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Hey guys....
I'm seriously thinking (pretty much defiantly going to do...) about doing a diorama....
Firstly here is my idea:

a MDF square board (not 100% on size yet, but not too big....
I have a piece of Cities of Death of scenery, and will have that, pretty much in the corner.
I want a road, with a Rhino (i have a spare one) stopped (well i don't think i could make it move )
And then have a squad of Marines....either just relaxing :p or 'scouting' the area, with maybe a couple of dead bodies around..
(probably a couple of other bits, like a ammo stock or something...)


some questions:
Best way to do the road? (i am planning on doing a sand base, obviously painted, fairly dark)
What should the Marine squad do? (i want to maybe reposition them a bit, nothing to over-complicated though)
Any other ideas that could make this better?

I want to start with something like that, it doesn't seem to difficult (will take a bit of time though, but modeling wise, won't be too hard....), but isn't as 'simple' as two models having a duel (not taking anything away from those types of dioramas, they always look good, i just want something a bit bigger...)

Thanks



P.s (my second one, will involve a train, i'm already thinking of ideas for that, might involve DE attacking/looting the train...)

Depends what sort of road. You can get GW COD Road, you could have a printed Paving Stone Patter nor you could use Gravel and Fine Sand for an Asphalt type road. As for the Marines, how about guarding the Rhino as a Techie replaces a Tread section, Marines are rarely idle and I think there is some scope, you could have them having driven over a mine that's in a little crater. Alternitavely, they could be unloading the Rhino's goods with one or two on guard. It depends on your converting skill and your vision.

The OC-D

That actually quite a nice idea (the first one about the Marines...)

do GW sell the COD road? I couldn't see it, and did a quick search on ebay, and couldn't see it on there (i think i do remember it though...)
Gravel/Fine sand could work, it will need to be quite fine/other sand i use is thicker (or whatever the correct term is )


Thanks for your help

It is a roll of thick fabric with a road printed on it. Personally, I don't care for it. I think you are better off making your own. Woodland scenic's has a fine black gravel for like roads and for under train tracks.

Have you thought of using a picture frame as the base for it?

If you are going to go with the first idea of some SM guarding a Techie fixing the tread (great idea btw), you want to have the squad in 'all round defence' = About 10ft(scaled obv) around the vehicle all looking away from the Rhino in a big circle guns pointing outward scanning the area looking for baddies, you mentioned you are using a building..... for that ''oh wow factor'' I'd personally put a sniper(your choice of said baddie... ..Ork in my case) not in the window... but hid just to the inside of one as if waiting for the right moment to pop out.

I can see this in my head if your dio turns out half as good as I imagine it will, I'll be a very happy man. If not I may just do it meself!

right road first I would not build the road but build the pavement around it that way your road is below the pavement/sidewalk level if you take some plasticard and score it into rectangles snap it into individual pieces and then apply to your mdf board marking out the pavement area leaving a shadow gap of maybe the thickness of cerial box cardboard, mask that off with some paper and masking tape and get yourself a can of textured black paint and spray the road surface the level of your pavement depends on the thickness of your plasticard but 1.5 or 2mm should look great this gives you the oppertunity to create sections where the paving slabs have been moved/blown away where you can apply your fine sand and texture. I would love to see a bunch of space marines sitting round a campfire eating whatever wild animal they managed to catch and kill in a ruined city, even space marines have to eat occasionaly

Thanks for all your advice and ideas.... I'll make sure i take everything into consideration...

Hopefully i can start this in a week or two (have to try and finish off my 1500 point Space Marine army first, otherwise i'll never do it, and won't be able to go to GT :O )