I recently was asked to do a centerpiece 60mm base for Warhammer 40k. It was to be themed for a Chaos army and was to display a battlefield with littered Space Marine bodies and other battlefield parts. The direction for the base was to include Space Marines from the Black Templar chapter as well as enough space for a large Demon.
When I create bases where there needs to be raised mounds or rocks, I normally start with taking cork and building on to that. In this case I needed a large bit of cork to begin with. You can find cork in large chunks from the dollar shop or the local cheap shop in the form of table protectors for hot pots. Simply break these round cork protectors up until you hae the rough shape for the area you want to cover. I use a screw driver or pen to rip up the edges to give a more natural jagged edge for cliffs. Then glue it on to the base with PVA glue and begin constructing the diorama.
I first took several bits of marines and other battlefield bits from my bits box and blu-tacked them into place until I found the perfect positions – I had to keep remembering to leave enough room to fit the large demon on the base. Once the positioning had been completed, I cut and glued all the pieces on to the base.
Bullets on the base were made from a cut up paper clip and painted in a brass color. I normally cut the paperclip up and glue the pieces into place, then I paint them after.
Finally the base was covered in fine sand and painted up to the client’s specification. Sporadic tufts of grass were placed around the base – I like using the Army Painter brand for the grass.
Work in progress shots:
Finished Product:
