Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: Timbor on November 02, 2012, 03:23:03 AM
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So, I decided to go ahead and get myself into DeepWars by Antimatter games: http://antimatter-games.com/
I downloaded the rulebook, and my local store is bringing in some starter sets. I missed their kickstarter, but I really like the setting - nice mix of fantasy, steampunk and Cthulu-esque intrigue. To boot, I am making a 'deep sea' gaming mat using the technique outlined here: http://tobispaintpot.blogspot.de/2012/10/a-new-horizon-tutorial-for-flexible.html
I got the mat painted up tonight, and will post some pictures when I get a chance. Hopefully it turns out pretty nice. As a teaser, I can share a picture of some of the test colours I painted up. I want to try and make it look deep and dark, but also kinda eerie, as if lit by unnatural means:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04557.jpg)
The mat itself will have shades of deep blue, purple, and green. Once it is dry, I will do some brown drybrushing to tone the colours down a bit, then some light drybrushing with an aqua-green.
Also, I should mention that Antimatter is launching a new edition of ShadowSea, which follows the same storyline but takes place on the surface rather than under the sea: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/524168246/shadowsea-battle-for-the-underlands
There are a couple weeks left yet, but they seem to be struggling with funding a bit. Here's to hoping they make it! ;)
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Can't wait to see where you go with this - I'm a big Anti Matter Games fan!
Yea, doing a KS this close to Christmas - especially when you consider how many successful KS/Indiegogo campaigns there have been already was kinda optimistic IMHO!
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I've looked at the Shadowsea original stuff and drooled over the kickstarter items too, but I don't think I can afford to support them. :( too close to winter holiday time...
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Hmm, I never considered about KS and Christmas. Though you could support it and count it as a late Christmas present when it arrives ;) You know you wanna, they need the support!
Anyway, I have some photos of my gaming mat. Here are things before the mess started:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04593.jpg)
For a mat, I used a canvas painting dropcloth from home depot. This one was 4x12 and cut to make a 4x4 mat. It won't quite be 4' long at the end due to the shrinkage, but will be mostly 4x4. Nobody plays on the table edge anyway...
I wanted to do 3 base colours - some purple, deep blue, and green. I got craft paint from Michaels, and bought a bag of playsand from Home Depot, along with their acrylic caulking that contains a bit of silicone. I found the playsand was too fine, so in addition to the playsand, I mixed in some small gravel donated from the side of the road at the end of my driveway. Here are some pictures of the wet board:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04595.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04596.jpg)
And, here are some pictures today. It is mostly dry, though some of the thicker parts are still soft/squishy:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04598.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04599.jpg)
What are those tiny coloured bits? I bought some small craft shells from Michaels and scattered a few to make it more 'bottom of the ocean-ish'. Currently, I would agree with your thoughts that the colours are a tad too bright and garish. My plans from here are to drybrush brown over most of the mat, followed by a light, scattered drybrush of aqua green/blue. I am also considering doing a wash of dark brown to add some shading, but I am unsure as to how well that will work. Washes work well on sand bases, but this is more of a paste, so I think it might end up pooling and looking odd. Any suggestions?
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Looking really good so far. After my less than stellar experience with zuzzy I'll be making my own mats in the future. But I still have four 6x4' mats to paint before then...
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I was planning on using Brightly Coloured Sands -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Artistic-Craft-Sand-1KG-Bags-12-Colours-/150693603657?pt=UK_Crafts_Children_s_Crafts_EH&var=450045374684&hash=item231609e949 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Artistic-Craft-Sand-1KG-Bags-12-Colours-/150693603657?pt=UK_Crafts_Children_s_Crafts_EH&var=450045374684&hash=item231609e949)
Because I'm a cheat! LoL!
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I'm slowly working on aquatic fantasy figures so I'm eager to see what comes out for this line :) Following your project with interest.
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I was planning on using Brightly Coloured Sands -
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Artistic-Craft-Sand-1KG-Bags-12-Colours-/150693603657?pt=UK_Crafts_Children_s_Crafts_EH&var=450045374684&hash=item231609e949 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Artistic-Craft-Sand-1KG-Bags-12-Colours-/150693603657?pt=UK_Crafts_Children_s_Crafts_EH&var=450045374684&hash=item231609e949)
Because I'm a cheat! LoL!
If you use sand like that, I am not sure of how good a result you will get. It looks like it has a very fine, uniform texture which won't give your board much definition IMO. Not to mention once you mix bright sand with white caulking, it will look very bright indeed!
