Cantina completed

I have finally got around to tinkering with a few photographs of the completed Cantina build.  I populated the space with a mixture of different Star War miniatures including miniatures from Legion, Imperial Assault and even some Dave Stone of ‘Wargames Terrain Workshop’ originals.

The alcove tables are the top of a hose pipe attachment which was then finished with a transparent plastic base and lit from beneath with LEDs

Great to finally share this project with a wider audience and just seeing it is making feel the need to dig out the plans to see how much more I had intended to do.  Sadly this will have to wait for the time being as currently visiting another desert for a completely different project, news of which I hope to bring before too long. 

Cantina build

A long time ago, in what feels like a galaxy far, far away and long before, James and I were building Bavarian Castles, we collaborated on an unlikely project that was to sow the seed for future endeavours.  James was fascinated by my efforts with my toy soldiers and asked if there was anything that I 'needed' that he might try his hand at building.  As you can imagine this could have been a hugely long list, but given that Star Wars: Legion was my then focus, I suggested the Mos Eisley Cantina.  

James was aware of the cultural phenomena that was Star Wars, but was not a life long fan of the space opera that bewitched young Master Awdry.  That said, he threw himself into the project and after an initial discussion we decided that we were looking to create a modular playing area that whilst drawing on the original plans allowed for some artistic licence to make the build more manageable. With the concept decided upon James set about drawing out the initial floor plan and before you could say twelve parsecs we were underway.  James is a prodigious talent, in that he is able to draw using his software of choice as effortlessly as I can with a pencil.  Not only that, but he seems to be able to solve complex construction problems in his head.  As a result it wasn't long before fully fledged designs had been drawn up and test cutting had begun.

What follows is a roughly chronological order of how the build then progressed.  What I find interesting is the shift from James' meticulous planning and measurements to my rather crude scratch building approach that finds unlikely solutions to build issues that arose along the way.  This first image shows an initial pass at a layout, the squared base was just there to help with geometry, although it did occur to me that to have it etched in this way might be a useful device for gameplay.  

From very early on, James was interested in how the model would be used and, not least, viewed by the players.  I have to confess that I had only really considered it as a fabulous terrain piece and so was only interested in line of sight, which as we can see from below was deliberately restricted by doorways.  Also visible in this early version are sliding doors at the back of the bar that didn't make it into the final model.  

The image below shows the level of thought James gave to the aesthetic of the piece.  These vaulted ceilings could be lifted out to allow access to the various bar areas.  Similarly the modular construction meant that each area could be broken down further for photography or even role playing adventures as the need arose. 

A shot of the component parts assembled and ready for the next stage of the project.  You can see the recess at the top of the walls that has been designed to allow the roof to sit flush on top.  Also visible are the curved walls of the entrance that employ a different cutting technique that allows you to bend and flex the MDF.

With the build effectively complete, it was time for me to take the reigns.  As I mentioned earlier, this was a more instinctive approach than James' measured planning, but I knew that I wanted to achieve some form of stone texture, heavily weathered by the wind and sun.  I had various texture pastes that were pressed into service for the exteriors and a simple sprinkling of sand onto a layer of PVA glue was used on the interior wall sections.   

Whilst James had been cutting, I had been on the hunt through the 'bits box' for anything that might prove useful to add some character to the walls, along with a couple of purchases specifically for the build.  These included bits of old foam, plastic rod and a child's drinking straw set.  'TTCombat' had some very nice generators and fans hidden amongst their MDF ranges with the coiled wire and bulkhead lights coming from 'Zinge Industries'  and finally the A/C Greebles from ‘Combatzone Scenery’.

With everything affixed and dried the whole piece was then given a diluted PVA glue protective coat, before being primed using the airbrush and a suitable sand like colour.  Layers were built up with various washes of colour, but this was deliberately kept simple.  A few flourishes, like the Imperial recruitment posters helped to add a little character to the piece. 

Sharp eyed followers will have spotted that very little has been mentioned about the roof, a feature that initially proved to be the one stumbling block to our build.  James had envisaged creating this using vaulting techniques, but for whatever reason this got held up, probably a set of reports needed writing or some such trifle, but whatever the reason I needed to come up with a solution.  The flat roof section had already been cut and fitted perfectly, but it needed its characteristic dome.  This was achieved in the end with a large polystyrene ball that I simple cut it half and glued to the surface.  I layered some hessian material on these sections before covering with the same texture pastes used earlier.  This gave the illusion of reinforced elements of the construction and when washed with ink suggested that the whole thing was quietly rotting away.  More bits and pieces that I had left over completed the look and with that the build was complete!   

