Heroscape scenery anyone ?

[sundayhero]

Hi,

Digging this topic since I decided to pimp my heroscape sets for my solitaire games. The goal is to have something very modular, and not too ugly to watch.

I started with the grass tiles. I first made a try flocking the hexes, but it didn't work so well (my modelling flock was a bit too big and bright to fit well). So I decided to keep my hexes with factory texture and sculpting without adding new textures. All the "pimp" will be on painting and washing.

The general view of "grass" tiles. The biggest set of all. I painted the top of the hexes with an homemade "gobelin green-ish" paint (cheap art yellow lemon, primary blue, mate black paintsI found in a 1dollar store + arts mate medium). Then, I dry brushed some lemon yellow with an old big brush (from hardware store).



I'm quite satisfied with the result (Fast painted D&D minis from Wrath of Ashardalon box set) :



Now I need to wash the tiles borders, and apply a light brown drybrush on edges. The grass tiles are the only ones wich are "bicolor" (green top and brown sides).


I also primed the other sets : stone, snow, and sand.

The biggest set of 3 is the stone one. Because it will be used for diferent uses : pavement, mountain, and also dungeon caverns. Since I'm also building a "built" dungeon (I mean something created by humans, dwarfs, monsters) :







 I wanted to be able to build a more "organic" cavern set. Heroscape was perfect for this purpose, I'll post photos of my tests soon.




The 2nd set is snow. For now, it's incomplete since I have to make my own ice hexes with cristal resin. I already bought plumber silicon cartdrigde and corn starch to make my own cheap silicon molds. I made quite numerous tiles, so I will be able to use them to simulate high mountains, but also nordic lands or frozen caverns. Anyone remember IceWind Dale ?  





The last set, the smaller one, representing sand, or any "brown" pavement (like in some precolumbian buildings, egyptian, etc...). I made some of them to complete my chronopia lizardmen.





I also have a big set of water tiles (normal and sparkly ones) that I'll detail with paint, and also texture (mix of gloss medium and heavy gel, I think).


Of course, I still have a lot of work, washing and brushing tiles sets, creating the ice hexes, and make the water hexes.



To be continued...

[HerbyF]

I have a bunch of hexes I have picked up cheap a second hand stores.

[sundayhero]

I picked up mine last year, 4 "master sets" ("Valkyrie something"), 2 complete ones with accessories and minis, 1 complete without minis, and one completly new, each one for around 30euros.

I think it's not that expensive, comparing for "2d" gaming mats. Of course everything home made could be cheaper, but I don't have much time for that.

[sundayhero]

Today's progress :

I finished the grass tiles. I washed the borders of the tiles, and then applied a light brown dry brush :







Now I'm working on rock tiles. I first applied some washes on the entire tiles.






Tommorow I'll add a very slight green wash, and dry brush everything in light grey. If I have enough time, I'll make some mold for my ice hexes.

to be continued...

[A_Train]

Those tiles are looking pretty sharp compared to the original colours.

[sundayhero]

Thanks !

Today I finished the rock tiles. Here's a bad night photo. I'll do a better one tommorow.

[AndrewBeasley]

Nice set of tiles you are painting there.

I've got  small set tucked away ready for a project down the line and have been following Grisnakhs long running thread on Heroscapers since I first came across the game (scroll a long way down - or spend a long time reading).

Another interesting thread is a Battletech map on TerraGenesis - a couple of these have been built inspired by the hex tile idea and the only I like is here

[sundayhero]

Thanks !

Yes I knew the heroscapers thread. Actually it gave me the idea of buying cheap used sets to improve them and use them in my own games (like battletech).

Now with the lack of battletech opponents, I will use these sets for solitaire gaming (two hour wargames games, mostly).

Today I don't work, so I 'll finish the snow and sand tiles. Tommorow I'll make the molds for the ice hexes. I'm not sure on how I'll do them : I've got some crystal resin, but I'm afraid maybe it will be too translucid for ice...Maybe I should sand it (with 800grit  paper or something) from the interior to make them a bit more opaque...Well, we'll see.

Now it's time to drybrush some tiles. On the sand tiles, I will not make washes (since wet treatment sounds weird to make desert sand, in my opinion  ), but I'll do a very light blue wash on the snow tiles.


I'll post results asap.

[sundayhero]

The sand/desert are done :





The snow/nordic tiles are under progress. I first wanted to add a blue wash, but it didn't stick to the white primer. So I applied blue traces with an "almost dry" brush technic.



Now I have to dry brush in pure white the edges to finish it.


To be continued !

[sundayhero]

Here's the pics of the nordic tileset  :






Now, last stages are :


making ice

making water

making trees

"pimping" the heroscape ruins

[sundayhero]

Next steps :

I'm currently pimping the water tiles.

I first painted them (sponge technic, from dark to light blue) :









And then, I applied a mix of gloss acrylic medium + heavy gel, to create some 3d waves on them :






Unfortunatly, the heavygel I owned is not that much translucid, so some of the "waves and ripples" I created still a bit white. I'll wait until tommorow (I made them yesterday), and if it not turns perfectly clear, I'll just repaint the whole set (using the same technic of sponge). The only issue is that I will lost the "deep" effect I have.


I'm also trying to make my 1st casting attempt to realize some custom made ice tiles. The result is around average, for now...and the resin takes ages to dry (after 24hours it stills a bit soft and sticky), even if I bought some expensive 2 compound modelling crystal resin. 


To be continued !

[FramFramson]

Now those look really nice!

[sundayhero]

Thanks !

I hope the water tiles will turn clear, but I doubt it...

The ice hexes I made yesterday still a bit soft and sticky...Even if the drying time is over since 12am, in theory 


So not everything is how I wanted, but I'll fix what I can and finish these sets.

I also have to make some extra sets for outside playing (trees, ruins, and bridges first, then later, some villages buildings).




I'm also working on my 3d dungeon (I have to post a topic on that too)...

[jet]

This stuff looks great and I just remembered that I have a Heroscape box out in my garage, long-forgotten. I'm stealing the idea of repainting them grey and then using them as underground caverns for mu Pulp, Horror, and Fantasy games.

[sundayhero]

That's what pushed me again (after a long time pause) in that project. I'm currently working on a "classic" (castle/crypt style) 3d dungeon, and I wanted to be able to create modular caverns too. So I thought about the heroscape sets I bought mostly for battletech could be used this way.

Then, I thought that I should add some winter scenery to create frozen caverns...etc, etc... 


Today I have to fix my water tiles. The medium/heavy gel mix didn't go perfectly translucid (too much heavygel I guess). So I'll have to find a trick 

I'll have to cast some new ice tiles (for now I made 6 hexes...I can make 3 each day)...It will be a lot of work sanding and trimming, but I believe the goal will be completed.


I'll post result today.