Summer Landscraping

This is Ollie and Teemu for the past few weekends - a proper Servitor state of mind, slowly but purposefully planning and constructing new miniature scenery! We're only a few sessions away from being able to show you some new War Head tournament terrain and getting gaming events going again. Stay tuned!

Speaking of terrain building and miniature landscaping, these Chaos Space Marines are a prime example how some detailed basing can elevate (pun intended) an already cohesive force to another level of battlefield atmosphere. Here's a list of our "go to" basing elements in army building:

1) Cork or hard bark for crags and uneven surfaces. Watered down PVA glue underneath the primer helps preserve the fragile parts during gaming. Just use a modelling knife to remove any straight edges and lines and to break up the even surface texture in cork sheets to maintain a realistic look.

2) Texture paints. AK Interactive has awesome and affordable terrain pastes with which you can apply the basing material and its basecoat simultaneously. Ready-made effects such as Asphalt, Beach Sand or Muddy Ground can be a neat shortcut to shaping the lore and mood of your thematic army.

3) Grass tufts. A hassle-free addition to any bases and great for adding splashes of colour or tonal variation for contrast. I often go for slightly larger tufts and split these in two or three before attaching - one pack will last much longer! A slight drybrush or a matt varnish can help ground the tufts in the overall basing palette.

4) Pigment powders. Another great way of adding interesting hues and earthy look to one's basing game. These can also be applied to the models themselves to introduce additional narrative in the force - maybe they have already been patrolling for a long time? These can be fixed with pigment binder, isopropyl alcohol or varnish, but it's not a must if you brush them in the basing thoroughly and can live with a few specks of powder in your transportation foams.

5) Resin accessories. Details such as skulls, ruined statues, roots and more are available from Green Stuff World and are part of our usual assortment. Great for giving that extra oomph to your HQ choice or a special character!

As usual, shoot us a message or visit the store for technical tips and product ideas!