a metal roof.  I've a feeling this might be too much, but it sounds fun and should certainly look non human.

I will say that I have another motive for this.  I am very slowly building stuff up for my Dragon Rampant version of Bloodbath at Orc's Drift in 15mm, and as I mentioned here I have fond memories of playing the preliminary games simultaneously.  I may well never get to do this again, but if I did, I'd need more than one set of buildings (you can see Kachas Pass here).  The Ashak Rise dwarves could easily use a building like this one, possibly a couple of small huts, so I' plan on replicating this project in 15mm soon, it will be ideal for Gimbrin's Mine as well of course.