A friend recently gave me some kits to build MDF bases with inserts for removable terrain. I decided these would be a great project to work on to donate to the Wednesday Night Painting Group’s annual Toys for Tots fundraiser at HMGS’s Fall In!!
Each base came in two pieces, a base and a smaller top piece with holes to set the trees in.
I initially did not plan on doing anything about the obvious stepped look but about ten seconds after gluing them together I decided I did in fact want to throw some spackle down on them to make the step less obvious. It wasn’t perfect, and it shows I don’t have a future in professional remodeling but it did the trick and helped make the pieces more pleasing to the eye.
After the spackle dried I used Vallejo brown pumice to cover the whole base. You can see the less than perfect spackle job, but I figured after flock it would look better and decided to press on.
I did a brown wash, and dry brushed the bases before I added two types of flock: a brown green to represent the forest floor, and a brighter green to show grass leading up to the edge of the woods. I rather like how this came out!
After this it was time to see if the trees still fit in the holes. As they were rather snug to begin with and they were then sprayed with paint and matte varnish to lock the flock down I was a bit worried. Fortunately, they did fit and I was able to put them in and out without too much difficulty.
I’m actually pretty happy with them and now I’m not so sure I want to give them away! Still, a friend donated the trees so I guess I need to make sure they go to their intended purpose. It looks like they will be part of a WWII gaming set including Soviet and German troops and a game mat so maybe I’ll just have to bid on the set myself!
Oh, and the cool thing is I get another Bingo square for “use a new material to create a terrain piece” from them as I don’t think I’ve ever used spackle as part of a terrain piece! I definitely haven’t used pumice for anything beyond bases so I guess if I have used plaster the pumice counts! I could claim “paint something using dry brushing” and “build a terrain piece” as I did ten separate pieces but I don’t feel that goes with the spirit of the game!
-Wachtmeister
The Wachtmeister's Patrol 
[…] enough I already completed “Build a Terrain Piece” when I did the forest stands for WNPG’s Toys for Tots auction at Fall In! 2025! I figured that would be a lame post just showing off some old stuff and […]
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