Welcome to Gaia! ::

Note: This is a long thread.

Ok, Terrain time. We all have cool armies right ? Well what are our guys suppose to fight on ? Cool armies demand cool terrain. Sprig is the time of the year for all kinds of neat faux vegetation to start popping up at your local craft stores. Michael's craft store is my haunt of choice for this category. If you have never been to one, make it a day trip and bring money.

First things first, choosing the base to build on. I have messed around with a lot of different materials and while some of it looks perfect it's far from it. Quarter inch ply wood is my base of choice. It's strong takes a beating and when you move it, it's not likely to flex and crack the structures on it. It can be cut into 2ft X 2ft squares to make re-arrange-able terrain. Yeah is heavy but it's wort it.

I have used maisonette in the past, Unless you get the thick stuff, and by thick I mean close to quarter inch just say no.... and I'll tell you why. Unless your gonna seal the surface to make it water proof (which is a pain in the butt to do) If your using any kind of wet or semi damp any thing.... be it glue or be it paper mache it will warp and curve up on you turning your nice field into a trench. Once the damage is done it's done. You can't flatten it out.

Foam board/craft board can be used for light cardboard structures with out much problem, this works good when used with air drying foam clay.

Often times for making inexpensive terrain is easy and fun and comes out looking pretty darn good. For making simple trees you could go and buy the fancy tree flocking or buy them pre made but that takes the challenge out of it.

Nice simple cheep trees can be made with a tuff of designer moss a decent size twig/stick and some hot glue. Even easier then that is finding what I call filler plants, they are thin and rather twiggy looking and are used to take up room between the focal flora in vases and arrangements. You'll know it when you see it, it's often warped in plastic and will shed some if you handle it roughly. If you find a good bunch you could simply cut the right size sprig and glue it to your terrain piece.

If tree bases/stumps are a must, the Crayola model magic I spoke of in the Model creation thread is for you. Easily moldable, air drying in 5-10 minute and carve able. Regular acrylic paint works very good with this product also.

Grass.... unless you live on the moon you know what grass is and how it should look.

If your looking for a grassy field but aren't into gluing weeds to a piece of ply wood, Sand works well. I used a crushed walnut substrate, I use it for the floor of my Tarantulas tank and it is sold in large bags at most pet stores. But Glued to a terrain board and painted it can be made into Grass,rocks/ Gravel, or snow. Leaving it in it's natural burnt red color will give you Martian/ baron terrain effect.

I use a Product Celluclay, which is bag-o-paper mache. It mixes up with warm water and air dries. I love this stuff, I use it for every thing !!! I make awesome rocky fields, it works good for making cement looking buildings, awesome for craters. The applications are boundless.
It doesn't dry fast so hair dryers help it along, but if you made it very thick it will take a day or two. Figure about 5-10 hours per half inch of thickness. Then there is the mess. It is very messy. It has dust ! Open it outside and put a hand full or two in a bucket then bring it inside.
Keep a spay bottle handy because as it dry's on your hand unless your using gloves it stiffens. This stuff will warp any surface not strong enough to handle it. As it dries it shrinks and pulls the edges towards the center.

Ok, we've covered, bases and flocking now for the structures and features. This is where Garbage becomes art. Just like choosing the right bits for a custom model terrain bits choosing is just as important. I will give you a list of "stuff " and what it could be used for.

Legos/ Megablocks - Block walls half destroyed buildings, foundations, tank traps.

Gift shirt boxes - Excellent thin cardboard always in supply, great for whole buildings and every thing that needs an under lying structure.

Cans from vegetables - partially exposed drain pipes, great for hiding in. Stacked and painted they make the bases for towers.

Foam bowls - Pill boxes and bunkers in a hurry, and really good for Tau buildings.

Old cd spindles - The tops are wide stubby size is fairly reminiscent of those large storage tanks sometimes seen in citys. Scale size perhaps not but a whole bunch of them turn into a depo.

Water bottles - Depending on size and shape they can range from storage silos to downed craft or missiles.

Card board tubes - Silos, pipes.

Bases for flying models - Mushrooms ! The is a pic in the 4th edition rule book that looks really fun to make and fight on.

Broken terracotta pottery - Ruins from long ago. Some stone textured spray paint works good for ageing.

Cracked bricks - Rubble. Large chunks are good for cover while smaller ones sever to trip up tanks or keep those pesky terminators from teleporting in right next to you.

Big sticks - Logs.

Melted sprue rack - Exposed twisted beams from an explosion.

Bad spark plugs from a car - Cannons and big honkin' guns !! Also electric fence posts.

Craft mirrors - Depending on size and shape they can be lakes, a bunch of the little square glued in a pattern turn into solar reflectors.

Fish tank gravel - rock.

Foam packing inserts - the odd shape of some of these foam blocks make them good for a whole variety of buildings and structures.

Plastic army men - Dead body parts.

Aquarium statues - They range from what they are but they make good pre made peices.


That is just some of the common stuff that can be turned into useable, decent looking terrain.

As for tools to use in making terrain. Any thing you are comfortable using. The basics do help though.

Hobby knife
Hot knife / for foam
Scissor
Side cutters
Needle nose pliers
Glue/ hot and regular
Dremel / Varying tips.

Guys and girls don't use dads good tools for painting grips ! Get your own, collect a kit. Believe it or not many tools can be found at a dollar store, like paint brushes for spreading glue or pliers you intend to cover with spray paint while holding a model. If the paint isn't removed from the joints of pliers it will impair movement.

This kind of goes with out saying but if your going to spray paint, always do it in a extremely well ventilated area and not around anything that has a spark or flame and never leave the can in direct sunlight. I recommend warring a mask or bandanna to cover your face, as some paint and primer is dusty and breathing the dust in is really bad. Try to spray in temperatures between 65 - 75 and in low humidity, glazes will fog and satin finishes turns glossy. if the humidity is to high.and paint just wont mix if its to cold, if it's to hot there is a chance the can will start to leak from the spray point or explode.

Well that's all I have for now. Of coarse if I think of more I will update this thread. I hope this info is helpful. Have fun. mrgreen

I give you an A+. You passed school!

Have a gold star.

In other news...

Rule No.1

Always have a Bitz box that takes up more space than your army.

If not two.

I have 4 boxes!

1. Small details (anything from buttons to penlids)
2. Leftover kits (only 40k model stuff in here)
3. Vehicular bitz (Anything from tracks to turrets)
4. BIG BITZ (large polystyrene blocks, bottles and other 'large' scenery focuses that are used like a 'canvas')

Ohh hell, ok ill try to make some Tau terrain of my own... well, i already got a DR.Pepper bottle to be used... one of the 1 liter bottles...

Round and flat pretty much... Futuristic stuff...

I love cutting up and adding random bitz. I have a sweet swamp pool thing with a head here or there or caught in the reeds. It looks oh so fine.

Yessss.... pictures, we must have pictures !!! 3nodding

Well, GW da a really good range of stuff, it is however, rather expensive.

But ti is perfectly acceptable to use other modeling kits as the basis for your terrain.