GW Vampire Count's Coven Throne Converted to Frostgrave Monument

    Last year I got a good deal from a friend at a local game convention flea market on the Games Workshop "Vampire Counts Coven Throne".  It's such a crazy over-the-top model that I thought it might make a really cool basis for a monument statue for our Frostgrave games.   Something along the lines of the Wellington Arch in London, but more over the top.

Wellington Arch

  I began by assembling the model as per the instructions, which was a daunting task with there being 15 pages of diagrams and over 20 steps!  And so many little parts!  Rather than do it in one sitting, I broke it up over several days, doing a step or two each day.

   While I was building the model, I also worked on assembling a pedestal for the finished product to sit upon, using a juice lid, some round bases, a bit of chain from the bits box, and some Hirst Arts skulls.

   I made a few modifications to the model before I completed the assembly; mainly I didn't use the large bowl of blood that is intended to sit at the front of throne, instead replacing it with the lectern that is included as part of the Mortis Engine version of this model.   I also decided to use just one of the figures that was included; the reclining female vampire, though I replaced her head with one of the other heads as I just wasn't a fan of the 18th century hairdo on the intended head.

   My plan as far as figures went at this point was to build on an idea mentioned in the Frostgrave rulebook Bestiary, that says in the city of Felstad some Vampires rose to be powerful wizards in their own right .  So I got the idea to make the monument be one constructed by one of these prominent wizard-vampires, depicting him and his apprentice in the heyday of their power.  So I ordered a Reaper Bones vampire figure to stand at the front of the throne, with the idea the reclining woman in the back would be his apprentice.

   When I finished the model and set it on it's pedestal, I just wasn't impressed with it, and I realized I needed to make a larger structure for it to sit upon if I really wanted it to have the look of the Wellington Arch.  So, I assembled a quick and simple four-sided structure from foamcore, a plaster dungeon tile, and some plaster arches I had.  I also had the idea to glue a metal base to the top of this structure, and magnets under the pedestal base, so the piece could easily be broken into two parts for storage.

     I painted the structure black and did some white striations and splatter on it to make it look like it was made from black marble.

     I then primed the monument portion with flat white spray paint.

      When the primer coat was dry, I painted the monument and the skulls on the pedestal with Americana "Sea Breeze", then gave it a wash with Citadel "Nuln Oil" and "Agrax Earthshade" washes.  When the wash was dry, I gave it a light drybrushing with Folk Art "Celadon Green", and then with some Cermacoat "Bronze".  The rest of the pedestal I painted black.
     I'm really happy with how this piece turned out! It is really a beautiful model kit to begin with, and is just overflowing with rich details.  I enjoyed painting it, just because it gave me the chance to explore more of the excellent sculpting that went into it.  I can't wait to have the opportunity to use it in a game.