I'm slowly working on aquatic fantasy figures so I'm eager to see what comes out for this line :) Following your project with interest.
Are you sculpting said aquatic figures? Any pictures?
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Looking really good so far. After my less than stellar experience with zuzzy I'll be making my own mats in the future. But I still have four 6x4' mats to paint before then...
Do tell. I have a Zuzzy mat that is still unpainted. It's been daunting for me. Any tips would be appreciated.
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The zuzzy mats look great, I was referring to the company's abysmal customer service. As to painting them, I just picked up a bunch of acrylics at michaels for half off in preparation to paint. 16 tubes (2oz) for $24.
Of course I'll post results when I have them painted up.
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Timbor - I'm no sculptor. I'm trying to convert some merfolk at the moment, but not finding it too easy. There are a suprising number of minis out there to use though - Reaper do bits and pieces, Eastern Front Studios' Fathoms Deep stuff looks pretty, and there are a number of lizard type things out there. I'll stick some pics on tomorrow of what I've got painted, if you like.
I might use some christmas money to have some sculpted if I've any left lying around!
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One thing about DeepWars and ShadowSea is that they allow completely custom models to be built using a point system. So really, you can use whatever force you like and make your own stats, even design your own weapons and armor as those are built using points also, having different effects that can be mixed and matched.
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Well, I finally finished my gaming mat! After the acrylic dried, I basically did a heavy drybrush of brown all over to make it look more 'earthy'. Then, I did a light drybrush of aqua-blue in a few areas to represent the creepy, ether/magic glow that permeates the game atmosphere.
Some photos:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04683.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04684.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04685.jpg)
The miniature in the last picture is my only painted miniature with any aquatic themes. Its Fish-Head guy from the Mordheim Frenzied mob ;D
I should be getting a starter set from my local store in a couple weeks, and I am in for the DeepWars mini-KS campaign and am due to get more minis from that. God I hope they get the funds to make that wrecked sub... :-*
Whatcha think?
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In anticipation of receiving my starter force for DeepWars from my local supplier, I decided this weekend to put together a piece of scenery. I used blocks from Hirst Arts mold #65 - the ruined tower. From there, I made just the base tower from the website instructions. It turned out quite well, I should think. However, this being a game based underwater, I decided it needed to have a bit more sealife included. Work is not finished yet, but I managed to sculpt on some sponges, barnacles, and other encrusted sealife with some greenstuff. I hope you like it, as I still need to sculpt more.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04733.jpg)
A closeup of the barnacles and sponges on the front arch:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04735.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04736.jpg)
Back view of the ruin:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04737.jpg)
Closeup of the sea life:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04738.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04739.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04740.jpg)
In addition to sculpting some more details, I also plan to add a thin layer of plaster over parts of the building to represent calcareous encrusting organisms, such as coralline algae and some small corals. That will likely be done using some PVA glue and water, details of which I will post later. I want it to have a vague semblance to something like this random internet picture of encrusting reef life:
(http://delargy.com/images/2009_08_Curacao/colorful_reef.jpg)
Hope you like it!
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Looking great. The Hirst arts stuff is really awesome looking...I must resist the urge to purchase some for myself!
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That tower looks great. nice work!
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Over the holidays and the past few weeks I made some progress on my ruined building for DeepWars. I am pleased to say that it is now ready to be painted!
First, I added some encrusting growth onto the structure using a pretty simple method. I spread carpenter's glue where I wanted the encrusting life. Then I sprinkled on dental plaster to get it to stick to the stone. I shook off the excess. Make sure you do not touch it with your fingers! You will flatten it and ruin the effect. I then finally used a water mister to spray a fine mist of water to wet the plaster, allowing it to fuse to itself and the glue. I did this in several steps - I would spray a fine mist, then come back 20 minutes and repeat that several times. Wait until a few hours have passed before touching the plaster so as to avoid flattening it.
Next, I added some plating and branching corals to the top of the structure. These used yogourt container plastic as a base, with greenstuff for details. Pretty simple and self explanatory.
Finally, I based it on a piece of MDF board with some sand and rubble. Hope you like it!
