Tuesday 30 July 2019

Observation Tower - Old School Yoghurt Pot Scenery

With a week to go to Bring Out Your Lead 2019 at Wargames Foundry, I have completed all of the models I need to use in my planned games. I do still have a few pieces of terrain to make for my ash wastes racing game, one of which is a sort of VIP observation tower / commentary box.

I had nearly bought a suitable resin tower kit, but then decided that an old school approach would work equally as well. After all, it's sanctioned by the text in the Rogue Trader rulebook no less:

I figured I could ape the look of these buildings pretty quickly and easily.



I rummaged in the recycling bin and pulled out a couple of dessert pots. After an hour of pretty basic work, I had a tower with a door and an upper platform on which to put my VIP racing enthusiasts.

The detailing, including the door, is simply made from thin card with a few pieces of plastic rod.

The floor of the upper platform is a circle of textured plasticard on top of some foamcard.

So after the pretty basic construction, it was a quick and dirty paint job:




I know it won't win any prizes, but I think it suffices for the game, and it took less than 2 hours to both build and paint. Not to mention that when it's in amongst other terrain, it looks pretty cool!


34 comments:

  1. Excellent! Many years ago I was also inspired by the yoghurt pot scenery. I even scouted all the different pots available in the supermarket to see what pots could suit my building project the best. I still remember the best yoghurt containers I found had the crappiest yoghurt.

    I never tried the shampoo bottle spaceship though.

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    1. I think it's something worth revisiting. I've got an empty disposable trifle bowl that would make a nice hab unit!

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  2. Tropicana juice bottle tops have great gothic arches to dress up any recycling terrain!

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    1. I've not see those - pretty sure the UK ones are boring ridged screw caps!

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  3. Nice work, and it fits well as an old school piece, and a supporting piece for more contemporary terrain too (surely not everything in the imperium is encrusted with skulls?). The grey is great too, a nice change over the usual tan.

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    1. Cheers! The gothic look has it's place, but generally I prefer something less skull :)

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  4. I now have to make one of these to go with my own comms tower...

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    1. Just checked it out - looks like we used some of the same components! I like your enclosed version - I should give that a go too.

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    2. First piece of terrain that I ever built - quite a learning curve!

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    3. Nice work for the first one :)

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  5. Sometimes the simplest approach provides the best results. Fits in perfectly with your existing stuff and a great homage to the original in the rulebook.

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    1. Honestly, I wasn't expecting it to look too good, but the paint goes a long way to disguising the pretty basic construction. I think with more detailing, these could be pretty cool.

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  6. All is good, you may continue.

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  7. Replies
    1. Thanks Kym! Pretty quick and simple works :)

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  8. You made the right choice, I love it!

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    1. Cheers Suber! I need to get some more trash made up into nice new buildings!!

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  9. Looks great. I have a bunch of just that sort of stuff saved. I need to crack on with it.

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    1. Do it! Quick, simple and instantly gratifying!!

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  10. Looks the part, and in *2* hours!? Perfect.

    There is a circular element to the sci-fi "junk" terrain aesthetic that I enjoy: on some level I view the junk look as more authentic than something bespoke.

    If it was good enough for the sci-fi TV and movies of the 20th century, then it's a valid look for gaming over.

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    1. It really was a case of quick and dirty :)

      I totally agree with the shapes- they really seem to resonate and just look right.

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  11. You-ghurt the touch! You-ghurt the power! When the going gets tough you'll be riding the eye of the stoooorm!

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    1. I insist that all your future comments be in pun cover song form :)

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