Chaos Castle Pt. 2 - Basing and further building

Now that I've got a structure to work with I can move on to basing. What you make your base from will very much depend on what you're looking for. In keeping with the recycling theme I'm making a cardboard base, but not just because I want to recycle as much as possible - it's also a great base as it is stiff, light, strong and best of all free. You could use foam board (delicate but very light), MDF/masonite/chipboard (strong but heavy but not ideal for putting on top of other terrain) or in fact any other fairly thin material that you like. Another reason why I like using cardboard is because it stands up to knocks/bumps and falls better than any other material and you can shape it easily using a modelling knife, bread knife, retractable knife, shears etc. This makes it a very flexible material - did I mention it's free also?

One thing to bear in mind is this - the bigger the base the thicker it needs to be. In the case of this castle the base will be around 75cm (2.5') in width and around 90cm (3') in depth. This means that it is in no way suitable to use only a single layer of cardboard as it would flex/bend too easily and wouldn't be sturdy enough. To make a solid base I'm going to use 3 layers in a lattice pattern. This makes it extra strong, in fact many times stronger than a single piece of cardboard as thick as the 3 layers of the cardboard I'm using combined.





Above: I'm using some pretty big boxes made from thick card to make this base - leftovers of some electrical items that I bought.

Below: When I say to lay it in a lattice pattern I mean that you should alternate the direction of each layer when you glue them together. You can see the 'grain' of the corrugated cardboard runs in two directions. In corrugated cardboard the outside layers sandwich a centre layer of 'wavy' (re: corrugated) card that gives it strength and protects whatever it is packaging/carrying. The idea is to layer them in opposite directions for each new layer, increasing strength in all directions and making it less prone to bending/flexing. The more layers you add in a lattice formation the stronger it gets, in this case 3 layers will be plenty. Obviously the bigger the base the more layers you'll need (for most small items [i.e. less than 50 x 50cm {}] two layers is plenty).




Above: 2 layers of corrugated cardboard in a lattice configuration.

Below: When gluing layers together use PVA glue, it doesn't matter what brand as they're all the same (regardless of what anyone tells you), what matters is that you use plenty and get good coverage of the two surfaces being glued together. TIP - When you glue cardboard together push them on to each other and then rub the 2 layers together, this will distribute the glue across both surfaces evenly and fill all the cracks, helping it adhere better. It also helps stop big blobs of PVA from forming, which makes it cure faster.



Above: Once you've glued the two layers together put some evenly distributed weight on top. This will make the final bond between them that much stronger and more consistent.

Below: The third layer isn't a full layer per se. Instead, I'm using 3 off large off cuts as stiffening boards. Again I've used plenty of glue, put them in a lattice formation, placed some evenly distributed weight on top and given them a few hours to dry.




Below: You don't have to do this but I like to, particular on cardboard bases of this size. After poking two holes in the base I've used a twist tie (most often found on bread bags and new electric cables) and pushed it through each hole. Once done you simple twist it off until it's tight and then move on to the next hole. This may seem like overkill but I like doing this on bigger bases, by no means do you have to do the same.





Above and Below: All tied off. I used 5 ties, though I would've used 6 if I didn't run out. Again this isn't strictly necessary, I just like to make sure.




Above: Once the base is all dry and ready to go it's time to mark out where it's going to be cut. When cutting the edge try to cut it at about a 15 degree angle - this makes it slope off so that it looks better on the battlefield and doesn't come to an abrupt 90 degree angle.

Below: Cutting the base. You can use a bread/modelling/retractable knife, but always make sure that you're cutting away from yourself and take it slowly. Slipping and cutting yourself is not pleasant.




Above: The cut and finished base, all ready to have the castle glued to it.

Below: The foam walls, glued to to the base. It takes a lot longer for glue to cure when gluing foam and cardboard together. Also, be very wary using anything other than PVA (craft glue) on foam - most other glues either won't bond strongly enough, or they'll melt the foam. If in doubt, test it on a scrap piece first. You can see I've also glued the carved off pieces of foam to make the buttresses match. Don't worry about any small gaps as they'll be covered over with filler.

Above: The boxes are going to form the base of a rocky outcrop, on the front of which will be a portal.

Below: I cut a slot in the back of the bigger box, so that I could wedge the smaller box into it. This also makes it a lot stronger, particularly since I glued, stapled and taped it all together.

Below: Using a utility knife I cut lots of nicks/wedges/holes in the sides of the boxes, so that filler, rocks and other items I add aren't the only depth it's given. This also draws attention away from the fact that the rocky outcrop is, in fact, boxes.

Up next - texture, the portal, adding detail and generally making the castle look pretty EEEeeeevil!

Chaos Castle Pt. 1 - Structure

What fantasy/sci fi world is complete without a glittering castle, polysteel bastion, fortified artillery position, dark ziggurat or twisted alcazar with all the trimmings? The answer is none, in case I hadn't clued you in to the rhetorical nature of that question. With this in mind I've been planning to show you how to build one for quite a while but wasn't quite sure what I wanted to make - castles/strongholds make very large terrain items and can be hard to store, so it's unlikely that it'll be too large, too tall or that you'd have more than one (unless they were small keeps or the like, or if you had a massive room/shed/real castle to house them in). Pondering this I decided that I wanted the castle to fit in with my recently made terrain board set - stony, cold, very little life, god(s) forsaken, constantly stricken with bizarre weather events and so on.

Deciding that I was spending too much time idly thinking I went to work about the house, cleaning out the spare room and garage so as to appease the lords of domesticity. Just as I was considering what I was going to make my castle from I came across a couple of boxes with polystyrene liners - remnants of some recently purchased electronic goods. Lining them up next to the recycling bin I decided to take a closer look. After pulling them apart I could see a future in these polystyrene lumps and subsequently saved them for the construction of my new edifice. If you don't have polystyrene suitable for your building/castle/dungeon/giant pants I recommend that you chat with your local electronics store or tech college - they usually have a tonne of this stuff and rarely do they have any use for it.




Before putting the pieces of the castle together there was a bit of work to be done. Each piece had to fit perfectly at a 90 degree angle to the others, so some cutting was required. When cutting polystyrene there are a couple of methods - the most popular being the 'bread knife' and 'hot wire' techniques. I used the former but many swear by hot wire cutters, they tend to be cleaner and very fast (but create a terrible smell). Using a bread knife is slower and you have to be careful not to tear chunks off, it is also a bit messy but it's the cheaper option (assuming you have a serrated/bread knife) and works perfectly well. Before you cut make sure that you've got the angle correct - once cut there is no going back.



NOTE: If using a knife don't push or force it through - use a gentle sawing motion instead, let the serrations do the work. If you're using a hot wire cutter make sure that you're cutting on something not likely to melt/burn easily. For both method make sure you're outside - the hot wire will make a horrible smell and the knife will leave a mess (I cut with a plastic bag beneath the polystyrene as it captures all the waste and makes life much easier).


Above: All angles correct and ready to put together.

Once all the cutting was done it was time to line up the pieces and see how they fitted together. To do this I used a few double pointed toothpicks, though you could use cocktail sticks, skewers or anything similar. Stick a couple on each surface to be joined and then carefully slide them together. Make sure that you do this BEFORE you add any glue, else you won't be able to change them around/modify them.





Above and Below: If you look closely you'll notice that there are some rough parts inbetween the 'pillars' at the front - the same goes for the pieces of the side. This is where I've used to knife to flatten unwanted protusions off, making the walls look more consistent. I'll be using filler later to smooth these over, give the foam some texture and to ensure that the foam doesn't melt when I undercoat it (more about that in another installment). The small pieces of foam in front are parts that I cut off of the pieces of foam that I didn't want - they're going to help by continuing the line of the half pillars and filling the gap.



Below: The final product. I was excited about how this was going to turn out but now I'm psyched - unpainted and factory white it's looking cool, but once it's rendered, detailed and painted it'll be a different ball game altogether. In keeping with the spirit of how I believe this hobby should be approached there will be as much recycling and as little monetary expenditure as possible, relying instead upon creativity and items we all have lying around (though I am going to scrounge through my parts box for quite a few bits and pieces).



In case you were wondering the back of the castle is not going to be a wall...



The next installment will demonstrate how to base, add detail and get the castle ready for painting.

Cheers!

