Author Topic: Dark Eldar terrain - building Commorragh (will become pic heavy) (Read 23838 times)

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **on:** September 7, 2007, 06:17:13 AM »

I was always disappointed with the lack of Dark Eldar terrain. The only piece of DE terrain I know of is the one featured on the homepage of GW and that spire is not what I imagined DE buildings are supposed to look like.

Therefore, I decided to start a project which will eventually become enough terrain to fill an entire board. I will build the terrain as modules. This way the terrain can be rearranged for convenience or new terrain may be added simply by swapping the old modules for new ones.

As the projects progresses I will add new pictures but as I´m a rather slow converter and painter I don´t expect to be much faster with this project, either.
So be patient with me, please.

P.S.
This link will show you some ideas I have collected before starting here. If you came from this link you should not follow it.

http://www.40konline.com/index.php?topic=142015.0

Step one: The main body of the first tower

Top of the first building

Antennaes added

The last step is just a teaser. It isn´the finished top yet.

More later.

custard · « **Reply #1 on:** September 7, 2007, 07:14:25 AM »

... and there was me thinking you were going to use the shower head.... "Oh, at least they'll be nice and clean"

Looking interesting so far. I'm not really up to speed on DE at all, never having played them, but I love watching new terrain come together. It often seems as if it's overlooked in favour of armies. (you just have to look at the number of new posts in this section to see that.

)

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #2 on:** September 9, 2007, 10:20:57 AM »

Hi there,
I was kind of busy and continued on the towers. As plan on making two intact towers, I have started a second top.

Like the first one the top of the tower in made of wood.

Added the main antennae.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #3 on:** September 11, 2007, 09:13:27 AM »

I have made some progress an the towers.

The tops of two towers are essentially finished. I might add details at a later stage if I find the time to do so.

I have also continued the work on the first tower's main body and finished the top of a collapsed tower. The last top is the first element of several pieces that will (hopefully) stretch across 2 - 3 modules.

I'm still uncertainly to the spikes. They look too long. Perhaps I will take them off again and make them a bit shorter.
Generally, I don´t like spikey Dark Eldar but it adds to the flair.

Archonbjorn · « **Reply #4 on:** September 11, 2007, 04:32:38 PM »

I will be following this thread with interest, the spikes are to long, and the antennas are a bit to close of eachother. The fallen towers looks somehow a bit like a cactus instead of a DE building. Don't forget that Eldar like curves and the like, look at your raider bits and the tower of GW. Use similiar shapes for your tower in order to make it not end up like half a pyramid with spikes.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #5 on:** September 11, 2007, 05:09:38 PM »

Do you mean this tower from GW?

http://fr.games-workshop.com/40k/eldars_noirs/decors/tour_noire/index.asp

It is the very reason why I started this project. I don´t like it at all.

I started by analyzing these pics:

http://fr.games-workshop.com/40k/eldars_noirs/illustrations/img/popup.htm?gallery-image001.jpg

http://fr.games-workshop.com/40k/eldars_noirs/illustrations/img/popup.htm?gallery-image012.jpg

Most of the above pictures are kind of hazy and it's difficult to say if the DE towers / buildings are round or have edges.

I also used pictures from the BL graphic novel Daemonifuge. There are some good ones in it that I used. I decided to go for the edges as it is extremly difficult to build round towers and add the details that I would like to add.

I hope you will enjoy the project anyway.

P.S. I want to include something like this as well. It's the picture in the upper right.

http://gamesday.us.games-workshop.com/GamesDay2004/Baltimore/Coverage/Clubs/clubs.htm

Archonbjorn · « **Reply #6 on:** September 11, 2007, 05:46:37 PM »

Yes I mean the curves in the top of the GW tower, not the whole curve as this would make it unable to position models on the building. Those towers are madel ike this:

| |
< >
| |

Instead of a pyramid shaped form as far as I can see it. Those kind of details will be hard to bring forward wihile keeping it in scale.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #7 on:** September 14, 2007, 05:15:57 AM »

Another update:

I have begun to add details to the first tower: blades (in order to prevent intruders to climb the towers) and armour to the small sides. Both will go all the way around the tower.

It will take a while to finish. I just hate to cut these little blades and glueing them in place.

I also started with the first of several sections of the collapsed tower. Please note that this piece of terrain is still very WIP. It will need a lot of details as it is rather large.

For this one I will add interior decoration although at this point I´m not sure what I will use.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #8 on:** September 16, 2007, 07:39:53 AM »

The first part of the collapsed tower is almost done. Here are some pics for you guys.

Guess what you see on the next picture.

If you said ..."Oh, of course. This will be the base section of that collapsed tower" ... then you were right."

This will be the biggest / tallest element of all. I´m planning a height of approx. 60 cm / 2 feet.

BrotherCaptainRace · « **Reply #9 on:** September 16, 2007, 08:45:37 PM »

Personally, I am of the opinion that the only Dark Eldar architecture one would see is as they are being dragged kicking and screaming into Comorragh itself. However, these structures show a lot of promise - I am interested in seeing how they turn out.