I was, of course, thrilled with the outcome and couldn't thank James enough for his outstanding craftsmanship, but in his usual modest way he was already considering 'mistakes' that he felt he had made and thinking of a new project to get his teeth into.  Just as an aside, I tried to do a little bit of digital drawing to create the droid detector that is seen when our heroes first enter the cantina.  This should have been a relatively straightforward design, but it took me several attempts as shown below, a testament indeed to just how easy James makes the whole process look.

Although James and I no longer work at the same school, we still keep in touch and I delighted to report that his modelling skills are still being gainfully employed and can be enjoyed at his fabulous youtube channel, Bexhill West.  Whilst I am not a model aficionado by any stretch of the imagination, I do enjoy a good track layout, and equally I find myself mesmerized at how James continues to make all elements of his project still look so easy.

If you have the time then do pay him a visit.  Included amongst the videos are a series of 'How To' films that introduce CAD for the beginner.  Next stop... 

Bexhill West



 

The Doctor will see you now

A very quick post today, just to show off another completed miniature for my Start Wars: Legion collection.  The 21-B Medical Droid is a useful support for any Rebel Team as it can remove wounds from injured troops.  

In an attempt to make a metallic colour I tried to mix silver with the base colour and certainly got close to what I was aiming for.  Not sure I nailed the translucent middle section though?  I seem to remember that the action figure that I had as a small boy looked great, but just wouldn't stand up very well due to there not being any feet, as such.  Not a problem here as I have stuck him firmly to a MDF base! 

Wamp!

 I have mentioned before how The Empire Strikes Back had me transfixed from its opening scene as the adventures from a galaxy far, far away unfolded for a second instalment.  We had had to wait three years for the second film and were eager to drink in all the details and atmosphere of this beloved franchise.  

Within minutes we were transported to the frozen planet of Hoth, a stark contrast to the twin suns of Tatooine, but nonetheless are intrepid hero, Luke Skywalker was been attacked and knocked cold from his Tauntaun!  Of course blink and you miss it, the roaring maw, a clawed arm swiping across the screen, the action unfolded so quickly, I remember being terrified and bemused in equal measure.  What was that?   Without the power of the infoweb at our disposal it took a while to learn of the Wampa, a native species to the frozen wastelands, even longer to hear of the deleted scenes that coloured its legend.  That aside the creature had become a firm favourite and so I am delighted to finally have a miniature version for my Star Wars: Legion collection. 

My Wampa was a gift in the form of 3D print from my good friend the 'Dark Templar'.  This is something that I am keen to try for myself, but so far have only managed to amass lots of files rather than the actual equipment required to magically turn them into physical items.  It would appear that I can horde just about anything!  

Ultimately this was a quick win from the painting point of view.  Essentially it was primed in grey then some initial coats of white built up before picking out the final details with a brush.  The basing followed the same colour scheme as my 'Rebel Veterans' to help tie everything together.  

Once completed, I used my now 'go to' technique for snow which is the AK Terrains Snow Acrylic lightly dusted with the AK Snow Microballoons.  The final flourish was some gore to represent his last meal. 

Wookie Warriors

I wasn't planning a themed month, but I have unearthed some more photographs that have yet to be shared and with today being the 4th May, it just seemed the thing to do.  Chewbacca, Han Solo's co-pilot and long time companion, was always a firm favourite of mine growing up.  It didn't seem to matter that his growls, roars and barks were incomprehensible, we just instinctively knew exactly what he was trying to say.  A gentle giant around those he trusted, we were frequently reminded of a Wookie's propensity for violence,

 "That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their socket when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that."

 Armed with his trusty bowcaster, this is a classic Chewbacca pose and a much needed character addition for my Star Wars: Legion forces.  I painted the weapon in a flat blue/black colour as a nod to the action figures that I so adored collecting.  Having tinkered around with a suitable colour palette for the fur, I decided to apply a similar treatment to the additional Wookie Warriors that were waiting patiently for their turn under the brush.  Not as happy with these results, but a relief to get them ready for the table. 

Fleet Troopers Star Wars Legion

From the beleaguered troops of Echo Base featured in the previous post, to the similarly ill fated Fleet Troopers of the opening scene of a New Hope, I offer up more plastic loveliness from Star Wars: Legion.  Painted some time ago, these hard pressed troops have already seen active service on the tabletop and prove to be a resilient bunch, able to hold up an Imperial advance just long enough for a heroic character to save the day.  

A relative quick paint job, the hardest decision was how to base them?  I have spoken about my dislike of the 'tall' Legion bases, but it also seemed somewhat incongruous to base these chaps on a scenic base with a carefully placed flower tuft or two.  Instead I opted for clear plastic so that they could go anywhere in the service of the Rebellion, confident of not fouling the immaculately polished decks of a CR90 Corvette!