Making your own Terrain Boards - Update

Following on from the Terrain Board tutorials I thought I'd show you yet another that I've made. This one has a bit more detail - a corpse bereft of flesh, a bloody sacrificial altar and some pikes for good measure.

The method I use to make larger hills and the like involves cutting up many pieces of thick cardboard into a manageable size (100 x 50mm [4" x 2"] roughly), slathering them in PVA and putting them together in a 'lattice' layout. Layering them in this manner makes for flexibility, strength (basic engineering at work here) and simplicity. You could just cut out the cardboard in the shape of the hill and layer them that way but I find that this method is faster, easier, stronger and uses less card. It's entirely up to you though.



Below: This shows the layers of the hill being glued in place. Add layer upon layer until you're happy and make sure that you use plenty of glue and give it time to dry (overnight is perfect). Oh and yes, that is a big (real!) rock on one end of the hill. I only used PVA and a little filler to hold it in place, simple.




Below: To get a nice finish on top I put a large piece of card. This isn't necessary but I wanted a nice, smooth platform which only needed a skim coat of filler.



Below: An example of what happens when you put on filler too thick. You can fix this fairly easily by putting on a skim coat to fill the cracks but try to avoid it where possible as it can make it more prone to dislodge and flake off.



Below: The completed boards, all ready to be undercoated. Remember to give your boards plenty of time to dry before undercoating.





Below: The pikes were made from bamboo skewers and the altar is a piece of balsa wood cut, slashed and chipped randomly (using a modelling knife) with a Chaos standard taken from my bits box (which was also cut/slashed with the knife).

SAFETY NOTE: Be careful when using a modelling knife and make sure you're cutting AWAY from yourself, where possible cutting on to a chopping board, modelling mat, used thick magazine or similar. You're going to cut yourself eventually - the skill is in making sure you don't cut yourself seriously.



Below: The undercoated board, ready to go.



Below: The completed board ready to have detail added. The skeleton was painted using Bleached Bone and final highlights of white.



Below: All done. The skeleton had some Chestnut/Flesh wash applied, supplemented by a few select splotches of a mix of Blood Red, Crimson and Chestnut wash highlighted with straight Blood Red. To get the clotted blood effect on the altar I applied the same mix really thick and applied a couple of coats, making sure there was enough to form a couple of drips. The Chaos symbol on the rock used the same mix again with a touch of Purple to give it a magic/surreal effect.





Below: I painted some foot/knee/hand prints on the right to show someone who tried to get away whilst bleeding heavily.



Again this board cost less than $10 to make (excluding the skeleton and Chaos symbol).

Cheers!

Terrain Boards Pt 1 - Getting started

Introduction

So you've spent a tonne of time painting an army, hundreds of dollars of miniatures that have been painted and are resplendent with detail. It stands to reason that you should have a lovely battlefield upon which to wage a holy war or a bloodthirsty onslaught. Terrain and games boards are underrated, they really add detail and interest - you've spent so long building and painting a host, it makes sense that they get to play on a sweet battlefield.

There are many methods available to make terrain suitable for tabletop gaming which, depending upon the application, can be great to look at but not easy to work with, or good to work on and look at but very expensive and inflexible. With this in mind the method proposed in this tutorial is based around price, flexibility, simplicity and good aesthetic.







What you'll need

The great thing about this method is the average price, depending on how much you want to spend you can have each game board for around $10. The examples shown in this tutorial were cheap as chips and look great (in my humble opinion). Anyway, back to what you'll need:

PVA Glue (don't buy PVA from specialist suppliers, get the stuff from your local hardware store [they're exactly the same])
Chipboard sheets (the size depends on what you want, the ones used in this tutorial [900 x 450 x 12mm {3' x 1.5' x 1/2"}] are available from most hardware stores pre cut and can be arranged together to make larger boards easily)
A larger, used paintbrush
Plaster or Filler (cheap wood filler is great, tough, fast setting and easily mouldable)
Rocks and/or Gravel
Lots of Cardboard (different thicknesses are handy)
Paint
Newspaper (put it under boards you're working on to protect furniture and floors from glue, plaster, paint and the inevitable crud that comes with terrain making)
Stanley/Modelling Knife and Scissors(kitchen shears are the best)
Undercoat spray paint (make sure it's matt spray, not gloss)
Flock, polystyrene, static grass, barrels, walls, barricades or anything else you'd like to add






Getting started

First of all you should have a good work area that isn't in the way and try to make sure it has good circulation (all the different things you'll be using tend to smell when they dry, it's always good to have fresh air when working with glues/paints/solvents etc.). You'll also need somewhere outside that you can spray undercoat each of the boards and you'll need to leave them there to dry.