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04864_zps747d2586.jpg)
Closeups of the corals:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04865_zpsd8a9871b.jpg)
Some closeups of the encrusting plaster:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04868_zpsbc1efd2e.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04867_zpsf0f7a3eb.jpg)
Finally, I had an idea to make coral heads to decorate this and other underwater terrain. Ever see the sea sponges in the paint section at your local hardware store? The ones used to make cool patterns on your wall? Well, those are made from actual sea sponges, which when cut into smaller pieces, make for easy and passable corals heads for 28mm. Here are some sample pieces, cut and dipped in a mixture of craft paint, water, and PVA glue. They still need some shading and highlighting, but you get the idea!
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC04870_zps8f31e2e4.jpg)
As always, comments and suggestions welcome! I posted a few extra pictures on my blog if you want to check them out: http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/ (http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/)
Cheers!
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Looking amazing. you're inspiring me with the very basic stuff I'm throwing together at the moment :)
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That is BEAUTIFUL. I normally think of Hirst Art as being rather Lego like in its inflexible, angular nature, but your piece has a graceful fluidity to it. The Underwater embellishments are TERRIFIC. GREAT WORK!
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That looks fantastic. Really impressive.
Nice Salvager as well. Have you painted up any of the other DW minis?
Hope you dont mind, but I have also added your blog to the blogroll on my own.
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Lovely work with the Hirst Arts blocks and the corals are very nicely done too.
I think the spiral staircase might be on one of those molds that I'll soon be hankering after that you mentioned the other day ;)
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Thanks for the comments, guys!
That is BEAUTIFUL. I normally think of Hirst Art as being rather Lego like in its inflexible, angular nature, but your piece has a graceful fluidity to it. The Underwater embellishments are TERRIFIC. GREAT WORK!
There are several molds with rounded and angular pieces, and this one is actually a stock build from the hirst arts site... for the most part... I did not make the entire building in the plans.
That looks fantastic. Really impressive.
Nice Salvager as well. Have you painted up any of the other DW minis?
Hope you dont mind, but I have also added your blog to the blogroll on my own.
Thanks! Always appreciate more followers on the blog. I am kinda new to the blog thing-y-magig. For me it serves as a nice, central location to post all my progress, even if it seems a bit quiet at times! :D
The Salvager is my first DeepWars miniature, and is still a WIP - I have only started on the base coats, so it still has further to go.
Lovely work with the Hirst Arts blocks and the corals are very nicely done too.
I think the spiral staircase might be on one of those molds that I'll soon be hankering after that you mentioned the other day ;)
This was built using the ruined tower mold #65 http://www.hirstarts.com/ruin/ruin.html . It is a very useful mold as it has two different diameters of curved walls, some nice arches, and the spiral staircase. If you look at the plans, you will note I made the main building, but not the little side buildings.
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Oh yeah - it may be the coral but there's a real Atlantean feeling to yours which is surprising looking at the medieval castle-y ruin featured on the Hirst Arts site.
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I think its the pillars and arches that make it so... I was looking for the same feeling before I started. I have lots of the fieldstone molds, and I am just not sure they would fit in with this. I also have the Roman Temple mold, so I am hoping to make my own version of their temple of the ancients. Basically, use this:
(http://www.hirstarts.com/temple/temple046.jpg)
To make something like this:
(http://antimatter-games.com/wp-content/gallery/shadowsea-gameplay-images/terrain1.jpg)
I got my LGS to order me on of the statues that's in the temple, so I will just have to build the temple around it. I will probably make that one less 'undersea' like so I could also use it with the ShadowSea rules on dry ground...
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I finished painting my first DeepWars miniature - the Dagathonan Salvager. I hope you like him! I added a bit more of a writeup on my blog if you are interested.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dsaAV-j4ZPg/UPGGliSkOzI/AAAAAAAAAD4/fw82DrF7FJk/s1600/Dagathonan+Salvager.JPG)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IvSAQl27Vc4/UPGGlcVD9xI/AAAAAAAAADw/tvA9so_x3Tw/s1600/Dagathonan+Salvager1.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-thSgFpdCNiI/UPGGmLNrFSI/AAAAAAAAAEA/yZH_aGMIEwI/s1600/Dagathonan+Salvager3.JPG)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uGg_nnCmK4o/UPGGluwGpgI/AAAAAAAAAD0/gY6-PiRFcTU/s1600/Dagathonan+Salvager2.JPG)
The paint scheme was inspired by the Fu Manchu lionfish:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ckBlasgNSzg/ShX5aI4UpmI/AAAAAAAAMWw/hsf2Jgf28Yk/s400/Fu+Manchu+Lionfish+Pictures.JPG)
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Looks fantastic!
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Love it!
:-*
Great colour choices and interpretation.