My initial impression is that they could just as easily be gothic human structures (aren't they all in 40K?). It might very well come down to the fine details and paint job in making the difference, IMHO.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #10 on:** September 17, 2007, 04:45:59 AM »

Quote

My initial impression is that they could just as easily be gothic human structures (aren't they all in 40K?). It might very well come down to the fine details and paint job in making the difference, IMHO.

Somehow, you're right. In the end it comes down to gothic.

Concerning the details. This is giving me some headaches. I don´t want to go all spikey or corpses. Perhaps some here and there. But would you want corpses hanging from your window and foul stench of decaying flesh in your living-room?
No? I thought so.

The DE still remain the descendants of the rulers of the old eldar empire who had beautiful buildings. I would like to make the terrain look like old decaying remants of eldar architecture bred for war whose beauty is still recognisable.
That will be the difficult part to accomplish.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #11 on:** September 20, 2007, 06:53:08 AM »

Ok gents,

here´s another update.

Semi finished tower

I still have some work to do on the top and the mid section

Also did some work on the base of the collapsed tower. As this will be the center piece most of the time and energy will go into it.

Here´s another pic for size comparison.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #12 on:** September 21, 2007, 04:33:06 AM »

I started to work on the second tower. Again, it´s not finished, yet, as it need more details in order to make in more DE-like.

The mid section is essentially a cardboard box to which I have glued plasticard for more stability and better painting.

Mid section fully closed and attached pipes.

Semi finished tower. The separate sections are not glued to one another in order to have better access for future work.

A penny for your thoughts.

BrotherCaptainRace · « **Reply #13 on:** September 23, 2007, 02:56:00 PM »

I admire your approach, it's a lot more direct than I would've imagined, but seems to be turning out pretty well. All those flat surfaces might end up being kind of dull unless you've got some plans for them.

From a game play perspective, I like seeing taller buildings - and intact, no less! I'm guessing that any models or units deployed on the buildings won't be doing a great deal of moving during the game?

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #14 on:** September 23, 2007, 03:23:07 PM »

I´m glad you like it. Your post is very reassuring.

Quote

All those flat surfaces might end up being kind of dull unless you've got some plans for them.

Don´t worry. I will add details later but I´m not quite sure how to approach this. The Dark Eldar sprues don´t have that many bits that could be used in a proper way and I refrain from using Chaos bit for obvious reasons.

Quote

From a game play perspective, I like seeing taller buildings - and intact, no less!

The plan is to build three intact towers (the third one hasn´t been started yet), a large collapsed tower and lots of small ruins (remnants of the collapsed tower), movable barriers or walls , plus a wych cult arena (still on the drawing board).

Quote

I'm guessing that any models or units deployed on the buildings won't be doing a great deal of moving during the game?

I know, I know the third dimension is still not visible. I going to build bridges, gangways, balconies, (perhaps a raider landing pad or two). I want to magnetize them for variety and easier storage.

However, I´m afraid you must be patient for a couple of day. I got the flu (major headache, running nose, etc.)

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #15 on:** September 26, 2007, 01:51:35 AM »

Only a small update today. I have done some work on a catwalk / bridge prototype.

faithlessmonkeigh · « **Reply #16 on:** September 26, 2007, 04:17:42 AM »

man have i heard people talk about creating commorragh for ages.
Nice to see someone actaully creating their own interpretation of it, cause to be honest all we've ever had is just the one pic of a couple of spiky buildings in the distance on the dex cover.

me myself i saw kinda a dark/spiky ancint incan/mayan look.

but the stuff you've got there looks solid man, as long as they dont turn out looking imperial gothic like i reckon you should have a sweet looking scity there.

faithless

hearingyourlies · « **Reply #17 on:** October 5, 2007, 05:34:39 PM »

Man, looks like a hell of an ambitous undertaking.

Most of the terrain pieces I see are old Imperial Pieces and flatlands with some craters.

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #18 on:** October 11, 2007, 09:32:28 AM »

Hi everybody,

sorry for the long delay but I have to work for a living. Unfortunately, this keeps me from progressing as fast as I would like to.

However, I was able to add some details to the two smaller towers. Again, both are not finished, yet. The left tower is in need of some kind of decoration or balconies on its corners. The right tower will get some spikes on the top of its mid section.

Here's the picture:

Enjoy

tryanotherone - smurfernating · « **Reply #19 on:** October 20, 2007, 02:10:16 PM »

Hi everybody,

unfortunately not much progress. I just added some minor details to the towers you already know. I thought I'll share them with you anyway.

I have added a "pipe" to the right tower and reinforced its base section. To the left tower I added some spikes to the roof and supports to the base section.

This picture shows almost the same thing except that I switched the base section of the left tower. I haven't glued it, yet.
So far, I'm not sure which base section to use. Originally, the large base section was to carry the destroyed living tower of my Archon. It would count as ruined area terrain.
Well, we'll see.

Apart from what you see I've started some concept drawings of a wych cult arena and prepared elements for catwalks. You can see a destroyed one of those on the left tower (last pic).

Sorry for the slow progress.

See you later, guys.

ARMIES

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Author Topic: Dark Eldar terrain - building Commorragh (will become pic heavy) (Read 23838 times)