Once you've set up your work area you can get started. There are a few things you should keep in mind when making your boards -

Storage - How and where are you going to store them? Do you have enough room?

Size - How big do you want them to be, how many will you have, what configurations might you use?

Height - This relates to storage and strength, if you make tall boards they'll be hard to stack on smaller/tighter shelves. Taller terrain will also break more easily, so its better to make tall terrain items separately (this also aids in flexibility re: desired placement on the battlefield).

Tightness of terrain - How close do you want difficult ground to be together? Too close and it could makes bigger games difficult, for my boards I've put them mostly in the corners and have limited them to one terrain item per board (this means you can turn them around to make central areas with lots of terrain, evenly dispersed terrain items or a wide plain/valley for bigger pitched battles).

Theme - Boards tend to go together in themed sets, i.e. one particular style of terrain and colour scheme for each set of boards. With this in mind you should choose what style you want before you begin and perhaps try making a small terrain item (a hill, rocky cairn etc.) in said style to see if you like it. The ones in this tutorial are old, bluish, stony battlegrounds with tufts of life clinging to what little arable soil there is. You could do something similar or completely different - lush green pastures with hedgerows, a marsh with rushes and waterlife, snowy drifts criss crossed with lava streams, the mortar scarred remains of a distant planet, a barren desert...the only limit is your imagination.

When you've get everything you need and a place to work you can start Part 2 and begin putting it all together.

Terrain Boards Pt 2 - Laying the foundations

Laying the Foundations

You can buy ruins and the like from game suppliers but they're usually only a couple of millimetres thick, expensive and need to be based and painted anyway. Using cardboard and old packaging (which is easy to find and plentiful) you can make almost anything for next to nothing. You're also doing the environment a favour by recycling materials rather than using new plastic ones, though adding bought items is easy and can add items of interest to your board.




Now that you've got your work area set up you can cut your cardboard to make any shape. The board made in this tutorial has a crumbled tower made from cardboard, gravel and an old terrain wall that I had lying around. There is also a low stone wall (made from gravel) and some reeds surrounded by rocks (made from some broom bristles and gravel). When you're putting together all these items make sure that you use plenty of PVA, make sure it fills all the cracks and give it a while to set in place (a couple of hours or so in a warm room will do). This ensures that everything sticks like proverbial and therefore, hopefully, nothing will fall off and your boards will survive a few knocks. Just make sure that there isn't a tonne of PVA in blobs (unless this is a deliberate measure, blobs and drips of PVA make for great blood/alien goo etc.), it's quite noticeable in the final product (unless you go over it with plaster/filler, but try to avoid having to rely on fixing mistakes by covering over them).




This is what my crumbled tower and rock wall looked like about 15 minutes after everything was in place.




Note liberal use of PVA. You'll find it'll stick better if you 'rub' the two pieces of cardboard together, ensuring an even and complete cover of glue. Also, try to glue rocks to more than one thing, they're heavier and the more glued contact points the stronger the bond will be. If you want to have any items of interest that look submerged (half a tank, a skeleton, half buried armour, pikes/spears etc.) now is a good time. If you want to make a wooden pole fence you can drill a few shallow holes for your 'fence posts' (I use bamboo skewers) then glue and slot them in, the same goes for pikes coming out of the ground (having a shallow hole [4-5mm or 1/5"] also helps them to stay in play far better than if you only glue them to the surface).




These are the reeds surrounded by rocks. Just make sure you use an old broom/brush for this as cutting into your wife/girlfriend/Mum/Dad/housemate's new broom could be physically perilous.




The layout of the board.





Some time later...

Now that all the glue is dry this is what it looks like. Once it's all dry you can move on to applying filler/plaster.






After a couple of hours you can commence with Part 3, Getting some texture.