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Excellent as usual, Timbor. I do believe I could've avoided this game had it not been for you :P
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Excellent as usual, Timbor. I do believe I could've avoided this game had it not been for you :P
Glad you like it, and I am always pleased to help draw folks into a new game. I like this game, and I think it deserves more attention. I have always loved underwater life and have had marine aquariums before and such so this game helps scratch that itch. ;)
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Ohh nice project. Fun too see something you are not use to. Underwater fantasy. :D
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I took some time this weekend, and finally finished the paintjob on my sunken ruin for DeepWars. I am quite pleased with the result, although I had thought of trying one last wash with a darker grey to tone the colours down a bit. For now I will likely not, but if you think it is a bit too bright, I would appreciate any suggestions. I took a lot of pictures, so here are a few to give you an overall feel for the ruin:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yRROExM9dEQ/UPyFjrGFRnI/AAAAAAAAAEg/Yfvt1yJ5qGA/s1600/DeepWars+Ruin+1.JPG)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u9kAV4gLb6w/UPyFllc1ZwI/AAAAAAAAAFA/o0J1-gypJkE/s1600/DeepWars+Ruin+2.JPG)
A bit more detail on the encrusting bits:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8yslWL4Nm_A/UPyFkFzZElI/AAAAAAAAAEo/ZKS2R02dnxE/s1600/DeepWars+Ruin+3.JPG)
And a top-down view of the corals:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1Ym1EIJknjk/UPyFm8Y-o6I/AAAAAAAAAFY/G4bnRuImdS0/s1600/DeepWars+Ruin+8.JPG)
As for how I painted it, I started with a base of flat latex exterior house paint. I mixed black and white to the grey colour I wanted. Subsequent layers had differing amounts of cream added. After I was satisfied with the stonework, I painted the sealife. Many different shades of purple, pink, green, red, blue, yellow, orange, green (did I miss any, lol?) were applied to give it a sense of diversity. Mostly it was a base of purple, and other colours drybrushed on. Although I did apply some blue washes to the whole structure. The sand was done as my gaming mat - a base of brown with purple, green, and blue, followed by another drybrush of brown. Final touches were applied with bright blue-green to simulate the shining effect of the ethers in the Shadow Sea.
More pictures can be seen on my blog: http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/ (http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/)
I also finished my Draconid Sea Demon Shaman, and will post it up shortly. Next up is the Chal-Chk scientist... somewhat of a daunting prospect! I am having a hard time determining what is armour/equipment and what is his natural chitin/skin parts... should be fun!
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Hi Timbor, I have enjoyed seeing your WIP develop. This amphitheatre/ruin is amazing, I really like the base, the purples and all the little details you sculpted; I am envious of your skills.
Cheers,
Damien
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This is a beautiful undersea set-up. I really like your paint on the fish man. Different from most but very realistic.
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Loving it :) How are you going to deal with the multiple depth levels in deepwars? I have some plastic pots which can stack to represent up to three depth levels, but I'm unconvinced that it's the best solution.
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I actually think you could go brighter still in some spots!
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Hi there!
I LOVE the colors on your ruin. Please do not make them any brighter as that would ruin the ruin's (pun intended) under water look.
Keep on being inventive like that.
Greetings
GS
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Thanks for the kind words, I think I will leave the colours as is for now. :)
Loving it :) How are you going to deal with the multiple depth levels in deepwars? I have some plastic pots which can stack to represent up to three depth levels, but I'm unconvinced that it's the best solution.
I remember Antimatter saying they were working on flight-style bases for that. In the meantime, the best I could figure would be to get one of these:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/22-Long-Telescopic-Magnet-5-lb-Pick-up-Tool-Flexible-Metal-Magnetic-Reacher-/140854710028?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20cb984f0c
Its a telescopic magnet. Shortest length is just over 5:, which is close enough to the 4.75" of one depth level, then extends far longer than you need it to. I would like to get a few, and mount them on larger 60mm bases for stability, with some rocks for weight, etc. Magnetize the base of my miniatures, and they are all set and good to go. It would likely cost about $5 per magnetic base or so.
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Hello,
I just found this thread and I have to say your terrain looks great. I like the little underwater plant details and the overall color scheme. It all has a very "sunken" look to it =)
For some more inspiration, I recommend taking a look at the old X-Com: Terror from the Deep game. The undersea missions were very well visualized IMHO.
