A greenhorn entering the wild west (Update April 10 2025)

[Malebolgia]

Hey! I’m on LAF for ages now, but I am just starting with the wild west setting. I found the ‘Dead Man’s Hand’ kickstarter and was blown away, loved what I saw and knew I had to dive in. So I bought some resin cacti, 3D printed rock formations and 3D printed cacti, a box of HIPS females and a metal guy.
So much fun to paint, those HIPS models are so easy to do. The cacti and rock formations were also very easy to do.











And then I was stuck with another idea: a big hill with a mine entrance. Ever since playing Read Dead Online I loved the idea of mines in the wild west setting. I started out with a foamed pvc base and covered this with foam blocks, some cardboard, balsa wood to get basic shape.



Then I glued cork bark to the shape to get the rocky formations and I used more foam to cover it all and used duct tape to cover some pieces.



From there I covered it all with Modelling Compound from Geek Gaming. Such a fantastic product and it makes shaping scenery very easy. I then used a ready-made filler to smooth it well afterwards.



After the modelling compound I used fine sand and tile grout to cover the sandy parts and then soaked it well wih water. The tile grout is so cool to lock everything in place and make for a strong and sturdy sandy layer.



Then it was time to paint it all, that was the easiest step. I covered it with an acrylic brown spray and then applied oil washes to the rocky bits. Then it was mostly a matter of applying some contrast paints and drybrushing.
And then I wanted to add some plants. At first I went with some tufts and though I was finished. But after googling the wild west I saw it wasn’t as dusty and sandy as I thought! So I went to town with a lot more plants, gravel, turf, etc. to add more colour and greenery. And as a final touch I added two small bottles by the barrel and called it done!





Next up will be more painted ladies! So far I’m having a blast with this project!

[ithoriel]

Great looking stuff - an excellent start!

I love the "you can never have too many guns" bandit lady and the mine is spectacular.

Looking forward to further posts.

[Grumpy Gnome]

Looking good mate!

[Dubar]

The mine looks sweet!!!

I recently got a 3D printer, Elegoo Neptune 4 Pro, but the only western stuff I've printed is some track for a train I have.  The engine is actually 1/64 scale and more like a WW2 era so now I'm looking for a more 1800s type locomotive boiler to 3D print so I can swap it out on the chassis.

I'd like to see some figures based on the movie "Goin South".  I need more females in the mix, those you show look fine.

[FifteensAway]

Nice work on the terrain - which clearly looks like you have an Arizona setting based on so many saguaro - though could sneak into a bit of California or New Mexico, or a lot of Mexico, see Sonoran desert maps.

The part of the west where stuff really happened does not look like Monument Valley where almost nothing actually happened.  A lot happened in Arizona.  So, no, not so sandy but lots and lots of cacti and plenty of mountains with places for mines.

Not sure about all these Women of the Old West with guns but to each their own.  Mostly would be women defending homesteads using guns.  But cool figures.  If you are doing a 'fantastic' Old West, you are good.  But if you want a little more 'historical' Old West, you need more men.  Seems the 'fantastic' is pretty popular of late, not fantasy, just flights of fancy sort of games.

Have fun with it.

[Malebolgia]

Thanks guys!!

I love the "you can never have too many guns" bandit lady and the mine is spectacular.

Looking forward to further posts.

Thanks man! And yeah, the third pistol was a spontaneous idea, but I really liked how it looked. And more to come the following months!

I'd like to see some figures based on the movie "Goin South".  I need more females in the mix, those you show look fine.

The females by Great Escape Games are great. Best thing is they are HIPS, so very durable and a lot of options for poses and weapons.

Nice work on the terrain - which clearly looks like you have an Arizona setting based on so many saguaro - though could sneak into a bit of California or New Mexico, or a lot of Mexico, see Sonoran desert maps.

The part of the west where stuff really happened does not look like Monument Valley where almost nothing actually happened.  A lot happened in Arizona.  So, no, not so sandy but lots and lots of cacti and plenty of mountains with places for mines.

Not sure about all these Women of the Old West with guns but to each their own.  Mostly would be women defending homesteads using guns.  But cool figures.  If you are doing a 'fantastic' Old West, you are good.  But if you want a little more 'historical' Old West, you need more men.  Seems the 'fantastic' is pretty popular of late, not fantasy, just flights of fancy sort of games.

Have fun with it.

Ah cool, Arizona sounds great. I've been in Arizona once in 1998 and I remember some old frontier towns we went too. Wish I could go back now!
And for the ladies and realism...I'm not one for historical or realistic games, I'm all for the fantastical and cinematic stuff. So it'll be spaghetti westerns, game westerns (Red Dead) or weird west for me. And there the ladies sure have a place

[Spinal Tap]

Wow, lovely looking figures and terrain.

[Sgt_T]

Love the mine!

T.

[Thargor]

That mine looks fantastic.

[CapnJim]

Yes, that mine entrance does indeed look great!  So do the womenfolk...

[Tom Dulski]

 
 Everything looks great the minis, the cacti and especially the mine.

[has.been]

And for the ladies and realism...I'm not one for historical or realistic games, I'm all for the fantastical and cinematic stuff. So it'll be spaghetti westerns, game westerns (Red Dead) or weird west for me. And there the ladies sure have a place

Heck this is war-GAMING. Do what you want.
It all looks great by the way.

[mweaver]

An excellent start - and thanks for sharing!

-Michael

[Legionnaire]

Lovely stuff! Always enjoy looking at what wild west things people come up with.

Yes indeed, it's a game, and about 99% of all the wild west games I've ever watched/ played have been the MYTHIC wild west. Where things are the way people THINK it was.

Who want's to play a game beset with cholera and typhus? Till your land for 16 turns through drought and floods? Fear every turn the bank will repossess your homestead? That was, as I understand it, more of the real wild west for a lot of people  .

As such, I welcome all sorts, females, migrants. The wild west is a BIG place and there's a place for everybody 

[Constable Bertrand]

Ooh that mine looks fantastic, do like a cork bark rock face 

I'd rather the 3:10 to yuma and red dead redemption vibe over a "you just failed your cholera check roll on turn 3" too Legionnaire.

Keen for the next painted minis 
Cheers
Matt