15mm Alien Trees

Whenever we are near a Hobby Lobby I get excited.  I usually get good deals on airbrush spare parts and also pickup unusual items for terrain building.  

Recently, while at said store I grabbed some I things that looked bizarre enough for my purposes. 

Strange flora grows on Altair VI

It was a simple task of gluing them onto washers and adding appropriate flock.  I managed to make 21 tree stands of various types. 

Not bad for $15 bucks.  

15mm Sci Fi - Using Heroscape Terrain in games

 Photo-rummaging sometimes yields results.  Years ago I discovered that Heroscape Terrain can be used for both 15mm Sci Fi & Battletech games.  Heroscape tiles are stackable, allowing you to create any number of hill combinations easily.  They come in rather garish colors, so I painted mine the same color green as my felt Battletech mat (I had the paint color-matched at Home Depot....yes I used latex house paint on my tiles....don't judge me!).

You can purchase Heroscape tiles here:

https://www.allthingsheroscape.com/collections/heroscape-terrain

An Alien Squad Leader Battlefield

The photos below are from an Alien Squad Leader game.  I present them with no commentary (since I cannot remember anything mainly).  

My Built-Up Areas for ASQL.  Most terrain in this game consists of "areas" (urban, forest, swamp, ect).

The trees are 1:300 scale I do believe.  They are robust.

The Heroscape hexes were the same size as the mat I used for Battletech games.  Very convenient.

Hills can be barren or have foliage of course.  

The forces involved: Human Imperial.

Human Colonial Defense Force.

Water tiles & Urban roads/paved surfaces...these are MDF hex tiles, painted for various depths.  

Perhaps this idea will be of use to someone?  

Trees....lots and lots of trees

 Through extensive research I have discovered that it takes two days to mount and flock the bases for 82 Noch Deciduous trees.   

I now have the most model trees of anyone who lives on my street.  

I win. 

15mm Sci Fi - Colony Shops part 2

 Last week I only showcased some of my 15mm Colony Shops.  These guys are from 4Ground Miniatures, MDF buildings that come pre-painted (yay).

Signs are easy enough to make.  Find an image you like and reduce in scale until you are happy.  Then mount it on plasticard.  I need so make a spare parts store or something like that.  For whatever reason I tend to focus on food.  I like food.

Every colonist needs a place to purchase their freeze-dried rations.

For those on the go there is always a place to find something to force down their gullet.

The posters are simply attached via white tac.  They can be glued on as well for a more permanent solution.  

For the sophisticated sentient there is always something to do.  

Star Travelers always have a place to stay...along with the local space cockroaches.

Not every sentient is welcome at Mc Burger.

There are many possibilities for signs and posters.  Use your Google-Fu and go crazy.

15mm Sci Fi - Colony Shops

More colony buildings, care of Mad Mecha Guy and Game Craft Miniatures.

I built these years ago.  At the time I was an idiot and misplaced the doors for the buildings.  Ugh.  Anyway, they work well enough for a small colony setup (habitat structures will be in another post).  Again, like everything else in the future, grey is the color of choice.  Damn doors.  Yes it bugs me.

The building signs are attached via rare earth magnets: one on the sign and one on the inside of the building (only the sign one requires glue).  That way I can switch them out as needed.  

Buildings by Mad Mecha Guy & Gamecraft Miniatures.  Vehicle by Old Crow.  Accessories by GZG. 

Every colony needs a place to buy guns.  

If you want to eat, there is always Uncle Chen's.  Its the best place in town.

....and sell stolen shit....and then buy back said stolen shit when you find out you need it.

....and a place to get drunk and have sex.

All my billboards are double-sided.  

War is Peace.  Freedom is Slavery.  Ignorance is Strength.

MDF buildings are very cheap, but they need accessories on them.  More still, I need to find colony shop doors.  Try as I might, I cannot find anything that fits just right.  

