Terrain, Display Boards, Tables and Basing Ideas Collection

[Aloth_Corfiser]

Hello Pointy Aelves

It is an exciting time of new Threads and new Minis - so I wanted to create a Topic were we could collect our Pictures and general advice about Bases, Terrain, Gaming Tables or Display Boards.

The whole Idea started while I was looking for an optimal Tree-Height for AoS. My 2 Trees were bought in a local Hobby Store shortly before it got closed forever and because I thought that they looked cool. They are ca. 15cm in height, a little small maybe - but good stand ins for Trees which are not that bulky.
My humble submission are 2 Trees and my little contingent of Vanari, that are painted as of yet.  With the Lumineth I really discovered basing as kind of a Passion and I would like some feedback as I think, sometimes I might have "overdone" the Bases a little. 😄 I will tone it down a little with the Flowers.
The trees are on 40mm Bases because I got some spare ones - but maybe I will integrate the Trees into a larger Terrain piece in some distant Future.
For the Procedure:
I apllied a little Layer of Stirland Mud, when it had dried I drybrushed it with Mournfang Brown (but not always)
Then I went crazy with Spices: After Army Painter Basing Glue on the Mud Area I just sprinkled on some dried Basil and  driedTarragon. 
I bought grass-flock but was unhappy with it because the Green was really intense and it got everywhere. So I guess the Spice Idea was at first a bit of a makeshift thingy. But after I glued on Tufts (GW Middenland Tufts and Warlord Games Moorland tufts) and Flowers (Gamers Grass) I started to really like them. (Plus they smell quite nice now 🙃) I envision a lightly forested area and maybe I will try and go for a "fey -mythical Forest feel" - the Lumineth advancing out of the Woods. (Because Phalanxes in the Woodlands is a baad Idea hehe) 

So if you are working on some Terrain or Bases or have Questions about Materials feel free to share it here please. 

Edited September 15, 2020 by Aloth_Corfiser
more detailed pictures

[LuminethMage]

I think those look great, and not really too much. Looks like they are on a verdant wooded valley, very fitting for the 10 Paradises.

I had the same experience like you. When I last painted my HE, basing wasn’t really something I did put much effort into, but now you have so many things you can do. I still wanted to go with the standard Hyshian Grassland style from the BT, because I thought it looks good and is pretty easy to do - but then it I didn’t work at all for me, looked really bad (partly because I used wrong materials, duh). 

I then remembered the Zaitrec lore about the moonlit like glowing ground and tried to do that. And started to really enjoy working on the bases, so much so that I had to stop to not overdo it. It’s still all pretty simple, and not really great, but very close to what I imagined, so I’m really happy with the outcome. 

The photos from  The three stages of my Zaitrec bases. At first it was just dark with a little bit of e dry brushing, afterwards I had an idea with smaller crystals, which then got brighter and larger, at which point I had to stop to not overdo it. I also started to use more and more different blues, grays and white to dry brush without. Most of the baes are the last type with the brighter crystals, but I kept a few of the models with the darker bases. 

For the terrain, @ThalmorRepresentative showed me some great pieces with a mystical lake and old statues and obelisks. That is what I plan buy/do, basically the lunar mystics on this nightly glowing earth of Zaitrec. 

[ThalmorRepresentative]

@Aloth_Corfiser & @LuminethMage

Bases are looking great! I love how bases just tie the lore behind an army together 😁

So if anyone wants to know how I did my bases:

1) I'm using the shattered dominion bases from Games Workshop across all of my entire armies as the foundation. I'm going for a 'Overgrown ruins scattered across the moorlands of once-glorious empire'. What I'm aiming for is the depiction of my forces fighting on the ruins of their former kingdoms, like they're trying to reclaim them.

2) I base, then highlight the bases with several drybrushed highlights of progressively lighter shades of grey that become more precise and lighter with every lighter shade. 

3) I acquired both the 'moorland' pre-mixed basing material and the 'autumn' grass tufts from Zapazorp.com. If you purchase anything from this sight, I really recommend the quick drying glue and the sealant to protect your work. 

4) I dab on glue lightly on different spots of the base, mainly where I want the moorland to be overgrown on the ruins. I tend to put more glue in one particular area that I want the moorlands to strongest, then the other areas will be more minute and complementary. 

5) I then put in just a few grass tufts here and there on the base. Wherever I decide to put a grass tuft, I usually place two or three to make it seem like a shrubs.

 

[Aloth_Corfiser]

2 hours ago, LuminethMage said:

I had the same experience like you. When I last painted my HE, basing wasn’t really something I did put much effort into, but now you have so many things you can do. I still wanted to go with the standard Hyshian Grassland style from the BT, because I thought it looks good and is pretty easy to do - but then it I didn’t work at all for me, looked really bad (partly because I used wrong materials, duh).

Yeah, the switch from a 25mm Base army to a 32mm Base one opened up a whole new world for me   And indeed it should be called Ten Paradises for a reason. I collected Wanderers before and basicly just threw Mud and Snow and a Tuft of sickly Grass on the base. If any of you remebers this Antology: 

I first wanted to do a wasteland Base with chopped up sprue as crystals but then went the "lazy" way. 

Anyway, thank you both Ruins are always a great Idea and they are ingrained in Lumineth History. I also want to do some Ruins that are overgrown in this semi-summer/autumn feel. 
@LuminethMage if you are looking for more zany -Zaitrec glowing enviroment, there are "Alien-Grass" Tufts also from "Gamers Grass": https://www.gamersgrass.com/52-alien-tufts
The Bases look great btw., I saw them on the Lore Thread! 

[LuminethMage]

@ThalmorRepresentative As you say - it's really nice how basis can express the story you want to tell. I can see how your's will fit perfectly with your scenery! Really nice. 

@Aloth_Corfiser I wanted to do exact same thing at first - crystals from sprue as I saw that on a YouTube video - but also thought it's just too much and a bit above my skill level, and so also went don't the lazy road : ). Thank you for the advice with the grass tufts, the turquoise and blue one would be very fitting. I think I could use them on the scenery. Thanks! 

I didn't put up any advice on how to do this because I think it's not that great (though I like it for what I intended to do : ) ), but if anyone wants to know - just send me a PM. Happy to share. 

Hopefully we see more. It's a really interesting topic. 

[Wyliekyote]

this is all so awesome!!!  I've totally deep dived into making, doing, crafting bases....  here's my LRL's so far.  Used some of the GSW rolling pins, and basing materials from Geek Gaming (Luke's APS), which I love!!  But all these bases look great!  Where did you get the crystals from LuminethMage?  GSW?

[LuminethMage]

Yup, I got them from GSW. Just highlighted the edges a bit with Lothern Blue. If you have the time though, you might try out making your own with sprue, the could look even better. This is the video I originally looked at: 

 There are several others of course. 

The smaller crystals are painted sand. 

Edited September 16, 2020 by LuminethMage

[Wyliekyote]

On 9/15/2020 at 9:19 PM, LuminethMage said:

Yup, I got them from GSW. Just highlighted the edges a bit with Lothern Blue. If you have the time though, you might try out making your own with sprue, the could look even better. 

The smaller crystals are painted sand. 

Thanks for the video!  I’m gonna try the Sprue Crystal Method.  But for the resin crystals, anyone know of a US retailer?  I love me some GSW but waiting over a month to get the order is killing me..... 

[Wyliekyote]

Finished my Lava/Chaoscape and Snow/Ice bases, and got a Dawnrider on it.  Now to finish the others and get them all based!