(http://img.youtube.com/vi/tmakw9ne9MI/0.jpg)
(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2011/09/terror.jpg)
(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/329/1270847-psogl2_020.jpg)
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Hey, that's awesome! Is there anywhere you can play that game online? I think I need to paint more pixels on my miniatures... ;D
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I am sure your can find it online for free.
I think it's also available on steam for a few $ as an updated version that runs on Windows without Dosbox.
It's pretty hard though ;)
On Topic, some aquarium store supplies might also come in handy, such as plastic plants and those nice little ruins and column... Or even actual shells etc. from the nearest beach!
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xcom Terror from the Deep is an amazing game. I still play it but still can't seem to win. It's so hard compared to the original!
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Great job - the fauna/flora really brings it alive.
Love the lionfish inspired Salvager too 8)
I was reading Seas of Blood the other day (Fighting Fantasy) and had the image of your model in my head whilst exploring the undersea ruins!
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I am sure your can find it online for free.
I think it's also available on steam for a few $ as an updated version that runs on Windows without Dosbox.
It's pretty hard though ;)
On Topic, some aquarium store supplies might also come in handy, such as plastic plants and those nice little ruins and column... Or even actual shells etc. from the nearest beach!
I will take a look at the game! I have gotten a few aquarium ornaments - a couple corals, a volcano and a clam (to use as a carnivorous clam). I plan on getting some plants to make some kelp forests as tactical cover.
Great job - the fauna/flora really brings it alive.
Love the lionfish inspired Salvager too 8)
I was reading Seas of Blood the other day (Fighting Fantasy) and had the image of your model in my head whilst exploring the undersea ruins!
Seas of Blood... is that a novel?
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xcom Terror from the Deep is an amazing game. I still play it but still can't seem to win. It's so hard compared to the original!
In case you didn't know, there's a littel bit a trivia connected to the difficulty setting in TFTD :)
X-Com: UFO Defense had a bug that always chose the easiest difficulty setting no matter what the player chose at the start of the game. Of course, nobody knew this, so people complained that the game was too easy when they chose the hardest difficulty settings.
So when TFTD was developed, the programmers (who were still unaware of the bug) severly ramped up the difficulty even on the easiest mode, basically making the original hardest X-Com: UFO Defense the easiest mode for TFTD and going from there.
So there, this is why Terror From The Deep is notorious for it's high difficulty setting... Along with the nasty Deep One bug that makes the game unwinnable without taking great care (or just using a cheat which is no problem at all).
Sorry for being Off Topic here ;)
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The whole terrain piece turned out great! It will be a great centerpiece for the game. I'm curious about the aquarium store clam. How much did that one cost? I want to produce the Doom clam but not if the aquarium one is cheap and looks good.
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Ah - actually it was Demons of the Deep, another Fighting Fantasy gamebook.
I was inspired to dig it out of the bookshleves after reading this playthrough (http://fightyourfantasy.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/demons-of-deep-playthrough.html).
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The whole terrain piece turned out great! It will be a great centerpiece for the game. I'm curious about the aquarium store clam. How much did that one cost? I want to produce the Doom clam but not if the aquarium one is cheap and looks good.
I will post a picture tonight. I think it was about $9CAD or so. I know I did not spend more than $10 on it. It will probably get a drybrush and be added to a base. Its supposed to be a Tridacna clam, perhaps a T. maxima or T. crocea for those interested. I was hoping for more of a T. Squamosa look, as they have awesome ridges on their shells:
(http://www.idscaro.net/sci/01_coll/pics/bival/tridacnidae/tridacna_squamosa3.jpg)
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As promised, here are some pictures of my Draconid Sea-Demon Shaman:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OgWt0--NElY/UP36AlaozYI/AAAAAAAAAFw/M912ILHteZQ/s1600/Draconid+Shaman+1.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ExVSD8Okk2I/UP36BNaB0kI/AAAAAAAAAF8/hce8BqsA_-I/s1600/Draconid+Shaman+3.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yELoAQE531I/UP36A_-uwlI/AAAAAAAAAF0/VK8UzD6NHek/s1600/Draconid+Shaman+2.JPG)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hQ8Od2u0F_0/UP36Br67vLI/AAAAAAAAAGM/UeBHmWtvTfk/s1600/Draconid+Shaman+4.JPG)
A very fun miniature to paint, things went more quickly than for my Dagathonan - mostly since I just used block colours rather than patterns. I gained a new appreciation for blacklining when I was doing the crest. At first I found the red and ochre did not mix well, but some black ink helped it transition nicely. I usually forego blacklining, instead relying on my washes and shading to help the colour transition. I think I will give the blacklining a try more often...
Other than that, my only gripe/suggestion was that this model would be very tricky to assemble well without pinning to the base. With just one spot on the tail connecting the model, it makes for a nice dynamic pose, but makes it likely to be broken loose without much effort. It seems nice and stable with a pin though. Just all part of modelling metal miniatures!
I have a couple more thoughts and pictures on my blog (http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/) for those interested.
I took some pictures of my aquarium ornament collection so far... will get them posted up tonight as well.
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For Antimatter: Here is what I have for aquarium ornaments, with a focus on the clam:
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/Aquariumdeco.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/Aquariumdecoclam1.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/Aquariumdecoclam2.jpg)
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/Aquariumdecoclam3.jpg)
The detail on the clam is pretty good, but the mantle is very shiny, which I will have to tone down, as well as perhaps add a few details here and there. Also, for those with any knowledge of marine invertebrates, the Tridacna clams derive over 90% of their nutrition from photosynthesis, due to symbiotic algae in the mantle (the colourful fleshy tissue hanging out of the shell). The rest is from filtering particulate matter from the water. So, to use it as a carnivorous clam requires a certain suspension of disbelief for the well educated ;)
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Great work. Excellent flesh tones. The base has a brilliant amount of detail on it as well.
:-*
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I just love those pastel colors. Just masterful. And the little terrain bits make for great cover and of course eyecandy, especially the coral shrubbery (?) and the smoker =)
I'd like to see it all assembled with figures on your gaming mat :)
Edit: Maybe add a sunken shipwreck too, there must be some out there for cheap! So many possibilities...
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I finished my Clal-Chk scientist a few weeks back, and here are the photos. I was trying out some settings on my camera, rather than just auto-mode, and it seems to have made the pictures worse. Maybe I will take more pictures of this guy later... maybe not! I still have 2 more guys to go from my starter set, but got distracted with some coreheim and historical painting, which I will post later.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xKp6wY7zFWw/UQQRLU0nyZI/AAAAAAAAAGw/-V2zshDf6PA/s1600/Clal-Chk+Scientist+1.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O3uydhYeoso/UQQRLdWqY1I/AAAAAAAAAGs/yA7oEpIECJI/s1600/Clal-Chk+Scientist+2.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZIGkmTY66R8/UQQRLX-IdXI/AAAAAAAAAGo/4v2pqlEjFYE/s1600/Clal-Chk+Scientist+3.JPG)
a bit more of a writeup on my blog: http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/
Also, in other news DeepWars has been picked up by Cool Mini Or Not, so hopefully that will get some more interest in the game everywhere!
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Life has been quite busy around the Timbor household of late. That is primarily due to the arrival of a new little goblin, thanks to the hard work of my wife! The family is well and fine, but it does leave less time for hobby work.
That being said, I managed to finish something fun this week - another piece of scenery for DeepWars!
I was out at my local Petsmart, and they had a bunch of aquarium plants on sale, so I picked up a few for the various DeepWars terrain that has been floating in the back of my mind for some time now.
The Kelp Forest terrain is used in games set in the Shallow Sea environment, and provide cover for your troops while also counting as a difficult terrain (I can imagine a massive tangle of kelp would be hard to navigate if you are not an otter). These pieces were pretty easy to manage, so it should not be too hard to recreate if you so desire.
To start, here is a nice group shot with some of my Scaly Horde figures hiding amongst the leafy branches.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yFfh7plx_rY/UW9MyaSOtFI/AAAAAAAAAJo/rtyP-6K0c1M/s1600/Kelp+Forest.JPG)
I made two pretty much identical pieces. The materials used:
- plastic aquarium plants
- green floral wire
- sand borrowed from nature
- hot glue and PVA glue
- large tree base from 4ground terrain
- a few crystals from Anarchy models
- some craft paint
A couple closeups:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UcXi09dPlz8/UW9MxeUZ6KI/AAAAAAAAAJU/gSoLrD6YVGM/s1600/Kelp+Forest+4.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-soxCQ9YIXW8/UW9MxCzurMI/AAAAAAAAAJI/uEyRcYudaqw/s1600/Kelp+Forest+2.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wVL0xIIV1zA/UW9MxIpkwNI/AAAAAAAAAJc/0KuUDiKHIvo/s1600/Kelp+Forest+3.JPG)
I really like the 4ground tree bases, as the plants are removable for ease of use during gameplay:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nHNHb9LbXA8/UW9Mxzt_8NI/AAAAAAAAAJg/zMLQIjdSIlQ/s1600/Kelp+Forest+5.JPG)
So there you have it, I hope you enjoy my latest addition to the DeepWars table I am making!