Lets Talk Area Terrain

Terrain. To me, an evocative table-top is more important than the miniatures who represent the beings who will fight and die for our amusement.  With the right pieces the mind can be swept away to alien vistas and ancient lands where only the mind may travel.

Sadly, the trend in todays miniature gaming is to use True Line of Sight and what I call "Terrain Micromanagement".  In this environment each piece of terrain is placed on the table and becomes an immovable object; a force that even the gods cannot move.  We then spend much of the game arguing what one can and cannot see from the vantage point of a 25mm tall plastic/metal figure.  Absurd. 

In days gone by, wargames used another system.  The designers knew that the tabletop battlefield was only a vague representation of the actual location.  We need not be concerned with the placement of each tree, rock and bush.  We only need to know what might be in a general area of the battlefield, as indicated by a specific area.  Perhaps a piece of felt, cardboard or MDF would represent this area.  The point is that the zone represented contained a certain type of terrain: rocks, jungle, water or even buildings (yes buildings). Even GW's 40K used such a system in the days of old.  Designers knew that today perhaps your forest area represented but a light wood, whereas next week it may be an impenetrable jungle.  All we need concern ourselves with is how big the area is.



Woods and Rocky Areas

Below are two examples of area terrain and how they can be used on the tabletop: a wooded area and a rocky area.  The area of each is indicated by a piece of flocked MDF.  The pieces of terrain inside this area can be moved around at will, or even removed.  We need not be concerned with their placement.  If a miniature or unit does not fit inside the area we simply remove terrain pieces until they do.  This method allows us to create dioramas and terrain features which are modular and are user friendly.


Rocks found in my backyard, repainted and based on 60mm bases.

These terrain pieces were quite simple and cheap to produce.  Rocks can be found anywhere.  However, they should to be painted if at all possible.  Unpainted rocks on a tabletop simply look like small pebbles or rocks.  Once painted though they become miniature boulders and colossal granite formations.  The best part about rocks is they are free.  Perhaps this rocky area blocks line of sight within 2" of the base?  Perhaps only 1".  The choice is yours.

a rock

a tree

 These are trees from various manufacturers.  I simply glued them onto 40mm bases.  A little flock and they are done.  Maybe these areas are jungles, permitting but 1" of visibility in or out?  Perhaps they are light woods, permitting a 4" line of sight.  The choice is yours.

look, more trees

Area terrain simplifies line of sight, cover and just about everything else associated with vision.  Arguments vanish under it's lawful gaze.  We spend less time arguing and more time playing and hopefully enjoying ourselves together.

15mm Sci Fi City

Now for something a little different.  Behold, my 15mm Sci Fi urban setting: Raccoon City.  It has many things to offer both residents and visitors.  Lets take a look.

Raccoon City

Welcome to Raccoon City.

Urban Slums...gotta live somewhere.

Enjoy the Riddel Theater (aka Peep Show), then head on over to Uncle Chen's for a bite to eat.

Pizza for the masses and the Hard Rock Café for the sophisticated.

Guns, guns, guns!  We have a special right now, buy one get the bullets free.

Can there be no safer place to live than beside an Arms Dealer?

For the sophisticated male there is always something to do to pass the time.

Had a little too much to drink?  No problem, stumble over to the motel for a nights sleep.

Every city needs some big unnamed buildings.



Of course there is more than one bar.  Variety is the spice of life.  BTW, "Tarantula" is playing at the Riddle.

"Drink Nuka-Beer!"

There is plenty of parking downtown.  Too bad no one can afford a vehicle.

The downtown core.

Need cash?  The Pawn Shop is always open.

Downtown



more downtown.
 

The apartment buildings are from Old Crow (resin).   The other buildings are from Mad Mecha Guy (MDF).  Building fittings are from GZG.  Roads were made from hobby store wood.  All buildings were airbrushed.  Paints used were mainly Tamyia Dark/Neutral/Light Grey, Tamyia Medium Grey, Tamyia Hull Red and Vallejo Model Air browns.