Ork Outpost Terrain for Figurines Game

This tutorial will show a step by step way to build an ork tower. But some of given techniques can be used for any terrain... or other.

Material used for this project is manly reuse or some DIY material. Here's the list :

• some remains of foam insulating foam board
• The remaining of a polyurethane bomb
• old newspapers
• cardboard, plastic card
• some matches
• thin iron wire
• wood big and long sticks (like big matches, found in DIY store)
• Wooden tongue depressors
• Sand
• Some pre-made coating (smoothing one because of finer grain)
• PVA Glue
• Acrylic paints

Tools used are very simple :

• cutter,
• Ruler,
• some holding clips
• paint brushes
• some sculptor's tools (can be replaced by kitchen utensils),
• small file
• hole punch pliers

1. On a plate of foam board, some stems of foam board has been pinned (using matches) and glued (use only PVA glue with foam, as other glues may melt it).
2. The remain of an insulating foam bomb has been finished to "fill the gaps" of the structure.

1. An old newspaper has been roughly cut in 5cm (2") strips
2. Strips are fully dipped in a bowl filled with some glue made from very diluted PVA glue (5 water / 1 glue). You can also use wallpaper glue if you have some.
3. Dipped strips are positioned on the foam structure, changing position and direction to ensure the best coverage.

Metal hook on top was to allow hanging it outside to dry.

Many layers have been added to the paper skin to reinforce it and give a more "rocky" aspect.

First layer (white) is only a mix of PVA glue, coating and water. This first coat must be quite liquid to allow using a paintbrush and well covering (approx dilution : 1/5 PVA + 1/5 coating + 3/5 water).

Following layer are less and less liquid and include some paint to color the layer.

The last layer (darker one on pictures) is almost only PVA and coating to allow using a sculpting tool rather than a paint brush. This permits small reliefs on rock surface.

Rock painting uses mainly two techniques :

• Juice : paint is strongly diluted. This "juice" fills the hollows and dries in it, coloring them only.
• Dry-brushing : paint is not diluted at all. Once use an old paintbrush. Remove almost all paint on it by rubbing it on a paper or fabric. Then brush the reliefs of the rock. Paint will only be on the reliefs not in hollows

First job was determining the first deck's shape. I used a thin cardboard to make a template.

Once the template shape is correct, regularly spaced parallel lines have been traced on it to determine future beams positions. For each "Beam line", a number indicates additional beam length needed to be sealed in the rock.

Beams are made with some sort of "big matches" (approx 3mm x 3mm x 20 cm) I found in a DIY store.

When beams meet, they are half cut to allow a good grip. They are glued with PVA glue.

When all deck structure is done, the points where the beams need to be sealed in the rock are marked and drilled with a spike (big nail for example). Beams' ends to sealed are sharpened with a cutter and glued inside the rock.

Some poles are added and glued using the same technique for the places where the deck overhangs.

Flooring is made using the tongue depressors (but ice cream stick should also work).

To ensure solidity, I advise doing the same that for a real wooden floor : always cut the floor boards above a beam.

The second deck structure is simpler than the first one : only sealed beams and poles. Just use a ruler to be sure that all your beams are aligned. As it's an Orkish structure, level is not really an issue.

Same technic for the flooring than for the first deck.

Top deck structure is always made with sealed beams and post but some posts rest on the level below

Ladders uprights are made in the same "big matches" than the beams and posts.

Steps are made with round bamboo stick (originaly sold to make skewers).

With a file, the place for each step is carved in the two uprights and the steps are glued with PVA.

Top floor is same technique but a hole is necessary for the ladder.

In order for the first ladder to be positioned, a "ground" is needed.

It has been cut in a thick cardboard in roughly the shape of the rock print, except for the zone where the ladder needs to be stuck.

When stuck to the rock, this ground has been covered with a mix of PVA, coating and sand.

Then, ladder has been stuck.

The same "big matches" are glued on each decks' edges to reinforce the fences' gluing.

"Standard" fences are cut in plastic card or corrugated cardboard.

I made a small tool screwing together two all pieces of wood to ease wooden palisades building (last picture). These palisades are made "weaving" matches with iron wire.

Teeth and skull are cut in platic card and then "damaged" using a cutter. They are glued on the fences at (more or less) regular intervals.

Nails heads were made using a hole punch pliers.

Two belts (thin cardboard) are glued over the teeth (top and bottom) to maintain them and two nail heads are stuck for each tooth / belt.

After a black primer on the decks, painting was quite simple :

• an orange "juice" on the decks' floors
• white and blue paint (almost no dilution) to paint teeth and skull
• a brow juice above all to soil "too clean for Orks" paint.