Choosing your world

You build your world from the ground up so choose your dirt, stone, rock, mud, water and green background colours well. You will need litres of these colours over many years. (Tip: I use the TamiyaColor range (Fig 13); it gives good coverage, takes washes well and gives a variety of effects when dry brushed. As a bonus, I can construct a life-size replica of the Eiffel Tower with the empty bottles).

The climatic conditions of your world can be varied by the choice of terrain insert and Habitation but you are stuck with your choice of general ground cover. The creation of transitional tiles (eg grassland to arid) allows some flexibility but generally you are fixed-in by your grass ... the stuff that fades the fastest. (Tip: I employ a mottled flock composed of Woodland Scenics´ products of a variety of shades interspaced with patches of bare ground. Fading happens so I store my completed tiles in low light to slow the process. Re-flocking isn't as evident if your base terrain is mottled to begin with).

Remember, the overlays are canvases. They are meant to be worked. Slopes lengthened, cliffs extended, tracks to be cut, walls to be built and ponds to be dug ... have fun, send pics. (Tip: If you use an epoxy putty to frame hill extensions then you can fill with plaster or DAS. I use an engraver on the ABS plastic and blunt blades or leather tools on the resin).

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