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Due to the 6th edition rules on you can take a fortifications, I decided to scratch-build my fortification, an imperial bastion. This is my first conversion/scratch built anything so constructive criticism is much appreciated. I plan on priming it with spray can and gluing heavy bolters in the slots and applying imperium symbols on the sides.

I'm not going to sugar coat it: That just looks like a lump of styrofoam without much detail or anything of the sort. I guess it doesn't need the hard edges an actual Imperial Bastion has, but that is, at best, the skeletal framework for something bigger and better. The crenelations up top are really rough and it doesn't look like the cardboard bit up top is part of the same structure. If you did something to cover it up with say a sheet of plasticard or some wood or bardcut up to look like floor planks, that could be cool. Do you have anything in mind for the door that you'll scratch build? Cutting a hole in the building will just look goofy.

Also, a note on Styrofoam: unless it is covered by something like Latex paint ahead of time, spray paint will melt it. Your tower will become a corroded mess of half-melted Styrofoam, broken dreams, and toxic fumes. Cover it with latex paint, which can be found at many craft stores, then spray it with a textured spray paint. This will give it some texture to pick up on so you can drybrush it later.

Brother SRM wrote:I'm not going to sugar coat it: That just looks like a lump of styrofoam without much detail or anything of the sort. I guess it doesn't need the hard edges an actual Imperial Bastion has, but that is, at best, the skeletal framework for something bigger and better. The crenelations up top are really rough and it doesn't look like the cardboard bit up top is part of the same structure. If you did something to cover it up with say a sheet of plasticard or some wood or bardcut up to look like floor planks, that could be cool. Do you have anything in mind for the door that you'll scratch build? Cutting a hole in the building will just look goofy.

Also, a note on Styrofoam: unless it is covered by something like Latex paint ahead of time, spray paint will melt it. Your tower will become a corroded mess of half-melted Styrofoam, broken dreams, and toxic fumes. Cover it with latex paint, which can be found at many craft stores, then spray it with a textured spray paint. This will give it some texture to pick up on so you can drybrush it later.

Thanks for telling the truth because if you said it was great, I would have little inspiration to improve it.

For the top I could get some wooden popsicle sticks or splinters of wood for planks.

For the doors I was thinking of using the top hatch of my Rhino or using the extra hatch from the razorback I hope to purchase soon.

I plan on adding things like a search light, from my Rhino, a banner from my devastators, maybe some smoke launchers and a comms box from my land raider. But for further detail on the walls I don't have many ideas than adding vehicle decoration bits.


Thanks for ttaking the time to help me.

Dayvuni wrote:Thanks for telling the truth because if you said it was great, I would have little inspiration to improve it.

For the top I could get some wooden popsicle sticks or splinters of wood for planks.

For the doors I was thinking of using the top hatch of my Rhino or using the extra hatch from the razorback I hope to purchase soon.

I plan on adding things like a search light, from my Rhino, a banner from my devastators, maybe some smoke launchers and a comms box from my land raider. But for further detail on the walls I don't have many ideas than adding vehicle decoration bits.

Thanks for taking the time to help me.

Visit the local model railroad store. There are often various items (doors, pipes etc) that can be used in these projects. Also, you can usually get plastic sheets in a variety of textures which can be used for flooring or walls. That would improve the look of the bastion.

Additionally, if you're looking for flocking or tufts for basing, use the model railroad store. The GW/Army Painter/Gale Force 9 stuff is the same as the ones model railroaders have been using for decades, but put in smaller packages with higher prices.

Ancestral Hamster wrote: Visit the local model railroad store. There are often various items (doors, pipes etc) that can be used in these projects. Also, you can usually get plastic sheets in a variety of textures which can be used for flooring or walls. That would imperove the look of the bastion.

Additionally, if you're looking for flocking or tufts for basing, use the model railroad store. The GW/Army Painter/Gale Force 9 stuff is the same as the ones model railroaders have been using for decades, but put in smaller packages with higher prices.

Thanks, I'll go check it out but I don't plan on basing it.

If you take the styrofoam and coat it in a setting plaster, such as polyfiller, but not too thick. Mix it to a slightly runny consistency and paint it over the foam, it will set and you can sand it smooth. That will be a good filler to paint on top of. Also you can water down some PVA and use that, but the filler will give a nice stone texture surface.

using the filler will also give you a surface to glue parts onto it as anything acetone based (most model glues, spray paint, evostick etc will chew through it) that will give you a surface to glue onto. Dont be afraid to do multiple layers of plaster but giving each layer a good amount of time to dry between coats, maybe 24 to 48 hours. lightly sand each layer and you will have a nice smooth surface to stick stuff too.

On a side note, in Alien, the scene where the alien blood drips onto the floor, they used a sheet of styrofoam painted grey and dripped acetone onto it. And thats the melting you get.