NWG Series, Part Three - Board Building

So here we are for part three of the NWG Series I'm going to show you the WIP display board that I'm building for the army.

Last week I put up the list and details of the models that I needed to get sorted. I have now managed to get all of the toys built and equipped with all the appropriate wargear, I'll detail this in a later post, for now it's the board.

As you may have seen from part 1, I had some scrawled ideas of what the board would look like.

The original plan.

As you can see I wanted to get all the squads in front of the pods being addressed by the Librarians. The usual board size is around 2" x 2". I got some MDF cut and had some expanded polystyrene lying around.

I started by assembling the wooden base.

The base

 I test fitted the polystyrene and then trimmed it to fit in snugly.

Polystrene test fit

I then used my specially crafted foamboard template to measure out the spacing of the pods on the polystyrene.

Foamboard sizer.

Measuring the spacing for the pods

 I then got all the toys together and made sure I could fit them all on with sufficient space.

Planning out the troop layout

After drawing out the shapes I then went at it with a hot wire cutter.

Cutting out the edges

Cutting out the pod holes

Some progress

 Once everything was cut out I fitted it into the wooden base.

Polystyrene nested in the frame

The next step is to texture the board with some pre formed plasticard that I have lying about and get the rest of it painted up all nice looking.

Long time update...

It's been a while sine I've updated this blog, Just been working on the Orks as much as I could. I managed to strip some paint of some of my really old Orks.

Slaver, 2 Nobs and a Warboss.

 I also painted my Grots up 10 of the little buggers are good to go!

Grots!

Ammo and Spanner

Classic and Spyglass

I also need a Big Choppa for one of my nobz so I decided to go ahead and build one out of a Trukk ram and a bit of Plasticard.

'Uge Choppa!

'Uge Choppa!

'Uge Choppa!

Building for Warpcon

Got a bit done tonight, Magnetised the Chimer Turrets. As well as the Hull weapons, these will be interchangeable on sponsons for Leman Russes, if they ever become useful.

Chimera Turret, Multilaser

Flamer Options

Magnetised 

Sponson style flamer

The normal Flamer

I also started to magnetise the Flak Cannons for installation

Magnetised Flak Cannon

 I glued the Missile for the Manticores, they'll get fully assembled tomorrow.

Missiles good to go

Here are my four APC style Chimeras which are nicely modular and can be made into Hydras/Manticores.

The Christmas Presents.

Mech Stacking, a very strong Technique, I have eight Chimera hulls now and three Leman Russ, plus the Banewolf and Vendettas. The Warpcon List will see 10 Tanks  2 Planes and a few dudes.

My Armour Pile

An update, Long time coming.

With all the festive times going on I haven't really done much, now that Warpcon is 16 days away work needs to get done.

And loads needs doing:

• Hydras (waiting on parts)
• New Chimeras
• Hull Heavy flamers for Old Chimeras (magnets)
• Flamer troopers need painting
• Heavy Bolter to Autocannon Conversions
• Manticores!

So my order from Old Crow arrived, which means my list gets a shake up, Tactical missile Turrets!

Parts

Blu-tacced together

Now because I don't have that many Hulls I need to put one on a Leman Russ Hull. the other will go on a Chimera.

On a Chimera Hull

On a Leman Russ

Because I need to use a Russ Hull I have to remove the sponsons.

I got the main bodies of the chimeras assembled and did some testing with the sizes of the top of the hulls.

Hulls

Completed Hull, will add radar on the white hatch.

To get another hull I needed to take my Basilisk apart, then I started to make the new base for mounting a Flak cannon or similar.

Dissassemble!

New Base

Rear fit

I need to get the plasticard textured so will probably try and spray and or drybrush over this netting, or glue it on. but that's pretty low priority.

Texturing

I also went to magnetise a new Chimera turret, just in case Heavy Bolters make a comeback!

Multilaser

The plan is to magnetise all the hulls along with the Sponsons for Leman Russ, I have a lot of spare weaponry so this should be easy, once I work out the best way to go about it.

Flamer positioning.

Sponson ideas.

Weapon Selection

There'll be loads more updates in the coming days/weeks, as I work towards getting everything done in time, even after it's all assembled and tidied it'll have to be painted, I think it's going to be close.

Chimera Factory

So I took it upon myself to make my Chimeras. The 4 of which that ill double as Flak tanks, thinking about it and lists and such made me realise I really need about 4 more of top of these.

I had to remove all the bits from the sprue, which took ages. and then I put some things together. I got a bit high off the glue.

All de-sprued

Tracks.

Assembled sides.

Tracks added on.

I then started working on the "APC Style" Chimera design. The concept is to have something that looks a bit like a modern APC.

Cut the Rear

Add on the front.

After that I gave up, was getting annoyed with Blu Tak and nothing staying together,

Magnets and Scratch Building

So the Magnets arrived, they are very very very tiny, and so strong, they kept getting stuck to all my tools.

MAGNETS! How do they work?

Tiny Magnets.

I had to paint them to make sure I never messed up the Polarity when I was attaching things, this took some time, and they are very hard to separate.

Kitchen Knife!

I started with the wings for one Vendetta, which went well. I was also able to do the Lascannons for the hardpoints as well as the one for the side of the hull.

A wing

NO DISASSEMBLE!

ASSEMBLE!

 It actually all stays together when you pick it up as well (by the body)

I also needed to have some Autocannons for my Moocon List, well Magnets and plastic tubing/rod can save the day!

First it's a Bolter...

Now, Autocannon!

And another thing I need for Moocon is a Hydra, my parts from Maelstrom only just got dispatched today, I hope they arrive for Xmas, theres a slim chance but hey.

I emailed the guys from Bitspudlo to ask them status, nothing back yet but they could be in the mailbox somewhere.

So I needed to Make a Flak Cannon, with my new materials and some Artistic inspiration I set to work...

Concept Art © Ikebox

And this is what I was able to come up with, I'm quite proud of it to be honest, it looks okay and it's clear what it's meant to be.

Finished product.

Painted 

Mounted on Custom Door Chimera

So thats it, 3 posts in one Evening, blame the camera, and my laziness.

I'll get my List for Moocon up tomorrow and will be taking the camera along on Saturday to chronicle my defeat(s), it's a Fun Highlander style Tournament, no Duplicates and a 1k points limit, looking forward to seeing what people come up with.

Going to play on Thursday night as well, will see if I test the Moocon list or keep it a guarded secret and then surprise everyone with it's idiocy.