Into the ruins of war...

   It has most certainly been some time since I posted.  Admittedly, this blog became a tertiary priority after work and adult responsibilities (as a hobby should).  However, still being barely an adult mentally, I never stopped playing with my toys and having a bit of game and hobby time wherever I could.  Emperor knows my sportsball teams are all tragically failing this year...

  Over the past year and some, we've enjoyed tons of 40k in 10th edition (I even have a few drafted posts about it, but never got around to the pesky proofreading and editing stages, so in draft-form they sit), and not with my typically tally of victories.  But those commiserations will be other posts. I've also been running a DnD campaign that has been outstanding (if not chaotic).  But that is on hiatus due to the holidays.  That will give me time to go even deeper into this crazy world I've created- so they can destroy it all (as gamers do)!

  Conflicting schedules and just weekly exhaustion prevent many dice-rolling contests, but hobbying on things can still scratch that itch and that's just what we've done.  Recruiting my wife and son (also my common gaming opponents), we dove into the Cityfight terrain for our 40k games.  (There's a huge reason here, but you'll have to drudge through my progress first to understand why that suddenly became a priority.)  These old GW Cityfight ruins are the focus of the majority of our 40k games and yet they sit unfinished.  With all the detail and the impact the rules for ruins have in-game, it was a shame and I decided that this was to be our urgent priority.  

  First, I cut a ton of bases from hardboard (or MDF).  Then, I dug out the 'ol arts & crafts bag and found the hot-glue gun.  I even dug out some old ruin walls that GW used to sell in a blister pack, some old Forgewold craters, and even a couple bits from the buildings themselves, and glued them into the bases to add 'grit'.  It's very tempting to fill the area with tons of debris and rubble, but it does bear remembering that you have to move models around.  Most importantly, I wanted each base to reflect a ruins, and the placement of the walls and building themselves really mattered.  This is to enhance the 'modular' nature of this terrain.  

  With a metric-ton (not literally- calm down!) of white glue (Elmers PVA- every parent already knows) and 25 lbs. of sand (that time was literal), we covered the bases inside the buildings and over all details.  It dried, we dumped and brushed away all the sand (we use that much to create the weight needed to hold the bases flat as the liquid dries and curls it) and it left behind a perfect platform for the next steps.  

  First came the sloppy basing of black paint all over the bases and even the bottoms of the buildings.  Layer after layer of the basic, acrylic craft paint from the Walmart isle was allowed to dry and soak all the way through the sand as a sealant.  Next came a heavy drybrush of the Pewter Gray color from that same acrylic brand over all the sand and craters.  Large, soft brushes and no care for the buildings on top, other than leaving some level of shading underneath were the tricks.  

  After that, I busted out the airbrush, struggled mightily, and finally got the floors painted in a way to contrast them from the bases and the buildings' walls.  I really need to practice with that thing more...  Finally, the flat parts of the bases outside the buildings were based heavily with Asphalt Gray as they were meant to be the sidewalks and 'blocks' that the buildings sit on.  Again, this is to enhance the modular nature of the terrain.   

Already playable in my mind!

  Now I had to bring the buildings themselves to life.  With the trusty bronze, bone, black, and silver, there was some basecoating to be done.  And it took a while.  Three sets of hands and a long night led to the washing step, which was the expected Agrax, Nuln, and Sepia.  But there were still some little details that needed to be attended...

  One of the buildings had a huge gap on the base behind it.  This would not look good on the tabletop unless there was something going on.  I decided that a 'loading zone' would be appropriate for no real reason, and the stripes needed to be painted before the pavement itself.  With a quick dash of yellow, I could finally get to the sidewalk part.  Note that I stippled the original Asphalt gray back over my sloppy lines to make them worn and faded already.  

  The finishing stages involved that artistic skill and personal touch that makes any terrain a worthy battlefield.  I started by drawing grids on the asphalt, giving the impression of our own modern sidewalks in front of and around buildings.  Using watered-down black (I don't want the lines to be perfect) and then highlighting those lines with a brighter gray (the pewter gray from the sand drybrush), I even went so far as to add the occasional crack or broken 'tile' to add that realism.  Then over all that was a progressive stipple of lighter grays within each square to accentuate everything and add weathering...

  A final trace of dark gray around the edges of the bases and the buildings were finally done!  It only took moving four states and two decades of time to finally finish this.  It was embarrassing that this wasn't done.  There was more work involved, especially on the wife's newer buildings and my ancient Shrine of the Aquila.  But I'll show those off later.  

This looks WAY better than our old boards!  A little paint goes a long way...

  We FINALLY completed this Cityfight stuff.  We have been playing with it for years, but it was always just a little underwhelming.  That was because there was some 'abstract' aspect of having destroyed walls just laid out on flat ground.  These buildings needed bases.  During my service in the Emprah's armies, I was taught that a beautiful battlefield motivates armies.  Which leads me to the reason this all became a priority so suddenly.

   Some of you may remember when I helped start a gaming group at my local comic shop.  Some of these guys became my buddies and became strong leaders in that group, advancing it until it became a very strong community that persists even after everyone moved out and on.  One of them (easily the coolest guy of them all) even went on to create a new community in his area and then start a company to address that most important part of a wargame- the terrain!

  This buddy (remember that I try to protect people's identities) is amazing and has always had a passion for everything!  He has a huge heart and an even bigger smile and always makes everyone around him happier just for being there.  Imagine a gaming group with someone like..  Now imagine that this passion translates into some of the best terrain you'll ever get.  When I received this stuff, I could instantly note my buddy's passion.  The quality is amazing!  

  Note how meticulously packed this box was.  The terrain is not heavy as it's printed, making it very easy to transport.  Better, the terrain is not frail and can take some handling- especially important for modular terrain that gets shuffled around the table between rounds.  And the details are crisp.  I will be sharing more images in the next post, but this teaser pic will show already some of the amazing detail.  My first impressions were beyond excited, as this was even better than I expected.  

  Please go check them out- my buddy's site is called "Only War" and is very much worth the visit.  A beautiful battlefield motives armies, and this stuff is beautiful.  I strongly suggest it and will be ordering another set soon (you only need one set for a full-size tournament layout, but I want another because of the quality alone).  And the creator is one of my buddies and an amazing person to boot!  More to come...

As always, Happy Hobbying!