Many of you may be familiar with my "Sump City", a terrain project I began a year and a half ago, documenting my terrain projects for Inquisimunda/Necromunda, etc. I've built a LOT of terrain and it's been a fun project. The reaction the original project received has been flattering (I seem to be Pinterested a lot) and inspired me to push my hobby skills and imagination with this deeper incarnation.

I've been thinking a lot about a 2.0 version of that initial idea, and feel that I hadn't fully realized the concept in the way I really wanted. I'm also driven by the desire to build terrain that balances my modeling interests in creating Diorama style playing pieces with ease of gameplay. I got to the point where I had SO MUCH scatter terrain that the setup and teardown was longer than desired, and there were many loose pieces, easily misplaced, lost, etc.

Enter SUMPTOWN CHRONICLES.

I purchased some game tiles that are 300mm squares, almost 12", laser cut and precision made. They also have built in rare earth magnets, so each tile can SNAP into the other and stay connected. Knocking the table accidently is no longer catastrophic! lol.

I've decided to build an incredible skirmish table with diorama qualities in each sector. Built with gaming in mind, so it has to accommodate figures, bases, etc... Plus, setup and teardown will be much quicker. I'll keep a few pieces of scatter terrain for occasional needs, as well as build some open area tiles that can accommodate my pre-existing larger buildings.

Thematically, this will be the ultimate SUMPTOWN, a former industrial area that routinely floods, originally ruined and abandoned, to be rediscovered and inhabited by low lifes, scum, villains, and monstrosities.


Here is the first tile I built


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I had painted this shanty earlier, so when I prime and paint the tile, I'll mask it off. I've experimented with layouts for a number of tiles, and come up with a few guiding rules for myself. One of them is that tiles should always have at least one element that is askew. So in the case of the shipping container, it's helpful to keep it non-parallel. When lined up with other tiles, it creates the possibility of a narrow alleyway. The container will likely have a lot of graffiti, as well as litter in the alley section.

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"Front View" of the tile. The Water processor needs a lot more detailing. More pipes, random groups of wiring, perhaps a 2nd "Spigot". The cardboard will receive Liquitex Resin Sand texture gel, to give it the appearance of concrete. The entire structure also needs a hundred nuts/bolts holding it together. Overall, just want to make it very busy.

You may notice there are 2 metal ring loops, one on the Processor, and one on the 2nd floor of the Fishmonger. There will be a clothesline between the two structures, suspended over the central alleyway.

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Thinking of including a small table outside the fishmonger's with rotten fish on it. The lower floor of the Processing tube will have a control station. I'm waiting on some control panels from Copplestone Casting's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang line for that piece. I plan on including some wiring out of the control panel up the side of the tube, perhaps splitting off to the Necromunda bulkhead to "power" a light, which I'll paint with Object Source lighting effects onto the ground below. I also plan on adding a rounded half-circle section of concrete around the base of the tube. That will contrast nicely with dark earth for the rest of the tile. I may also include some little puddles of waste here and there.

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OVERHEAD VIEW:

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The circular platform will be painted with distressed yellow/black hazard striping. I'm ordering some Forge World Brass Etch eagles and will likely place one on this platform. It will feel similar to my Sump City Tower #7 piece from my prior thread. I've considered including some boxes on the roof, but think it may be best to keep it open and simply use scatter terrain when needed. It will store easier, and I'm not inclined to always provide cover up top, effectively fortifying it for all future games.