HAPPY HALLOWEEN, dear realmers !

I hope you are doing great !?

Today’s the perfect day, to unleash a monster, isn‘t it ?

So here it is !

„The Hobbit - Battle of the five armies“ (BOTFA) came up with a few, really fanciful kinds, of Dol Guldur-war trolls : Heavily armored ones, swinging brutal blades, or maces; terribly mutilated ones, with killing amputation appliances; wall-demolition-trolls with kamikaze-attitude; bridge-trolls and catapult-trolls. Each design ...just amazingly creative.

Except some details, that I absolutely wanted to be, as close to the original design, as possible (like the armor; the straps with metal trimming, belt, torch; skull on pole, halberd..ect ) a complete authentic rebuild was not realizable, unfortunately.

The proportions, by using a LOTR-troll-figure (by Toybiz) and goblin-figures (by the bridge direct) as base, are very warped, since those trolls, in BOTFA, are a lot taller, than others and above all : way taller than the ones from LOTR, as well.

The goblins, who operate the catalpults, are tiny, compared to the height of these dol guldur-trolls.
Even though the goblin-figures are from a 3,75“-series, they are STILL way too tall, to match to the 6“-scale of the Toybiz-Troll. For the right proportions, the troll would have to be at least twice as tall, (or the goblins half as tall).
By the way: I‘ve already ordered a third goblin, to add to.

Due to this discrepancy, concerning scale, I had to drop the initial plan, to rebuilt
the original catapult (with a sling on it), from scratch. Either it would have been
to small for the goblins, or to big for the troll. I had to find a compromise and found one in this catapult, on Ebay, for 5 bucks (yellow plastic parts; no paint, but many very cool details). It’s lever-mechanism is still working. I‘ve just cut of the big push-button for visual reasons.

I‘ve dithered quite some time, if I should remove that metal basket, from the catapult arm and attach a sling instead (like the original design), but I could not bring myself, to do so, because the basket looks better and too cool, for not using it, I.m.o. .
At least...that basket is authentic to those, from the catapults (on wheels) of „Return of the king“, where Minas Tirith was under siege. ;-)

I’m totally happy about, how this figure turned out.
I hope you like it, too !

Recipe :

Removed original harness
Removed handles from the back
Filled back-gaps with hot-glue and sculpted over it.
Cut off (stiff) hands of the armored troll
Cut off (turnable) hands including half the forearms of a battle troll
Dremeled off outer surface of the forearms
Hot-glued on those hands/forearms
Resculpted forearms
Cut; painted new straps (leather)
and the metal fittings (plastic)
Sculped forearm-armor from scratch
Cut off four spikes of two battle-troll-helmets
Sculpted four more spikes
Sculpted hand armor over rubber base
Sculpted the hollow inside surfaces of the catapult‘s beams
Painted the whole catapult
Cut/painted Loincloth (nubuk leather)
Twist together two different cords as belt
Painted the rocks (tabletop accessories)
Attached wooden planks (safari toy series)
Made a torch (hot glue on a pole of a battle cry uruk hai)
Casted the skull (resin)
Made the elbow-joints rough-running (so the arms stay extended, when in „launching-position“)

Goblins :
Attached Samweis's orc-outfit
Made Sandals/Boots (fake leather; leather cord)
Create Back-;Shoulder;Shin-; forearm-armor (plastic)
Sculpted knife
Scabbard = fake-leather
„Not authentic at all, but creativity forced me to build-helmet“(sculpted over an aluminum base). ;-)
Made the halberd from real wood and it’s blade from polypropylene.


Paintjob with citadel and rewell colors.

Once again : Please, excuse my flawed english !

Regards and CHEERS !