Ice Base Zero: Testing the playing field

Recently, I had a chance to set up the terrain pieces I had selected for Ice Base Zero. A couple of the pieces were not completed, so I added some proxies in order to get a feel for the final project. While it looked pretty good and there was plenty of cover for infantry, it was too wide open for vehicles and monsters... and it was just a little too stark. I know its an Ice Base, but it still just seemed a little flat. So, I added some additional terrain to create more maneuvering and cover for larger models.

Then, inspiration hit me. I will turn the base into a secret lab on some frozen ice planet. The new plan means more cover, bigger buildings with some type of compound and maybe a giant cannon. Don't worry, I'm keeping the burrowing beasts, he will still be creeping around the table.

Ice Base Zero: Burrowing Beast

War Gamma has a great resin kit called the "Burrowing Beast with Tentacles". The kit comes with the Burrowing Beast and four sets of tentacles all positioned as if they're "burrowing" out of the ground. One Burrowing Beast and one Games Workshop crater is all you need for this project.

I wanted to add a little more height and focus to the beast so I decided to glue it on a GW crater. I test fit the beast in the crater and clipped some of the crater edges to make sure it fit in the center of the crater. Once I decided on its position, I used cyanoacrylate to glue the beast in place.

As the position of the beast left some voids in and around the crater, I used muliput to fill and sculpt more crater effect around the beast. Once this dried, I used my mix of cat litter and play sand to add further debris to the crater. Finally, I primed and painted the model.

Originally, I made the beast to go with our group's Warhammer Fantasy terrain since there was a lot of Ogres and Chaos armies in the group. But now that this is going to be used with the Alpine F.A.T. Mat, I will need to figure out a coordinating paint scheme for the terrain and apply it to the beast. Check the terrain tally below for my progress.

Themed Terrain Project: Ice Base Zero

Great terrain is essential for all games. When you combine a great looking table with painted armies, it makes the game much more enjoyable. I'm going to use some terrain kits from Mechanical Warhorse along with kits from War Gamma and Games Workshop to complete this terrain project. Inspiration comes from the F.A.T. Mat line from Frontline Gaming and Table War.

Starting with the 6'x4' Alpine Mat and half of the Burrowing Beast with Tentacles kit from War Gamma, I'll bring in Pipe Works kits, shipping containers, and start assembling the rest of the table pieces and a narrative.

I'm off to pull kits and find anything else I've started and can finish for this project. Here's a preview of our next project report "Burrowing Beast"!

Project Dread Mob: February

I had a busy opening to the year with preparation for the Las Vegas Open and the development of our upcoming Pipe Works Terrain System. Luckily my birthday was in February and birthday cash allowed me to finish off the model requirements for the Dread Mob Formation. So I did more shopping than painting but progress none the less.

I was able to assemble and prime my Gorkanaut but did not get much farther on the paint. What time I did find was spent running some LED lights to the head and main gun. The Gorkanaut is nice and open inside with plenty of room for battery storage and wiring. The materials I used from my bits stash were LED lights, wire, heat shrink and a battery holder. Thankfully today we have access to LED sources like Powered Played Gaming for light kits that fit our hobby. So next time I'm ordering my LED's.

I think the lights are going to work out great. I need to finish an acrylic blast effect for the end of the Deffstorm mega-shoota. Once the tech upgrades are in I think it's definitely time to add some paint!

mechanicalwarhorse.com

powerplay.net

Project: Dread Mob 2015

Last year was full of sporadic painting on everything and anything in my collection. The overall accomplishments cannot be seen on the tabletop. This year I've decided to focus my painting between one 40k army and Mechanical Warhorse Terrain. The two selections will go hand-in-hand helping me flesh out models for the tabletop and give good photography opportunities to feature products.

The winner this year will be my Orks! An army that didn't get allot of attention in 2014 and needs some now to bring it up to pace with the recent Codex and supplement releases. My starting point is the Dread Mob formation from the WAAAGH! Ghazghkull Codex supplement. My seventh edition orks contained allot of trucks and small units of boyz to ride along inside. The units of boyz can merge together to create the bigger mobs and Dread Mob will be added to thunder across the board with them.

I started this project with an inventory of Dreadnought models and divided them up into what I need to assemble and paint. Working back and forth between assembly and painting works well for me with my work and family schedule. It also gives me a chance to look at my paint scheme and make sure I don't wander from it or need to change it. With inventory and a plan in hand I'm going to get started by assembling the Gorkanaut.

I'll be posting progress reports on painting, army inventory, progress and especially kit-bashing and conversions.

Quanity vs. Ready to Play

One of our most popular markers is the 1" diameter wreckage set. Burning amber flames with a plume of black smoke that can fit on practically any scale vehicle a player may be using. With this popularity I've created additional markers for the line. The markers on 1" diameter bases or "mini-markers" as I call them come in a package of five (5) assembled markers. The looming question I have is whether to package more markers (1-2) per kit by eliminating the cost of assembly? Take a look at the survey on the right and let me know what you would prefer! Thanks

Ork Big Mek on Bike: First time with Tentacle Maker Tool!

This month I'm adding some new additions to the Hero Holder line. New products are always a great opportunity to work on models that I haven't had time for. The neglected model for this project was an Ork Big Mek. The new Ork Codex lets me add a custom force field and also puts the Big Mek on a bike! With Bubblechukka parts from the Mek Gunz kit, I built the custom force field generator on the back of the bike. It looked cool but I wasn't completely sold on it. But time caught up to me and I needed to leave for the Bay Area Open (BAO) so I set the model aside until I returned.

Luckily, I ran into Rich from Green Stuff Industries at the BAO, the creator of the Tentacle Maker Tools. The tool allows you to roll modelling putty into different sizes of tentacles or cables. I've seen this product before on the internet but seeing it in person is even more impressive. With my new tool in hand, I had the key to unlock my creative block for the Big Mek.

The tool is easy to use, you just have to experiment with the amount of putty you need to make the size you want. You form your putty, (preferably green stuff) into a worm like shape an press and roll the putty between the tool. Once I was satisfied with the size of my cables, I ran them throughout the force field generator and even connected one to the back of the Big Mek's head. The power cables running about the force field generator was just what the Big Mek needed.

This was a great addition to my Big Mek and tool kit! The level of customization I was able to create with the tentacle tool, makes the Big Mek a great piece to show off my new Biker Hero Holder!

Go to greenstuffindustries.com for tutorials, blog and webstore for the Tentacle Maker Tool.