Underworlds Display Board Project Start (And RL update)

Howdy folks! Little bit of an update post here about life and a small start for my next project. I’ve been having a compete hobby break for the last month or two after completely burning out doing the Gobbo project for Underworlds.

I’ve pretty much gone cold turkey online and in RL. No reading blogs, no hobby, nothing, until the last few weeks when I’ve started to feel like it again. I have dipped my toe in occasionally on the Underworlds Facebook group but apart from that nowt. So apologies to all my blogging buddies for missing your posts etc, it always means a lot when folks read my posts and comment, and I know it means the same to my fellow bloggers as we do put a lot of time and effort into writing and updating our little corners of the tinter-webs. Must be frustrating to you dear readers too, I know I love it when a blog I follow updates regularly, as I enjoy seeing/reading about exciting projects and models etc, and I can am always excited to see a project update consistently. Sadly for me it’s a time of life when life commitments (2 young children, studying & working full time) are too great to be able to throw myself into large projects like La Danse Macabre as much as I used to, which is why you see more small scale things like Underworlds features on here much more (helps that I absolutely love the game too!!). It’s not going to change in the near future for me as my wife goes back to work after maternity on opposite shifts to me this week, so my free time in the evenings will now be spent as much as possible with her, which leaves realistically one or two evening a week for me to hobby on something. I’m not complaining or anything, it’s just the way it is and I have to manage my time as a result. Just updating you dear readers on the state of my life/blog at the moment :)

Before I took my hiatus I was turning my hand to multiple little projects, painting and converting. Whatever I touched seemed to go wrong. Conversions failed, paint jobs just did not work and my motivation just evaporated. I’ve got boxes on my desk full of half finished projects that I need to revisit at some point (they are good ideas but my hobby mojo was just not with me to do them any justice). Below is a pic of my desk at the point I decided to take a break. Now for some of you this doesn’t look bad at all, but for me it is a complete mess and very unusual. I am fairly organised in how I do things and like to have a free and uncluttered space to work, so when it gets like this it is a sign something is wrong. Time for a break :)

However!!! After all that rambling I finally do feel some motivation coming back to me. It has been reinvigorated by the upcoming Underworlds grand clash at the Birmingham games expo end of May. I’ve bought my ticket and want to take my Gobbos again. I didn’t win best painted last time which I was gunning for, so that’s my goal now for the event (as well as placing top third if I can). I want to do something a bit special and do a little display board for Snikkits Mob. I know this is something I have spoken about in the past, but now it is becoming a reality and I’ve made a small start. I have collected and bought a few bits & pieces and the project is now underway! 

I am planning on a mushroom forest, with large toadstools and mushrooms in the rear (mounted onto mdf hexes so I can use them as blocked hexes in game too). I’ve sourced some 3d printed mushrooms from a company called dark fantastic mills, which are pretty darn cool. Now with anything 3D printed there are print ridges as each layer is made, and I am too much of a perfectionist to let that go, so I’ve covered all the mushrooms in liquid green stuff (multiple coats) to soften these somewhat. , and then sanded them down as much as I can. The ridges haven’t completely disappeared but it’s enough to make them look more natural and organic, and once painted it will not be very noticeable which I am fine with. 

I’ve also sourced the same mushrooms I’ve used for the Gobbos bases from Kromlech, which will be completely covering the open areas in the middle and front, tying in the models to the display base.

 I will also be building up the board around the bases of the models and terrain hexes so the whole thing is seamless in its appearance, but they all can still be removed for functional gaming purposes too (I’m all about functionality for my models. Their ultimate goal is to look cool on the tabletop, not as pure display pieces, I’m not good enough for that).

Anyhoo this is where I’ve got to at present. Not a great photo but it gives you an idea of the layout I am going for. I’m steaming ahead with this over the next few weeks (I’m signed off work after a hernia operation, which btw is horrible, I don’t recommend it ;) ) so I hope to have some concrete progress to show you guys n gals very soon

x