16 Jun 2013

Meet a sabretooth cat!

Behold - a mighty sabretooth cat!

This one is by far my favorite extinct mammal and I think it is for obvious reasons. I was fascinated by the peculiar long fangs it had and I still enjoy reading about theories regarding the use of these teeth. I am not the oldest guy around, yet I remember reading (in a book older than me :P), how sabretooth supposedly couldn't eat large prey because long fangs didn't allow it to swallow anything to big. However, it has been found out that it could open jaws to as much as 120°, compared to modern lion's 60! It (again, supposedly) only had 1/3 of a lion's strength in a bite and fangs are believed to be pretty brittle. The interesting belief is, that animal was like a lion on steroids, really muscular and strong.

Now, I've read about two different ideas on how it used to hunt. While I am no expert myself, neither self-taught beyond few books and documentaries, nor actually educated in this field, I found one much more likely than the other.
The first idea puts a cat on a tree or in some other ambush position, where it would wait for prey to come along (usually one of the previously shown megafaunas) jump on it, sunk its fangs in the animal and back off until the prey bled to death.
Now, I find this unlikely. While lynxes do jump from trees, they're much smaller and I just can't imagine a big muscular animal climbing on branches...but then again, big cats do that often. I could say my opinion is biased as I find waiting for animal to bleed out kinda boring :D.

Anyhow, the second idea is, that sabretooth used its weight and strength to wrestle big animals and then used its fangs to snap the throat, like modern cats do, but closing the "pincers" faster because of the long teeth. While it muscular front paws and back legs could help it brawl, it was too slow to catch anything fast - it was a specialized megafauna predator. It is believed it went extinct shortly after its favorable prey went extinct as well.

Whatever the reason was, the animal appears in Strange Aeons just as that - a sabretooth. While rules mix mammals and dinosaurs, I'd say my choice of going more mammalian comes out a bit better.

This particular model is from Steve Barbers and I while I really liked it at first, I am sitting on a fence by now.
I am a bit clumsy and I've manged to drop the miniature while putting primer on (brushing it on). It fell about a centimeter or two down on a ceramic plate I use as my palette and this is the result:

I got no idea how it has happened, perhaps it hit a grain of sand (I was putting sand on my bases and few could get on a plate, but I haven't seen any), or something, but it literally got brain damaged. I've fixed it with some putty, so it was no problem, but it was a bit of pa party pooper.
Secondly, I wanted to do a bit more elaborate paint job than simple sandy colors and I've messed its fur up with useless camouflage pattern before I've decided it isn't working. Too lazy to start again, I've kept it. Not too visible, but shows my lack of feeling for colors nicely. I'm horrible! :D
Next, I really liked its big eyes at first, but now that I've painted them and the cat looks retarded, I've decided I'd prefer small eyes that I could simply put some wash in and keep them at that!

Other than that, I really like it's unusual, threatening pose.
I've based it on (thanks for the idea Colgar! :D) 20mm round and square bases. I've cut round base on half and put it on each side, producing "40k bike base", but in 20x40. I'll use same technique for actual "bike bases" as those are awfully expensive.

Below is the ordinary "encounter!" scale shot and a quick set up of a sabretooth versus megatherium fight! It could be just me, but I think Steve Barber's miniatures might be a bit on the smaller size, while my megatherium appears even bigger, as it is sculpted in roughly 1:50 scale. Good luck biting that throat Smilodon!


Thanks for looking,
Mathyoo

22 comments:

  1. These are all coming or really well. This latest addition is terrific (and horrific). I am beginning to worry about the poor hunters youo will be fielding against them all.

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    1. I have great time working on those, it is a great "sub project"!
      I was just thinking about bypassing the special scenario rules a bit and playing a short game of a hunt on one of those :P

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  2. I think this project is just great. You're doing a fine job on these creatures. Keep it up.

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    1. Thanks Bob, I only need wolves now - they should be with me next week but they'll need some putty work (turning GW's hell hounds to dire wolves :P), so I'll show some other stuff while I am working on that. If I hadn't agreed on getting those from my friend, I'd most probably buy a pack of actual wolves on Salute - I saw great pack of 6 or so, that weren't oversized and would work well with this sabretooth!

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  3. The Sabre looks great mate, I understand the fascination with them they're an interesting animal. Nice job on all the beasties I bet its been a refreshing change to paint people.

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    1. Thanks...it is something that you don't see around anymore, for sure :D.

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  4. I think you did a good job on smilodon, when I painted my smilodon and did some research, I read that the fangs were used for biting and the tearing of flesh, also are used for biting and holding a prey or even choke holding its prey. either way good job the beasties look cool.

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    1. Cheers mate. And yup, quite interesting how many different theories float around...can't really know I guess.

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  5. Hay, I have that model too! I've seen a few different Sabretooth miniatures, but none of them that I really like that much. This one is OK, though I think the guy in the photo would do better if he pointed his gun *at* the animal instead of in the opposite direction!

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    1. I like the one you are showing around, it has great paintjob :D

      You are wrong about the guy on the photo, this is a horror movie set up and you must imagine this poor chap coming trough the dark forest...he hears something behind him...turns (tension rises!) and points his torch to 6 inches fangs :P

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  6. It's not so "mighty" against that Megatherium is it ?
    I think you've done a good job on this Mathyoo and no one actually knows their colouring, though I think if I could paint better then I'd have gone for some subtle stripes as I recall lining someone's interpretation of them like that.
    As for their attack mode I'd go for the one you like either the vicious predator or the scavenger.
    Steve Barber models are generally 25mm "scale" and could be considered way too small for the modern 28mms.
    North Star Miniatures do a version of the Similodon and wolves and also carry the Deezee range of prehistoric figures too.

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    1. Is North Star's range the one that supports that new ruleset? I can't remember the exact names of any, but I know they also got glyptodons and mammoths :P.

      I've recieved GWs "dire wolves" (rabid wolves, missing skin, skulls etc) that I wanted to dress up to use as normal wolves, but they're way too large. I think I'll save them for some monstrous conversions and I'll have a look at the North Star instead - thanks for the tip!

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    2. North carry there own range under North Star Menagerie and the DEEzee range too.

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    3. Oh, the Menagerie line wolves are better, but with 5 pounds minimal postage, I think I'll pass for now :P

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  7. I think your paint job is fine. To me there is something a little strange about how his head was sculpted that I can't quite put my finger on.

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    1. Thanks! As for the head, I had the same feeling...its eyes are really big, and it kinda lacks a neck because of that lion-like hair. I can't find anything else that I could point a finger on :D

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  8. A strange genetic creature, such large canines but a truly fearsome beast, nice work.

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  9. Nice collection of paleomammals :)

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    1. Cheers mate, it is always nice to hear people like something that can be found around here.

      Welcome to the blog!

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  10. Excellent saber tooth, but that "bear" is humongous! Best, Dean

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    1. Hah, thank you, but it is not a bear, it is a sloth, shown 3 posts back I think!

      Again, welcome to the blog! :P

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