Ruined Buildings & Rusty Sci-Fi Walls

As I described in my previous blog post, I wanted to work on expanding my collection of terrain in order to enhance the visuals and improve play for my retro sci-fi Combat Patrol™ games.  Specifically, I wanted to add some ruined and battle-damaged buildings and rusty walls.  However, I wanted them to look great – and weathering is a relatively new area of painting for me, hence the challenge!

Working with some new materials was a central aspect – especially with regards to weathering and rusting techniques.  My journey started in August with Armorcast’s 3-crater set and using Vallejo Pigments.  Subsequently, I followed that project up with putting together five ruined buildings and six sci-fi walls (both from Armorcast as well).  They included:

• 5 ruined building corners
  • 1 ACRB008 Corner, 3½” tall sculpted by Cal Gorton
  • 1 ACRB009 Corner, 3½” tall, long sculpted by Cal Gorton
  • 1 set of ACRB013 corners (set includes 2 pieces), low ruins with shell holes sculpted by David Garton
  • 1 T-Section, 3½” tall sculpted by David Garton
• 6 battle damaged sci-fi walls
  • 1 set of ACW007 High Tech Walls 2 (each set includes 2 walls) sculpted by Shawn Lux
  • 2 sets of High Tech Walls 1 (each set includes 2 walls) sculpted by Shawn Lux

To complete the project, and work on my techniques, I made a list of goals.  I desired to employ several new (to me) technical skills, materials, and techniques.  I ended up checking off on all of these except for using the Citadel “Nihilakh Oxide” and the Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Oil Stains (Gloss)” as they proved to be unneeded.

Below is my initial list of goals – the ones in bold were ones used and apply to this post.

• Assembling, building, and basing terrain
• Use of materials to create weathering and rusting effects, to include:
  • Vallejo Pigments, to include application and fixing (covered in this blog post)
  • Vallejo Mecha Color weathering products
  • Weathering and rusting/oxidizing effect products, to incude:
    • Citadel Technical paints:
      • Typhus Corrosion
      • Ryza Rust
      • Nihilakh Oxide
    • Vallejo and Vallejo Mecha Color rusting and weathering products
      • Vallejo Pigments (various)
      • Vallejo Game Air rusts (71.069 and 71.080)
      • Vallejo Mecha Color Weathering products
        • Oil Stains (gloss)
        • Rust Wash
        • Rust Texture (Matt)
• Create a new storage system for my terrain pieces

I am glad that I got to use most of them.  The buildings will be discussed first, and then the walls, and finally my storage box work.  I will aim for plenty of visuals, and there will be eye candy at the end!  I will list a lessons learned section and a materials section at the end of the post for those interested.  This should hopefully be useful for some of you.

Ruined Buildings

Sci-Fi Walls

New Storage System/Box

Now that I had all this new terrain, especially the buildings, I needed a good efficient way to store and transport them to my games.  I decided to use a 32-liter Really Useful Box and to design a level inside to optimize its volume.  Essentially, I built a tray with legs to insert into the box and make it into multiple levels.  I plan on repeating this for other terrain in my collection.  Note that I use Aleene’s Magnetic Tacky Sheets from Michael’s to line the storage surfaces.   

Lessons Learned

I have several “lessons learned” about this project, and I also got great feedback on my last crater post.  One area of feedback that I got was from Azazel who suggested I needed a gaming mat.  I had wanted to get one or two, but they are indeed expensive.  Thanks to advice from him on my last post (and all of you who give me feedback – I thank you all from the bottom of my heart) – and that’s the truth!

Anyways, I got two neoprene (mouse pad material) mats from Gamemat.eu in the Czech Republic.  One is “Wastelands”, and the other one is “Highlands in War”.  I think both will work well with my terrain, and you can see them in the “eye candy” section below the lessons learned.