I was an avid collector of the Star Wars action figures as a small boy, not an easy thing to be in a sleepy town in rural mid Wales, but every so often the shelves of the only toy shop would be restocked.  I always hoped to find a Fleet Trooper amidst the other shelfwarmers, such was their impact from that opening scene, but sadly it was not to be.  I understand that one is available now, and in a variety of scales, but back then it seemed such an injustice for their sacrifice.  All the more reason that I am happy to see them swelling the ranks of my collection today.

 

Rebel Veterans

Another month has flashed past and although I managed to get quite a bit of painting done during the Easter holiday the return to work has seen me struggle with time management again.  That said, I am determined to try to keep up with the 'post a month' schedule and so have dusted off this draft from October 2019.

I haven't played much 'Star Wars: Legion' of late, to be honest, I haven't played much of anything, but we did enjoy it when we had an outing and anything remotely connected to the Star Wars franchise is normally an easy win for me.  It's not surprising then, that I picked up this upgrade for my Rebel Troopers.  

Painted to represent the hard pressed veterans of Echo Base these were great fun to work on.  Keeping the colour pallete suitably subdued the unit came together quite quickly, although they could do with some snow on the bases.

The weapons were painted in a deep blue colour as a nod to the plastic blasters of the beloved action figures from my childhood.  I have a couple more Star Wars themed posts in the pipeline, so hoping to show a little more next month. 

Stricken Saucer...

... and a thank you.

One of the many joys of working with someone like James is his mischievous sense of humour.  If truth be told we probably share the same trait, which is why when a seemingly preposterous idea is floated it, more often than not, is given serious thought and consideration.  This is how a fully equipped, weird science, laboratory found its way into Schloss Itter's dungeons.  James' April 1st post, detailing the vile evildoings of 'Dachs Werks', was an absolute joy and I loved painting Bob Murch's 'Pulp Miniatures' that he had sourced to be part of it.

With Dachs Werks now a 'thing', my mind was pricked by a memory from the dim and distant past.  Didn't I have a crashed Martian Space Saucer?  Of course I did, part of the long forgotten, Mars Attacks project now hidden in the loft.  After much searching, rummaging and the occasional cross word, I stumbled across my quarry, a large lump of resin representing a stricken saucer!  James, quick to endorse the foolishness of the idea, supplied a base that was the exact same size as that of the crashed Storch, the idea being that we could swap out one for the other when photographing the model or just to simply amuse everyone at 'Salute'.

Once safely attached to its new oval base, I had hoped that this was going to be an easy win, but the sudden realisation that I had left my trusty airbrush at school was a cruel blow, I was going to have to do this by hand!  Mixing some Vallejo Matt Medium with Oily Steel, I carefully covered the bulk of the saucer.  I am not sure that I fully understand the science behind Matt Medium, but have often used it when painting large surface areas with metallic paints.  Not only does it dull the surface sheen allowing washes and glazes to take hold, but also seems to ease the application of the paint, reducing visible brushstrokes.   Slowly but surely the downed disk started to take shape.

This was one of those models that kept wanting more and more attention and my initial thoughts that this was going to be a quick job soon evaporated as I started to find myself keen to try out all sorts of ideas.  Blue became a recurring colour theme and was used for what could be described as the energy cells and running lights, even trying a touch of Object Source Lighting.  On reflection this probably could have gone better and in the case of the running lights not necessary at all given that it had actually crashed, but nonetheless proved an interesting exercise.

Finishing touches included some German crosses, purloined from another plastic kit, and some gloss varnish for the cracked canopy and lights.  I have to say that I am rather pleased with how it turned out.  Total nonsense, but can't wait to see it placed on the lower paddock.  The addition of the little grey men is another tale all together and came about with a chance email exchange with Mark Dixon of 'CP Models'.

Mark had spotted some pictures of Weird West miniatures that I had painted and with 'CP Models' now holding the range, asked if he could use them on his website.  I was flattered to be asked, but as a thank you, Mark asked if there were something from his range that I might find a use for?  The truth of the matter is that there were any number of miniatures that caught my eye, but given the project that was currently on the table I asked if I might have some Grey Aliens, to act as a suitable crew.  The little grey men were duly dispatched and I am thrilled to share them here, thank you Mark.

With the uncertainty of what will happen with regards to work, particularly from the start of June, I am keen to get as much finished as I can whilst at home.  That said it is evident that there is a degree of mission creep starting to pervade my best laid plans, something which I intend to embrace wholeheartedly. 

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