Rusty heaps! For hidin' them creeps!

So I'd been keeping my eyes on Micro Arts Studios hard-foam "crate heaps" for a long time...like...years.  They're more or less hard to find in the US and shipping from Micro Arts is prohibitive.

Finally...FINALLY they showed up on eBay from a UK seller with reasonable shipping.  I ordered two sets (sacrificing a 40K kit on eBay to fund them!).

Will they survive heaps of  gaming?  We shall see.  The hard foam is nice, takes spray paint without a fuss, and they're suitably large (i.e. you're getting a decent chunk of terrain for you dollary-dos).  They have tiers which can fairly comfortably hold some miniatures on 25mm bases.

At first when I received them I was excited but then realized I'd never paint them if I tried to paint each box and barrel.  So I decided to cheat.  I opted for a massed mottled brown colour (rust), and then I just did a bunch of random highlighting with various browns and rusts.  I may eventually go back and pick out some barrels, but they actually look pretty solid on the tabletop as-is.

Folks, eat your daily vitamins!  This is the dark grey foam, how they show up (in a big ziplock bag).

Sprayed dark brown undercoat..then slashed about with a ruddy brown and a fur brown - then dusted the edges with leather brown spray.

 

 There are three sets; 1x Large heap (I don't have this one), and this is set number two, which is two medium heaps.

This is the third set which is three slightly smaller heaps.  As you can see (not super obvious in pics!) I did a bunch of random dry brushing and edges, did some dirt highlighting and added grass tufts.  I may go back and add some green foliage chunks as well.  Wanted the idea that they've been sitting abandoned for a hundred years.

 

Overall, quite happy with the cheat.  The colours blend with my other rusty stuff, so that's a nice touch.  It's a solid set of terrain and lets me run a rusty old depot now as part of my tables.  

 

Some travel 40K...

Played a few test games of 40K with a buddy in another city this past weekend.  Some pictures from the games.  I play-tested the dungeon crawl again and forgot to take pictures!

 The first table set up - using the new hills, and additional trees recently completed.

The second table set-up.

 My buddy's new custom Chapter uses Tridents as badges of office for Veterans/senior marines.

 The new infiltrating suit gets to grips with some Shining Spears.

 Maugan Ra is turned into a puddle in the first turn.

 The Scorpions engage in a lengthy fight in one of the wooded hills that lasts all game.

 To avenge Maugan Ra, the Shining Spears tackle the Redemptor dreadnought.

 Table one just after deployment.

 The infiltrating suit is fast...like, real fast.

 Marines prepare to charge into the Scorpions on turn one.

 Tough aggressors march up the table, blazing away.

 Knowing they would be charged anyway, the Intercessors take the fight to Karandras.

 Another sneaky squad of Scorpions surrounds the Captain.

 Game 2, spotting enemy snipers the Wave Serpent wastes no time flying into the woods.

 Eldar deploy early in game 2.

 Frail and useless, the Howling Banshees pretend to fight Space Marines and are subsequently murdered.

 The starting units of the Eldar force advance.

 Late in the game, everyone starts getting properly stuck in.

 

Hobby Crunch

I've been trying to tidy up projects that have been sitting around for a month or two (or...like 8-10 months).  Trying to get stuff out of the way and finished, also before it starts getting cold here.

 Added a few additional dry brush layers to some of my basic Dwarven Forge stuff.

 One of the new 2" tall hills after being sprayed.

 Snipped and plucked foam...which, for the record..obliterates your hands!

 Some old tree bases are being stripped down to be re-based and painted.

 Four tree bases re-based, waiting for spray.

The five 2" hill sections, and the four tree bases - lichen has been ordered to fill out the trees.

Overall it's been nice getting some work out of the way - getting those little nagging projects started or finished.  Clearing up boxes, space, etc.