Initial forays into scenic model bases...

Son:  "How many cannons does it have?  2+ armor save?  Feel No pain?"
Dad: "No son, this isn't for some silly game!  This is modeling for the sake of modeling..."

    Incase you haven't been reading the last few weeks worth my "This Geek's Week...", aside from solo games of the Pathfinder Adventure card game, I've been unable to get any tabletop gaming in.  I show up to the LGS, and people are either getting ready to leave, don't have time, or just don't feel like playing anything.  It's been getting rather frustrating, as my time for gaming is limited, and when I manage to make it to the store I WANT TO GAME!  With that growing frustration in mind, I've decided to start moving away from gaming, and building new armies, and instead move towards building more traditional model kits, as well as the scenic bases to mount them on.  With that in mind, my first forays into this new hobby will be to take some of my unused gaming models, and to start experimenting with how to mount them.  Why have them just thrown on a shelf, or kept tucked away in a gaming bag, never to see the light of day, when I can mount them to a fancy base, and display them on a shelf properly!  These are my first two attempts: my Imperial Fists Rhino from Warhammer 40k, and my Panzer Auf 1-C from DUST.

My first one was a simple one, taking my DUST walker, and simply placing upon a larger, matching base.  The models for this game are really cool, but I could never find anyone interested in giving it a try at my LGS.  I had initially hoped that DUST Warfare would become my new "main game", and yet I had only ever been able to play a few solo games of DUST Tactics.  I painted up a handful of my German forces from the DUST Tactics box, and it was a shame to keep this guy hidden away in my gaming bag!

My Imperial Fist Rhino was more of what I had in mind in regards to the base-making aspect of the modeling hobby.  I'm terrible when it comes to terrain making, and I can tell that making bases of this nature will use many of the similar skills of terrain making.  That said, I did the best I could, with the materials that I had on hand.  In hindsight, I also should have done the overall composition a bit differently.  I knew enough to not put the tank directly centered on the board, but I think placing it at more of an extreme angle would have looked more interesting in general.  I'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time I put together a tank model.  I'll probably also research some more options for when it comes to crafting the actual "ground" of the base. 

All in all, I'm looking forward to moving further into the modeling hobby.  While there are definite ties between the skills used in modeling for gaming, and this type of traditional modeling, there is still plenty of new ground for me to cover, and new tricks for me to learn.  I'm thinking my next model will be either a Messerschmitt bf 109, or a German Panzer III or IV.