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:o :o :o
Simply stunning, Timbor!
There are quite a few updates on this project that I have missed.
What a treat it was to catch up with everything.
It all looks amazing so far, your brushwork, choice of colours and scenery all look top drawer.
Well done, mate.
Keep it up!
:-* :-* :-*
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I love that forest :-*
[/hippie]
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As a Fan of unusual settings, I LOVE what you've done with the Kelp Forest & all your other Aquatic Terrain. WONDERFULLY IMAGINATIVE WORK!
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I think the local fish tank supplies owner is also very happy with your project :)
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Thanks, folks!
I think the local fish tank supplies owner is also very happy with your project :)
Well, considering how hard and time consuming it would be (and how much worse it would likely look) to make kelp from scratch, I am happy to give them the business. All told, I think this project only took about 4 hours or so...
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Inspiring stuff - giving me ideas for Aquanef.
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This project looks amazing. Undersea terrain is often very hard to get to look right -- somehow the implied lighting looks wrong, as if the piece were under direct sunlight rather than light passing through water -- but your tower looks just perfect.
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Timbor, could you do a big picture of everything you've got finished? Would be nice to see it all in context...
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I can give it a try this week. Only real terrain pieces finished are the ruin and the kelp forests, but I do have some of the other ornaments as decoration...
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I finally finished my Scaly Horde starter set! Last two guys were the Abyssal Gark and the Steel Jaw Placoderm fish:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lzP2eyDk2us/UaAbIWgZcBI/AAAAAAAAAKI/aAj0W9gY3Iw/s1600/Gark+1.JPG)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UAQyPhCU710/UaAbI4lrrsI/AAAAAAAAAKU/F-nm72rG8EM/s1600/Gark+3.JPG)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P6Tt7dQN_J0/UaAbJnYbEKI/AAAAAAAAAKo/aFuoZwAYL5Q/s1600/Placoderm+2.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MsdPGj0jYyw/UaAbKJrx_VI/AAAAAAAAAKw/-71pwl6mUGs/s1600/Placoderm+3.JPG)
Here is a group shot of all the gang:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oJjwxkmQvTU/UaAbKZyQsvI/AAAAAAAAAK4/At71EDJSE0Y/s1600/Scaly+Horde.JPG)
There are a few more photos and a writeup on my blog (http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca) for anyone interested.
Also, here is a shot of my table so far. I got a bunch of safari sea life creatures, and they are on there too for good measure.
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/Timbor/DeepWars%20and%20ShadowSea/DSC05065_zpseef12849.jpg)
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amazing! Lovely to see them all done together. What's next? You got anyone to oppose your horde, or going to do some more lovely scenery for us?
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I think a sunken pirate ship, broken in half is a must for this table :)
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I have the MegaBloks flying dutchman ship from pirates of the caribbean:
(http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/mega_bloks_pirates_of_the_caribbean_3_flying_dutchman.jpg)
It could suit a sunken ship very well. It is actually very nicely detailed. There are only the little lego tab things on the deck which would need to be filed down, but that's not too necessary right now.
As for what's next, I need to assemble my fortune hunters, as they are up for painting next. I have an arcane weapon terrain thingy that is still WIP, and then I have lots of materials for some more generic terrain like open sand and ruins, macro algae fields, etc. Its mostly finding the time, as I am trying to assemble and start painting an army for OldHammer.
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The minis & terrain are FANTASTIC & INSPIRING! I can see that wandering through the Aquarium Section is going to take me longer & be more expensive than it had in the past. Despite that, VERY WELL DONE!
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Some beautiful use of gorgeous colours in this thread.
ThatlLast red beastie is my favourite.
Great choice of colours applied masterfully!
:-*
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Using the nice MegaBlocks ship would be a shame! There have to be some old toy ships available on fleaBay or at a garage sale :)
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Well, I would not make the ship a permanent wreck - the hull comes apart in a few different sections, so it would be easy enough to lay it on the table like a shipwreck and then reassemble it to make the ship later.
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It has been a while since I posted any updates, but my DeepWars progress has not halted. I have now finished starter warbands and leaders for each of the four factions. This past weekend, I ran a DeepWars demo game at the Hold the Line gaming convention in Toronto, Ontario.
First off, the ancients:
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YMHB9Bs0_Hk/U64UWsTY9HI/AAAAAAAAAaM/oRB5L1ucelY/s1600/Ancients+Group.JPG)
Then the Dark Mariners:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pE4qcB70dIk/U8SYQqQMACI/AAAAAAAAAbI/vRikjV141hs/s1600/DM+group.JPG)
The Dark Mariners actually won the first prize for the painting competition in the wargames scale unit category. As such, here are a few more shots:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZhjkHH5PMLk/U8SYPWpupLI/AAAAAAAAAas/4CWsFiXGm-o/s1600/DM+captain+annihilator+1.JPG)
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yrrRH0th-ak/U8SYRBLUEDI/AAAAAAAAAbM/2erDBV_nIM4/s1600/DM+octopod+vanguard+1.JPG)
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uG0vkt1bOV4/U8SYR0CjgwI/AAAAAAAAAbk/6n8wBh7zdm0/s1600/DM+scientist+scavenger+1.JPG)
There are some more pictures on my blog of both the Ancients and the Dark Mariners. Hope you like them!
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Stunning!
:o :o :o
Absolutely gorgeous paintwork on those miniatures.
:-* :-* :-*
I really like these figures and the whole idea of undersea battles.
Therefore I will not pay any further attention before I give in and buy some.
:D
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Well, there is a kickstarter running now with some good deals, nudge nudge ;)
Current range stuff can be shipped immediately. lol
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Nice painting, well deserving of recognition.
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Saw these in the flesh last weekend. They look even better in real life! Some very nice painting, all rich and colourful.
Sorry we couldn't stay for the evening demo, Tim.
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I was glad you could see them there, Fram. I only did my demo in the morning though, so you did not miss an evening demo. I only signed up for one time slot so I could spend the afternoon seeing the rest of the convention. I left just after 5:30, as I had to get back to the family.
Thanks for the kind words. ;)
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Lovely work Tim.
Re shipwrecks. I'm sure I've still got a bow and other bits of megablock pirate ships if u were interested?
Cheers
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Time to post up my fortune hunters. I painted these up a while ago, and summer being what it is, they are just being posted now:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kFsDfDEVBys/U_K82Uapb5I/AAAAAAAAAco/N46ubvtihks/s1600/Fortune%2BHunters.JPG)
A few closeups:
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MDDEnuCSVos/U_K80liLwVI/AAAAAAAAAcY/LzEkh8TeOTE/s1600/FH%2Bcaptain%2Btrooper%2B1.JPG)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bakdL86l83Q/U_K8xRGfD4I/AAAAAAAAAcE/lCuC8MwTC8I/s1600/FH%2BHeavy%2BSci%2B1.JPG)
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WVpNmq91V6Y/U_K8xI5GHdI/AAAAAAAAAcI/-CjseEhqFWc/s1600/FH%2BMech%2BRecon%2B1.JPG)
I posted a few more closeups over on the blog: mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca
These were really fun to paint up, and I found the metal plating took to washes nicely, so they painted up quickly. Hope you like them!
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Bloody marvelous painting and terrain making! :-* :o
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Those are BEAUTIFULLY painted and based creations. VERY COOL MINIS & VERY WELL DONE...a winning combination if there ever was one!
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Thanks, guys, its nice to see such talented painters appreciating my work!
I have finished my two Coyotl warriors for my Axibalan force for Shadowsea. These were part of the original Cavalcade figures, and were sculpted by Kev Adams. Definitely some of my favourite minis in the whole Shadowsea range. There are a few more pictures and details on my blog: http://mylifeinmm.blogspot.ca/2014/08/shadowsea-axibalan-coyotl-warriors.html
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vdvg6VCnOVo/U_qbSPDsuUI/AAAAAAAAAdc/uRk5Nvxyhko/s1600/Axibalan%2B-%2BCoyotl%2B4.JPG)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYec1NIK0ys/U_qbQyk9g9I/AAAAAAAAAdI/JO80QUEfJWs/s1600/Axibalan%2B-%2BCoyotl%2B1.JPG)
Also, just to add a plug for the Shadowsea Kickstarter - funding has been reached for the desired draconid sculpts, and there are more to come in stretch goals, just under 2 weeks to go!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/524168246/rise-of-the-draconids
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I'm impressed :o
Sure a different and original skirmish game for some beautiful painted miniatures and board :)
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Love the Coyotl. I wish they were available in europe!