Chapel Hill: Complete

Good Friday all!

Well it's been a long time coming but Chapel Hill is finally complete!



In order to show case this I would like to cover from start to finish the entire project. Please remember this is the result of two weeks work that cost only a combined total of about £5 in materials.

Step 1: Cut out the flat plateaus from hardboard.



Step 2: From newspaper and masking tape create the general shape required.



Step 3: Create paths with cardboard



Step 4: Cover the whole thing in paper masche



Step 5: Paper masche onto a hardboard base which is cut to size along with ridges for paths



Step 6: Craft fences out of matchsticks with the strike cut off and attach tree skeletons to their desired location



Step 7: Glue basalt to the plateaus and paths, all the while gluing unused cat litter to the base



Step 8: Remove the trees and spray paint the whole thing a dark brown



Step 9: Holding the spray can at a distance spray the whole model with a lighter sandy colour



Step 10: using a sandy coloured emulsion paint, dry brush the entire unit, being sure to get all the lovely creases in the rock surfaces and each grain of basalt



Step 11: Glue trees to place, paint the fences by hand as you would painting 'wood effect' on a mini, attach lichen to trees to make leaves and floor for bushes and static grass/long miniature grass.

And your done!

And now for the guided tour of Chapel Hill:


Here we have Overkill and The Executioner on the 1st Tier while Lady J and Austringer overlook the town.



The path leading to the 2nd tier













The entire of tier 2 including fence close ups




The back of the hill including the path connecting Tier 2 with Tier 3



A shot showcasing a crevice in the side of the hill


And there we have it! I realise as I am sat on the train commuting to work that there are a few features I should have taken proper photos of, the sideways growing tree and the overgrowth at the front for example, but hey why not instead see if you can come to The Titans War Games Club located in Finchley North London and I'll see if I can bring it along!

For now, thanks for keeping up with this project, I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I've enjoyed doing it, and now back to the drawing board for another project!

- Your friendly neighbourhood Doctor Loxley

New Feature: Friday Review - Sarissa Precision

Good Friday everybody!

So here's a new feature: Review Friday!

I'd like to start the first review with Sarissa Precision's Heroic Scale Old West buildings: www.sarissa-precision.co.uk

Over Christmas my lovely wife bought me a 5 pack selection of stores and their chapel.

Delivery:

I can't account for this myself, as like i said these were presents ordered on my behalf, but from what I understand even during the Xmas rush the lead time on our order was no more than a few days.

The items arrived in one order and well packaged without a single dent or bit of damage to them, which considering how soft the wood they are made from is, says a lot about them.

Assembly:

Now assembly for these items really was quite easy, especially the small stores, they require little more than snapping together and a tiny dot of glue.

The chapel however requires constant glueing, but with a bit of patience and a fast drying super glue i managed to attach everything in no time with little overspill.

Overall look and feel:

I must admit, I am in love with these buildings. I have yet to play a game with them, but they look the part. At some point in the near future i should be giving them some paint for the store fronts etc however what I love about them is that they don't need it!

Straight out of the box post assembly, thanks to the laser cut technique they were made with they are already textured and near perfect. To be honest I think all that is 'needed' is a slight weathering on the walls.

Conclusion:

If like me you have always wanted an Old West themed game board, truth be told I cant fault these buildings. They would possibly look infinatly better with a few props and internal set pieces, some pews and an alter for the chapel to fill is massivly empty insides, however it is my belief that Sarissa leave them empty so you can fill them as much or as little as suits your needs (let's not forget that these are for miniature wargaming with bases often far larger than the models, when you start cluttering them up with random props, chairs and tables it makes manuvering a lot harder.