Step-by-step - Rogue Trader habitat

I’ve designated 2018 as my Year of Rogue Trader^TM. I’ve accumulated a modest pile of RT miniatures over the last couple of years and have painted precisely one of them. So this year I’m going to make a dent in the pile.

My aim is to paint enough minis for a small skirmish game – say a dozen a side – covering two or three different forces, plus scatter terrain and a 4’x4’ board. I reckon that’s achievable even if I get distracted by some side projects along the way!

Progress is going well. My Mentor Legion squad was finished yesterday, and I’m pretty pleased with how they turned out. The freehand insignias weren’t as tricky as I thought they would be! I entered the dreadnought in the Eavier Metal 20 Year painting competition with no expectation of winning but just for the heck of it. I spent a bit more time on it than I might have otherwise, but I just don’t think I have the patience to produce really quality work. I’d rather have lots of OK painted minis than a few good ones!

Mentor Legion ready to rumble

 I’ve also been working on the terrain. So far I’ve completed some plants (and have a few more on the way), and some floating gas spore greebies. I’ve also finished three habitats for my campaign world of Zenithal Prime (see what I did there?), and I thought people might be interested in a step-by-step.

Death world flora at its finest

Giant purple gas spores - but of course

 The main part of the structure is a plastic thing I picked up (along with most of the rest of the bits I’ve used) from Reverse Garbage. If you live in Brisbane, go and check it out. They take office and commercial waste that would otherwise go to landfill and re-sell it. It’s a great source of odds and ends for terrain building. I’ve no idea what these things were originally used for, but they’re the perfect size and shape for a habitat on a harsh frontier world.

Odd plastic thing

Bits and pieces were stuck on with PVA to give the models a bit of interest – old computer bits, bency straws and the things that cover plugs on electical appliances. The door way was cut out, a piece of cereal packet card glues over the inside of the hole and thicker card cut to form a door and stuck to it. The buildings are based on old CDs.

Now with extra bits

I was almost going to leave them untextured, as the plastic thing had a bit of roughness to it, but changed my mind and was glad I did. I mixed polyfilla with water and sand from the kids’ sandpit to make a gritty paste and slathered it on. Once it was dry, I spray primed it grey and painted it with emulsion that I had tinted P3 Rucksack Tan for my wizard’s tower. I drybrushed it with 2:1 white:Rucksack Tan and voila!

Texture added

The bits were painted P3 Sulfuric Yellow, washed with Agrax Earthshade and then weathered by sponging on P3 Bloodstone and P3 Greatcoat Grey, followed by more Earthshade. I’m really happy with how those bits turned out – just the look I was going for!The doors were GW Ironbreaker washed with Earthshade and splotched with Bloodstone.

Ready for the settlers to move in

Next up terrain-wise is a larger habitat followed (probably) by the power generator for the growing settlement. Thanks for stopping by!