So here are the lessons and thoughts I have from the project – some are the same as the crater project, and some are new – but I though I’d try to be complete and list them all here:

1. The cleaning and scrubbing of the resin helped with the priming.  The Scotch-Brite pads work well for this use.
2. Armorcast terrain pieces are fairly priced and a good value.  The quality was easy to work with, and any issues were easy to address with green stuff.
3. For terrain pieces that will be totally covered in pigments, priming them is not needed.  
4. You can indeed airbrush a wash, but NEVER try to airbrush anything with “texture” in it, no matter what the label says (maybe a bigger nozzle might work, but I only have one size).
5. Fixing pigments with airbrush thinner is easier than with pigment binder.  However, add any additional large features, such as extra rocks later, or use pigment binder on the rocks.
6. Affixing larger models to plastic dinner plates is a good option for handling without touching the painted surfaces. 
7. Having trays and palette wells (such as the one I put my pigment palette in) while working with pigments cuts down on the mess considerably.  Be ready to use multiple brushes, both wet and dry.  The mess vacuumed up or washed off easily from my palettes and trays.
8. Always ensure your pigment bottles are shut tight.  I see how they could spill over easily.
9. PVA glue and play sand are an inexpensive winner.
10. The combination of thin steel and thin polystyrene yields a model base with little to any “rise” from the tabletop at its edge, and is strong.
11. Real rusting takes time and is random.  So is weathering it.  The Vallejo and Citadel products I used were really nice.  I do see how the pigments would be useful for rusting and will have to try that too sometime.
12. Thin your varnish to prevent the crazing! You can airbrush the thinner easily directly on pigments, just need to watch the airflow so they are not blown off.
13. The Vallejo pigments video is a must see for newbies.
14. Washes help in the end for touch ups.
15. Love my storage box design!
16. Shadow’s Edge Miniatures tufts are fantastic – need no extra glue and dry clearly.
17. I love my new game mats!!

Eye Candy!

Now for the walls on the “Wastelands” mat!  Here we have the F.R.O.G. Commandos getting picked on again and getting assaulted by Archive Warbots, Roberker, and more Mark 1 Sphere tanks – will they hold?

Hopefully you found this post fun and informative.  Please leave any feedback or suggestions in the comments section – and I realize that this was a long post, so if you’re still reading, THANKS!

PAINTS, PIGMENTS, INKS, GLUES, GLAZES, WASHES, AND FLOCKING USED:

1. Vallejo “Surface Primer – Gray”
2. Vallejo “Airbrush Thinner”
3. Vallejo “Airbrush Flow Improver”
4. Army Painter “Black Battlefields” (flocking)
5. Green stuff (kneadatite)
6. Generic play sand
7. Elmer’s “Glue-All”
8. SceneARama “Rocks”
9. Vallejo “Pigment Binder”
10. Evergreen Scale Models #9020 0.5 mm plain polystyrene sheets
11. Gorilla Glue
12. Wargames Accessories steel bases (various)
13. Vallejo Game Air “Wood”
14. Vallejo Game Air “Steel”
15. Americana “Raw Umber”
16. Polly Scale “WWII Luftwaffe Uniform Gray”
17. Vallejo Mecha Color “Dark Steel”
18. Vallejo Mecha Color “SZ Red”
19. Polly Scale “WWII British Aircraft Gull Gray Light”
20. Vallejo “Black”
21. Vallejo “Dark Slate Grey” (pigment)
22. Vallejo “Light Slate Grey” (pigment)
23. Vallejo “Light Sienna” (pigment)
24. Vallejo “Faded Olive Green” (pigment)
25. Vallejo “Light Yellow Ochre” (pigment)
26. Vallejo “Natural Umber” (pigment)
27. Citadel “Balor Brown”
28. Citadel “Skrag Brown”
29. Polly S “Rust”
30. Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Rust Texture (Matt)”
31. Vallejo Game Air “Rust 069”
32. Vallejo Game Air “Rust 080”
33. Citadel “Typhus Corrosion”
34. Citadel “Ryza Rust”
35. Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Dark Rust Wash” (wash)
36. Citadel “Valhallan Blizzard”
37. Vallejo “Titanium White” (pigment)
38. Vallejo “Carbon/Smoke Black” (pigment)
39. Secret Weapons Washes “Stone” (wash)
40. Vallejo Mecha Weathering “Light Rust Wash” (wash)
41. Citadel “Nuln Oil (Gloss)”
42. Citadel “Niblet Green”
43. Citadel “Athonian Camoshade” (wash)
44. Citadel “Agrax Earthshade” (wash)
45. Testors “Universal Acrylic Thinner”
46. Vallejo Mecha Varnish “Matt Varnish”
47. Army Painter “Wasteland Tufts”
48. Shadow’s Edge Miniatures “12 mm tufts”

Thanks again – and please let me know your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section!